In my previous church there was a married couple whose professions were in some ways considered opposites. They both worked in the field of medicine. But, one was in brain surgery, the other cardiology. It was common to those who knew the couple to find them debating from time to time over which of their two fields were more important in their contributions to medical science. One would argue that the brain mattered most, and the other would counter that the heart was more important.
Medical science aside, the debate over head vs. heart is one that continues on in many circles of conversation, and indeed within ourselves. Given just about any situation we are confronted with this debate, do I trust my head, which then metaphorically refers to the center of our being which gleans from evidence or personal experience; or do I trust my heart, which relies on intuition and emotion? The head is understood as the place which believes that truth is derived from things that can be proven, measured, and evaluated. The heart is understood as the place which believes that truth is derived from feelings, gut-instinct. The head is at work seeking to understand, endeavoring to be proven right or wrong. The heart is at work falling in love, reaching out with compassion, going deep into conversation. The head is the seat of wisdom. The heart is the seat of love.
Psychologists Jung, along with Myers-Briggs found great success with their theory on the universal typology of personalities. In their work the well known Myers-Briggs test has been used in a variety of ways to highlight the differences and encourage understanding between 16 primary personality types. Built into their conclusions is an acceptance of a fundamental difference between people who might be called “head” people verses “heart” people. The “head” people tend to be more grounded, stoic, and realistic. The “heart” people tend to be more flighty, emotional, and imaginative. However, while modern Psychology may indeed recognize that there are “head” people and “heart” people, there is also widespread acceptance that we all make choices somewhere within a continuum from head to heart, and every circumstance is addressed a little bit differently than the last. None of us are 100% head, or heart. We are a blend of the two, and personality tests such as the Myers-Briggs simply point out our tendencies.
The point is, there are times when we need to trust our heads, and there are times when we need to trust our hearts. And, every situation is potentially a battle ground. Internally, a storm rages as we struggle with decisions between the head and the heart. And, sometimes, the storm rages outside us, in the world around us. It is in the external arena that we start to see individual leanings of heart or head arise as we make use of politics and various subtleties of personal influence to try to win others to trust in our viewpoints. Both the internal and the external struggles between the head vs. heart have the potential for destructive results if we are not careful and forgiving of both our self and others.
Today’s bible readings seem to be lifting up the heart over the head as a manor of virtue and faith. In the gospel, Peter responds with his heart to Jesus’ call to get out and walk on water. Walking on water is, without a doubt, a response of the heart overruling the head. The head sees the water, not a solid surface upon which one can walk. The head sees the boat as the only source of salvation. But, the heart wonders if it’s possible and realizes he’ll never know if he doesn’t try. Peter’s heart wins the internal struggle and for a moment he is walking on water.
In Paul’s letter to the Romans we hear him teach us that one must learn to believe with their hearts to be saved. Paul makes a statement such as this simply out of an assumption that we already recognize that there is a kind of faith that is not of the heart—namely faith of the head.
The simple way to preach or teach these texts is merely to proclaim that God requires faith of the heart over faith of the head. The trouble is that if we are really honest with God, the scripture and ourselves, then we must confess that nothing in life is ever truly that simple. In fact, while this text today lifts up the necessity for the faith of the heart over that of the head, this text also speaks just the opposite. For instance, while Paul declares that we are to believe in the heart to be save, he says further in the verse that follow a list of "head" things that are necessary to bring us to that belief. He says, "How can a person believe if they do not hear, and how can a person hear if someone doesn't proclaim..." Furthermore, if we do not recognize the significance of both head and heart in Paul's teaching, then he contradicts himself in chapter 12. Just as Paul declares today his message of belief in the heart from chapter 10 of his letter to the Romans, if we skip over to chapter 12, verse 2 he seems to be saying just the opposite. There he exhorts us to be “transformed by the renewing of the mind.” Likewise, Peter's walk on the water shows his heart for Jesus as he is willing to get out of the boat during a storm. But, how would Peter be able to call to him, or go to him on the water if he didn't first know him --head stuff-- and be able to recognize him. The others see a ghost on the water. Peter recognizes Jesus because he knows him.
The same is true of us. We may want to follow Christ (do what is right), and we may even be willing to try something radiucally new and different (walk on water), but if we don't go to church, if we aren't listening to scripture, if we aren't given the "head stuff" how can we even begin to know how to redognize Jesus in the midst of our storms.
So, what we find in scripture is an affirmation of our suspicion that both the head and the heart have their place within matters of faith. Therefore, the more allow this text is to be honest about this suspicion, and take in the whole message of the scripture. These texts clearly lift up scriptural examples of the efficacy of allowing our heart to ascend over our heads from time to time. But, it is irresponsible and contradictory to the fuller message of this text for me to preach that matters of faith can only be fulfilled by the heart.
There are times when we need to respond with our hearts. And, there are times when we need to respond with our heads. The challenge for us is to do what is right. This means finding balance between the both, and allowing our heads and our hearts to respond appropriately under the appropriate circumstances.
But, there will be times when we allow our hearts to squelch our heads. In times like these, common sense will give way to an emotional decision that will likely fail but hopefully offer to us a learning example that will lead to things being done differently next time. There will also be times when our head squelches our heart. In times like these, passion and enthusiasm for something will be overcome for reasons that are just unfounded. Emotional decisions made like these lead to destructiveness for everyone involved. And, they increase feelings of burnout and exhaustion depreciating the morale of an organization.
Striking a balance between the head and heart is actually the heart of the paradox of our Christian faith. This is the true heart of the matter. We are called to give our lives to Christ, and to give our lives to our neighbor simultaneously. We are called to be in the world, yet at the same time to remain not of the world. We are both saint and sinner simultaneously. And, we follow a Lord who is both human and divine. The heart of the matter is that we are always in a boat of trouble on a stormy sea. But, to our boat, and in the middle of this stormy paradox our Lord Jesus comes to calm our fears and be with us.
The blessing for us today from this message is found when we recognize that God is not one who demands that we get every decision right. He simply asks us to do our best, and as we do to entrust everything to God. If you’re a head person, recognize that there are times when you must let your heart win. Emotion, passion, idealism are good for the soul. If you’re a heart person, recognize that there are times when you must let your head win. Evidence, reality, common sense are also good for the soul.
Jesus may indeed have called Peter out of the boat to walk on the water with him. But, the truth that we need to hear from this text is the message that often gets overlooked. The storm that rages all around the boat of Peter and the others is not calmed by Peter getting out of the boat, but by Jesus climbing in. There is a storm of head vs. heart that rages inside us and all around us. But, the blessing for us all is found when we recognize that God--in our baptisms, in the Word, in the fellowship of believers, in the bread and the wine—climbs in and takes charge of the storm for us. He wants to be our God over all things, both the head things and the heart things.
God understands our struggle. Is it any wonder that Jesus says at one time, “Take up your own cross , then at another time, “Take my yoke upon you, the burden is light.” Jesus knows the weightiness with which each faithful decision we struggle through is made. Yet, simultaneously he offers his yoke to guide us through each of them.
God knows there are times when we will struggle and fail. He also knows there are times when we will struggle and succeed. God doesn’t ask perfection of us. He only asks us to trust him with the end result of all things. In the end perfection is God’s work—not ours.
Letting God be Lord of both our head and our heart, our full self---This is true freedom. This is what it means to live by faith. This is what it means to walk with Jesus.
When the storm rages within and without, take a moment to pray, to listen, and to watch. Because it is in the middle of the storm when our Lord comes to us and says, "Don't be afraid, I am with you even to the end."
Amen
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Newsletter Aug '08
Think again, you fools!
When will you finally catch on?
Is the one who made your ears deaf?
Is the one who formed your eyes blind?
He punishes the nations—won’t he also punish you?
He knows everything—doesn’t he also know what you are doing?
The Lord knows people’s thoughts, that they are worthless!
Happy are those whom you discipline, Lord,
And those whom you teach from your law.
You give them relief from troubled times until a pit is dug for the wicked.
The Lord will not reject his people;
He will not abandon his own special possession.
Judgment will come again for the righteous,
And those who are upright will have a reward.
Psalm 94:8-15
Do you know what the word “gospel” means? It means Good News!
Today we have technology’s mixed blessing of finding out about events more quickly and in greater detail than ever before. Unfortunately, most of what we see or hear in the news is the negative. When negative information fills our minds, it’s hard not to be cynical.
In the Psalm I have quoted above, it seems as if the psalmist could think of nothing but bad news. He saw evil people prospering and oppressing others, corrupt governments, and the condemnation of the innocent, much like what we see in our world today. But, by the end of the Psalm we learn that in spite of all the bad news he remains hopeful and expectant of God. The psalmist resists the temptation to become cynical even though it seems that there is nothing but bad news to report everywhere he looks. He takes comfort in remaining faithful to the promise that God would never allow evil to continue forever. The psalmist takes comfort and refuge in God’s promise, rather become cynical.
If you’ve ever been around a cynical person, you know how maddening such company can be. Saturday Night Live used to do a skit called “Debbie Downer”. Each skit presented a context that was lively and celebrative, like a birthday party, or office party. Then, just as everyone began enjoying the moment, Debbie would announce some cynical remark and bring the party to a screeching halt. And, in no time at all, completely turn the atmosphere from positive to negative. It was funny on Saturday Night Live, but it’s not funny in real life. A cynical outlook on life has two problems: 1. Negative attitudes are rarely necessary, and rarely appreciated. It may indeed be necessary to speak the truth. Even so, if done with love even negative news can be communicated with a positive attitude. 2. A cynical attitude makes every situation look bleak and hopeless, even when it’s not.
So, what’s the cure for the cynic, or the potential to become a cynic in all of us? Into a world that seems fraught with bad news—we have been given the Good News—the gospel of Jesus Christ! The “good news” of Jesus Christ overpowers the bad news because it sheds the light of God upon every bad news situation and promises new life. It is this “gospel” power that turns the bleakest day in human history—when Jesus was crucified—into what we know as “Good” Friday. The power of the gospel is God’s gift to us, and with it believers are never without hope.
The cynic looks upon the world and declares something to the effect of, “It’s all going to hell!” But, the faithful are never without hope. They express trust in God and commit themselves to taking responsibility for this life as a sign of God’s gift of the gospel.
When overwhelmed by bad news, we can resist the temptation to become cynical. Instead, we can take guidance from the psalm. We can give our anger and frustration to God, and allow the gospel to reassure our hope. With God’s good news to strengthen and encourage, we can then carry on in a course of action that faces the bad news with hope and security.
There’s a bluegrass gospel song that is sung regularly in our church that declares this same message. I’d like to close this month’s devotion with it. It’s called Keep On the Sunny Side.
There's a dark and a troubled side of life
There's a bright and a sunny side too
Though we meet with the darkness and strife
The sunny side we also may view
Refrain
Keep on the sunny side always on the sunny side
Keep on the sunny side of life
It will help us every day
It will brighten all our way
If we keep on the sunny side of life
Oh the storm and its fury broke today
Crushing hopes that we cherish so dear
The clouds and storm will in time pass away
The sun again will shine bright and clear
Refrain
Let us greet with a song of hope each day
Though the moment be cloudy or fair
Let us trust in our Savior always
To keep us every one in His care
Refrain
When will you finally catch on?
Is the one who made your ears deaf?
Is the one who formed your eyes blind?
He punishes the nations—won’t he also punish you?
He knows everything—doesn’t he also know what you are doing?
The Lord knows people’s thoughts, that they are worthless!
Happy are those whom you discipline, Lord,
And those whom you teach from your law.
You give them relief from troubled times until a pit is dug for the wicked.
The Lord will not reject his people;
He will not abandon his own special possession.
Judgment will come again for the righteous,
And those who are upright will have a reward.
Psalm 94:8-15
Do you know what the word “gospel” means? It means Good News!
Today we have technology’s mixed blessing of finding out about events more quickly and in greater detail than ever before. Unfortunately, most of what we see or hear in the news is the negative. When negative information fills our minds, it’s hard not to be cynical.
In the Psalm I have quoted above, it seems as if the psalmist could think of nothing but bad news. He saw evil people prospering and oppressing others, corrupt governments, and the condemnation of the innocent, much like what we see in our world today. But, by the end of the Psalm we learn that in spite of all the bad news he remains hopeful and expectant of God. The psalmist resists the temptation to become cynical even though it seems that there is nothing but bad news to report everywhere he looks. He takes comfort in remaining faithful to the promise that God would never allow evil to continue forever. The psalmist takes comfort and refuge in God’s promise, rather become cynical.
If you’ve ever been around a cynical person, you know how maddening such company can be. Saturday Night Live used to do a skit called “Debbie Downer”. Each skit presented a context that was lively and celebrative, like a birthday party, or office party. Then, just as everyone began enjoying the moment, Debbie would announce some cynical remark and bring the party to a screeching halt. And, in no time at all, completely turn the atmosphere from positive to negative. It was funny on Saturday Night Live, but it’s not funny in real life. A cynical outlook on life has two problems: 1. Negative attitudes are rarely necessary, and rarely appreciated. It may indeed be necessary to speak the truth. Even so, if done with love even negative news can be communicated with a positive attitude. 2. A cynical attitude makes every situation look bleak and hopeless, even when it’s not.
So, what’s the cure for the cynic, or the potential to become a cynic in all of us? Into a world that seems fraught with bad news—we have been given the Good News—the gospel of Jesus Christ! The “good news” of Jesus Christ overpowers the bad news because it sheds the light of God upon every bad news situation and promises new life. It is this “gospel” power that turns the bleakest day in human history—when Jesus was crucified—into what we know as “Good” Friday. The power of the gospel is God’s gift to us, and with it believers are never without hope.
The cynic looks upon the world and declares something to the effect of, “It’s all going to hell!” But, the faithful are never without hope. They express trust in God and commit themselves to taking responsibility for this life as a sign of God’s gift of the gospel.
When overwhelmed by bad news, we can resist the temptation to become cynical. Instead, we can take guidance from the psalm. We can give our anger and frustration to God, and allow the gospel to reassure our hope. With God’s good news to strengthen and encourage, we can then carry on in a course of action that faces the bad news with hope and security.
There’s a bluegrass gospel song that is sung regularly in our church that declares this same message. I’d like to close this month’s devotion with it. It’s called Keep On the Sunny Side.
There's a dark and a troubled side of life
There's a bright and a sunny side too
Though we meet with the darkness and strife
The sunny side we also may view
Refrain
Keep on the sunny side always on the sunny side
Keep on the sunny side of life
It will help us every day
It will brighten all our way
If we keep on the sunny side of life
Oh the storm and its fury broke today
Crushing hopes that we cherish so dear
The clouds and storm will in time pass away
The sun again will shine bright and clear
Refrain
Let us greet with a song of hope each day
Though the moment be cloudy or fair
Let us trust in our Savior always
To keep us every one in His care
Refrain
Newsletter July '08
Elijah has been home now for three months. I have shared many stories with you already, and I expect that more are to come. As I reflect upon this fondness we all have of telling and hearing stories of parenthood I realize that there is something common in all of our stories. Each of our stories, whether they be about learning to walk, talk, or drive a car are stories about growth. There’s a certain fondness we all have to these stories of how we grow. Whether they are stories of children, teens, or even the glib remarks we make about growing old, we are quite fond of growth.
Over the last month the necessity arose for looking back over the history of our congregational meetings. With the help of Bob Williams and Donna Lewis, the minutes from every congregational meeting were dug up and read. This was an arduous task. But, as Bob and Donna periodically informed me of the things they found it was as if they were telling stories of how this congregation grew in faith, as well as in number over the years.
Often, the topic of growth is spoken of in the language of change. Contrary to the language of growth, change is not usually received with fondness (unless your Barack Obama as of late J). Yet, we all know that growth doesn’t happen without change. Since 1993 there have been many changes at Living God. Even though these changes have yielded positive things for our congregation, one thing is noticeable from reading the meeting minutes from the past 15 years. Change frightens us.
Maybe we need to speak more of growth than of change. This may seem like mere semantics, but there is something very real about the way certain words infer certain things. For instance, I am thrilled to see Elijah grow. He’s 2 inches taller, and 2 pounds heavier since we brought him home. I am equally thrilled to see him walking, and to hear him learn certain words. But, even though I know that growth cannot happen without change, I am very much aware that I am resistant to the notion that he is going to change. I don’t want him to change. But, I want him to grow.
The truth is we can’t have both at the same time. We can’t grow and not change. To grow is to change. Likewise, to resist change is to resist growth. So, we must keep an open mind and an open spirit about things if we want to enjoy seeing them grow. This is true of our selves, our relationships, as it is true about our church.
This is the season of growth for the church. It is officially called the season of Pentecost. The lessons we hear on Sunday and the thrust of all the thematic material of this portion of the church year is on the growth of the church. As the world around is growing green with summer, the church celebrates the ways in which our faith has grown, and how our relationship to Jesus has grown over the centuries and throughout our lives.
God has done marvelous things with us as we have grown in our faith over the years. It may be helpful to recognize how our growth in faith has resulted in very wonderful changes in us. But, it is also important for us to realize that God isn’t finished with us yet. There are still many more stories of growth yet to be lived and told in the years to come. What will our children tell theirs about us, about our church, about God? I look forward to hearing those stories some day. I hope you do too.
Faithfully,
+Pastor Rich
Over the last month the necessity arose for looking back over the history of our congregational meetings. With the help of Bob Williams and Donna Lewis, the minutes from every congregational meeting were dug up and read. This was an arduous task. But, as Bob and Donna periodically informed me of the things they found it was as if they were telling stories of how this congregation grew in faith, as well as in number over the years.
Often, the topic of growth is spoken of in the language of change. Contrary to the language of growth, change is not usually received with fondness (unless your Barack Obama as of late J). Yet, we all know that growth doesn’t happen without change. Since 1993 there have been many changes at Living God. Even though these changes have yielded positive things for our congregation, one thing is noticeable from reading the meeting minutes from the past 15 years. Change frightens us.
Maybe we need to speak more of growth than of change. This may seem like mere semantics, but there is something very real about the way certain words infer certain things. For instance, I am thrilled to see Elijah grow. He’s 2 inches taller, and 2 pounds heavier since we brought him home. I am equally thrilled to see him walking, and to hear him learn certain words. But, even though I know that growth cannot happen without change, I am very much aware that I am resistant to the notion that he is going to change. I don’t want him to change. But, I want him to grow.
The truth is we can’t have both at the same time. We can’t grow and not change. To grow is to change. Likewise, to resist change is to resist growth. So, we must keep an open mind and an open spirit about things if we want to enjoy seeing them grow. This is true of our selves, our relationships, as it is true about our church.
This is the season of growth for the church. It is officially called the season of Pentecost. The lessons we hear on Sunday and the thrust of all the thematic material of this portion of the church year is on the growth of the church. As the world around is growing green with summer, the church celebrates the ways in which our faith has grown, and how our relationship to Jesus has grown over the centuries and throughout our lives.
God has done marvelous things with us as we have grown in our faith over the years. It may be helpful to recognize how our growth in faith has resulted in very wonderful changes in us. But, it is also important for us to realize that God isn’t finished with us yet. There are still many more stories of growth yet to be lived and told in the years to come. What will our children tell theirs about us, about our church, about God? I look forward to hearing those stories some day. I hope you do too.
Faithfully,
+Pastor Rich
Friday, May 30, 2008
Foundational Things
Matthew 7:21-29
Good News: God has given us the sure foundation to build our lives upon. The Rock of Christ will not give way to the storms of life.
An elderly woman walked up to a little old man rocking in a chair on his porch. Though he looked weathered and feeble, he had a content smile on his face. “I couldn’t help noticing how happy you look,” she said. “What’s your secret for a happy life?” “Well, I smoke three packs of cigarettes a day,” he said, waving a wrinkled hand through the air, with a smoldering cigarette between his thumb and finger. “I also drink a case of whiskey a week, eat fatty foods, and never exercise.” “That’s amazing!” said the woman. “So, how old are you?” “Thirty six,” he answered.
If you were going to build a healthy body, you would not follow this young man’s example, would you? How about building a healthy marriage, a loyal family, or a faithful church?
Where in our world would you look for a model to build upon?
There are foundations upon which we build the things of life. The strength and virtue of the foundation determines the strength and virtue of the building. You can have the greatest looking piece of architecture above ground for all the world to see, but if beneath the surface the foundation is structurally unsound, then this beautiful building is not going to last.
How about building a meaningful satisfied life, a loyal family, or a faithful church? Where would you look for guidance? Let me give you a hint. Jesus said, “Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.”
This text is the final statement of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus has been teaching his disciples how to live according to God’s will instead of according to the will of the Pharisees, or the will of other worldly models. The teachings of Jesus keep us building upon the rock. They are the foundation for a meaningful and satisfying life. So then, what exactly did Jesus teach? Essentially he taught what we Christians have come to hear as the virtues of discipleship living. He taught Love for God, love for neighbor, love for self. He taught about the virtues of a good marriage. He taught about the necessity for generosity and compassion. He taught forgiveness, acceptance, humility, peace. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus taught the total package of Christian living. Then, at the end he taught about wisdom. He said that the wise man builds upon the rock. It is significant, I think, that the text says specifically that we are to build upon THE rock, and not A rock. For there is only one rock, and it is Christ, and his way of life. Many people are drawn to other ways of life. But Christ’s way cannot be improved upon.
A pastor was asked to counsel a woman who was quite depressed. He went by her home. During the visit he noticed three well cared for African violets. Each was a different color and next to them was an empty pot in which this woman was clearly going to plant and nurture another. This lady was a talented gardener. The pastor said he wanted to recommend something for her feelings of depression, but before he did so, he wanted her word that she would follow through with what he asked of her. She agreed. The pastor then said, “Depression isn’t your problem. Your problem is that you aren’t being a very good Christian!” The woman was startled. “What do you mean?” she responded. Then he pointed out her talent for growing African violets. “You have a gift for growing beautiful flowers,” he said as he pointed out the African Violets, “but you are keeping this gift all to your self.” He told her to purchase pots and grow more of these beautiful plants. When she had an adequate supply he wanted her to put an African violet in each of the pots and send one to the mother of every baby born to a member of the church. Then she was to send one to every member of her church who was hospitalized. After he left, she was angry with him for a little while for telling her she was not a very good Christian, but then she began to think about what he had said. She decided to give it a try. She took an African violet to a friend who had recently lost her husband. Then another to a family who just had a new baby. Soon this became a regular part of her life. About ten years later, an article appeared in the local paper. It was titled, “African Violet Queen Dies--Mourned by Thousands.”
Evidently, by living out her Christian faith and sharing her talent with others, this woman’s depression faded away as she discovered a meaningful and satisfying life.
Jesus said, “Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock . . .” And it’s true. The teachings of Jesus are the foundation for a meaningful and satisfying life. That’s why people have found so much meaning in Christ’s teachings for these past two thousand years.
But please note: to reap the benefits of Jesus’ teachings, we must act upon them. It’s not enough to say, “Oh, yes, I believe in Christ’s teaching,” but never put those teachings into practice. Jesus says it quite vividly in today’s lesson: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”
We can’t try to slip through simply by claiming to believe in Christ’s teachings, and then never allowing those teachings to absorb into our souls--change our lives. If Christ is going to be THE ROCK upon which we are built, we must allow Christ's teachings to inform the practice of our every action. “Everyone who hears these words of mine,” says Jesus, “and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock . . .”
There’s another creed that offers its teachings to us as foundational in our world. It’s the teaching that is expressed by the sentiment “If it feels good, it must be good, so do it.” The cross of Jesus keeps the Christian corrected from this false teaching. For, the cross is every bit the fullness of Christ’s teaching about where to find meaning and satisfaction in life and the way in which we should all live. At the same time, it reminds us that living a life that is pleasing to God, and therefore meaningful and satisfying is not always going to feel good. We all know it’s true, don’t we? Yet, we see and hear stories of people everywhere who live by the “If it feels good, do it” credo, and their lives are a mess. The ones that make the news, of course, are the celebrities. Think Britney or Lindsay or a host of other troubled celebrities. But, we all know friends, family members, neighbors, and others whose lives are a mess because of the shiftiness of the sand beneath this false teaching.
Another false foundation that is given to us is the teaching "If everyone is doing it, it must be good." We all know this foundation to be built upon sand. Just ask the smokers in the room how much this credo has benefited their life. Yet, even thought we know this to be an unstable foundation to build a life upon, we still see people friends, even our church become swayed by the sands of public opinion. My friends, Jesus stands firm on his teaching, and asks to do the same. Just because everyone's doing it, doesn't make it right. But, many in our world still have trouble avoiding this one or saying no to it. This is the one with the most peer pressure attached. This is the one that will challenge the company you keep. Yet, Jesus is clear. Build your life upon this, and its like building upon something that has no foundation. Just doing whatever everyone esle is doing leads us to building upon nothing. By trying to please everyone all the time, we end up pleaseing no one--and most importantly we do not lead lives that are pleasing to God.
Meanwhile I stare out into this congregation every week into the faces of some who have lived by the teachings of Jesus most of their lives and who will tell you they have found a rock--the Rock--upon which to build their lives, and they do not have a moment of regret. Their adherence to Christ’s teachings has helped them have healthy bodies, happy marriages, loving families and an enduring sense of well-being. It doesn’t always happen, of course. There are forces that can mess with our bodies, mess with our marriages, mess with our children--regardless of how devoted we are to Christ. But, all things being equal, the Christ life is the best life possible. The teachings of Jesus are the foundation for a meaningful and satisfying life. To live according to those teachings, however, we must act upon them.
So the message of the day is to be wise. Build your life upon the foundation of THE ROCK. The way of Jesus is the way that leads to Life NOW, and Life Everlasting!
The sad thing in this world is not that many of us are bad people, or that we have some sinister plan to selfishly do everything our way. We aren’t, and we don’t. The truth is that most all of us have good and well meaning intentions. We try, and yet we end up frustrated and unsatisfied with the gift of life. No, the sad thing is one of principals, and priorities. The sad thing is that too many of us in this world spend our lives building upon the wrong foundation. The sad thing is that God has given this world the most secure foundation upon which life can be built, and we go through life half-hearted about our faith in God.
There is a foundation upon which to model and build our lives, our families, our church. It is the teachings of Christ.
Love God
Love neighbor as you love yourself
Show Compassion, Generosity, Hospitality, Mercy,
Live by Faith, Hope and Wisdom of God.
The virtues of discipleship, these are the building blocks of the sure foundation found in the rock of Jesus Christ
Have you been building upon something else?
Let today be the day you turn to faith in Christ instead.
Amen
Good News: God has given us the sure foundation to build our lives upon. The Rock of Christ will not give way to the storms of life.
An elderly woman walked up to a little old man rocking in a chair on his porch. Though he looked weathered and feeble, he had a content smile on his face. “I couldn’t help noticing how happy you look,” she said. “What’s your secret for a happy life?” “Well, I smoke three packs of cigarettes a day,” he said, waving a wrinkled hand through the air, with a smoldering cigarette between his thumb and finger. “I also drink a case of whiskey a week, eat fatty foods, and never exercise.” “That’s amazing!” said the woman. “So, how old are you?” “Thirty six,” he answered.
If you were going to build a healthy body, you would not follow this young man’s example, would you? How about building a healthy marriage, a loyal family, or a faithful church?
Where in our world would you look for a model to build upon?
There are foundations upon which we build the things of life. The strength and virtue of the foundation determines the strength and virtue of the building. You can have the greatest looking piece of architecture above ground for all the world to see, but if beneath the surface the foundation is structurally unsound, then this beautiful building is not going to last.
How about building a meaningful satisfied life, a loyal family, or a faithful church? Where would you look for guidance? Let me give you a hint. Jesus said, “Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.”
This text is the final statement of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus has been teaching his disciples how to live according to God’s will instead of according to the will of the Pharisees, or the will of other worldly models. The teachings of Jesus keep us building upon the rock. They are the foundation for a meaningful and satisfying life. So then, what exactly did Jesus teach? Essentially he taught what we Christians have come to hear as the virtues of discipleship living. He taught Love for God, love for neighbor, love for self. He taught about the virtues of a good marriage. He taught about the necessity for generosity and compassion. He taught forgiveness, acceptance, humility, peace. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus taught the total package of Christian living. Then, at the end he taught about wisdom. He said that the wise man builds upon the rock. It is significant, I think, that the text says specifically that we are to build upon THE rock, and not A rock. For there is only one rock, and it is Christ, and his way of life. Many people are drawn to other ways of life. But Christ’s way cannot be improved upon.
A pastor was asked to counsel a woman who was quite depressed. He went by her home. During the visit he noticed three well cared for African violets. Each was a different color and next to them was an empty pot in which this woman was clearly going to plant and nurture another. This lady was a talented gardener. The pastor said he wanted to recommend something for her feelings of depression, but before he did so, he wanted her word that she would follow through with what he asked of her. She agreed. The pastor then said, “Depression isn’t your problem. Your problem is that you aren’t being a very good Christian!” The woman was startled. “What do you mean?” she responded. Then he pointed out her talent for growing African violets. “You have a gift for growing beautiful flowers,” he said as he pointed out the African Violets, “but you are keeping this gift all to your self.” He told her to purchase pots and grow more of these beautiful plants. When she had an adequate supply he wanted her to put an African violet in each of the pots and send one to the mother of every baby born to a member of the church. Then she was to send one to every member of her church who was hospitalized. After he left, she was angry with him for a little while for telling her she was not a very good Christian, but then she began to think about what he had said. She decided to give it a try. She took an African violet to a friend who had recently lost her husband. Then another to a family who just had a new baby. Soon this became a regular part of her life. About ten years later, an article appeared in the local paper. It was titled, “African Violet Queen Dies--Mourned by Thousands.”
Evidently, by living out her Christian faith and sharing her talent with others, this woman’s depression faded away as she discovered a meaningful and satisfying life.
Jesus said, “Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock . . .” And it’s true. The teachings of Jesus are the foundation for a meaningful and satisfying life. That’s why people have found so much meaning in Christ’s teachings for these past two thousand years.
But please note: to reap the benefits of Jesus’ teachings, we must act upon them. It’s not enough to say, “Oh, yes, I believe in Christ’s teaching,” but never put those teachings into practice. Jesus says it quite vividly in today’s lesson: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”
We can’t try to slip through simply by claiming to believe in Christ’s teachings, and then never allowing those teachings to absorb into our souls--change our lives. If Christ is going to be THE ROCK upon which we are built, we must allow Christ's teachings to inform the practice of our every action. “Everyone who hears these words of mine,” says Jesus, “and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock . . .”
There’s another creed that offers its teachings to us as foundational in our world. It’s the teaching that is expressed by the sentiment “If it feels good, it must be good, so do it.” The cross of Jesus keeps the Christian corrected from this false teaching. For, the cross is every bit the fullness of Christ’s teaching about where to find meaning and satisfaction in life and the way in which we should all live. At the same time, it reminds us that living a life that is pleasing to God, and therefore meaningful and satisfying is not always going to feel good. We all know it’s true, don’t we? Yet, we see and hear stories of people everywhere who live by the “If it feels good, do it” credo, and their lives are a mess. The ones that make the news, of course, are the celebrities. Think Britney or Lindsay or a host of other troubled celebrities. But, we all know friends, family members, neighbors, and others whose lives are a mess because of the shiftiness of the sand beneath this false teaching.
Another false foundation that is given to us is the teaching "If everyone is doing it, it must be good." We all know this foundation to be built upon sand. Just ask the smokers in the room how much this credo has benefited their life. Yet, even thought we know this to be an unstable foundation to build a life upon, we still see people friends, even our church become swayed by the sands of public opinion. My friends, Jesus stands firm on his teaching, and asks to do the same. Just because everyone's doing it, doesn't make it right. But, many in our world still have trouble avoiding this one or saying no to it. This is the one with the most peer pressure attached. This is the one that will challenge the company you keep. Yet, Jesus is clear. Build your life upon this, and its like building upon something that has no foundation. Just doing whatever everyone esle is doing leads us to building upon nothing. By trying to please everyone all the time, we end up pleaseing no one--and most importantly we do not lead lives that are pleasing to God.
Meanwhile I stare out into this congregation every week into the faces of some who have lived by the teachings of Jesus most of their lives and who will tell you they have found a rock--the Rock--upon which to build their lives, and they do not have a moment of regret. Their adherence to Christ’s teachings has helped them have healthy bodies, happy marriages, loving families and an enduring sense of well-being. It doesn’t always happen, of course. There are forces that can mess with our bodies, mess with our marriages, mess with our children--regardless of how devoted we are to Christ. But, all things being equal, the Christ life is the best life possible. The teachings of Jesus are the foundation for a meaningful and satisfying life. To live according to those teachings, however, we must act upon them.
So the message of the day is to be wise. Build your life upon the foundation of THE ROCK. The way of Jesus is the way that leads to Life NOW, and Life Everlasting!
The sad thing in this world is not that many of us are bad people, or that we have some sinister plan to selfishly do everything our way. We aren’t, and we don’t. The truth is that most all of us have good and well meaning intentions. We try, and yet we end up frustrated and unsatisfied with the gift of life. No, the sad thing is one of principals, and priorities. The sad thing is that too many of us in this world spend our lives building upon the wrong foundation. The sad thing is that God has given this world the most secure foundation upon which life can be built, and we go through life half-hearted about our faith in God.
There is a foundation upon which to model and build our lives, our families, our church. It is the teachings of Christ.
Love God
Love neighbor as you love yourself
Show Compassion, Generosity, Hospitality, Mercy,
Live by Faith, Hope and Wisdom of God.
The virtues of discipleship, these are the building blocks of the sure foundation found in the rock of Jesus Christ
Have you been building upon something else?
Let today be the day you turn to faith in Christ instead.
Amen
Newsletter June '08
Newsletter: June ‘08
Dear Living God,
One day recently, Donna and I were working at the church when we noticed a turtle that had walked up to the front door. It was a funny situation because it seemed to want to come inside. Curious, we opened the door to invite it in. Then, in a reflex, the turtle’s head and legs were gone; hidden inside its shell. We meant no harm, but the thing perceived us as a threat. Whatever desire it had to come inside the church vanished as quickly as his head and limbs were tucked inside his shell. Donna and I left it alone, and eventually it got up the nerve to stick out its head and limbs and investigate some other portion of the world.
Do you ever feel like a turtle?
Sometimes we are afraid to poke our head out and move forward. We are taught to perceive all sorts of threats. Then, when we sense a threat approaching we tuck in our head and limbs and pray that it goes away. We feel safe within our shell, but that which we perceive to be a threat might actually have been a great invitation. Of course, how would we know whether it is or it isn’t when our head is inside a shell.
Christian faith has no relationship with this kind of fear. To have faith is to stick our heads [necks] out expecting God to be there inviting us into something new. We are not called to be people who hide inside our shell. Rather, we are called to be people who stick out necks out for Christ’s mission and message to be shared in the world. This means sticking our necks out for others, for righteousness, for justice, for peace—for Christ. Too often many of God’s invitations get rejected out of fear. We know what is right, yet for some reason we have been taught to be afraid. So, we retreat back into our shells. And, unlike the turtle, we humans have many different shells. Some do not even look like shells from the outside. For instance, a welcoming Sunday worship service can become a shell in which the members hide from change. From the outside this looks like what it is, and many are drawn to it. But from the inside, the place that once nurtured our faith and encouraged us forward can turn into a place where we hide and hope that the threats of change just go away.
For the last year, we have been behaving a lot like frightened turtles. But, if you remember back over the past year, you will find that every time we did stuck our necks out God has been there to guide us and encourage us. If you remember, a year ago, we were afraid of increasing our budget from $6500 to $20000 to afford a musician with the same level of talent to which we had grown accustomed. In September, we realized a budget deficit of nearly $9000, which called us to increase our giving and organize some fund raising post-haste. In the winter, church council was threatened by the loss of our treasurer and the need to find someone for this post. Meanwhile, there was the constant threat of change humming in the background as the pastor promoted a strange new worship service.
Throughout the past year, we faced many threatening invitations from God. And, in each one we promptly behaved like turtles—sticking our heads inside our shells of comfort and praying that the threats just pass away. But, by the grace of God, only one or two at first, but then many more in the end, began to poke their heads out and look around. We began to find out that these things were not as threatening as we thought. We might also say we realized that God was with us each time we were willing to stick our neck out.
Today, the results of overcoming last year’s threats are remarkable. We hired a new music director. We overcame last year’s budget deficit. We found a new treasurer. We stabilized our church council leadership after a mass changeover. Our average weekly attendance has never been higher. Our average weekly giving has never been higher. We received more than 30 new members. And, unlike last year at this time, we are enjoying the blessings of a $6000 budget surplus.
One year ago we were anxious over the cost of a new music director, our financial outlook was very weak, and our worship attendance was starting to slump. But, today, after sticking our necks out on faith just a little, God has done wonderful things. The bible says that God can do big miracles with even a mustard seed amount of faith. And, that is what we have seen God do with us over the past year.
Yet, our annual meeting in May brought out the turtle in us again. The odd worship service that the pastor has been promoting has gained momentum. Now it calls us to endorse it wholly and completely as a legitimate worship service of this congregation by adding the costs of the program into our annual budget. Again, the same concerns about money and integrity are brought forward, and again many of us duck our heads inside our shells and pray that this threat will just go away. But, if there’s anything at all that the events of the last year have taught us. It is that when we stick our necks out, take a risk, we give God a chance to work with us. God refuses to work without us, and God can’t work with us so long as we remain hidden in fear. But, it only takes a tiny amount of faith—an ever so slight peek outside of our shell for God to show us miraculous things. Our church’s current health is a testament to this.
Now, let’s be clear. I’m not referring to sheer blind faith. No. This evening worship service has already proven itself to be a growing ministry for our congregation. Week after week it overcomes its own expenses by $200 or more. Week after week it produces a vibrant congregation of 40+. And, it has already helped to lead more than 9 people into active membership. Why would we want to eliminate funding from a program that is already doing such a great job? Unless, perhaps, there is something about it that threatens us.
Now, I know that there are all sorts of rumors floating around our congregation about this. One disrespects our bluegrass musicians’ integrity. Another suggests that I have been secretly plotting some sort of subversive scheme all along. Still another, claims that I have been trying to circumvent the congregational authority to force my own agenda. My friends, these are all not true and the more they are spread, the more damage the one who spreads them is doing to our congregation. These lies are slanderous and belittling. They communicate a lack of trust in me as a pastor and lack of faith in God for our church. It’s time we put all of this nonsense behind us once and for all.
Over the last year God revealed his wonders to us over and over again each time we were willing to trust him just a little. There’s a great African Spiritual titled, “We’ve Come This Far By Faith.” I think the words are fitting for us as we attempt to move forward from here. The refrain goes like this.
We’ve come this far by faith,
Leaning on the Lord;
Trusting in his holy word,
He’s never failed us yet.
Oh, can’t turn around,
We’ve come this far by faith.
We’ve come this far by faith.
The turtle that visited Donna and me has never returned. But, we keep looking for him. Maybe the next time, when we invite him in for a visit, he’ll show a little courage and stick his head out for us.
Faithfully,
+Pastor Rich
Dear Living God,
One day recently, Donna and I were working at the church when we noticed a turtle that had walked up to the front door. It was a funny situation because it seemed to want to come inside. Curious, we opened the door to invite it in. Then, in a reflex, the turtle’s head and legs were gone; hidden inside its shell. We meant no harm, but the thing perceived us as a threat. Whatever desire it had to come inside the church vanished as quickly as his head and limbs were tucked inside his shell. Donna and I left it alone, and eventually it got up the nerve to stick out its head and limbs and investigate some other portion of the world.
Do you ever feel like a turtle?
Sometimes we are afraid to poke our head out and move forward. We are taught to perceive all sorts of threats. Then, when we sense a threat approaching we tuck in our head and limbs and pray that it goes away. We feel safe within our shell, but that which we perceive to be a threat might actually have been a great invitation. Of course, how would we know whether it is or it isn’t when our head is inside a shell.
Christian faith has no relationship with this kind of fear. To have faith is to stick our heads [necks] out expecting God to be there inviting us into something new. We are not called to be people who hide inside our shell. Rather, we are called to be people who stick out necks out for Christ’s mission and message to be shared in the world. This means sticking our necks out for others, for righteousness, for justice, for peace—for Christ. Too often many of God’s invitations get rejected out of fear. We know what is right, yet for some reason we have been taught to be afraid. So, we retreat back into our shells. And, unlike the turtle, we humans have many different shells. Some do not even look like shells from the outside. For instance, a welcoming Sunday worship service can become a shell in which the members hide from change. From the outside this looks like what it is, and many are drawn to it. But from the inside, the place that once nurtured our faith and encouraged us forward can turn into a place where we hide and hope that the threats of change just go away.
For the last year, we have been behaving a lot like frightened turtles. But, if you remember back over the past year, you will find that every time we did stuck our necks out God has been there to guide us and encourage us. If you remember, a year ago, we were afraid of increasing our budget from $6500 to $20000 to afford a musician with the same level of talent to which we had grown accustomed. In September, we realized a budget deficit of nearly $9000, which called us to increase our giving and organize some fund raising post-haste. In the winter, church council was threatened by the loss of our treasurer and the need to find someone for this post. Meanwhile, there was the constant threat of change humming in the background as the pastor promoted a strange new worship service.
Throughout the past year, we faced many threatening invitations from God. And, in each one we promptly behaved like turtles—sticking our heads inside our shells of comfort and praying that the threats just pass away. But, by the grace of God, only one or two at first, but then many more in the end, began to poke their heads out and look around. We began to find out that these things were not as threatening as we thought. We might also say we realized that God was with us each time we were willing to stick our neck out.
Today, the results of overcoming last year’s threats are remarkable. We hired a new music director. We overcame last year’s budget deficit. We found a new treasurer. We stabilized our church council leadership after a mass changeover. Our average weekly attendance has never been higher. Our average weekly giving has never been higher. We received more than 30 new members. And, unlike last year at this time, we are enjoying the blessings of a $6000 budget surplus.
One year ago we were anxious over the cost of a new music director, our financial outlook was very weak, and our worship attendance was starting to slump. But, today, after sticking our necks out on faith just a little, God has done wonderful things. The bible says that God can do big miracles with even a mustard seed amount of faith. And, that is what we have seen God do with us over the past year.
Yet, our annual meeting in May brought out the turtle in us again. The odd worship service that the pastor has been promoting has gained momentum. Now it calls us to endorse it wholly and completely as a legitimate worship service of this congregation by adding the costs of the program into our annual budget. Again, the same concerns about money and integrity are brought forward, and again many of us duck our heads inside our shells and pray that this threat will just go away. But, if there’s anything at all that the events of the last year have taught us. It is that when we stick our necks out, take a risk, we give God a chance to work with us. God refuses to work without us, and God can’t work with us so long as we remain hidden in fear. But, it only takes a tiny amount of faith—an ever so slight peek outside of our shell for God to show us miraculous things. Our church’s current health is a testament to this.
Now, let’s be clear. I’m not referring to sheer blind faith. No. This evening worship service has already proven itself to be a growing ministry for our congregation. Week after week it overcomes its own expenses by $200 or more. Week after week it produces a vibrant congregation of 40+. And, it has already helped to lead more than 9 people into active membership. Why would we want to eliminate funding from a program that is already doing such a great job? Unless, perhaps, there is something about it that threatens us.
Now, I know that there are all sorts of rumors floating around our congregation about this. One disrespects our bluegrass musicians’ integrity. Another suggests that I have been secretly plotting some sort of subversive scheme all along. Still another, claims that I have been trying to circumvent the congregational authority to force my own agenda. My friends, these are all not true and the more they are spread, the more damage the one who spreads them is doing to our congregation. These lies are slanderous and belittling. They communicate a lack of trust in me as a pastor and lack of faith in God for our church. It’s time we put all of this nonsense behind us once and for all.
Over the last year God revealed his wonders to us over and over again each time we were willing to trust him just a little. There’s a great African Spiritual titled, “We’ve Come This Far By Faith.” I think the words are fitting for us as we attempt to move forward from here. The refrain goes like this.
We’ve come this far by faith,
Leaning on the Lord;
Trusting in his holy word,
He’s never failed us yet.
Oh, can’t turn around,
We’ve come this far by faith.
We’ve come this far by faith.
The turtle that visited Donna and me has never returned. But, we keep looking for him. Maybe the next time, when we invite him in for a visit, he’ll show a little courage and stick his head out for us.
Faithfully,
+Pastor Rich
Newsletter May '08
Newsletter: May ‘08
Dear Living God,
This month’s newsletter is merely a letter of thanks and appreciation. Thanks to your graciousness, Amy and I were able to spend two weeks away from all church duties while we retrieved our adopted son from Ethiopia. Since returning Amy and I are settling in nicely with Elijah. He is truly a joyous addition to our home. Already, Amy and I cannot imagine life without him. Also, we cannot thank you enough for the way Living God has welcomed our adoption plans since the beginning of what became nearly a two year process. During that time Amy and I went through a roller coaster ride of emotions from fear to exuberance. Meanwhile, the members of Living God remained steadfastly supportive. We are deeply grateful to be members of Living God Lutheran Church.
The month of May will be for me a tale of two months; I will begin the month very much the way I did April; spending as much time as possible away from church matters in order to focus on continuing to build a very necessary bond with Elijah. During the first part of the month we will be integrating Joyce, Elijah’s nanny, into the dynamics of our home. If all goes smoothly, and we expect that it will, by the end of the month I will have transitioned back into some resemblance of the same routine as your pastor that was discontinued while I adjusted to parenthood during April.
Please accept our warmest and deepest thanks for your support, your prayers, and your graciousness.
Below is a couple of our favorite pictures from Ethiopia. Soon we hope to be able to make some room clear in our schedule to offer you a presentation of pictures and videos from our trip.
Faithfully,
+Pastor Rich
Dear Living God,
This month’s newsletter is merely a letter of thanks and appreciation. Thanks to your graciousness, Amy and I were able to spend two weeks away from all church duties while we retrieved our adopted son from Ethiopia. Since returning Amy and I are settling in nicely with Elijah. He is truly a joyous addition to our home. Already, Amy and I cannot imagine life without him. Also, we cannot thank you enough for the way Living God has welcomed our adoption plans since the beginning of what became nearly a two year process. During that time Amy and I went through a roller coaster ride of emotions from fear to exuberance. Meanwhile, the members of Living God remained steadfastly supportive. We are deeply grateful to be members of Living God Lutheran Church.
The month of May will be for me a tale of two months; I will begin the month very much the way I did April; spending as much time as possible away from church matters in order to focus on continuing to build a very necessary bond with Elijah. During the first part of the month we will be integrating Joyce, Elijah’s nanny, into the dynamics of our home. If all goes smoothly, and we expect that it will, by the end of the month I will have transitioned back into some resemblance of the same routine as your pastor that was discontinued while I adjusted to parenthood during April.
Please accept our warmest and deepest thanks for your support, your prayers, and your graciousness.
Below is a couple of our favorite pictures from Ethiopia. Soon we hope to be able to make some room clear in our schedule to offer you a presentation of pictures and videos from our trip.
Faithfully,
+Pastor Rich
Newsletter April '08
Newsletter: April ‘08
“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.” Ephesians 2:13, 19-20
OK, in November of 2006 Amy and I traveled to Ireland, and while Ireland is indeed a foreign land, it is nothing like Ethiopia. Ethiopia is more foreign to you and me than any other place I can imagine. Yikes! If my assumptions about the timing of things are accurate then as you are reading this, Amy and I are in Ethiopia retrieving our adopted son. Therefore, at this moment in time, I suspect that most of my fears about traveling to a place that is sooo foreign have subsided. I suspect that those fears have at least begun to subside because somebody, in some way will have welcomed us by now. Thanks be to God!
Have you ever traveled to a really foreign place? Do you remember how intimidated you were? Most of all do you remember the relief you felt when just one person native to that foreign place welcomed you in some way?
You know, we don’t have to go to a foreign land to feel like foreigners. There are times when we feel like outsiders right here in our own country. Some of us may still remember the fear and worry associated with that very first day of school, or the summer when you went away to camp without your friends or family, or that first day on the new job. Or, how about those first days at your new church? For me, some of the most lasting friendships were formed in those moments. Looking back I realize that into them God sent someone who was bold enough to reach out and welcome me in each of these places. My guess is that your experiences in these foreign places have been similar to mine.
In the bible passage quoted above St. Paul speaks about the feelings associated with being a foreigner. Only, he isn’t referring to being new to a “place”. He is referring to being made new by Christ through his forgiving grace. Because we are sinners, we are all foreigners to God’s Kingdom. But, because of Christ’s death for us, we are made new in his mercy and love. Because of Christ, God welcomes us into his Kingdom. Therefore we live! But, we do not live to ourselves. We now live for Christ. Therefore, we live in the resurrection of Easter even now. We are no longer foreigners to God’s Kingdom, we have been welcomed by God, and invited to join the living Jesus on his mission in the world now. We are not only welcomed into the presence of God, but we are welcomed into the daily mission of our Lord. Even now, today, our own resurrection renews us to begin eternity with God in God’s Kingdom this day. Our resurrection need not wait until we die. We are called to live into this Easter promise now. What better way to do that than to welcome the foreigner among us, just as we have already been welcomed by God through the mercy and love of Christ.
This brings me to something very wonderful that is happening at Living God. At this moment, there are more than 30 “foreigners” (including children) who are coming to Living God and participating in membership classes. Those who finish the 5 classes will be installed as active new members on Pentecost Sunday, May 11th. Three of these adults are coming to know Jesus for the first time and will be baptized on Easter Sunday; the others are in various different stations along their lifelong journey with Christ. Some are steeped in their relationship with Christ, while others see this moment as a miraculous renewal of faith. All of them are hopeful and excited about joining Living God in its mission to “build a church for all people.” Therefore, if we are listening to the call of our Lord, the other 300+ of us might hear our call to reach out and welcome them. So, don’t be afraid of introducing yourself to those who are new among us. You never know, your next best friend might just be among them.
Amy and I look forward to telling you all about this foreign land of Ethiopia when we return. Possibly, we can make even Ethiopia seem a little less foreign. We also look forward to introducing our newest member (Elijah) into the church. His baptism is scheduled for April 27th.
In the resurrection of Christ,
“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.” Ephesians 2:13, 19-20
OK, in November of 2006 Amy and I traveled to Ireland, and while Ireland is indeed a foreign land, it is nothing like Ethiopia. Ethiopia is more foreign to you and me than any other place I can imagine. Yikes! If my assumptions about the timing of things are accurate then as you are reading this, Amy and I are in Ethiopia retrieving our adopted son. Therefore, at this moment in time, I suspect that most of my fears about traveling to a place that is sooo foreign have subsided. I suspect that those fears have at least begun to subside because somebody, in some way will have welcomed us by now. Thanks be to God!
Have you ever traveled to a really foreign place? Do you remember how intimidated you were? Most of all do you remember the relief you felt when just one person native to that foreign place welcomed you in some way?
You know, we don’t have to go to a foreign land to feel like foreigners. There are times when we feel like outsiders right here in our own country. Some of us may still remember the fear and worry associated with that very first day of school, or the summer when you went away to camp without your friends or family, or that first day on the new job. Or, how about those first days at your new church? For me, some of the most lasting friendships were formed in those moments. Looking back I realize that into them God sent someone who was bold enough to reach out and welcome me in each of these places. My guess is that your experiences in these foreign places have been similar to mine.
In the bible passage quoted above St. Paul speaks about the feelings associated with being a foreigner. Only, he isn’t referring to being new to a “place”. He is referring to being made new by Christ through his forgiving grace. Because we are sinners, we are all foreigners to God’s Kingdom. But, because of Christ’s death for us, we are made new in his mercy and love. Because of Christ, God welcomes us into his Kingdom. Therefore we live! But, we do not live to ourselves. We now live for Christ. Therefore, we live in the resurrection of Easter even now. We are no longer foreigners to God’s Kingdom, we have been welcomed by God, and invited to join the living Jesus on his mission in the world now. We are not only welcomed into the presence of God, but we are welcomed into the daily mission of our Lord. Even now, today, our own resurrection renews us to begin eternity with God in God’s Kingdom this day. Our resurrection need not wait until we die. We are called to live into this Easter promise now. What better way to do that than to welcome the foreigner among us, just as we have already been welcomed by God through the mercy and love of Christ.
This brings me to something very wonderful that is happening at Living God. At this moment, there are more than 30 “foreigners” (including children) who are coming to Living God and participating in membership classes. Those who finish the 5 classes will be installed as active new members on Pentecost Sunday, May 11th. Three of these adults are coming to know Jesus for the first time and will be baptized on Easter Sunday; the others are in various different stations along their lifelong journey with Christ. Some are steeped in their relationship with Christ, while others see this moment as a miraculous renewal of faith. All of them are hopeful and excited about joining Living God in its mission to “build a church for all people.” Therefore, if we are listening to the call of our Lord, the other 300+ of us might hear our call to reach out and welcome them. So, don’t be afraid of introducing yourself to those who are new among us. You never know, your next best friend might just be among them.
Amy and I look forward to telling you all about this foreign land of Ethiopia when we return. Possibly, we can make even Ethiopia seem a little less foreign. We also look forward to introducing our newest member (Elijah) into the church. His baptism is scheduled for April 27th.
In the resurrection of Christ,
Seek and You Will Find
Seek and You Will Find
Matthew 6:24-34
Seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, then all these things will be added to you.
“Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?” That question is as timely today as it was when Jesus asked it 2,000 years ago.
Does worrying do us any good?It would be good to know that, because, Lord knows, we’ve put huge amounts of time and energy into worrying about all sorts of things. And what’s more, it seems that life has been generous in providing us with what seems like an unlimited supply of possible problems in which we can invest our anxiety.But having burned through all that anxiety, what do we have to show for it?
Have we, as Jesus asked, added even a single hour to our lives?
Certainly, since Jesus asked that question rhetorically, he intended for his audience to answer it in their minds with a resounding “No!”
Now, I would like to make a connection that worry and pessimism are linked. Pessimism is an outlook on life that lieads to much of the worrying that we do. The pessimist looks for every little thing that could go wrong, every little detail that could possibly become something worth worrying about.
My grandfather was a pessimist—we called him a grumpy old man. It didn’t matter how positive the outlook of something was for every one else in the room, he would always find something to worry about—be grumpy about.
For instance, he loved the Pittsburgh Steelers. But, you’d never figure that out by listening to him as he watched a game. The Steelers could be up by 20 points in the 4th quarter, and if you asked him how the Steelers were doing, he'd say something like, “Ahhh, there’s still plenty of time. They’ll screw this up somehow.”
Do you know anyone like that?
Are you like that?
When Jesus posed this question about adding to our life through worry, he went on to make it clear that what he was calling for instead was for us to see God’s divine optimism, God’s promise of life and providence all around us. He pointed to the birds that do not sow or reap the fields but are fed by the heavenly Father nonetheless. He pointed to the flowers that do not toil or spin but are clothed in beauty by the heavenly Father anyway.
Jesus is saying, look around, if when you look at the world around you, or even your own life all you see is the bird, or the flower, then you’re not looking for the good stuff.
You’re not looking for God in your world.
You are not seeking with divine optimism.
It’s critical to understand that Jesus’ words were directed to people who did have to work, to toil, to plan, to care. He wasn’t telling them to stop doing those tasks. The exhortation to not worry is not an excuse for lethargy or any form of neglect of responsibilities. Actually, it’s quite the contrary. Jesus is saying that we need to be more responsible to the things that matter.
Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, then all these things will be added to you.
In other words, be responsible Christians, and God will add life to your life.
To be a responsible Christian, then the text exhorts us to see the world around us first for what God is doing, and respond according to that reality instead.
Let’s push this a bit further:
If all we see is our wife, or husband, then we’re not seeing the goodness of God in our marriages holding things together with forgiveness and a divine purpose for marriage as the foundation for any community.
If all we see is our children, then we’re not seeing the goodness of God in the wonder of how a child grows and becomes an adult as we and God are participating together in a miraculous partnership of creation.
If all we see is our jobs, then we’re not seeing the blessing of God providing resources for our household and for ministry, and we’re not seeing the opportunities that God has given us just to find fulfillment in work.
If all we see are more and more people moving into the neighborhood, then we’re not seeing the way God is bringing people to us so that we might reveal His glory by our love and hospitality.
On this Memorial Day, if all we see is a war that’s gone bad, then we’re not seeing the passion of a God that brings courage to every soldier who is willing to fight and die so that others may live in freedom.
Nothing we do, nothing we worry about can add even a moment to our life.
Only God can add to life to our life.
That's the gift of God--We all live, but only God can add life to life. And, God wants to do so for all of us.
He promises to all who seek him first, that they will find the kingdom of God, and life will be added their life
We know there is truth in this promise from God because we can prove it by our own experience.
What you seek is indeed what you find.
If you’re seeking trouble, no good—you’re going to find it.
If you’re seeking nothing but negative things---that’s what you’re going to find.
Jesus says, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness
Seek for God in all that you see and all that you do—and you’ll find Him.
You will also find that the day to day things we worry about are added,
so that we cease to worry about them.
So, in the end we are left with a choice. We can continue seeing the world through the same old grumpy pessimistic lenses that can see only the need to worry more and more for all sorts of things that, in the end, don’t matter.
Or, we can trust in this promise from Jesus of eternal life—life added to life—and then put on new lenses, his lenses, the ones that see the world the way Jesus saw it—with divine optimism.
Such divine optimism that enabled him to see God’s amazing grace flowing through his actions for us even as he died a horrible death on a cross.
That’s divine optimism!
And that’s the definition of “hope.”
My friends, I am yet to meet a hopeful Christian who was at the same time a pessimist.
To live with a daily dose of hope is to live trusting that Jesus Christ has died for you and that now life is spent as his disciple in a state of endless promise.
To live as Christ’s disciple is to add life to life.
that is not just a promise—that’s divine optimism.
And it goes a long way toward reducing worry.
Amen.
Matthew 6:24-34
Seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, then all these things will be added to you.
“Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?” That question is as timely today as it was when Jesus asked it 2,000 years ago.
Does worrying do us any good?It would be good to know that, because, Lord knows, we’ve put huge amounts of time and energy into worrying about all sorts of things. And what’s more, it seems that life has been generous in providing us with what seems like an unlimited supply of possible problems in which we can invest our anxiety.But having burned through all that anxiety, what do we have to show for it?
Have we, as Jesus asked, added even a single hour to our lives?
Certainly, since Jesus asked that question rhetorically, he intended for his audience to answer it in their minds with a resounding “No!”
Now, I would like to make a connection that worry and pessimism are linked. Pessimism is an outlook on life that lieads to much of the worrying that we do. The pessimist looks for every little thing that could go wrong, every little detail that could possibly become something worth worrying about.
My grandfather was a pessimist—we called him a grumpy old man. It didn’t matter how positive the outlook of something was for every one else in the room, he would always find something to worry about—be grumpy about.
For instance, he loved the Pittsburgh Steelers. But, you’d never figure that out by listening to him as he watched a game. The Steelers could be up by 20 points in the 4th quarter, and if you asked him how the Steelers were doing, he'd say something like, “Ahhh, there’s still plenty of time. They’ll screw this up somehow.”
Do you know anyone like that?
Are you like that?
When Jesus posed this question about adding to our life through worry, he went on to make it clear that what he was calling for instead was for us to see God’s divine optimism, God’s promise of life and providence all around us. He pointed to the birds that do not sow or reap the fields but are fed by the heavenly Father nonetheless. He pointed to the flowers that do not toil or spin but are clothed in beauty by the heavenly Father anyway.
Jesus is saying, look around, if when you look at the world around you, or even your own life all you see is the bird, or the flower, then you’re not looking for the good stuff.
You’re not looking for God in your world.
You are not seeking with divine optimism.
It’s critical to understand that Jesus’ words were directed to people who did have to work, to toil, to plan, to care. He wasn’t telling them to stop doing those tasks. The exhortation to not worry is not an excuse for lethargy or any form of neglect of responsibilities. Actually, it’s quite the contrary. Jesus is saying that we need to be more responsible to the things that matter.
Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, then all these things will be added to you.
In other words, be responsible Christians, and God will add life to your life.
To be a responsible Christian, then the text exhorts us to see the world around us first for what God is doing, and respond according to that reality instead.
Let’s push this a bit further:
If all we see is our wife, or husband, then we’re not seeing the goodness of God in our marriages holding things together with forgiveness and a divine purpose for marriage as the foundation for any community.
If all we see is our children, then we’re not seeing the goodness of God in the wonder of how a child grows and becomes an adult as we and God are participating together in a miraculous partnership of creation.
If all we see is our jobs, then we’re not seeing the blessing of God providing resources for our household and for ministry, and we’re not seeing the opportunities that God has given us just to find fulfillment in work.
If all we see are more and more people moving into the neighborhood, then we’re not seeing the way God is bringing people to us so that we might reveal His glory by our love and hospitality.
On this Memorial Day, if all we see is a war that’s gone bad, then we’re not seeing the passion of a God that brings courage to every soldier who is willing to fight and die so that others may live in freedom.
Nothing we do, nothing we worry about can add even a moment to our life.
Only God can add to life to our life.
That's the gift of God--We all live, but only God can add life to life. And, God wants to do so for all of us.
He promises to all who seek him first, that they will find the kingdom of God, and life will be added their life
We know there is truth in this promise from God because we can prove it by our own experience.
What you seek is indeed what you find.
If you’re seeking trouble, no good—you’re going to find it.
If you’re seeking nothing but negative things---that’s what you’re going to find.
Jesus says, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness
Seek for God in all that you see and all that you do—and you’ll find Him.
You will also find that the day to day things we worry about are added,
so that we cease to worry about them.
So, in the end we are left with a choice. We can continue seeing the world through the same old grumpy pessimistic lenses that can see only the need to worry more and more for all sorts of things that, in the end, don’t matter.
Or, we can trust in this promise from Jesus of eternal life—life added to life—and then put on new lenses, his lenses, the ones that see the world the way Jesus saw it—with divine optimism.
Such divine optimism that enabled him to see God’s amazing grace flowing through his actions for us even as he died a horrible death on a cross.
That’s divine optimism!
And that’s the definition of “hope.”
My friends, I am yet to meet a hopeful Christian who was at the same time a pessimist.
To live with a daily dose of hope is to live trusting that Jesus Christ has died for you and that now life is spent as his disciple in a state of endless promise.
To live as Christ’s disciple is to add life to life.
that is not just a promise—that’s divine optimism.
And it goes a long way toward reducing worry.
Amen.
God's Chaos Theory
God’s Chaos Theory
Genesis 1:1-2:4a
Ever feel as if your life is pure chaos?
In a condition of complete confusion?
Disordered and formless, sort of like the condition of the universe before Creation?
Ever feel like things just aren’t going the way you planned?
Most of us feel like that from time to time. Some of us feel that way every day.
Well, science has an explanation for all this chaos in life.
It’s called Chaos Theory, and it suggests that chaos is normal, and it asks us just to accept it.
Chaos Theory is the study of forever-changing complex systems.
Chaos Theory has been used to model biological systems, some of the most complex systems in the universe. Chaos Theory has also been used to model everything from population growth to arrhythmic heart palpitations, and from the spread of epidemics to the sounds of dripping faucets.
Now, if that made absolutely no sense. And, it doesn’t to me. Here’s a more simplified version. Chaos Theory claims that things which appear chaotic and unpredictable, like the weather, are actually very dynamic systems that are put together by elements that are extremely sensitive to the slightest change in the system.
In other words, Chaos Theory is The Butterfly Effect, which says that the change in air current caused by the flap of a butterfly’s wings in Honey Brook, could produce a large enough variation in the atmospheric system to set off a chain of events causing a tornado in Kansas.
Bottom Line—Chaos Theory is an effort to show how and why all things happen, or come to be.
Long story short: According to Chaos Theory, chaos is the force which determines the future of the systems that are behind the life in everything.
In other words, Chaos rules the universe.
Therefore, according to Chaos Theory, if your life isn’t going the way you planned, just accept it because it is the result of chaos.
Well, my friends, I have come today with a word from the One who has created all things and is the source of all life. And, God does not just sit back and allow chaos to rule the universe.
My friends, Chaos Theory is a poor excuse for a cop out if I’ve ever heard one.
Chaos rules the universe—just accept it? NO!
Chaos is the new normal—just accept it? NO!
We are Christians. We follow Christ, the Word of life himself.
We refuse to accept that millions of people in poverty is just normal.
We refuse to accept that hatred and war are just components in the system.
We refuse to accept that grief, pain, and despair are just emotions-get over it.
We refuse to accept that it’s just fine and OK that more than 60% of our neighbors here in Honey Brook remain unaffiliated with any form of organized religion.
We are also not willing to accept that chaos in and of itself is evil, or even the source of that which causes all things to go bad in this universe.
You see, we follow Christ, the king of the universe; the Word of God that when spoken at the dawn of creation caused all things to come to be.
Therefore, we refuse to give chaos any authority at all!
When God gets to work, chaos is the very raw material that He puts to use. God speaks and chaos must listen and get its act together. Contrary to several popular perspectives, chaos is not an evil reality that persists beyond God's authority, providing a negative backdrop and potential threat to God's world. No, God speaks, and chaos is turned into order.
With a word God commands chaos to become ordered, God flips on the lights, separates light from darkness, and there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
This does not mean that chaos does not exist in the life of the Christian. Oh no! Quite the contrary. God’s vision of creation is one that actually includes chaos as if it is a raw material built in. Consider this. When God goes to work bringing shape out of the formless chaos, he then creates opposites that are held together by God’s laws of attraction and companionship. Light and dark. land and plants. Sea and air. Sun and moon, male and female. God’s plan for order involves the chaos imbedded in expecting opposites to live together in peace and harmony, held together only by God’s laws of attraction and companionship.
Men, ever wonder why God made women so crazy different than us?
Women, ever wonder the same?
Now, have you ever wondered why God commands that men and women, who are soooo different live together in marriage for a life-time?
I mean you only have to be married a short while to begin realizing that this invention was imbedded with a certain amount of chaos from the start.
You see, God has inserted a certain amount of chaos into our lives.
Why is that?
Well, one reason might be that we are made in the image of God. If God is able to do his most amazing creative work with nothing more than a little bit of chaos, then maybe our lives require a gentle dose from time to time as well.
Think about it. What good creative innovative things have you ever dreamt up when you were completely satisfied with everything just as they are?
What has challenged your faith to struggle more actively than the chaos within your life?
Now, do not hear me saying that chaos is simply something that we all just have to live with, therefore get over it. NO! That contradicts my first point.
Chaos is never something that we are just to ignore or abandon.
But, chaos that is entrusted to God brings about creative ways to restore order, and therefore peace, and life.
This is a second reason why God has embedded all of creation with a gentle dose of divine chaos. Because for most of us, it is when we are facing the troubling stuff of life that we finally entrust our chaotic lives to God.
Contrary to chaos theory, chaos does not rule this universe: God does!
Therefore, in our chaotic lives, in our chaotic world, in our chaotic church, God reigns!
When we entrust Him with the chaos we find direction and hope to bring shape and form out of what looks to us like a hopeless mess.
This brings me back to my earlier question about the human experience with chaos:
Ever feel like things just aren’t going the way you planned?
My friends, the scripture is clear on this.
Life ain’t our plan. It’s God’s plan, and it has always been God’s plan.
If you’re life is guided by nothing more than your plan, then there’s a warning in scripture—Read Job, Read Ecclesiastes, Read Proverbs etc. etc.-LIVE LIFE ACCORDING TO YOUR PLAN, AND YOU WILL CREATE EVEN MORE UNNECESARY CHAOS FOR YOURSELF.
Today’s scripture offers us a promise from God—LET GOD LEAD YOUR LIFE, AND CHAOS BECOMES THE VERY PLACE WHERE LIFE AND ORDER BEGIN TO TAKE SHAPE.
Its like putting the pieces of a puzzle together.
There are all these pieces scattered around in no order, it’s a mess.
Our lives are a lot like that.
When putting a puzzle together, the picture on the box is our guide.
But, it’s like we lost the box top somewhere along the course of life.
But, recognizing that we need it, we go in search of one. Then, when we find one that is appealing to us, one that we like, we assume that it will do.
Trying to live without God, is like trying to build a puzzle without the picture on the box!
However, since life is God’s puzzle, when the image we are using to put the pieces together is God’s image, then we start to make an even bigger mess of life than that which is before us.
We force pieces together that don’t belong.
We ignore the proper boundaries of the puzzle, selecting the wrong pieces to serve as the edge.
The puzzle of life only gets harder the more we continue to work it.
My friends, this is God’s creation, God’s image of life that we are puzzling with.
Its not ours!
And, God didn’t, nor does He ever create without a plan to overcome the chaos. Out of love for you and me, and all of creation, God has provided for us the picture on the box of the puzzle of all creation.
This picture is the mercy, love and promise given by the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Jesus, the Word of God is the image God provides to put our lives together.
His life and teaching instruct and guide us.
His death on the cross corrects us of our sin, and reminds us of God’s love and mercy for us.
His resurrection restores us, and renews us.
When we entrust our lives to God, we find that the pieces come together, they fit the way they are supposed to.
And with God’s help, the chaos begins to fade beneath the rising of a new creative idea to try.
With God, chaos has no authority. Chaos is actually, the very stuff that God uses to create all things beneficial for you and me.
So, when life seems to be ruled by a daily dose of chaos—ask yourself if you’ve been living according to your plan, or if it’s God’s?
Because God’s theory of Chaos is that Chaos has no power.
And whenever life becomes ruled by chaos—remember, chaos is just the stuff that God uses to begin something new.
Today, give your chaos to God, let go of your control, and entrust Him with it.
Then, listen, watch and follow as God begins to use your chaos to bring you to new life.
Amen
Genesis 1:1-2:4a
Ever feel as if your life is pure chaos?
In a condition of complete confusion?
Disordered and formless, sort of like the condition of the universe before Creation?
Ever feel like things just aren’t going the way you planned?
Most of us feel like that from time to time. Some of us feel that way every day.
Well, science has an explanation for all this chaos in life.
It’s called Chaos Theory, and it suggests that chaos is normal, and it asks us just to accept it.
Chaos Theory is the study of forever-changing complex systems.
Chaos Theory has been used to model biological systems, some of the most complex systems in the universe. Chaos Theory has also been used to model everything from population growth to arrhythmic heart palpitations, and from the spread of epidemics to the sounds of dripping faucets.
Now, if that made absolutely no sense. And, it doesn’t to me. Here’s a more simplified version. Chaos Theory claims that things which appear chaotic and unpredictable, like the weather, are actually very dynamic systems that are put together by elements that are extremely sensitive to the slightest change in the system.
In other words, Chaos Theory is The Butterfly Effect, which says that the change in air current caused by the flap of a butterfly’s wings in Honey Brook, could produce a large enough variation in the atmospheric system to set off a chain of events causing a tornado in Kansas.
Bottom Line—Chaos Theory is an effort to show how and why all things happen, or come to be.
Long story short: According to Chaos Theory, chaos is the force which determines the future of the systems that are behind the life in everything.
In other words, Chaos rules the universe.
Therefore, according to Chaos Theory, if your life isn’t going the way you planned, just accept it because it is the result of chaos.
Well, my friends, I have come today with a word from the One who has created all things and is the source of all life. And, God does not just sit back and allow chaos to rule the universe.
My friends, Chaos Theory is a poor excuse for a cop out if I’ve ever heard one.
Chaos rules the universe—just accept it? NO!
Chaos is the new normal—just accept it? NO!
We are Christians. We follow Christ, the Word of life himself.
We refuse to accept that millions of people in poverty is just normal.
We refuse to accept that hatred and war are just components in the system.
We refuse to accept that grief, pain, and despair are just emotions-get over it.
We refuse to accept that it’s just fine and OK that more than 60% of our neighbors here in Honey Brook remain unaffiliated with any form of organized religion.
We are also not willing to accept that chaos in and of itself is evil, or even the source of that which causes all things to go bad in this universe.
You see, we follow Christ, the king of the universe; the Word of God that when spoken at the dawn of creation caused all things to come to be.
Therefore, we refuse to give chaos any authority at all!
When God gets to work, chaos is the very raw material that He puts to use. God speaks and chaos must listen and get its act together. Contrary to several popular perspectives, chaos is not an evil reality that persists beyond God's authority, providing a negative backdrop and potential threat to God's world. No, God speaks, and chaos is turned into order.
With a word God commands chaos to become ordered, God flips on the lights, separates light from darkness, and there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
This does not mean that chaos does not exist in the life of the Christian. Oh no! Quite the contrary. God’s vision of creation is one that actually includes chaos as if it is a raw material built in. Consider this. When God goes to work bringing shape out of the formless chaos, he then creates opposites that are held together by God’s laws of attraction and companionship. Light and dark. land and plants. Sea and air. Sun and moon, male and female. God’s plan for order involves the chaos imbedded in expecting opposites to live together in peace and harmony, held together only by God’s laws of attraction and companionship.
Men, ever wonder why God made women so crazy different than us?
Women, ever wonder the same?
Now, have you ever wondered why God commands that men and women, who are soooo different live together in marriage for a life-time?
I mean you only have to be married a short while to begin realizing that this invention was imbedded with a certain amount of chaos from the start.
You see, God has inserted a certain amount of chaos into our lives.
Why is that?
Well, one reason might be that we are made in the image of God. If God is able to do his most amazing creative work with nothing more than a little bit of chaos, then maybe our lives require a gentle dose from time to time as well.
Think about it. What good creative innovative things have you ever dreamt up when you were completely satisfied with everything just as they are?
What has challenged your faith to struggle more actively than the chaos within your life?
Now, do not hear me saying that chaos is simply something that we all just have to live with, therefore get over it. NO! That contradicts my first point.
Chaos is never something that we are just to ignore or abandon.
But, chaos that is entrusted to God brings about creative ways to restore order, and therefore peace, and life.
This is a second reason why God has embedded all of creation with a gentle dose of divine chaos. Because for most of us, it is when we are facing the troubling stuff of life that we finally entrust our chaotic lives to God.
Contrary to chaos theory, chaos does not rule this universe: God does!
Therefore, in our chaotic lives, in our chaotic world, in our chaotic church, God reigns!
When we entrust Him with the chaos we find direction and hope to bring shape and form out of what looks to us like a hopeless mess.
This brings me back to my earlier question about the human experience with chaos:
Ever feel like things just aren’t going the way you planned?
My friends, the scripture is clear on this.
Life ain’t our plan. It’s God’s plan, and it has always been God’s plan.
If you’re life is guided by nothing more than your plan, then there’s a warning in scripture—Read Job, Read Ecclesiastes, Read Proverbs etc. etc.-LIVE LIFE ACCORDING TO YOUR PLAN, AND YOU WILL CREATE EVEN MORE UNNECESARY CHAOS FOR YOURSELF.
Today’s scripture offers us a promise from God—LET GOD LEAD YOUR LIFE, AND CHAOS BECOMES THE VERY PLACE WHERE LIFE AND ORDER BEGIN TO TAKE SHAPE.
Its like putting the pieces of a puzzle together.
There are all these pieces scattered around in no order, it’s a mess.
Our lives are a lot like that.
When putting a puzzle together, the picture on the box is our guide.
But, it’s like we lost the box top somewhere along the course of life.
But, recognizing that we need it, we go in search of one. Then, when we find one that is appealing to us, one that we like, we assume that it will do.
Trying to live without God, is like trying to build a puzzle without the picture on the box!
However, since life is God’s puzzle, when the image we are using to put the pieces together is God’s image, then we start to make an even bigger mess of life than that which is before us.
We force pieces together that don’t belong.
We ignore the proper boundaries of the puzzle, selecting the wrong pieces to serve as the edge.
The puzzle of life only gets harder the more we continue to work it.
My friends, this is God’s creation, God’s image of life that we are puzzling with.
Its not ours!
And, God didn’t, nor does He ever create without a plan to overcome the chaos. Out of love for you and me, and all of creation, God has provided for us the picture on the box of the puzzle of all creation.
This picture is the mercy, love and promise given by the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Jesus, the Word of God is the image God provides to put our lives together.
His life and teaching instruct and guide us.
His death on the cross corrects us of our sin, and reminds us of God’s love and mercy for us.
His resurrection restores us, and renews us.
When we entrust our lives to God, we find that the pieces come together, they fit the way they are supposed to.
And with God’s help, the chaos begins to fade beneath the rising of a new creative idea to try.
With God, chaos has no authority. Chaos is actually, the very stuff that God uses to create all things beneficial for you and me.
So, when life seems to be ruled by a daily dose of chaos—ask yourself if you’ve been living according to your plan, or if it’s God’s?
Because God’s theory of Chaos is that Chaos has no power.
And whenever life becomes ruled by chaos—remember, chaos is just the stuff that God uses to begin something new.
Today, give your chaos to God, let go of your control, and entrust Him with it.
Then, listen, watch and follow as God begins to use your chaos to bring you to new life.
Amen
Catching the Wind
Catching the Wind (Outline)
Acts 2:1-21 Pentecost Sunday
This is the day of Pentecost.
It is the day we celebrate the birth of our church.
Without the Holy Spirit, the Good News of the Gospel ends with those apostles in that room.
Without the Holy Spirit, we have no church.
Without the Holy Spirit, we have no ministry
The Holy Spirit is the power source of the church. It is the power of God.
Now there are many forms of power. Think about it. What would life be like without power?
What would your day be like without power?
We need power to do everything.
We are dependent upon power.
So, is the church!
The church’s power is the Spirit of God.
And, the text says that Holy Spirit Power comes like a mighty wind.
The Holy Spirit is wind power.
My friends, the power of God doesn’t just come upon us as we often say, it is blown through us!
“Like the rush of a mighty wind” the Holy Spirit came.
Friends, have you ever tried to catch the wind?
I like flying kites.
If there’s one thing we learn about catching the power of wind, it is that we can’t expect the wind to come to us. We have to be willing to go to the wind. We have to go where the wind is blowing.
My friends, there is a might wind blowing in our church today.
1. Its blowing through a class of new members, with nine new members coming from our new Bluegrass Service. These folks bring their own unique hopes and dreams and enthusiasm for God’s ministry.
2. Its blowing through our children’s Sunday School program where Mary Wallett along with Joyce, and Kayley have inspired us all by their decorations and their excitement for this summer’s VBS program.
3. It’s blowing in our Columbarium program where financial gifts have been received to promote the improvement of the grounds around our Columbarium.
4. It’s blowing in our adult education program where this Spring class of new members has made a commitment to foster the critical mass necessary for a new mid-week adult bible study that begins this Wednesday.
5. It’s blowing in our Relay for Life effort, where, again a member of our new members class has caught the power of God’s Holy wind by leading the way to organize our church to raise money for Cancer Research.
6. Its blowing in our Bluegrass worship service, where average attendance has grown to 40+ in under a year, the giving exceeds the program expenses by an average of $200 every week, and where a steady flow of new faces continue to come, hear music that inspires them and receive the Word of God.
7. And the wind blows among us
a. when we welcome the stranger,
b. when we lead someone distant from God back through our preaching, teaching, singing, praying, and caring.
c. When we volunteer to be a part of what God is doing.
d. When we give generously to support what God is doing.
The Spirit’s wind is blowing in many places in our church today. God has given the Holy Spirit, just as he promised. The only question remains for you and me. Are you willing to go where the wind is blowing to catch the wind?
If you want to fly with the Holy Spirit, you gotta catch the wind.
Isn't it time we went to where the Spirit if God is blowing.
Amen
Acts 2:1-21 Pentecost Sunday
This is the day of Pentecost.
It is the day we celebrate the birth of our church.
Without the Holy Spirit, the Good News of the Gospel ends with those apostles in that room.
Without the Holy Spirit, we have no church.
Without the Holy Spirit, we have no ministry
The Holy Spirit is the power source of the church. It is the power of God.
Now there are many forms of power. Think about it. What would life be like without power?
What would your day be like without power?
We need power to do everything.
We are dependent upon power.
So, is the church!
The church’s power is the Spirit of God.
And, the text says that Holy Spirit Power comes like a mighty wind.
The Holy Spirit is wind power.
My friends, the power of God doesn’t just come upon us as we often say, it is blown through us!
“Like the rush of a mighty wind” the Holy Spirit came.
Friends, have you ever tried to catch the wind?
I like flying kites.
If there’s one thing we learn about catching the power of wind, it is that we can’t expect the wind to come to us. We have to be willing to go to the wind. We have to go where the wind is blowing.
My friends, there is a might wind blowing in our church today.
1. Its blowing through a class of new members, with nine new members coming from our new Bluegrass Service. These folks bring their own unique hopes and dreams and enthusiasm for God’s ministry.
2. Its blowing through our children’s Sunday School program where Mary Wallett along with Joyce, and Kayley have inspired us all by their decorations and their excitement for this summer’s VBS program.
3. It’s blowing in our Columbarium program where financial gifts have been received to promote the improvement of the grounds around our Columbarium.
4. It’s blowing in our adult education program where this Spring class of new members has made a commitment to foster the critical mass necessary for a new mid-week adult bible study that begins this Wednesday.
5. It’s blowing in our Relay for Life effort, where, again a member of our new members class has caught the power of God’s Holy wind by leading the way to organize our church to raise money for Cancer Research.
6. Its blowing in our Bluegrass worship service, where average attendance has grown to 40+ in under a year, the giving exceeds the program expenses by an average of $200 every week, and where a steady flow of new faces continue to come, hear music that inspires them and receive the Word of God.
7. And the wind blows among us
a. when we welcome the stranger,
b. when we lead someone distant from God back through our preaching, teaching, singing, praying, and caring.
c. When we volunteer to be a part of what God is doing.
d. When we give generously to support what God is doing.
The Spirit’s wind is blowing in many places in our church today. God has given the Holy Spirit, just as he promised. The only question remains for you and me. Are you willing to go where the wind is blowing to catch the wind?
If you want to fly with the Holy Spirit, you gotta catch the wind.
Isn't it time we went to where the Spirit if God is blowing.
Amen
Koinonia
Koinonia (outline)
Acts 2:42-47
Good News: God adds to Koinonia-- “Haves and Have-Nots” creates a negative sum. Koinonia breaks from the “Haves and Have-Nots” perspective of living, and offers a worldview in which God adds. Koinonia is a positive end for all.
Haves and Have Nots
► Story from trip to Ethiopia: “We had to roll the windows up.”
► A world of “Haves and Have Nots” creates a negative sum.
o The poor multiply producing a negative experience of life desperately insecure of food, shelter, clothing, medical care, education.
o The wealthy become few producing a negative experience of life as they isolate themselves into loneliness behind a false sense of security of walls, as they desperately try to maintain wealth and secure it away from those who are poor.
► In America
o In America we have in place anti-trust laws, federal social welfare programs, and non-profit organizations. We also have the freedom of speech, which gives any of us permission to blow the whistle on cultural injustices in our world. These serve a vital role in the fabric of America, and are blessings worth fighting for that we so often take for granted. These work systemically to protect the American dream by restraining capitalism from spinning our culture out of control into nothing more than the “Haves and Have Nots”.
o This is why the vital sign of our country’s life and the livelihood of the American Dream is the strength of the Middle Class. It’s a strong middle class that offsets the “Have and the Have Nots”. In Africa there are two classes of citizens the rich and the poor, with the majority of the population made of the poor, who have little or no power or influence over the government. But, in America the majority of the population is made of satisfied American dreamers who are not the wealthy or the poor. They are us, the middle class, and it’s the middle class that serve as a powerful block of influence against the creation of a “Haves and Have Nots” culture. Working together we form a powerful block of influence that keeps the wheels of democracy and capitalism functioning properly. This is why a measure of our country’s strength is not necessarily a measure of its GDP, or its approval rating of the president. The most vital statistic of our country’s health is the size and vitality of the middle class. This is why you may have heard and will likely hear more from politicians during this campaign year talking about the problem of a shrinking Middle Class. A study by Brookings Institution in June 2006 revealed that middle-income neighborhoods have dropped 17% from over the last 30 years. When the middle class shrinks, it means the numbers of those living in poverty is increasing, and the amount of wealth that the wealthy are amassing has gone up. As housing costs increase, the middle class is squeezed and forced to live in less desirable areas making upward mobility more difficult.
o Meanwhile the middle class is divided in two over values such as marriage, family, and religion. Values that were once the cornerstone of the middle class and the glue which helped to build community among neighbors are now the very reasons that segregate communities and turn neighborhoods into just “hoods”.
► Story: “We should all be as lucky as those adopted who get to go to America.”
We are very fortunate in America. But, we should be careful not to neglect the fragility of what makes this country strong. It is a middle class of people who share certain rights and values and are willing to defend them for the sake of the whole. It is a worldview that begins in the bible. It starts with the church, but it is meant to spread out affecting the ways and means of the culture and government in which we live. The biblical word for this way of living is Koinonia.
Koinonia
► Acts 2:42-47 describe this way of living.
► While the world offers nothing more than the “Haves and Have Nots” way of life, God offers through Christ a new way of envisioning how life and living ought to be. “Haves and Have Nots” is a negative sum as was described so far. But, Koinonia is just the opposite. With Koinonia living the people within the community share what they’ve been given for the benefit of the whole. With Koinonia living nobody has too little, and nobody hoards too much. There is a positive result of life for the community. And, finally, God blesses this community by adding yet more to it. Koinonia is positive living.
► It is God’s dream that all of his people would live this way. So, while it is meant to be a world view it must begin with us in the church.
Acts 2:42-47
Good News: God adds to Koinonia-- “Haves and Have-Nots” creates a negative sum. Koinonia breaks from the “Haves and Have-Nots” perspective of living, and offers a worldview in which God adds. Koinonia is a positive end for all.
Haves and Have Nots
► Story from trip to Ethiopia: “We had to roll the windows up.”
► A world of “Haves and Have Nots” creates a negative sum.
o The poor multiply producing a negative experience of life desperately insecure of food, shelter, clothing, medical care, education.
o The wealthy become few producing a negative experience of life as they isolate themselves into loneliness behind a false sense of security of walls, as they desperately try to maintain wealth and secure it away from those who are poor.
► In America
o In America we have in place anti-trust laws, federal social welfare programs, and non-profit organizations. We also have the freedom of speech, which gives any of us permission to blow the whistle on cultural injustices in our world. These serve a vital role in the fabric of America, and are blessings worth fighting for that we so often take for granted. These work systemically to protect the American dream by restraining capitalism from spinning our culture out of control into nothing more than the “Haves and Have Nots”.
o This is why the vital sign of our country’s life and the livelihood of the American Dream is the strength of the Middle Class. It’s a strong middle class that offsets the “Have and the Have Nots”. In Africa there are two classes of citizens the rich and the poor, with the majority of the population made of the poor, who have little or no power or influence over the government. But, in America the majority of the population is made of satisfied American dreamers who are not the wealthy or the poor. They are us, the middle class, and it’s the middle class that serve as a powerful block of influence against the creation of a “Haves and Have Nots” culture. Working together we form a powerful block of influence that keeps the wheels of democracy and capitalism functioning properly. This is why a measure of our country’s strength is not necessarily a measure of its GDP, or its approval rating of the president. The most vital statistic of our country’s health is the size and vitality of the middle class. This is why you may have heard and will likely hear more from politicians during this campaign year talking about the problem of a shrinking Middle Class. A study by Brookings Institution in June 2006 revealed that middle-income neighborhoods have dropped 17% from over the last 30 years. When the middle class shrinks, it means the numbers of those living in poverty is increasing, and the amount of wealth that the wealthy are amassing has gone up. As housing costs increase, the middle class is squeezed and forced to live in less desirable areas making upward mobility more difficult.
o Meanwhile the middle class is divided in two over values such as marriage, family, and religion. Values that were once the cornerstone of the middle class and the glue which helped to build community among neighbors are now the very reasons that segregate communities and turn neighborhoods into just “hoods”.
► Story: “We should all be as lucky as those adopted who get to go to America.”
We are very fortunate in America. But, we should be careful not to neglect the fragility of what makes this country strong. It is a middle class of people who share certain rights and values and are willing to defend them for the sake of the whole. It is a worldview that begins in the bible. It starts with the church, but it is meant to spread out affecting the ways and means of the culture and government in which we live. The biblical word for this way of living is Koinonia.
Koinonia
► Acts 2:42-47 describe this way of living.
► While the world offers nothing more than the “Haves and Have Nots” way of life, God offers through Christ a new way of envisioning how life and living ought to be. “Haves and Have Nots” is a negative sum as was described so far. But, Koinonia is just the opposite. With Koinonia living the people within the community share what they’ve been given for the benefit of the whole. With Koinonia living nobody has too little, and nobody hoards too much. There is a positive result of life for the community. And, finally, God blesses this community by adding yet more to it. Koinonia is positive living.
► It is God’s dream that all of his people would live this way. So, while it is meant to be a world view it must begin with us in the church.
God's Kitchen Sink Strategy
God’s Kitchen Sink Strategy
John 11 The Raising of Lazarus
Gospel: God uses the kitchen sink strategy. He gives up everything for us; sending Jesus to be for us His very Word of hope and life.
Have you been following this year’s political race? I must confess that I have become a political junkie this year. What a historic race, at least on the Democratic side of the fence that is. This year’s primaries will either deliver a woman or an African American to the General election. This makes for unprecedented political drama, and as of late the contest between Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama has become quite heated as the two of them remain in a virtual dead heat after slugging it out through the first 15 rounds of state primaries.
Most recently, the story line in this drama was of Hillary’s response to Barak’s 11 state win streak. Up until last week, Barak not only held the lead in number of delegates but he was also leading in the most essential category of momentum. The entire hype heading into the Texas and Ohio primaries last week focused on Hillary’s strategy. She needed to not only win these two states, but she needed to win big with hope that she could turn momentum in her favor. But, what could she do? Up to this point her campaign wasn’t working. She needed a different strategy. Would she turn to negative advertising for the first time? Would she begin a series of appearances of TV shows, and radio spots? Up to this point she hadn’t tried this either. There’s good reason why she hadn’t tried these. They’re risky. The press was watching closely. What would she do?
Well, what she did turned out to be a selection of everything possible that she could do. She tried everything from negative ads, to fear mongering, to an appearances on TV, even appearing on Saturday Night Live. She threw everything she had into an attempt to win Texas and Ohio voters away from her opponent and over to her side. And it worked. She won both key states, and regained, at least for now, the momentum. Media has called it her “Kitchen Sink strategy”, because she threw everything out—leaving not even the kitchen sink behind. And now, the next battleground is set for our state of Pennsylvania. So, get ready fellow Pennsylvanians because these two candidates will both be throwing out the kitchen sink over the next few weeks to win our support in this upcoming Primary. Now, you might think this only concerns the registered Democrats among us. But, the Republicans need to pay attention as well, because even though John McCain has already won the Republican nomination, its one of these two who he will be up against. So, even though this is a Democrat only contest right the kitchen sink strategy will still be trying to win votes over to the Democrat side for next November.
So, get ready folks, pay attention, because the political battle for your vote is coming here to Pennsylvania. And on the battleground the weapon of choice will be the words they use. Any political campaign is a war of words. Each candidate will be making their case why they should win, and they will use their words to make a list of promises.
My friends, God has a kitchen sink strategy as well. God gave up everything for us, when he sent his son Jesus into the world. God, desperately wanting to win our hearts away from sin and the enemy of heaven, gave up his son to the curse of this sinful world while offering an eternal promise to us. God offers his own version of the kitchen sink strategy while using the power of his almighty word to promise life beyond death to al who would believe and turn to him.
That word, my friends, is a word we can trust. Let’s take a look at the word of God at work in today’s bible readings.
First, we have the wonderful prophetic word from Ezekiel. Ezekiel comes and sees before him a valley of dry bones. It is literally a valley of death. Now, this is not some sort of burial ground gone bad that Ezekiel has stumbled upon. The dead that lie there are the dead of Israel having been defeated in battle by the Babylonians. These dry bones are the death of a dream. Israel dreamed that they would be a sovereign nation that would shine the life and love of God for all to see. But, they had sinned against God. They did not remain faithful. They did not trust in God. Instead they put their trust in human kings and they worshiped idols instead of God. So, after years, generations, of ignoring God’s plea for them to change their ways and return to him, God gave them up to the Babylonians. Israel had sinned against God, and the curse of sin is death. These dry bones were the image of the death of a dream, Israel’s dream and God’s dream.
Do you ever feel that way? Do you remember back to when you were younger and your life was filled with the dream of doing something significant, something with purpose? That’s God’s dream for you as well. When we are young we are free from so many things, that we are enabled to dream God’s dream for our lives. It’s an exciting dream, and we feel it deep down in our bones. But, then something happens. We grow up. We mature. We begin to assimilate the ways of this world, and we begin to make the ways of the world our God. We trade God’s dream for something else—the American dream. This dream tells us that we will be accepted, loved, powerful etc. if only we prove it to others by the things we do. But, you know, as enticing as this dream is, it is still a lie, because we trade in God’s dream for it. God’s dream is no longer the main priority in our lives. Instead this long laundry list of tasks that lead nowhere becomes our main priority. This new dream becomes our new God. When we do this we sin against God and ourselves. And, the curse of sin is death. There are a lot of us here today who are running ourselves to death trying to keep up with the demands of this pop-culture American God. Some of us are run so thin, our souls are dry dead bones. God’s dream for us is dead.
But, look at what this God does. Our God is one who cannot remain angry. Our God is one of forgiveness, and love. Our God is one of new life in the place of death. He says to Ezekiel, “Prophesy to these bones!” In other words, God commands Ezekiel to speak God’s dream once again to them. Then as Ezekiel is speaking, God takes Ezekiel’s words and turns them into his almighty Word. God breaths upon the dry and dead bones and the Word of God bring them to life. The Word of God restores the dream.
Let’s turn now to the gospel lesson. These two readings echo one another. This is the miraculous raising of Lazarus. Notice that John finds it significant to inform us that Jesus was informed of Lazarus’ plight when we has ill, but that Jesus still lingered in his responsiveness to Lazarus’ aid. This is not because Jesus didn’t love Lazarus, he actually did very much. The text tells us that Jesus lingered so that Jesus’ miraculous work might finally convince everyone to believe in him. Had Jesus showed up when Lazarus was ill, then Jesus’ miracle would have been like any other miraculous healing. But, this time Jesus was going to bring life to the dead. The text goes on to give us specific detail about the length of time that Jesus lingered—4 days. This is very significant because the ancient Jewish belief was that the soul of a dead man lingered around the body for three days, so by the fourth day the soul of Lazarus was gone. In other words, by telling us that it was the fourth day, John wants us to know that there was absolutely no question—Lazarus was dead and gone. As a matter of fact, John wants us to know that he was too far gone to remain hopeful.
My friends, do you ever feel that way? Do you ever feel like things are just too far gone to remain hopeful? I had a conversation with someone recently, another Christian actually, and they were talking with me about a situation they were praying for and how it seemed as though there was no use in praying anymore. This Christian friend said to me, “Pastor, there’s no hope.” Really!? No hope!? I thought to myself, “Wait a minute, you’re a Christian?” My friends, in the bonds of a relationship with Christ there is always hope. That is the very gift of Christ’s resurrection. That is the gift of Easter. We are never without hope. Remain in relationship with Christ, and there is always hope.
Jesus comes to this Lazarus who is too far gone, this scene of death and hopelessness. And notice what he does. Notice he does not enter the tomb and lay hands on Lazarus. Jesus stands outside the tomb, and echoing the scene from Ezekiel he prophesies to the dead. Jesus, the incarnate Word of God commands that life would return to the dead; that hope return to the hopeless. The Word of God restores Lazarus. The Word of God restores life, and hope.
My friends, God uses the kitchen sink strategy. He gives up everything for us, sending Jesus, to be for us His very Word of hope and life in the flesh. And, we have the gift of His Word in the words of the Bible. In the bible we encounter the same incarnate Word of God for our lives.
For our dry bones and our dried up dreams, God’s incarnate Word breaths new life into us through the reading and studying of scripture. For our dead and gone hope and life, God’s incarnate Word restores our faith in him, raising us up to new life in relationship with Christ.
So, then, for all of us. For you whose soul is feeling dried up like the bones in the valley, when was it that you last read from the scriptures and genuinely took in the breath of God as the words prophesied to you? For you whose hope is dead and gone like Lazarus in a tomb, when was it that you last turned to scripture and allowed your heart to listen openly to gospel message. Read the bible, listen to the Word of God. Let your hearts hear once again the call to rise up and come out of your tomb.
Amen.
John 11 The Raising of Lazarus
Gospel: God uses the kitchen sink strategy. He gives up everything for us; sending Jesus to be for us His very Word of hope and life.
Have you been following this year’s political race? I must confess that I have become a political junkie this year. What a historic race, at least on the Democratic side of the fence that is. This year’s primaries will either deliver a woman or an African American to the General election. This makes for unprecedented political drama, and as of late the contest between Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama has become quite heated as the two of them remain in a virtual dead heat after slugging it out through the first 15 rounds of state primaries.
Most recently, the story line in this drama was of Hillary’s response to Barak’s 11 state win streak. Up until last week, Barak not only held the lead in number of delegates but he was also leading in the most essential category of momentum. The entire hype heading into the Texas and Ohio primaries last week focused on Hillary’s strategy. She needed to not only win these two states, but she needed to win big with hope that she could turn momentum in her favor. But, what could she do? Up to this point her campaign wasn’t working. She needed a different strategy. Would she turn to negative advertising for the first time? Would she begin a series of appearances of TV shows, and radio spots? Up to this point she hadn’t tried this either. There’s good reason why she hadn’t tried these. They’re risky. The press was watching closely. What would she do?
Well, what she did turned out to be a selection of everything possible that she could do. She tried everything from negative ads, to fear mongering, to an appearances on TV, even appearing on Saturday Night Live. She threw everything she had into an attempt to win Texas and Ohio voters away from her opponent and over to her side. And it worked. She won both key states, and regained, at least for now, the momentum. Media has called it her “Kitchen Sink strategy”, because she threw everything out—leaving not even the kitchen sink behind. And now, the next battleground is set for our state of Pennsylvania. So, get ready fellow Pennsylvanians because these two candidates will both be throwing out the kitchen sink over the next few weeks to win our support in this upcoming Primary. Now, you might think this only concerns the registered Democrats among us. But, the Republicans need to pay attention as well, because even though John McCain has already won the Republican nomination, its one of these two who he will be up against. So, even though this is a Democrat only contest right the kitchen sink strategy will still be trying to win votes over to the Democrat side for next November.
So, get ready folks, pay attention, because the political battle for your vote is coming here to Pennsylvania. And on the battleground the weapon of choice will be the words they use. Any political campaign is a war of words. Each candidate will be making their case why they should win, and they will use their words to make a list of promises.
My friends, God has a kitchen sink strategy as well. God gave up everything for us, when he sent his son Jesus into the world. God, desperately wanting to win our hearts away from sin and the enemy of heaven, gave up his son to the curse of this sinful world while offering an eternal promise to us. God offers his own version of the kitchen sink strategy while using the power of his almighty word to promise life beyond death to al who would believe and turn to him.
That word, my friends, is a word we can trust. Let’s take a look at the word of God at work in today’s bible readings.
First, we have the wonderful prophetic word from Ezekiel. Ezekiel comes and sees before him a valley of dry bones. It is literally a valley of death. Now, this is not some sort of burial ground gone bad that Ezekiel has stumbled upon. The dead that lie there are the dead of Israel having been defeated in battle by the Babylonians. These dry bones are the death of a dream. Israel dreamed that they would be a sovereign nation that would shine the life and love of God for all to see. But, they had sinned against God. They did not remain faithful. They did not trust in God. Instead they put their trust in human kings and they worshiped idols instead of God. So, after years, generations, of ignoring God’s plea for them to change their ways and return to him, God gave them up to the Babylonians. Israel had sinned against God, and the curse of sin is death. These dry bones were the image of the death of a dream, Israel’s dream and God’s dream.
Do you ever feel that way? Do you remember back to when you were younger and your life was filled with the dream of doing something significant, something with purpose? That’s God’s dream for you as well. When we are young we are free from so many things, that we are enabled to dream God’s dream for our lives. It’s an exciting dream, and we feel it deep down in our bones. But, then something happens. We grow up. We mature. We begin to assimilate the ways of this world, and we begin to make the ways of the world our God. We trade God’s dream for something else—the American dream. This dream tells us that we will be accepted, loved, powerful etc. if only we prove it to others by the things we do. But, you know, as enticing as this dream is, it is still a lie, because we trade in God’s dream for it. God’s dream is no longer the main priority in our lives. Instead this long laundry list of tasks that lead nowhere becomes our main priority. This new dream becomes our new God. When we do this we sin against God and ourselves. And, the curse of sin is death. There are a lot of us here today who are running ourselves to death trying to keep up with the demands of this pop-culture American God. Some of us are run so thin, our souls are dry dead bones. God’s dream for us is dead.
But, look at what this God does. Our God is one who cannot remain angry. Our God is one of forgiveness, and love. Our God is one of new life in the place of death. He says to Ezekiel, “Prophesy to these bones!” In other words, God commands Ezekiel to speak God’s dream once again to them. Then as Ezekiel is speaking, God takes Ezekiel’s words and turns them into his almighty Word. God breaths upon the dry and dead bones and the Word of God bring them to life. The Word of God restores the dream.
Let’s turn now to the gospel lesson. These two readings echo one another. This is the miraculous raising of Lazarus. Notice that John finds it significant to inform us that Jesus was informed of Lazarus’ plight when we has ill, but that Jesus still lingered in his responsiveness to Lazarus’ aid. This is not because Jesus didn’t love Lazarus, he actually did very much. The text tells us that Jesus lingered so that Jesus’ miraculous work might finally convince everyone to believe in him. Had Jesus showed up when Lazarus was ill, then Jesus’ miracle would have been like any other miraculous healing. But, this time Jesus was going to bring life to the dead. The text goes on to give us specific detail about the length of time that Jesus lingered—4 days. This is very significant because the ancient Jewish belief was that the soul of a dead man lingered around the body for three days, so by the fourth day the soul of Lazarus was gone. In other words, by telling us that it was the fourth day, John wants us to know that there was absolutely no question—Lazarus was dead and gone. As a matter of fact, John wants us to know that he was too far gone to remain hopeful.
My friends, do you ever feel that way? Do you ever feel like things are just too far gone to remain hopeful? I had a conversation with someone recently, another Christian actually, and they were talking with me about a situation they were praying for and how it seemed as though there was no use in praying anymore. This Christian friend said to me, “Pastor, there’s no hope.” Really!? No hope!? I thought to myself, “Wait a minute, you’re a Christian?” My friends, in the bonds of a relationship with Christ there is always hope. That is the very gift of Christ’s resurrection. That is the gift of Easter. We are never without hope. Remain in relationship with Christ, and there is always hope.
Jesus comes to this Lazarus who is too far gone, this scene of death and hopelessness. And notice what he does. Notice he does not enter the tomb and lay hands on Lazarus. Jesus stands outside the tomb, and echoing the scene from Ezekiel he prophesies to the dead. Jesus, the incarnate Word of God commands that life would return to the dead; that hope return to the hopeless. The Word of God restores Lazarus. The Word of God restores life, and hope.
My friends, God uses the kitchen sink strategy. He gives up everything for us, sending Jesus, to be for us His very Word of hope and life in the flesh. And, we have the gift of His Word in the words of the Bible. In the bible we encounter the same incarnate Word of God for our lives.
For our dry bones and our dried up dreams, God’s incarnate Word breaths new life into us through the reading and studying of scripture. For our dead and gone hope and life, God’s incarnate Word restores our faith in him, raising us up to new life in relationship with Christ.
So, then, for all of us. For you whose soul is feeling dried up like the bones in the valley, when was it that you last read from the scriptures and genuinely took in the breath of God as the words prophesied to you? For you whose hope is dead and gone like Lazarus in a tomb, when was it that you last turned to scripture and allowed your heart to listen openly to gospel message. Read the bible, listen to the Word of God. Let your hearts hear once again the call to rise up and come out of your tomb.
Amen.
Diamonds in the Rough
Diamonds in the Rough (Outline)
Ephesians 5:8-14
Good News: God sees the diamond hidden beneath the rough.
Diamonds in the rough are popular.
—Wall Street Journal article
Lately, a number of us have been feeling pretty rough.
—Flu is going around.
—Cabin Fever
—Gas prices, economic crunches.
Paul, speaking to some very rough people, the Ephesians encourages them to look deeper than the rough exterior to what Christ’s love is gradually doing to them from the inside out. He reassures their faith by reminding them that even though they are struggling to stay together as a congregation they already have the love of Christ among them.
Therefore, he reminds them that:
“once you were darkness (rough), but now you are light (dia.)
Diamonds are not precious because of the hardness of their chemical composition. They are precious because they have this rare ability to shine the beauty of the light back to others.
We may feel, behave, and even look pretty rough from time to time. But, from God’s perspective, we are diamonds—precious gems.
We are not diamonds because deep down we possess some rare quality to be truly good and righteous. NO!. We are remade, faceted, hand-cut by the forgiveness and mercy of Christ. We are diamonds because our hearts have said YES to let the light of Christ in.
So, how do we live, then as children of the light? How do we continue to shed this rough exterior?
To shine for all the world to see, all a diamond needs is to remain in the light.
We do this, Paul says, by seeking first what is pleasing to God.
It’s just a basic, Christian ethical question.
In all that we do, through all the decisions we make, all the
dilemmas we suffer, ask ourselves this one question:
Are my actions pleasing to God?
By doing this we are exposing ourselves to the light.
It’s not always easy to ask this question, or to live by the answer. But, its with this question that God’s love facets our roughness and darkness away to reveal that diamond of Christ’s love that God has placed inside from the moment we first believed, from the moment we were baptized.
By coming into the light we will begin to see what God already sees in us. —That we are precious diamonds.
Not just any rough stone—we are HIS diamonds!
And, we are called to shine the light of his son’s love.
We may indeed be diamonds in the rough, but God has an answer for that darkness, that roughness. It’s the grace and mercy found in the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Paul said it best, “You once were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light.”
Live in the light.
Amen
Ephesians 5:8-14
Good News: God sees the diamond hidden beneath the rough.
Diamonds in the rough are popular.
—Wall Street Journal article
Lately, a number of us have been feeling pretty rough.
—Flu is going around.
—Cabin Fever
—Gas prices, economic crunches.
Paul, speaking to some very rough people, the Ephesians encourages them to look deeper than the rough exterior to what Christ’s love is gradually doing to them from the inside out. He reassures their faith by reminding them that even though they are struggling to stay together as a congregation they already have the love of Christ among them.
Therefore, he reminds them that:
“once you were darkness (rough), but now you are light (dia.)
Diamonds are not precious because of the hardness of their chemical composition. They are precious because they have this rare ability to shine the beauty of the light back to others.
We may feel, behave, and even look pretty rough from time to time. But, from God’s perspective, we are diamonds—precious gems.
We are not diamonds because deep down we possess some rare quality to be truly good and righteous. NO!. We are remade, faceted, hand-cut by the forgiveness and mercy of Christ. We are diamonds because our hearts have said YES to let the light of Christ in.
So, how do we live, then as children of the light? How do we continue to shed this rough exterior?
To shine for all the world to see, all a diamond needs is to remain in the light.
We do this, Paul says, by seeking first what is pleasing to God.
It’s just a basic, Christian ethical question.
In all that we do, through all the decisions we make, all the
dilemmas we suffer, ask ourselves this one question:
Are my actions pleasing to God?
By doing this we are exposing ourselves to the light.
It’s not always easy to ask this question, or to live by the answer. But, its with this question that God’s love facets our roughness and darkness away to reveal that diamond of Christ’s love that God has placed inside from the moment we first believed, from the moment we were baptized.
By coming into the light we will begin to see what God already sees in us. —That we are precious diamonds.
Not just any rough stone—we are HIS diamonds!
And, we are called to shine the light of his son’s love.
We may indeed be diamonds in the rough, but God has an answer for that darkness, that roughness. It’s the grace and mercy found in the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Paul said it best, “You once were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light.”
Live in the light.
Amen
Easter Clothes
Easter Clothes
Easter clothes—Our Sunday best. What a great tradition to keep.
St. Paul says in Galatians “all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” Easter clothes, or our Sunday best—are signs to the people around us that we are either on our way or we just came from church.
Easter clothes are signs and symbols of the resurrection.
We hear in today’s gospel story about Jesus’ Easter clothes. His Easter clothes were his burial clothes.
The Resurrection story tells us that there are two kinds of burial clothes for Jesus. One was for the body and the other for the head. Now, this cloth over his head was much more the size of, well, a napkin. John’s gospel to go to great length to tell us that this burial napkin over Jesus face and head was treated differently than the linens over his body. The linens, it seems were just thrown aside at the point of resurrection. But, for some reason great care was given to this napkin. Why? What’s the significance that John seems to be taking great care to tell us about this burial napkin?
Some would say that this is a sign from Jesus that the body was not stolen, that Jesus body is not in the tomb simply because of grave robbers. But, this seems a bit off the mark since there were guards at the tomb, and it would have made quite a disturbance for grave robbers to move that enormous stone in front.
Another possibility was offered to me by way of an email from one of you. And even though it too is a bit of a stretch, it is at least plausible. It goes like this.
It has to do with understanding some of the subtleties of ancient Hebrew customs. In Jesus day, a folded napkin was a form of unspoken communication between the master of a house and the servant. When the servant set the table for his master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it. The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating, and the servant would not dare touch that table until the master was finished. Now if the master was finished, he would wipe his fingers and mouth with the napkin and then toss it down in a heap. The napkin in disarray was a sign to the servant that the master is finished and it is time to clean up. But if the master left the table, but left behind the folded napkin neatly at his place, then the servant knew that the Master was coming back. The folded napkin was a sign to the servant that the Master wasn’t finished yet!
This, my friends is the message of Easter. The disciples came to that tomb after that dreadful Friday and they were convinced that all hope was lost. After watching their leader, their teacher, and their beloved friend die a gruesome, humiliating death, they were convinced that their hope was lost. But, what they came to believe by the resurrection was that God wasn’t finished yet.
Jesus’ Easter clothes were a sign and symbol of the resurrection.
There are some other Easter clothes I’d like to talk about.
Easter is about new life—and for me and Amy there is a new life awaiting us in Ethiopia today---[Quilt from Elijah’s room.]
Quilts are wonderful, because of the way they are made.
1. Unwanted pieces are sewn together with love and hope to form something beautiful, and warm.
2. The backside of the quilt is often a mess, like our lives, but meanwhile the other side of life is what the quilter sees, and it is beautiful and perfect.
Quilts are a beautiful metaphor of the love, the warmth, the grace and the promise of resurrection hope given to us in our baptisms.
This is why I like the way we give out a quilt, or at least a garment of some type in a baptism. [show a baptismal garment] These quilts or baptismal garments are essentially Easter clothes.
This robe I wear is meant to be a sign of my baptism. I am clothed in Christ when I wear this.
This is why there is yet another piece of our Easter wardrobe that I’d like to draw your attention to. [Display the pall] When someone dies we clothe them with Christ. We literally cover them with a garment of baptism. This, too, is a piece of clothing for our Easter wardrobe.
These Easter clothes, the baptismal garments of resurrected promise are also meant to be a way of living. Like a quilt, we are called to wrap each other up with the warmth and promise of Christ. By doing so, we become living signs and symbols of the resurrection to a world that desperately needs it.
So, when it seems that hope is lost, or that life has come to a dead ending, remember that you are baptized, “you have been clothed with Christ”. So, put on your Easter clothes, put on Christ, and know that with Christ, even death is just a point in time when God isn’t yet finished.
Oh, and BTW-this Easter clothing can be worn everyday. We don’t have to wait until next Easter to put on faith, hope and love---We can wear this everyday.
Amen
Easter clothes—Our Sunday best. What a great tradition to keep.
St. Paul says in Galatians “all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” Easter clothes, or our Sunday best—are signs to the people around us that we are either on our way or we just came from church.
Easter clothes are signs and symbols of the resurrection.
We hear in today’s gospel story about Jesus’ Easter clothes. His Easter clothes were his burial clothes.
The Resurrection story tells us that there are two kinds of burial clothes for Jesus. One was for the body and the other for the head. Now, this cloth over his head was much more the size of, well, a napkin. John’s gospel to go to great length to tell us that this burial napkin over Jesus face and head was treated differently than the linens over his body. The linens, it seems were just thrown aside at the point of resurrection. But, for some reason great care was given to this napkin. Why? What’s the significance that John seems to be taking great care to tell us about this burial napkin?
Some would say that this is a sign from Jesus that the body was not stolen, that Jesus body is not in the tomb simply because of grave robbers. But, this seems a bit off the mark since there were guards at the tomb, and it would have made quite a disturbance for grave robbers to move that enormous stone in front.
Another possibility was offered to me by way of an email from one of you. And even though it too is a bit of a stretch, it is at least plausible. It goes like this.
It has to do with understanding some of the subtleties of ancient Hebrew customs. In Jesus day, a folded napkin was a form of unspoken communication between the master of a house and the servant. When the servant set the table for his master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it. The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating, and the servant would not dare touch that table until the master was finished. Now if the master was finished, he would wipe his fingers and mouth with the napkin and then toss it down in a heap. The napkin in disarray was a sign to the servant that the master is finished and it is time to clean up. But if the master left the table, but left behind the folded napkin neatly at his place, then the servant knew that the Master was coming back. The folded napkin was a sign to the servant that the Master wasn’t finished yet!
This, my friends is the message of Easter. The disciples came to that tomb after that dreadful Friday and they were convinced that all hope was lost. After watching their leader, their teacher, and their beloved friend die a gruesome, humiliating death, they were convinced that their hope was lost. But, what they came to believe by the resurrection was that God wasn’t finished yet.
Jesus’ Easter clothes were a sign and symbol of the resurrection.
There are some other Easter clothes I’d like to talk about.
Easter is about new life—and for me and Amy there is a new life awaiting us in Ethiopia today---[Quilt from Elijah’s room.]
Quilts are wonderful, because of the way they are made.
1. Unwanted pieces are sewn together with love and hope to form something beautiful, and warm.
2. The backside of the quilt is often a mess, like our lives, but meanwhile the other side of life is what the quilter sees, and it is beautiful and perfect.
Quilts are a beautiful metaphor of the love, the warmth, the grace and the promise of resurrection hope given to us in our baptisms.
This is why I like the way we give out a quilt, or at least a garment of some type in a baptism. [show a baptismal garment] These quilts or baptismal garments are essentially Easter clothes.
This robe I wear is meant to be a sign of my baptism. I am clothed in Christ when I wear this.
This is why there is yet another piece of our Easter wardrobe that I’d like to draw your attention to. [Display the pall] When someone dies we clothe them with Christ. We literally cover them with a garment of baptism. This, too, is a piece of clothing for our Easter wardrobe.
These Easter clothes, the baptismal garments of resurrected promise are also meant to be a way of living. Like a quilt, we are called to wrap each other up with the warmth and promise of Christ. By doing so, we become living signs and symbols of the resurrection to a world that desperately needs it.
So, when it seems that hope is lost, or that life has come to a dead ending, remember that you are baptized, “you have been clothed with Christ”. So, put on your Easter clothes, put on Christ, and know that with Christ, even death is just a point in time when God isn’t yet finished.
Oh, and BTW-this Easter clothing can be worn everyday. We don’t have to wait until next Easter to put on faith, hope and love---We can wear this everyday.
Amen
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Spiritual Double Talk
Spiritual Double Talk
Luke 6: 17-26
Opening:
Church Blooper Announcements [Best read by a leader from the church in the manner of making genuine announcements in church.]
1. The peacemaking meeting scheduled for today has been canceled due to a conflict.
2. Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our church.
3. For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery.
4. Tuesday at 4:00 PM there will be an ice cream social, featuring homemade ice-cream. All ladies giving milk will please come early.
5. With Easter Sunday approaching, we will be asking volunteers to come forward and lay eggs on the alter.
6. Next Sunday a special collection will be taken to defray the cost of new carpet. All those wishing to do something on the carpet please do so on your way out.
7. The ladies of the church have given up their clothing for this year’s fund raiser. Members of the church may get a sneak peek at them on the Friday prior to the event.
8. Sandy is still in the hospital. She asked me to announce that she is having trouble sleeping and requests recordings of Pastor Rich’s sermons.
9. Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children.
10. The stewardship committee unveiled the church's new giving campaign slogan: "I Upped My Pledge--Now Up Yours."
11. 8 new choir robes are currently needed, due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.
12. Please don't forget this year’s rummage sale. Ladies, It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Don't forget your husbands.
13. The confirmation class will be presenting a dramatic Passion Play this year during Lent. The congregation is invited to come and see this tragedy.
Clearly by this list of church bulletin bloopers there is often a difference between what is said and what is heard. In fact much of what we say often has multiple meanings. Our English language is filled with idioms and expressions that mean different things in different contexts. Take the expression “getting ahead”. We use this expression often in our language, but its meaning is dependent upon context? In a conversation about financial matters, this means trying to pay off credit cards, or put more money in a savings account. In a conversation about professional success it has to do with advancing one’s self to a higher place within the company. But, when used by a person behind the wheel of a car it means to pass a slower moving vehicle. Often what we say has multiple meanings, and each different meaning is contingent upon the context. Within the context, we understand quite clearly the meaning behind what is being said, but from the outside looking/listening in, the meaning can be lost or confused.
The church often times struggles with this contextual confusion as well. Within the context of the church, couched in the language and the teaching, we have little problem understanding the message behind the words that are spoken in worship. But, to a person who is not part of the church, this may not be the case. Take for instance the words, “Take and eat, this is my body given for you.” Historically there is evidence to believe that in the early formation of the church, Roman unbelievers made claims that those Christians are cannibals.
So, as we continue to live into the mission of being a church for people who have no church, we need to be mindful in this day of how people hear what we insiders are saying.
But, this contextual understanding of things is not only for the language of worship. We might also want to be mindful of creating our own bulletin bloopers by assuming that newer members are aware of what is being announced. For instance; announcing an annual event with little explanation of what its for, or what’s expected from the volunteers leaves new people floundering to get involved because they do not have the needed insider information to translate the announcement.
Within the context, we understand quite clearly the message behind the words, but from outside the context we often can’t and this leads to confusion. This is true of God’s Word as well.
Gospel:
Jesus speaks God’s Word to a diverse crowd of people. Some came from Jerusalem [Jews], and some came from as far as Tyre and Sidon [Gentiles]. By Jesus’ message to them we can surmise that some were poor and hungry, while others were more affluent and well fed. Some were hated and excluded, while others were loved and received social praise. Some were grieving, while others were joyful. People of various different backgrounds, different religions, different stations in life. Of this motley crowd of different people, they all had one thing in common. Verse 18 says they all came to hear him and to be healed. And so, he spoke to them words of healing.
To the poor, the hungry, the broken-hearted, the outcast his words were like salve on their wounded souls.
Blessed are you .
But to the affluent and well fed, the socially acceptable, and those
currently experiencing joy, Jesus’ words would have sounded more like a bitter pill.
Woe to you.
So that there is no confusion, even though Jesus delivers his message in two parts (blessings and woes) the Word of God remains the same.
Beneath the surface of the list of blessings and woes is the same
Message—God’s love is for all.
It has been said that God’s Word, when properly proclaimed, will do two things. It will comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable. Those who heard God’s Word on that day as comfort probably remained as Jesus’ disciples. But, I wonder, what of the people who heard it as affliction? Did they hear it all? Or, did they ignore Jesus call to change their ways? Did they change their ways and follow him onward? The text doesn’t tell us.
Connection:
How do we hear God’s word? When we are in need, when we are threatened, when we are crying, when we are rejected, we hear God’s Word loud and clear. It comforts us, and we join the church, and we continue coming to church just as those who were in the crowd came to Jesus because they wanted to hear him and be healed. And we learn to believe and trust that whenever we are afflicted we can count on God to comfort us by His Word. In bad times, God’s Word is clear and we listen and we follow.
But, what about when times are good, when we are comfortable? Do we hear God challenging us to grow in discipleship, to remain faithful, to change our ways so that others less fortunate may be blessed?
Closing:
Fortunately, God’s Word comes to us in the life promised through the love of Jesus. Such that all of us who believe and are baptized are given freely this promise of God’s eternity.
Its important for us to remember then, that no matter if it challenges us or comforts us, God’s Word for us is always one of God’s love and care for His chosen people.
Therefore, no matter if we are comforted or afflicted by God’s Word we want to be listening and following.
I remember the person I once was. But, because of God’s love—both tough and tender— today I am thankful that I no longer recognize the person in those memories.
My guess is that you might be able to say the same thing about your relationship with God.
Words may mean different things to those who listen in from outside the context of the message, but to those of us within the context, the meaning of the words is most often very clear.
Remain then in relationship to God through Jesus, and when God’s Word is spoken to you, there will be no confusion.
God’s Word is not a blooper.
Let us pray…
Lord God, by your mercy keep us in relationship with you, that your Word would always be our guidance and comfort.
Amen
Luke 6: 17-26
Opening:
Church Blooper Announcements [Best read by a leader from the church in the manner of making genuine announcements in church.]
1. The peacemaking meeting scheduled for today has been canceled due to a conflict.
2. Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our church.
3. For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery.
4. Tuesday at 4:00 PM there will be an ice cream social, featuring homemade ice-cream. All ladies giving milk will please come early.
5. With Easter Sunday approaching, we will be asking volunteers to come forward and lay eggs on the alter.
6. Next Sunday a special collection will be taken to defray the cost of new carpet. All those wishing to do something on the carpet please do so on your way out.
7. The ladies of the church have given up their clothing for this year’s fund raiser. Members of the church may get a sneak peek at them on the Friday prior to the event.
8. Sandy is still in the hospital. She asked me to announce that she is having trouble sleeping and requests recordings of Pastor Rich’s sermons.
9. Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children.
10. The stewardship committee unveiled the church's new giving campaign slogan: "I Upped My Pledge--Now Up Yours."
11. 8 new choir robes are currently needed, due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.
12. Please don't forget this year’s rummage sale. Ladies, It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Don't forget your husbands.
13. The confirmation class will be presenting a dramatic Passion Play this year during Lent. The congregation is invited to come and see this tragedy.
Clearly by this list of church bulletin bloopers there is often a difference between what is said and what is heard. In fact much of what we say often has multiple meanings. Our English language is filled with idioms and expressions that mean different things in different contexts. Take the expression “getting ahead”. We use this expression often in our language, but its meaning is dependent upon context? In a conversation about financial matters, this means trying to pay off credit cards, or put more money in a savings account. In a conversation about professional success it has to do with advancing one’s self to a higher place within the company. But, when used by a person behind the wheel of a car it means to pass a slower moving vehicle. Often what we say has multiple meanings, and each different meaning is contingent upon the context. Within the context, we understand quite clearly the meaning behind what is being said, but from the outside looking/listening in, the meaning can be lost or confused.
The church often times struggles with this contextual confusion as well. Within the context of the church, couched in the language and the teaching, we have little problem understanding the message behind the words that are spoken in worship. But, to a person who is not part of the church, this may not be the case. Take for instance the words, “Take and eat, this is my body given for you.” Historically there is evidence to believe that in the early formation of the church, Roman unbelievers made claims that those Christians are cannibals.
So, as we continue to live into the mission of being a church for people who have no church, we need to be mindful in this day of how people hear what we insiders are saying.
But, this contextual understanding of things is not only for the language of worship. We might also want to be mindful of creating our own bulletin bloopers by assuming that newer members are aware of what is being announced. For instance; announcing an annual event with little explanation of what its for, or what’s expected from the volunteers leaves new people floundering to get involved because they do not have the needed insider information to translate the announcement.
Within the context, we understand quite clearly the message behind the words, but from outside the context we often can’t and this leads to confusion. This is true of God’s Word as well.
Gospel:
Jesus speaks God’s Word to a diverse crowd of people. Some came from Jerusalem [Jews], and some came from as far as Tyre and Sidon [Gentiles]. By Jesus’ message to them we can surmise that some were poor and hungry, while others were more affluent and well fed. Some were hated and excluded, while others were loved and received social praise. Some were grieving, while others were joyful. People of various different backgrounds, different religions, different stations in life. Of this motley crowd of different people, they all had one thing in common. Verse 18 says they all came to hear him and to be healed. And so, he spoke to them words of healing.
To the poor, the hungry, the broken-hearted, the outcast his words were like salve on their wounded souls.
Blessed are you .
But to the affluent and well fed, the socially acceptable, and those
currently experiencing joy, Jesus’ words would have sounded more like a bitter pill.
Woe to you.
So that there is no confusion, even though Jesus delivers his message in two parts (blessings and woes) the Word of God remains the same.
Beneath the surface of the list of blessings and woes is the same
Message—God’s love is for all.
It has been said that God’s Word, when properly proclaimed, will do two things. It will comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable. Those who heard God’s Word on that day as comfort probably remained as Jesus’ disciples. But, I wonder, what of the people who heard it as affliction? Did they hear it all? Or, did they ignore Jesus call to change their ways? Did they change their ways and follow him onward? The text doesn’t tell us.
Connection:
How do we hear God’s word? When we are in need, when we are threatened, when we are crying, when we are rejected, we hear God’s Word loud and clear. It comforts us, and we join the church, and we continue coming to church just as those who were in the crowd came to Jesus because they wanted to hear him and be healed. And we learn to believe and trust that whenever we are afflicted we can count on God to comfort us by His Word. In bad times, God’s Word is clear and we listen and we follow.
But, what about when times are good, when we are comfortable? Do we hear God challenging us to grow in discipleship, to remain faithful, to change our ways so that others less fortunate may be blessed?
Closing:
Fortunately, God’s Word comes to us in the life promised through the love of Jesus. Such that all of us who believe and are baptized are given freely this promise of God’s eternity.
Its important for us to remember then, that no matter if it challenges us or comforts us, God’s Word for us is always one of God’s love and care for His chosen people.
Therefore, no matter if we are comforted or afflicted by God’s Word we want to be listening and following.
I remember the person I once was. But, because of God’s love—both tough and tender— today I am thankful that I no longer recognize the person in those memories.
My guess is that you might be able to say the same thing about your relationship with God.
Words may mean different things to those who listen in from outside the context of the message, but to those of us within the context, the meaning of the words is most often very clear.
Remain then in relationship to God through Jesus, and when God’s Word is spoken to you, there will be no confusion.
God’s Word is not a blooper.
Let us pray…
Lord God, by your mercy keep us in relationship with you, that your Word would always be our guidance and comfort.
Amen
The One For All
The One For All
[Begin with a puzzle ball. Demonstrate how one piece holds it together.]
I have been asked to offer teaching and preaching on the question of whether or not the ELCA believes in universal salvation. The quick answer is yes. But, so that there is no confusion this belief in universal salvation is not the same as universalism. Universalism holds that all people will eventually be saved. Put another way; that all paths lead to God. This we do not hold to be true. There is only one path which leads to God, it is the path of Christ. There may be many twists and turns in this path, and we may encounter people who appear to be walking in the opposite direction as we are. Still, there is only one path. What we hold to be true is that God will judge us all. But, because of Jesus' death and resurrection, we believe that his judgment will be with grace and mercy, which is more powerful than his wrath. In the end, like the puzzle ball, we believe that this one single piece—the Good News of Jesus Christ—is what has the power to hold us all together in this world and in the next.
In today’s Gospel lesson, did you catch that one little moment in the text when God’s grace comes out? It’s very subtle, but its there. The disciples look at Jesus with Moses and Elijah, and they quickly want to build something. Then, God addresses them. “This is my Son. Listen to him!”
Since its beginning, based on New Testament texts, Christianity has made an exclusive claim: Jesus Christ is God’s only Son, sent to redeem the world. This claim has fueled, throughout history, innumerable mission endeavors aimed at proclaiming the Gospel message in order to "save" human beings who have not heard the story of salvation. In turn, these efforts have raised questions such as, "What about those who never heard, did not believe, weren’t reached, had no opportunity to hear the Gospel?" and "Will only Christians be saved?"
The traditional medieval Roman Catholic response was, "There is no salvation outside the Church." Protestants later rejected that claim and substituted their revised version of exclusiveness. Which was, "Apart from faith there is no salvation." Of course, this faith would come only from being baptized into the Christian faith upon hearing the claims of the preached Gospel. However, both Roman Catholics and Protestants provided various "loophole" theologies. There were second chances for those of "invincible ignorance" (Roman Catholic), or those "not accountable," e.g. infants, mentally retarded, etc. (Protestants). Others would assert that Jesus – the valid avenue for Christians – is only one of many ways that lead to the God of the universe, and that other religions possess equally valid paths to God.
Today, Lutheran theology asserts that all of these views are based on a defective understanding of the New Testament. Today, limiting God’s redemption by exclusivity or loopholes, or placing Christ in a pantheon of world saviors, demonstrates that, "Our thinking about Christ is too small." The ELCA acknowledges that, "In answer to John the Baptist’s question, 'Are you the one who is to come?' the Good News answer is 'yes, and we need not look for another.'" Nothing is more certain in the New Testament than its intention to picture Jesus in an utterly exclusive way, making this claim the heart of the Gospel, itself.
However, we understand the exclusivity of this claim in the way ELCA Lutherans approach all theological questions – by understanding God’s grace, God’s action in Christ.
The Christian hope for salvation, whether for the believing few or the unbelieving many, is grounded in the person and meaning of Christ alone, not in the potential of the world’s religions to save, nor in the moral seriousness of people of good will, not even in the good works of pious Christians and church people. ... There is a universalist thrust in the New Testament, particularly in Paul’s theology. How else can we read passages such as 'for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ'.
ELCA Lutherans hold that, Salvation in the New Testament is what God has done to death in the resurrection of Jesus. Salvation is what God has in store for you and me and the whole world in spite of death, solely on account of the living risen Christ. ... The universal scope of salvation in Christ includes the destiny of our bodies together with the whole earth and the whole of creation. This cosmic hope is based on the promise of eternal life sealed by the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Through raising Jesus from the dead, God put death to death, overcoming the deadliest enemy of life at loose in the world. This hope for the final salvation of humanity and the eternal universal redemption of all things in heaven and on earth ... is drawn from the unlimited promise of the Gospel and the magnitude of God’s grace made known to the world through Christ."
But what of faith? Isn’t faith necessary for salvation? ELCA Lutherans proclaim, "To say we are saved by faith alone means we let God-in-Christ do all the saving that needs to be done, apart from any works we can perform. ... If I confess that God has saved me, a lost and condemned sinner, whom else can he not save? Faith is precisely awareness that God’s accepting love reaches out to all sinners, even to me. Faith is the opening of heart and mind to the universal grace and goodness of God." Therefore, to answer the frequestly asked question, "Are you saved?" The Lutheran can faithfuly proclaim with boldness, "Yes! Because Jesus died for me!"
For ELCA Lutherans, The special quality of Jesus’ uniqueness is best grasped in terms of his universal meaning. This concrete person, Jesus of Nazareth, is unique because of his unequaled universal significance. The point of his uniqueness underlines his universality. If Jesus is the Lord and Savior, he is the universal Lord and Savior, not merely my personal Lord and Savior. Because Jesus is the unique and universal Savior, there is a large hope for salvation, not only for me and others with the proper credentials of believing and belonging to the church, but for all people whenever or wherever they might have lived and no matter how religious or irreligious they may have proved to be themselves. This grace of God, given freely is offered to all.
The New Testament is full of warnings about substituting right words and doctrines as religious screens against the living word and will of God. Still, these warnings are not God’s last word. The final word is that God came to the world in Christ in order to redeem the world, and that nothing can come between God’s creation and God’s all-encompassing love. That is precisely how ELCA Lutherans understand Jesus' claim that, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me." (John 14:6) What God has done in Christ is done for all; God’s act in Christ is the way that all come to God. This Good News we are compelled to joyously share with all people: "God has acted in Christ, and you are the recipient of this loving act."
To those who often passionately argue that "while God offers grace and salvation to all, humans must accept it with deep repentance and a change of life," the ELCA cautions against making salvation into a work that we accomplish by our response to God’s offer. Rather, in our telling the Good News we pray that those who hear "will present" themselves "to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and present their lives to God as instruments of righteousness".
Will, then, all people be saved in the end? We must say quite honestly, "We do not know the answer. That is stored up in the mystery of God’s own future. All God has let us know in advance is that he will judge the world according to the measure of his grace and love made known in Jesus Christ. What I can tell you with the assurance given to one of faith and trust in what God has done in Christ is that I am saved. My friends, you can claim this in faith as well. Furthermore, this invitation of the heart is given to all people because of what Christ has done. None of can know what God has in store for the other. But, we can and do know what God has in store for us.
Like the puzzle, there is One who was given for all. This One has the power to hold us all together. One who came to make known to all that God’s judgment is not of wrath and vengeance, but of grace, mercy and love. Therefore we can trust in him, and follow the path of his son, Jesus.
This message challenges us to live likewise in this pluralistic world; to judge not with wrath or vengeance, but with the same grace, mercy and love that God has already shown us by the death and resurrection of the One who is for all.
Amen
[Begin with a puzzle ball. Demonstrate how one piece holds it together.]
I have been asked to offer teaching and preaching on the question of whether or not the ELCA believes in universal salvation. The quick answer is yes. But, so that there is no confusion this belief in universal salvation is not the same as universalism. Universalism holds that all people will eventually be saved. Put another way; that all paths lead to God. This we do not hold to be true. There is only one path which leads to God, it is the path of Christ. There may be many twists and turns in this path, and we may encounter people who appear to be walking in the opposite direction as we are. Still, there is only one path. What we hold to be true is that God will judge us all. But, because of Jesus' death and resurrection, we believe that his judgment will be with grace and mercy, which is more powerful than his wrath. In the end, like the puzzle ball, we believe that this one single piece—the Good News of Jesus Christ—is what has the power to hold us all together in this world and in the next.
In today’s Gospel lesson, did you catch that one little moment in the text when God’s grace comes out? It’s very subtle, but its there. The disciples look at Jesus with Moses and Elijah, and they quickly want to build something. Then, God addresses them. “This is my Son. Listen to him!”
Since its beginning, based on New Testament texts, Christianity has made an exclusive claim: Jesus Christ is God’s only Son, sent to redeem the world. This claim has fueled, throughout history, innumerable mission endeavors aimed at proclaiming the Gospel message in order to "save" human beings who have not heard the story of salvation. In turn, these efforts have raised questions such as, "What about those who never heard, did not believe, weren’t reached, had no opportunity to hear the Gospel?" and "Will only Christians be saved?"
The traditional medieval Roman Catholic response was, "There is no salvation outside the Church." Protestants later rejected that claim and substituted their revised version of exclusiveness. Which was, "Apart from faith there is no salvation." Of course, this faith would come only from being baptized into the Christian faith upon hearing the claims of the preached Gospel. However, both Roman Catholics and Protestants provided various "loophole" theologies. There were second chances for those of "invincible ignorance" (Roman Catholic), or those "not accountable," e.g. infants, mentally retarded, etc. (Protestants). Others would assert that Jesus – the valid avenue for Christians – is only one of many ways that lead to the God of the universe, and that other religions possess equally valid paths to God.
Today, Lutheran theology asserts that all of these views are based on a defective understanding of the New Testament. Today, limiting God’s redemption by exclusivity or loopholes, or placing Christ in a pantheon of world saviors, demonstrates that, "Our thinking about Christ is too small." The ELCA acknowledges that, "In answer to John the Baptist’s question, 'Are you the one who is to come?' the Good News answer is 'yes, and we need not look for another.'" Nothing is more certain in the New Testament than its intention to picture Jesus in an utterly exclusive way, making this claim the heart of the Gospel, itself.
However, we understand the exclusivity of this claim in the way ELCA Lutherans approach all theological questions – by understanding God’s grace, God’s action in Christ.
The Christian hope for salvation, whether for the believing few or the unbelieving many, is grounded in the person and meaning of Christ alone, not in the potential of the world’s religions to save, nor in the moral seriousness of people of good will, not even in the good works of pious Christians and church people. ... There is a universalist thrust in the New Testament, particularly in Paul’s theology. How else can we read passages such as 'for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ'.
ELCA Lutherans hold that, Salvation in the New Testament is what God has done to death in the resurrection of Jesus. Salvation is what God has in store for you and me and the whole world in spite of death, solely on account of the living risen Christ. ... The universal scope of salvation in Christ includes the destiny of our bodies together with the whole earth and the whole of creation. This cosmic hope is based on the promise of eternal life sealed by the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Through raising Jesus from the dead, God put death to death, overcoming the deadliest enemy of life at loose in the world. This hope for the final salvation of humanity and the eternal universal redemption of all things in heaven and on earth ... is drawn from the unlimited promise of the Gospel and the magnitude of God’s grace made known to the world through Christ."
But what of faith? Isn’t faith necessary for salvation? ELCA Lutherans proclaim, "To say we are saved by faith alone means we let God-in-Christ do all the saving that needs to be done, apart from any works we can perform. ... If I confess that God has saved me, a lost and condemned sinner, whom else can he not save? Faith is precisely awareness that God’s accepting love reaches out to all sinners, even to me. Faith is the opening of heart and mind to the universal grace and goodness of God." Therefore, to answer the frequestly asked question, "Are you saved?" The Lutheran can faithfuly proclaim with boldness, "Yes! Because Jesus died for me!"
For ELCA Lutherans, The special quality of Jesus’ uniqueness is best grasped in terms of his universal meaning. This concrete person, Jesus of Nazareth, is unique because of his unequaled universal significance. The point of his uniqueness underlines his universality. If Jesus is the Lord and Savior, he is the universal Lord and Savior, not merely my personal Lord and Savior. Because Jesus is the unique and universal Savior, there is a large hope for salvation, not only for me and others with the proper credentials of believing and belonging to the church, but for all people whenever or wherever they might have lived and no matter how religious or irreligious they may have proved to be themselves. This grace of God, given freely is offered to all.
The New Testament is full of warnings about substituting right words and doctrines as religious screens against the living word and will of God. Still, these warnings are not God’s last word. The final word is that God came to the world in Christ in order to redeem the world, and that nothing can come between God’s creation and God’s all-encompassing love. That is precisely how ELCA Lutherans understand Jesus' claim that, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me." (John 14:6) What God has done in Christ is done for all; God’s act in Christ is the way that all come to God. This Good News we are compelled to joyously share with all people: "God has acted in Christ, and you are the recipient of this loving act."
To those who often passionately argue that "while God offers grace and salvation to all, humans must accept it with deep repentance and a change of life," the ELCA cautions against making salvation into a work that we accomplish by our response to God’s offer. Rather, in our telling the Good News we pray that those who hear "will present" themselves "to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and present their lives to God as instruments of righteousness".
Will, then, all people be saved in the end? We must say quite honestly, "We do not know the answer. That is stored up in the mystery of God’s own future. All God has let us know in advance is that he will judge the world according to the measure of his grace and love made known in Jesus Christ. What I can tell you with the assurance given to one of faith and trust in what God has done in Christ is that I am saved. My friends, you can claim this in faith as well. Furthermore, this invitation of the heart is given to all people because of what Christ has done. None of can know what God has in store for the other. But, we can and do know what God has in store for us.
Like the puzzle, there is One who was given for all. This One has the power to hold us all together. One who came to make known to all that God’s judgment is not of wrath and vengeance, but of grace, mercy and love. Therefore we can trust in him, and follow the path of his son, Jesus.
This message challenges us to live likewise in this pluralistic world; to judge not with wrath or vengeance, but with the same grace, mercy and love that God has already shown us by the death and resurrection of the One who is for all.
Amen
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