Over the years you have seen me behave in ways that, well, may seem a bit unorthodox for pastors. You’ve seen me preach with a variety of props,uh from the pulpit, from the aisle, and even in my bare feet. You’ve seen me eating a donut, and using all sorts of videos to get your attention. You’ve learned that I can, at times, appear care-free, even care-less when it seems fitting to me to do so. I assume that some of you have questioned whether or not I am mentally fit to be a pastor. :-) My friends, as you’ve come to know me, you know that there is always a reason for everything I do. There is always a method to my madness.
That method is...I believe God takes great risks for our sake. I believe God’s risk taking began with our creation. From the beginning, we were created from God’s own image. An image we learn from scripture to be one that has the freedom to give and receive love. That, I find, to be the greatest gift given to us. Unfortunately, the freedom to give and receive love is also the same freedom to not love or be loved. Unfortunately, far too often, we say no to God’s invitation. So, instead of living in a world that loves God and one another, we live a world that hates, ignores, abandons, kills, and destroys. God took a great risk, when we were given the freedom to love. As we look at what we have done with that gift, it is easy to think that God must be crazy to do such a thing.
Fortunately, for we who find ourselves in the communion of Christ, we have heard the good news that God does not give up on us. After eons of struggle with the results of sinful actions; after countless rejections to God’s loving invitation, we find in Jesus a God who remains willing to take one more big risk on creation. In Jesus we encounter a God who desires to be with us even though we hate, ignore, abandon, kill and destroy His creation. With Jesus, God takes the ultimate risk. God promises to love us even if we never love back. Even when Jesus, God’s own Son, becomes the target of our hate, ignorance, abandonment, and murderous ways, God brings him back to life, offering forgiveness, showing us by his wounds that we cannot stop God’s love for us. This is the greatest risk! There is nothing more that God could possibly do to win our hearts. God has already risked everything! This God must be crazy---crazy in love, indeed!
I’ve heard it said that faith in God is simply the heart saying yes to God’s loving invitation. I believe this, and I want others to believe it also. The method to my madness; the reason I find it necessary, at times, to take risks as a pastor, is because I hope that in some way my willingness to do such things reveals the great risk that God took for you and me. Furthermore, I hope that God’s risk taking inspires you to try something, maybe a little crazy, for the sake of sharing God’s love with others.
Collectively, I hope we are willing to start taking some risks together for the sake of Honey Brook and its neighboring communities. Honey Brook, as we know, is not one community, but actually a collection of communities. There is Tel Hai, Knob Hill, Indian Run, Valley View and several others with various different folks scattered in between. It may sound a bit crazy, but what I’m asking us to do is begin to think about creative ways that we can take our ministry beyond the walls of our church and into these communities.
Easter is a celebration of God’s greatest risk. He risked His Son, Jesus, for us. Our lives, and the promise of life eternal, are our blessings thanks to this great risk of God. What risk shall we take to carry this gift to others?
Happy Easter,
Pastor Rich
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