MANNA: 1/25/13

Matthew 6:27
And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?

There's really nothing that compares to parenting.
I always find it comical when I hear a young couple, pregnant with their first child, making plans for things they are going to do after the baby comes.  It's funny because once the baby comes, all of those plans are most likely going to need dramatic adjustment.  There's no way a person can be prepared for parenting until they are actually parenting.  You see them looking all haggard, sleep-deprived, and you can tell at just a glance the toll that the little bundle of joy is taking on their life...let alone their plans.  Parents learn through experience that survival means accepting that you are no longer in control of your time, calendar, or energy.  No, as a parent you become a servant to your child, and life is turned upside down in an effort to care for the one who is totally dependent upon you.

I have three sons.  The youngest was adopted at 18 months old.  I remember staying up through the night helping my son adjust to his new bed, new surroundings,  new everything.  For about a month he hardly slept at night, so neither did I.  Stressful questions flowed constantly.  Am I doing the right thing?  Is he eating right?  Is he sleeping right?  Should I call the doctor?  The fact that he was adopted at 18 months old meant that I even worried about things I will never know about the first months of his life.  Now, he is six, and I worry about all sorts of other things.

I don't think raising older children is really any less stressful.  My other two are step-sons from my wife's previous marriage.  So, my experience with parenting is that of having both a young child and teenagers at the same time.  I've learned that parents can lose just as much sleep worrying about their older children as they do when they were up all night with the little ones.  How will we pay for college?  Am I too strict or not strict enough?  Where are they?  Why don't they call me back?  Who are they hanging out with?  What are they doing?  Are they making good choices?

Worry feels like holding your breath.

Our heavenly Father allows us to exhale, and breath a little easier.  Jesus says, "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"  The other side of the same coin is, "Who, by worrying, can add a single hour to your child's life?"  As a parent, I am going to worry.  It's an unwritten promise.  But, trusting that God has all things in His control, I find the grace I need.  I can do my best and trust in God for the rest.  I am never able to be in control.  Parenting is a process of gradually letting go of control of our kids,  and trusting them into God's control.

It helps to remember that God takes the long view about parenting, or developing people.  Consider the way He worked with Moses.   Throughout his entire life God was there with Moses, raising him into the person he became.  From watching over the baby in the basket, through revealing His almighty power in plagues and the red sea, teaching him obedience with the ten commandments, raising up helpmates when he needed them, and finally showing him how to be graceful when he saw the promised land at the end of his life.  Moses isn't the only one.  Think of people like Jacob, Joseph, Noah, David...all were people parented by God through life.  From early on in their life, God claimed them, and then raised them up through every trial they faced.  God takes a long view of life and parenting.  Our worry is to do with the short view.

When your heart gets heavy with the burdens of life and you find yourself losing sleep or worrying, remember that you were claimed by God the day you were baptized.  Remember that your kids were claimed by God as well.  Consider the long view of life, and trust that God has all things in control.

Now...exhale!  :-)

Prayer
Heavenly Father, you watch over all your children.  Watch over my family this day and raise them through life to accomplish your will.  In Jesus' name.  Amen

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Sermon: 1/20/13

John 2:1-11 The Wedding in Cana

Timing is everything.  It's common knowledge.
For a comedian, timing is the difference between jeers and cheers.
For a man popping the question to his the woman he hopes to marry, timing can be...well the difference between jeers and cheers.
Timing is everything!

Which is what makes this scene at the wedding in Cana so fascinating.  Because at first glance it would seem that the timing is all off.  The wine ran out too early.  Now, at first, that doesn’t sound all that surprising. After all, John tells us that it’s the third day of the wedding banquet. Three days of celebrating and you might expect the wine to run out.  If it were us, we might just duck out and make a quick run to the local wine shop.  But in this time and place running out of wine too early isn’t just a social embarrassment.  Wine is a sign of God’s abundance, of joy and gladness and hospitality. And so when they run short on wine it is a sign of the marriage running short of God's blessing.  Timing is everything.  To the couple who just married, the wine running out before the celebration is finished is like a bad omen.  It suggests that the marriage blessings will run out before the marriage.  This is not just a social concern for the wedding party...this is a tragedy!

Unfortunately, far too many of us today know quite well what it's like when the blessings within a marriage run dry before the fulfillment of the marriage.  It's a tragedy!

To make matters worse, Jesus’ mother doesn’t seem to have much of a sense of timing either. At least that’s what Jesus seems to think. “They have no wine,” she says to her son. She expected her son to do something about it.  But Jesus seems to think this is another instance of bad timing: “Woman, what concern is that to you or me? My hour – my time – has not yet come.”  But Mary knows better. Rather than raise an eyebrow at his tone or offer a counterpoint to his assertion, she turns to the servants and tells them simply and clearly, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now it could be that, like a good Jewish mother, Mary knew her son would come around. Protest he might, but eventually he’ll listen to his mother.  Or it could be that she understood the necessity for good timing a little better than he thought.  Mary recognized that whenever her son was on the scene, time itself was no longer ordinary.  For, with God, timing is always perfect.

Well, you know the rest of the story.

Timing is everything!

In fact, there are two kinds of time at work in this gospel. One is the kind of time with which we count and track the everyday events of our lives. It is the time that is measured in minutes and seconds, hours and days. It is the time we spend standing in lines, or clocking in at work, or waiting at the stoplight. It is mundane, ordinary time and it beats on relentlessly without any care of how well we make us of it.

But there is another kind of time at play, as well.  It is a kind of God's time, where the usual cadence of things that are predictable fade away and the experience of the moment transcends the ticking of the mundane clock of our lives.  This is God’s time, and it breaks forth through the ordinary clock and pace of things in unexpected times and places and allows us to catch a glimpse of the divine. So when Jesus speaks of his “hour” he isn’t speaking of a time and date on his calendar, he’s talking about the time when God will reveal his glory through his cross, resurrection, and ascension, the time when God will be accessible to all, once and for all.

That time, that hour, Jesus says, has not yet come.

Or has it?
Why do you think the apostle John goes to the effort of beginning this story about a wedding with the words, On the third day..."?
Could it be that the gospel writer is giving us a clue right up front, grabbing our attention, that this story isn't really about wine and a wedding, but about something more deeply interwoven with the gospel..., Jesus' resurrection?
Mary seems to think so.
And so do I.
The third day is the day in which Jesus was raised from the dead!
The third day is the day that hope was restored!  At the moment when the disciples thought the blessings of Jesus' mission ran out before the fulfillment of the mission....on the third day, God restored the blessing...and the mission of Christ hasn't stopped since.

Knowing this makes all the difference.  Instead of this being a story about water turned into wine, before its Jesus' time, this becomes a reminder that every moment lived near Jesus is a moment with the capacity to transcend beyond the mundane and into the divine.  For Jesus, turning the water into wine was a relatively simple act...almost a parlor trick.  But, for the wedding party, this simple act was the difference between joy and worry.  For the disciples, this simple act was the difference between believing and not believing.

As it is for us as well.
Think back over the course of your life...and to those moments when your life was hanging in the balance between fear and faith, or scarcity and abundance, or destruction and salvation.  Into those moments, what was it that made the positive difference?  Was it not, a simple act of kindness, generosity, sacrifice from someone else?  These are moments that may have been a simple act to the person offering them, but to you they were moments that caused time to stand still.

In the immortal words of Dr. Martin Luther King, "The time is always right to do what is right!"

There is no such thing as bad timing with things that are eternal.
There is never a bad time for generosity
There is never a bad time for kindness...never a bad time for compassion...forgiveness.  

An ordinary hug can convey unbounded love and blessing. The smallest donation of food or money can tip the balance between scarcity and abundance. A simple act of kindness can make all the difference in the world.  A smile can shed light into the darkest of places.

You see, this sign of water turned into wine revealed something about Jesus. When he is on the scene, anything is possible.  Because, when Jesus is on the scene, so also is God, accessible, adoring, available to all.

It may not seem like much, but when we offer ourselves in kindness, compassion, and generosity to others, to our kids, to our family...to the recipients of that moment of blessing, your timing is perfect!

Amen

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Manna: 1/21/13

Martin Luther had many questions about the Christian faith, and he knew that everyone else did too.  He wrote his Small Catechism on this premise by simply taking each primary statement of the 10 Commandments, The Creed and the Lord's Prayer and answering the same basic question, "What is this?"  His Catechism has served as a central teaching resource for Lutherans for over 500 years.

As Lutherans, then, it is our legacy to ask questions.  Some may say that to ask questions of your faith is to doubt.  Not for we Lutherans.  No, for us to ask questions is to seek the truth, and to seek the truth in faith is to draw nearer to Christ.  Martin Luther would never have written his 95 Theses, and the Reformation would never have happened if it weren't for Christians, beginning with Luther, who had the courage to stand up in faith and ask, "What is this?"  or "Why?"

Recently, it was brought to my attention by a member of my church that it would be helpful if I were to spend a little time, now and again, explaining to our congregation why we do what we do in worship.  So, with thanks to Bob, this is my first installment of "WHAT IS THIS?".  Interestingly, I've called my devotional writings "MANNA" since 2010.  Literally the word MANNA is Hebrew for "What is this?"  Kind of makes you go, "Hmmmmmm" doesn't it?  :-)

I'll start with a question that I hear somewhat frequently from parishioners after worship at Living God.
The Kyrie: What is this?

Kyrie is short for Kyrie eleison, and it is a Greek translation of "Lord, have mercy."  It is an early Christian hymn to Christ.  Known to be in use by the church as early as the third century AD, it is an ancient plea and a prayer.  Various forms exist, including three-,six-, or ninefold petitions of the plea itself.  There are also litany versions, like the one we use in our worship service.  Its cry for mercy, peace, and salvation are especially fitting at the beginning, as we gather, for worship.

I believe elements in worship like the Kyrie are important for us today.  Because of its long tradition, singing it helps us to stay connected to our Christian roots.  While today's church is constantly tempted to eliminate traditional elements in an effort to attract the unchurched, singing the Kyrie keeps us grounded in the cries of the saints and martyrs of the ancient church.  Knowing that their cry of faith for mercy, peace and salvation is, quite essentially, the very same as ours today is a reminder to all of us that God is unchanging.  God still provides the same mercy, peace and salvation to us today.  And, as the world cries out, we hear God's call to respond to it with the same mercy, peace and salvation that was shown to us.

Today, it seems that the world is changing more rapidly than it used to.  Maybe this is just a fact of my own aging process.  But, I can't help but sense that it becomes harder and harder for people to keep up with the changes as each change comes and goes.  As the world continues to change with increasing velocity, I take refuge in knowing that God has not changed over all the centuries.  God's mercy, peace and salvation remain the rock upon which we can stand for meaning, purpose and direction while the sands of life move about around us with the winds of change.  Singing the Kyrie is a simple, but powerful, reminder of what's most important, and of what's eternal.

Prayer:
Kyrie eleison, on our world and on our way.
Kyrie eleison, ev'ry day.  
Amen

Pastor Rich Moore

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Sermon: 1/13/13

Psalm 29

The voice of the Lord is powerful and majestic. It's like a storm that crashes in from the sea upon the land. Whipping up the waves. Ripping the skies apart with thunder. Causing trees to fall.  From the Psalmist’s perspective, everyone knows when the Lord speaks -- just as everyone knows that a storm is thrashing around them. 

Psalm 29 is attributed to King David. When reading, it’s good to take that into consideration. We're not talking about a theological scholar, we're talking about the broken-and-redeemed shepherd boy who became king. David is a guy who wears his heart-on-his-sleeve. He’s a man whose writings drip with existential weight.  So the voice of God wasn't just a powerful symbol for David. Psalm 29 wasn't just a temple song praising God through nature. David heard God speaking! His Psalm was a song about reality. God's voice was as personal as it was powerful, and it was all around him like the weather.

But, not many of us are as deep and personal with God as David. Let’s be honest.   Isn't it safe to say that most of us today scratch our heads over the idea of God speaking to us? Sure David might have heard God's voice -- along with a lot of other extraordinary people in the Scriptures -- but God doesn't speak to normal people like us today .......Right?!

So we'll nod with the preacher about the powerful voice of God, but if we pause to be truly honest, we're left with a ton of questions about the voice of God, or even if God is still speaking today.

My friends, God is still speaking!  

Today's reflection cracks open these questions about God speaking.

As Christians, we must at least begin addressing these questions with our faith, without which we would not be here in church today. This faith, no matter how small, deep, or informed, assumes by its very nature that God is still speaking to us. So, then, the real question isn't so much if, but how. 

The primary means for God to speak to us is through the Scriptures. We call the Bible the "Word of God," and believe it to be God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16). “God-breathed” is a beautiful way of saying inspiration. This isn't a pat theological answer; it's a perspective that should shape how we read the Bible. We should engage Scripture with a practical awareness that these words are the inspiration of God into human history. The Bible is not just conceptual, intellectual -- words that we read as information -- or a collection of wise sayings. The Scriptures are words written by men, but inspired by God.  Reading them is listening to God still inspiring today, the same way God inspired then.  Think of it like this: Bible reading is (1) inspirational first, (2) relational second and (3) informational third.  

Moving beyond the words of Scripture, God also speaks to us by the Holy Spirit.  Some of us may be led by God's Spirit in some specific ways. An internal voice. A sense of conviction. A seemingly inspired reflection. The sage words of someone. Experiences with an inner voice that defy our own selfish agendas, and lead us toward higher purposes, or actions. Some people often describe these experiences as "God speaking" or "hearing God's call, or being led by the Spirit."

But, how do we know the voice we're hearing is God?

The voice of the Lord is powerful and awe-inspiring in Psalm 29, but still and small before Elijah. It’s a voice from the clouds and a dove at Jesus’ baptism. So what would God's voice be like for us? And how would we differentiate God's voice from our own thoughts, messages of culture, or the voices from our legalistic or liberal upbringing? 

We might not be crazy, but we do have a lot of voices in our heads!

First, consider the four primary sources of inspiration: Scripture, Tradition, Reason, and Experience. 

Scripture...self-explanatory

Tradition...All those ways in which we have come to know and understand the character of God through the gifts of the church's past.  The way we've always done it, or understood it.

Reason...The clear sense of right from wrong, necessity, rationality that exists between our ears.  

Experiences...Personal human interaction with the world around us.  

All four of these are sources of information that swirl around inside our heads with each decision we make.  Inspiration from God will often bring these four sources into peace or harmony.  

Next, take in the direction of the movement. God's voice carries substance and weight. It makes an impact -- bringing peace, and inspiring compliance toward the creation of something new. God’s voice will always be toward conformity to God’s nature. It will never tell you you’re worthless, encourage you to lie, or mislead you.  Essentially, when one of those inner voices consoles us—brings peace, calm, assurance, worship, truth, justice, compassion, forgiveness—it’s likely from God. When a voice leaves us confused, chaotic, anxious, angry, hostile, empty—it’s not likely from God. 

Finally, when God speaks, it will always take the form of Law & Gospel.   The law is the reminder of how things ought to be, and how our actions are coming up short.  It condemns, and judges.  This will sound legalistic, moralistic.  That's OK, because it's only half of the message.  God's Word doesn't leave us there.  Hearing the law, opens our heart to hear the gospel.  The gospel is the declaration of what God does to overcome our failings.  The gospel heals, and promises forgiveness.  

God is still speaking.

This leaves us with the last question...How do I listen for God's voice?

Silence, solitude, journaling, mentors and trial-and-error all create the space to listen for God. 

But it takes practice.  You don't sit down at a piano for the first time and bang out Beethoven. You don't wake up and decide to run a marathon. Making a practice of listening for the voice of God leads to better discernment of God’s voice from all of the others in our heads.

As Jesus left his disciples behind, he told them he had much more to say to them. But he left that speaking to the work of the Spirit (John 16). God is still speaking…

His Word is comfort when we are lost and confused.

It is forgiveness when we have fallen from grace.

It is a guiding light in a world of darkness.

It is what we need to hear about who we are, whose we are, and where we are going.

God has given us His Word in the gifts of Scripture, the church, friends and mentors, and He has given us faith to listen.

So, let us listen....and practice listening.

Amen

Manna: 1/8/13

Isaiah 43:1-7

Ahh, those three little words. They can fill your heart so full that you are brought to tears. They can take your breath away with surprise. They can fill up your senses. From a mother as she holds her crying baby, they are soothing. On the lips of a lover, they communicate an intimacy; a shared secret that only two hearts in the whole universe can trust and know. Spoken among friends, they are a bond that says, "I am here for you."

In this text from Isaiah we find the only place in the whole Bible where those three powerful words, "I love you", are on the lips of God. So, what does it mean when God is the one saying these three magical words?

Isaiah 43 is a word of hope to Israel in exile. God's beloved people are starved for reassurance that they have not been abandoned; that they have not been forgotten. Israel cries out daily for comfort, mercy, and redemption. God's "I love you" reminds them that their cries are heard, that they are still His beloved, that they have not been forgotten. God's judgment may have been the reason they were exiled, but God's love is greater than His judgment. When these three little words are spoken to Israel mercy is expected and redemption is promised.

So it is with us as well.

Read this passage out loud to yourself.

Hear the way in which God encourages you with His love where He says, "Do not be afraid."
Hear God's word remind you of who you are, and who you belong to for ever and ever, where He says, " I will be with you." and "You are precious" and "You are mine".

I've heard it said that one could describe the Bible as nothing more than a love letter from God. I think exiled Israel would agree after hearing these words from the prophet Isaiah.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, there is nothing more gratifying than your love. Thank you, for sharing it so freely with the likes of me. Open my heart, that I may hear your word of love for me today. Open my arms, my mouth, my eyes, my feet...that I may share your word of love with others today. Amen.

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Winter Newsletter

Matthew 2:1-4

Magi---such a unique word…even to the Bible.  Tradition has rendered this word to mean kings.  "We Three Kings of Orient are..."  But, this is probably more to do with the way in which the magi are received by King Herod in the context of the story than by actual word study.  Herod treats these sojourners from the east as if they were kings visiting his kingdom, and they appear to be able to gain access to Herod with an equal kind of status.   However, when we study this unique word, apart from context, we come to a different meaning.  Literally, the word refers to men with a special kind of wisdom; wisdom that is likely gleaned from studying the movement of the stars.  In ancient days magi might have been our modern equivalent of great scientists—wise men. 

Whether Matthew meant for us to read his Gospel account as “wise men” or as “kings” we’ll never know.  But, his message about their mission is very clear.  The quest of these men of status and authority was to kneel before this newborn king and worship him.  Matthew’s message?   If these foreign men, esteemed by both the rulers and the wise, are humble enough to lay aside the comforts of their home, and commit to the risks of travelling a great distance for the sole purpose of worshiping this newborn king, then all who hear Matthew's message should do the same.

Herod’s lip-service toward them only further emphasizes Matthew’s point.  Was King Herod actually going to worship Jesus?  Absolutely not!  King Herod was plotting to kill the Baby who had come to bring peace on earth! His heart had no intent of worshiping the Christ Child, even as his mouth formed the words that lied to them.

Matthew’s message places a fundamental question before us; one that challenges us:  Are we taking God seriously, or just giving Him lip-service?  Are you praying for things to change in the world around you, in your life, but then ignoring God’s call to do your part in bringing about these changes? 

As we look toward the future and the start of a new year, what are your plans?  What does your faith mean to you?  Why is your church important to you?…to your children?...to the community?....to the world?  So often I hear members of our church complain about how Christian values are being eroded by our culture, but then list for me their reasons why they are too busy to volunteer or too broke to be more charitable.  I hear the concerns of parents, who tell me that society and the school system are corrupting their kids, but then explain to me that their kids have more important things to do on Sundays than be involved with church.   Will you go about this year giving only lip-service to God’s call, your church, and your faith?  Or, is this the year that you resolve to go deeper in prayer and devotion, step up your involvement; increase your charity?  With your lips will you say that your church, your faith is important to you, your children and the community, but then allow your actions to dictate otherwise? 

The magi Herod had a choice.  Today, that message is the same.  We have a choice.  It may only be a matter of adjusting priorities.  Or, maybe you sense a need for more dramatic change in your life.  You choose whether to worship Him with lip service alone or with the kind of worship that is accompanied by a lifetime of loving actions.

Every year I find it absolutely perfect that the start of a new year comes with the season of Christmas.  Christmas is a time when the motives of our hearts are laid bare before the proof in a manger of God’s willingness to honor His promise and commitment to us.  The birth of Jesus is the birth of a fresh start for all of us.   Oh come! Let us adore Him!

MANNA: 12/18/12

Third Week of Advent

Luke 1:13
But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah,...
Luke 1:30
"And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary,..."
Matthew 1:20
An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear..."
Luke 2:10
And the angel said to [the shepherds], "Fear not..."

If your church is like mine, then your church is preparing to be visited by...angels, as well as the whole cast of characters in the children's Christmas pageant.  Angels are described in traditional interpretation as innocent and beautiful.  Well, I ask you...is there anything that strikes the soul with more innocence and beauty than a child dressed up in white and gold with a halo and wings?

Angels are an intrinsic part of the Christmas story.  Christmas simply would not have happened without these God-sent messengers.  In truth, we don't know whether or not the angels were clothed in white robes, whether they had halos or even whether or not they flew with wings.    What we do know is that these angels carried the heart of God to frightened people whose roles were instrumental in the story of Christmas.

Angels appear four times in the traditional Christmas story and each time, although they carried different pieces of information concerning what was to happen, their message always begins the same way, "Do not be afraid!"  It was what the angel said first to Zachariah, then to Mary, then to Joseph and finally to the shepherds on the hillsides of Bethlehem.

"Do not be afraid!"

I believe that this is the message before the message, of Christmas.  Before we can believe that God entered human history in the vulnerability of an infant boy...we need to hear the heart of God say to us, "Do not be afraid!"  Before we can believe that God is with us, preparing us, sustaining us, empowering us for whatever life throws at us next, we need to hear the heart of God say to us, "Do not be afraid."

As we consider the horrible evil that befell Sandy Hook Elementary, we hug our kids, and ask, "WHY?"  And the question, like so may other questions of despair, remain unanswered...Yet, still, God does not remain silent as so many mistakenly assume.  He comes to us with the message of the angels, "Do not be afraid."  Before we can embrace the possibility that God truly does enter a fallen world to heal the deepest wounds, comfort the deepest hurts, bridge the widest chasm of despair, we must first hear and believe that we need not be afraid.

Prayer:
As we send our kids to school...As we face personal trials...As we answer God's call...As we grieve...May the message of angels remind us that we need not be afraid.  Amen

MANNA: 12/14/12

2nd Week of Advent

Luke 3:15-17

"He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire."

While Danielle and I were visiting my family back home in Wheeling, we made a stop at Oglebay Park.  We toured the mansion and glass museum, and got to watch a local artisan blow glass into a beautiful Christmas Tree ornament that we purchased.  It is now a cherished ornament that hangs on our tree.

Our Blown Glass Ornament

Have you ever watched someone blow glass?  I don't think you can fully realize the artwork and the skill that goes into this craft until you actually see someone do it.  Sand is the primary ingredient.  It's heated in a fiery furnace until it forms a molten lava.  Using a long pipe, the blower scoops out of the furnace a glob [that's the technical term, I'm pretty sure.:-)] of this lava.    He then begins his craft.  He blows, and turns...re-heats, molds, blows, turns...over and over, until the idea in the artisan's imagination comes to be.  I remember when the glass blower presented this Christmas ornament to us, the look in his eye was one of pride and joy for what he was able to offer us.  In that moment I realized that this was so much more than another glass ball for our Christmas tree.  This was a gift!


This memory comes to mind when I try to understand what John the Baptist meant by saying that Jesus would baptize us with the Holy Spirit and with fire.  When we're nothing but a shapeless, purpose-less glob in the fiery furnace of life, Jesus scoops us up.  Like a master glass blower, he breathes the Holy Spirit into us, inspiring us and encouraging us to new life.  He then turns, molds, re-heats, blows, turns...day after day, year after year.  Life is series of moments some are heated, some inspired, and some turned.  Through all of life's joys and sorrows, celebrations and failures Jesus is there, God with us, Emmanuel...blowing, turning, molding.  Over time, we begin to become what the Master imagined us to be.

Sometimes...when it's hard to see the miraculous work of God in the gift of our lives, I think it helps to look past our self ..to see the Master still at work.

May you see the Master still at work with you, using fire and the Holy Spirit to craft you with pride and joy.

Blow, turn, re-heat, and mold me, Lord, that your pride and joy might show through me like a cherished ornament.  In Jesus' name.  Amen  

MANNA: 12/12/12

2nd Week of Advent

Luke 3:7-18

BEEP..BEEP..BEEP..BEEP..BEEP..BEEP

My alarm clock is not my friend.
I am definitely not a morning person.  Waking me from my cozy dream world, where I am warm in bed, will rarely garner appreciation from me.  Whether you're a morning person or not, I think we could all agree that the alarm clock's duty is never going to be one that is too fondly welcomed.  

Every year, by the second week of Advent we are fast asleep in our little Christmas dream world, buying presents, decorating the house, preparing for guests, planning meals.  Every year, we fall asleep, denying the reality of our lives, our finances, and our time.  Then, like an alarm clock, the Baptist shows up in our Sunday worship service.  His announcement is a harsh reminder of realities of life and sin.  His cry is a wake up call.  He calls us out of our comfort zones, and re-directs our attention away from the image of cozy and warm child in the manger, to a cold world in need of forgiveness and mercy...the grace found in the gift of naked and cold man who dies on a cross.  It's no wonder the likes of Herod and others found him so offensive, and had him beheaded.  They too were sleeping in the denial of reality, and John wanted to wake them up.  

This time of year, we could all use a wake up call.  It's too easy to doze off, allow ourselves to over-indulge on so-called "holiday cheer", then find ourselves drowning in credit card bills, overwhelmed with preparations, stressed the point of yelling at our kids, and generally missing the real gift of Christmas.  

Our alarm clocks are not our friends, but we need them to wake us up so that we might see the light of day.  Likewise, John the Baptist is not a welcomed friend, but we need his cry of preparation to wake us up from our holiday dreams, so that we might see the light in the good news that Christ is with us, even now...Emmanuel!

So.......WAKE UP!!   

God is with you....Emmanuel!  

The only thing, truly necessary for Christmas, is a prayer...

Open my eyes, Lord, I want to see Jesus.
To see him caring for the sick, feeding the hungry, comforting the bereaved.
Open my hands, Lord, I want to help Jesus.  

MANNA: 12/7/12

First Week of Advent

Luke 1:46-55:  Mary's Magnificat

Luke 1:68-79: Zechariah's Song of Prophecy

The Good News of Jesus Christ is announced with songs that cannot be kept from singing.

Luke's gospel begins with the announcement of God doing a new thing with two miraculous births.  One is to Zechariah's wife Elizabeth, and the other is to a virgin named Mary.  Zechariah bursts forth with a song of prophecy at what God has done in the birth of John.  And Mary cannot keep from singing her Magnificat at the announcement that she will give birth to Jesus, the long awaited messiah.  Then, in chapter two, a choir of angels sing to shepherds their song of announcement that Jesus has been born in a manger.  The gospel of Luke is bursting with songs that announce the coming of Christ.

The season of Advent finds us bursting with songs as well.  Choirs caroling at the mall.  Christmas music played on the intercom in department stores, during TV commercials, over loud speakers in the city, on the radio during your commute.  Everywhere you turn there literally is music in the air.  Christmas music is familiar music, too.  So familiar to all of us that we might find ourselves unable to resist the urge to sing along.   And the latest new thing is the flash mob.  If you find yourself suddenly surrounded at a public place by a group of strangers serenading you with Christmas carols, well, just go with it.  Sing along and consider yourself blessed.  Then, go home and see if you can find yourself on YouTube.  :-)

What's fascinating about all of this music is that much of it is actually the sacred music of the church.  Sure there's songs about reindeer, snowmen and a fat guy in a red suit, but "Silent Night", "Away in a Manger",  "O Little Town of Bethlehem", "Angels We Have Heard On High", "O Come, All Ye Faithful", "Joy To the World" are all found in our Lutheran Book of Worship.  These, and many others, are hymns of the church.  They are songs that announce the gospel message...that Jesus was born, and he is the Son of God, Savior of the world.  At any other time of the year, if a choir were to sing sacred hymnody at the mall or any other public place they would quickly be asked to stop.  If they didn't do so I'm sure they would be arrested for disturbing the peace.  But not now.  Not during this very special season of the year.  During this season, the world seems to be unable to resist the urge to sing about Christmas....the birth of Christ, the Savior of the world.

Whether people realize it or not, God is announcing the coming of his Son to us and to the world, and just like the days of old, He does so with songs that the world cannot keep from singing.

Prayer:  Lord God, thank you for the gift of songs that announce your Son's birth.  Open my ears to hear your choirs of angels announcing, even now, that Christ comes to bring peace on earth, and open my heart that I might sing along to share your joy with others.  In Jesus' name, Amen!

MANNA: 12/6/12

First Week of Advent

Philippians 1:3-11

"I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."

Paul wrote this to his friends in Philippi from a prison cell.  There is little we know for sure of the treatment this "ambassador in chains" received during his two-year stay as prisoner in Rome.  But, it goes without saying that the circumstance of prison itself would have posed considerable pain and suffering.    Yet, he writes not of his discomfort or plea for help, but of his confidence in God's completion of his work in his friends.  

That is a sure and certain hope!

Before my grandmother died, she had a short time of conversation with us.  She was 93, dying of cancer, and we had all made peace with it as she laid unconscious in a hospital bed.  But, for a brief moment, she spoke to us from a kind of semi-lucid state that seemed almost crystal clear.  Emerging from her fog of  morphine induced dementia, she looked up at those of us who were gathered there and began to ask us things...the kinds of things a mother asks her kids before they leave her for an extended period of time.  "Do you have all that you need?"  "Are you happy?"  "Do you know the way?"   As strange as this moment was to us, we quickly responded, "Yes" to her questions, reassuring her that we were going to be alright.   This seemed to satisfy her and she drifted back into her unconscious private world.  She died a couple days later.

She was not asking us if our lives were full of parties. She wasn't asking if our lives were without difficulties or challenges. She wanted to be sure, before she went to be with Jesus, that our lives were heading in the right direction...the same direction she was heading.  Before she left this life, she wanted to be sure that we would meet up again in heaven.  Looking back, it was with the same sure and certain hope we find in Paul's letter to his friends in Philippi that we were able to say "yes" to her that day.

We buried my grandmother next to my grandfather.  We commended both of them to Almighty God with a sure and certain hope!

Thank you, Lord, for the sure and certain hope you give to us in Jesus Christ.  Amen.

MANNA: 11/29/12

Jeremiah 33:14-16

This Sunday begins the church season of Advent; a very special time of preparation and anticipation.  Children make their lists and wait for Santa.  Homes are decorated in anticipation of visitors.  Churches get ready for Christmas Eve worship.  But, if we were to pull back the curtain on all this preparation and anticipation, we would find one of the most important gifts of God's providence...hope!

Hope is something we are all desperate for.  This is why we are vulnerable to so many false hopes in the world.  We are so easily misguided by those who use our desire for hope to manipulate us.  Have you ever gotten a piece of mail or a phone call announcing that you have won the BIG JACKPOT, or the SWEEPSTAKES?  Did your adrenalin not rush for just an instant at the possibility that maybe you had in fact won?  Did you not give the message a glimpse of great expectation?  And, was your flash of joy not crushed in disappointment when you heard or read the fine print where it said, "If you...then..."

There it is..."If you...then..."  It doesn't matter what words fill in the blanks.  The promise of one thing that was hoped for is now lost, cheapened and reduced to a manipulative conditional statement.  We are inundated with false promises, and they are immediately recognized by some form of this conditional phrase.

But, God doesn't make false promises.  God's hope is real.  God makes a promise that is a clear exclamation with no strings attached.   Through the prophet Jeremiah God declares, "I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel."  There is no conditional terms of agreement required from Israel before God fulfills the promise, just God declaring the time is near.  With God there is no fine print.

The fulfillment of God's promise was the messiah, a baby born to a virgin in Bethlehem who was Emmanuel, God with us.  He came, just as God promised.  And, today, we have hope because of him.

God has no interest in manipulating us or trying to coerce us to do things a certain way.  God comes to us in the humblest of ways.  He inspires us, teaches us, guides us and most of all saves us and claims us as his own forever.  God gives us real hope, in the promise to save us forever.

Prayer:  Lord God, help me to hope only in you, with your saving grace as my big jackpot.  Give me the faith to live my life into your promise, and the courage to keep the promises I make with others. In Jesus' name I pray.  Amen.

MANNA: 11/14/12

QUICK....WHAT IS THE ANTIDOTE FOR FEAR?

If you said FAITH, you are probably a Lutheran.....and you've probably heard more than a few sermons on the topic

But....read 1 John 4:18

"Perfect love casts out fear"

The presidential election has been over for a week, but the pundits are still stoking the fires of fear as if it's the end of the world.  This is not a political shot at the conservative media, because if the results of the election had gone the other way I have no doubt that the liberal media would be doing the same thing.  This is not to discredit the anxiousness about the future that is very real among all of us in this country for a variety of reasons.

My son is six years old.  I am constantly struck by theological truths brought to life in the practical matters of  my relationship with him, and him with me.   As a matter of fact, I would have to say the theology I'm learning from my son rivals that which I learned in four years of seminary.  My son is afraid of one thing: spiders.  That's it....spiders.  Nothing else.  Not even roller coasters, or the dark.  But, here's my point.  At his age, he is supposed to be afraid of spiders.  It occurs to me that he is fearless, and oblivious of the things that I'm afraid of.   I'm anxious over real world stuff, just like everyone else, and I assume even you.  But, my son, the six year old...fearless of these things.  Interesting, when you think about it.  He's able to be fearless, even naive and oblivious of these adult fears because of one thing that he knows and trusts will not let him down...me.  

My love for him is far from perfect.  I can't count how often I lose patience with him, misunderstand him, or just plain blow it as a dad.  But, even my imperfect love for him, is enough to cast out his fears.  This makes him free to be his truest self around me.  Think back to a time when you lost yourself in a project, or a moment of time with your spouse or kids...I mean really lost your self.  Do you remember how free you felt to just be the person God made you to be in those moments?  Those are moments when the love from the person you're with or the project you're into allowed that moment of grace and freedom to truly be who God made you to be, free from the usual fear of rejection and and failure.

God's perfect love for you is like the love of a Father who protects you and cares for you.
God's perfect love for you is also like the love of a spouse or friend who frees you to be the real you.

No matter what the future holds, believe and trust in the God who holds your future.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I'm afraid of ___________________________________________.
Remain with me, and carry me through the days ahead.  Remind me that, with you, I have nothing to fear, for you are God, and you are my God.  In Jesus' name.  Amen

Sermon from 11/4/12

Read Psalm 146

In two days, the nation goes to the polls. The country has been badgered and battered by attack ads, polls and policy-mongering for almost two years. Tuesday, it comes to an end, until the next go round.  Today, as politicians make their final blitz of promises to us, I would like to offer five promises from God.  

And Psalm 146, is remarkably apropos.

Promise 1.God will still be our God.

Presidential campaigns have become a slug-fest, and most of us are not feeling particularly pleased with either candidate as we prepare soon to enter the voting booth. But regardless of what happens on Election Day, the earth will keep turning, the seasons will change, babies will be born, and God will still be in control of his complex and often contentious creation.

Psalm 146 begins with the command, “Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul! I will praise the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God all my life long”

In our society today, we often praise people for taking political stands we agree with, or making speeches that move us. But do such leaders really deserve our praise? Certainly, we should support our candidates and work with them to advance the causes that are important to us. But praise them? No. Praise is a word that should be reserved for the one God who holds thing together when the politicians make a mess. 

Consider the roots of the word “politics,” If you break it down, “poly” means “many,” while “ticks” are “blood-sucking parasites.”  :-)

After a long and brutal race for the White House, we need a few laughs.

For the most part, politics is not worthy of praise.

Psalm 146 is a celebration of the One God who promises to still be God no matter what kind of mess we make with His creation.

When we offer praise we are saying God is God, and we are not.

Neither is Mitt Romney nor Barack Obama.  

Promise 2. God’s constituency is eternal.

We take a chance when we rely too heavily on political leaders to claim us as their constituency.   We buy into a lie when we believe that an elected official will do whatever they can to help us, because they are as flawed, weak, biased, disloyal, and limited as any other human being on earth.  The Psalm warns us, “Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help. When their breath departs, they return to the earth; on that very day their plans perish”.

The humorist Dave Barry joked, “Democrats are the kind of people who would stop to help you change a flat, but would somehow manage to set your car on fire. I would be reluctant to entrust them with a Cuisinart, let alone the economy,”  “The Republicans, on the other hand, would know how to fix your tire, but they wouldn‘t bother to stop because they’d want to be on time for Ugly Pants Night at the country club.”

Funny….but sharp words about our two major political parties. The point, is that everyone has weaknesses and limitations, from the left to the right of the political spectrum. The Psalm warns us against putting our trust in mortals, because every one of us is made of dust, and to dust we shall return. Our complete faith should be directed toward the One eternal God, maker of heaven and earth.  

God has claimed us in our baptisms, and joined us to the eternal constituency of the kingdom of heaven.  Put your trust in Him.  

God's promise number 3. God will continue to bless us.

With all the energy that goes into a presidential campaign, we can certainly forgive voters for wanting their favorite candidate to bring them joy and satisfaction. But such an expectation is truly unrealistic. Whether the victor is a Republican or a Democrat.

But rather than be afraid of what may happen if the “other” party wins, there is a more faithful perspective for us to keep: Unreserved confidence that no matter what, God will continue to bless us, just as He has until now.  

“Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,” says Psalm 146, “whose hope is in the LORD their God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps faith forever”.   

Better for us to look for happiness in a relationship with God,  the one who made heaven and earth, and who is eternally faithful.  God is the source of every good and perfect gift, and He is a God who keeps His promises. With God, we have a leader who can be trusted to provide for us, and to know what we need even before we ask.

Even more importantly, when we focus our perspective on God’s blessings we find that true happiness and peace is a gift from God, and we ground ourselves in the great commandment of Jesus to “love the Lord your God with all your heart … and your neighbor as yourself”. With our faith and perspective oriented toward God's blessings, we are not looking for a politician to bring us joy and satisfaction, but instead find joy and satisfaction in our relationship with God and with the people around us.  

This past week we weathered the storm of Sandy.  In the aftermath, we got one more opportunity like that of many other others, where we hear story after story from people who have lost everything...but when asked about the devastation, they reply something to the effect of, "We've lost our house and everything in it, but we still have each other."  God's blessings are most powerfully realized when everything else gets taken away, leaving behind God's blessings. 

Promise 4. God’s will will be done.

Psalm 146 says that God is the one “who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoners free; the LORD opens the eyes of the blind”.

This is God’s will, according to the Psalm.  And while good Christians will certainly debate the ways that our society can address these concerns, there should be no disagreement about their priority to God.

When our Lord, Jesus, taught us to pray, one of the petitions he gave us was

“Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

To be clear, this is not a petition that asks if God’s will will be done.  It is a prayer that asks that God’s will be done on earth…here among us, and even further, by us.  When we pray that line in The Lord’s Prayer, we are asking God to let us be active participants in God’s will being done on earth. 

So then, when you enter the voting booth, vote for the candidate who you believe is best aligned with God’s will. 

Justice for the oppressed — candidate who stands for equity and opportunity for those who have been mistreated, shoved aside, or ignored.

Food to the hungry — candidate who stands for access to necessary resources, in developing countries, and for Americans who are poor.

Freedom for prisoners — candidate who stands for both spiritual liberation while incarcerated and work opportunities once released.

Opening the eyes of the blind — candidate who stands for not only physical healing, but is willing to open his own eyes and the eyes of Americans to new visions of a better future for America.

These are part of God’s will, and they under-gird what the Psalm tells us about God: “The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin”.

We like to think that God is fair...that God has the same concern and priority for all people equally.  But, this just doesn't hold up to Scripture.  The truth is, God has a special concern or priority for the strangers, the poor, the oppressed...those who have no way to provide for themselves.  Once again, there will always be honest disagreements about how best to fulfill God’s will, but God’s will itself on these matters is indisputable.

Justice, generosity, concern for others, righteousness — this is God’s will and with or without us, it will be done.   Our prayer is that we might be a part of God's will being done through us.  One way that is possible is for us to vote for the candidate who is best aligned with God's will.

Number 5. God will reign forever

If you are joyful on Election night, don’t get overly elated. And if you are disappointed when the election is over, don’t get too depressed. The next presidential campaign will begin before you know it, and the political pendulum will begin to swing in the other direction.

As Christians, the most important leader in our lives is God, and Psalm 146 reminds us that “the Lord will reign forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the Lord!”   With God's grace, we are joined to a community of faithful people who are linked together across the generations.  The church has seen countless political victories and defeats, as well as numerous times of national celebration and heartache.  Election days may be divisive and difficult, but they do not prevent us from looking up to God together, and taking the long view of human history.

There is nothing that can happen on Election Day that should shift our focus away from giving thanks and praise to the God who has created us, redeemed us, and sustained us throughout the course of life.

When we live by faith in the God who will reign forever, we can rejoice in all circumstances, because no matter what, God will make it right in time.  When we live by faith, we take the long view of history, and we give thanks to God in good times and in bad. 

So, remember these five promises both this election day and every day.

No matter what...

God will still be our God!

God's kingdom is eternal!

God will continue to bless us.

God's will will be done.

God will reign forever.

Amen.