September 25, 2011
Humble and Triumphant
Fifteenth Sunday After Pentecost
Year A
Philippians 2:1-13
Matthew 21:23-32
Intro – Coaching that teaches us to be victorious
The crowd cheered the team on – We are number one! The football team was winning. They were ahead and the crowd did their job to keep them motivated to keep winning. It worked, the team won the championship game, and everyone was excited. That is, everyone except the coach. When they got into the locker room afterwards, the coach encouraged them not to listen to the crowd. To not get so caught up on winning the game, but to celebrate their victory. One team member asked, but I thought you wanted us to do our best. Isn’t that our whole goal – to win the championship and to be the best team around? The coach assured them that was all true. I want you to be your best, and I want you to be the best. But I don’t want you to concentrate on being winners. Because if you win, that means that someone else lost. If you are number one, then hat relegates another team to being number 2. When you celebrate your victory as opposed to your win, then everybody wins. Victory is inclusive; it is about your efforts contributing to the good of others. It is about you being able to share what you have achieved – with others. Celebrate your victory, not your win.
That coach was trying to teach his team to be different, a step above the lessons of other coaches. It is a valuable lesson in being humble and graceful in our victories. It is also a lesson that Jesus would give to us, as the church. Our victories are victories for the world. What we accomplish not only benefits us, but also the rest of the world.
Like the coach, Jesus wants us to be victorious. He wants us to succeed. But he also wants us to be conscious of the way we celebrate our victories.
What does it mean to be a Christian?
I want you to think for today about what it means to be a Christian. When we say we are a Christian what does that mean? And what authority does Christ have in my life?
Why Philippians is important
Paul would have understood the concept of being a part of a team. His concept of training and working together in order to achieve a common goal. He too considered himself coaching his churches.
Philippi would have been a small town of retired roman soldiers. Even though Paul talks about unity in his letter to the church. The letter does not mention anything specific going on the needed to be addressed. He just reminds them of what it means to be a victorious team – be of the same mind, the same love and on one accord.
How do we treat others?
We are not Christ, but we can be like Christ in the way we treat one another and our work. Be humble, putting the needs of others instead of ourselves in everything that we do. Winning is about our needs, being victorious is about the needs of everyone involved.
What does it mean to be a Christian – it means to live your life in the service of others. More importantly, it means to live our lives in the service of God and not ourselves.
God is not interested in what church we go to, or how we worship, -God is interested in the way we live our lives and the way we treat one another. And the way we celebrate our victories in life.
Kenosis
I love Philippians for a number of reasons. But it is a beautiful book with some of the most powerful phrases in the bible. Paul says that Christ was the ultimate winner – he had it all and he did not need to share it with anyone. And yet he did not view equality with God as something to be exploited but he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave. He emptied himself of his divine self and took on the body of a person like you and me.
The official term of this is called kenosis. Kenosis means emptying yourself of what’s inside, and opening yourself up to the flowing of the spirit of God. The point of kenosis is that if Christ can empty himself of being worshipped as the king of the universe for our sake, then surely we can empty ourselves of our pride, and need to control, and need to be in the spotlight in order to empty ourselves for God. When we are full of our own thoughts, then God has no room to give us new thoughts. We are determined to win and gain the glory for ourselves; there is no room for us to work together as a team.
Work out your own salvation
And then there is that line of Philippians 2 that we have all heard – work out your own salvation in fear and trembling. This does not mean that we are to think for ourselves – but that we are to let Christ think for us. the work that we do is not about us – it is about the holy spirit working within us. but finally it is also means that we are not to just hear a sermon, but we are to find ways to live it out.
Frog story
2 frogs were hopping around a dairy farm. They were a nuisance for all of the workers, but they kept coming. One night after all of the workers had left, the frog felt that were free to hop wherever they wanted. They went into one of the stalls, and hopped into a bucket of cream. Both frogs realized that they were I grave danger, as the walls of the bucket were too high to jump over. One frog realized the obvious – were doomed and we will never get out of here. There is nothing we can do – he sank to the bottom of the bucket and drowned and died. The other frog looked at him and said to himself, I don’t know how to get out of here, but neither do I want to die. So he started kicking as hard as he could, he kicked and he kicked and he kicked. He kicked all night – his legs got very tired, but he refused to give up, and he continued to kick. He kicked until the sun came up – and he realized that the liquid cream had turned into soft but consistent butter. He was able to get his grounding, and hopped out of the bucket and hopped on into the rest of his life.
It is not our work that makes the difference, it is the work of the holy spirit. But in order for the holy spirit to do his work – we have to do ours. We have to be willing to put what we claim to believe into action.
It is what we do in our life that makes us a Christian, not what we believe, or what we hear. Having the mind of Christ is about action. It is our integrity in doing what we know Christ would have us do in that situation that makes the situation easier. Our determination to do the right thing is like the cream in the bucket the upheld the frog. It is a really cute story – but the reality is that beating milk all night doesn’t turn it into butter, but the holy spirit can do anything. If we do what we are supposed to do, God always makes a way.
And what are we supposed to do – be a Christian in all situations. Be like Christ – be humble, think of others, count our victories as triumph of the lord and not of us.
What authority does Christ have in your life?
We are almost at the end of the sermon – and I am not going to dwell too much on the gospel, other than to say that it proves Paul’s point. An interesting fact about Matthew - is that for the next few weeks Jesus is in Jerusalem talking to the Pharisees. They are testing his knowledge, and he gives them a parable to prove his point. In today’s passage they ask him what authority he has to teach the world about God. Keeping in mind Paul’s world of him emptying himself of glory in order to live and understand our world – I want to ask you what authority do you give Christ in your life. How do you respond to the presence of the holy spirit in your life?
Parable of the two sons
And Jesus tells this story of two sons. One who was asked to help in the farm, he said no – but changed his mind and went. And the other who said that he would- but never showed up. Which pleased his father? Which was right? Jesus point was that there are a lot of people who don’t go to church, who will get to heaven before those of us who go to church every day. Because when they finally do hear the gospel it changes them, some of us have heard it for so long – it doesn’t mean anything to us anymore.
The ears that made it to heaven
There is an old Japanese legend that tells of a man who died and went to heaven. Heaven was beautiful--full of lush gardens and glittering mansions. But then the man came to a room lined with shelves. On the shelves were stacked piles of human ears! A heavenly guide explained that these ears belonged to all the people on earth who listened each week to the word of God, but never acted on God's teachings. Their worship never resulted in action. When these people died, therefore, only their ears ended up in heaven.
Jesus is dealing with a bunch of "earless" religious folk in this passage, and it would be to our benefit to listen in on the conversation. It's so easy to mistake self-righteous attitudes for true belief in Jesus as Savior. Any one of us can be guilty of it. This passage packs a powerful message, telling us...
The signs of salvation
Paul says work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. In Philippians the six signs of salvation in our lives –effective actions as a response to God, fear and trembling, a humble attitude toward others and God, serenity and harmony, purity in our thoughts and words, and a determination to do the work of God.
What does it mean to be a Christian? To be humble, to love others, to do the will of God and to celebrate the victory of Christ in our lives.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Sunday, September 18, 2011
The Fair Wages of Salvation
Rev. Harriette cross
Englewood UMC
Rust Memorial UMc
September 18, 2011
What’s Fair
Exodus 16:2-15
Matthew 20:1-16
14th Sunday after Pentecost
Year A
Wandering in the wilderness
We have all been there at some point in our lives. We have been at a time in our lives when we are just wandering in the wilderness – looking for where we will go next. We might be just finishing school looking for a career, just out of a relationship looking for what comes next, looking for a lifestyle change. We may be looking for a new job. There are any number of things that might put us in that place of wandering. The point is, some of us at some point find a sense of direction of where we are supposed to go, and some of us just keep on wandering.
Turn to you neighbor and say – I don’t plan on being in this place for too long.
Some of us get home and some of us keep wandering
There is a saying that the king of England said a prayer to God on day – he prayed that God would give him a light so that he could see in the unknown. The priest replied, instead of praying for light, just pray for God – that is all that you need.
That is the difference between those who make it to the promised land, and those who don’t. Some are still looking for the light, and some discover that God knows the way – not them.
We have to go in the wilderness to find God
Often times it is those wilderness experiences that teach us that we need God. It is those wilderness experiences that teach us of the ways of God. It is those wilderness experiences that put us face to face with a God. A God that had been with us all along, but for some reason we had not been paying attention to.
It is in the wilderness that we start to exchange our fear for courage, and we have to strength to move on.
Even when we get to the promisedland we see that in reality, all of our lives are lived somewhere in between hardship and promise. No Matter how far we make it, there is something that we have to struggle with.
We like to complain
And when we have to struggle we get frustrated, and when we get frustrated what do we do? We start to complain. Something is wrong, and somebody is to blame for all of our struggles.
As our Old Testament reading today indicates, complaining seems to be an essential element of the human condition. In 1770 Edmund Burke published a little treatise called Thoughts on the Cause of the Present Discontents. His perception sounds quite contemporary as well as reflective on ancient Israel: "To complain of the age we live in, to murmur at the present possessors of power, to lament the past, to conceive extravagant hopes of the future, are the common dispositions of the greatest part of humankind."
News reports say that the approval rate for president obama is at an all time low. Many are saying that life is worse for them now then it was when he got in office. He may have done a lot for the country – but we are all still frustrated.
God knows the frustration of his people very well. The whole subject of the first books of the bible are God’s people complaining, and God hearing and responding to their frustration.
The isrealites cried because of the hardship of slavery – and the bible says that God heard the cries of his people. They needed a leader to lead them out of Egypt – and God called Moses. In our text today – the isrealites have been freed, they are on their own, they have been given a vision of a land that God promises them – and yet what is going on? They are feeling the tension between hardship and promise. They are hungry, they are frustrated, and they are complaining. God bought us here out of the middle of nowhere – to die. Once again God hears their cries. And they are fed with manna an quail. And they are able to move on with their task of finding a homeland.
The history of God and his people
God hearing the call of his beloved people – and answering the call – that is the theme of the bible. Biblical scholars say that is the theme of the Hebrew story. Some say that God never really recovered from feeling hurt that his people did not fully trust him to supply all of their needs. That is why their hardship never really ended.
Even more interesting for me – is that the while in isreal – I learned that there has never been any archeological proof that this story happened in reality at all. Jews today believe that it was just an old folk tale. They have looked for years for relics of the day , and have not found them. No buildings, no bones, no artifacts. They have dug all over the place where the isrealites would have been in the wilderness and all they can really find are the bones of egytpians settlers in the land. No proof that the isrealites actually wandered in the wilderness. Do we really need proof of the story to get the point of the story. At some point in our lives, we will be wandering around in the wilderness, at some point in or lives God comes to us and supplies or needs. And either we are going to trust God – or we are going to continue to complain about what we don’t have, and what we cant do.
Turn to your neighbor again and say – I don’t plan on staying in this place for too long.
A lesson, a test, a gift
The manna that provided for the isrealites to eat when they were hungry was a test, a lesson and a gift all in one. God created the hunger and the need in them, just as God created the satisfaction. God wanted to test his people to see how they would respond to being in need, God wanted to teach them then He could supply all they needed, and God wanted to satisfy that hunger so that they could know redemption. And who was responsible. The hardships we go through are a test, a lesson, and a gift of faith for those who believe.
We only read part of the story of the people and God’s gift of manna. God told the people to only take what they needed for the day – the people’s response to hoard and save it. God said not to forget the Sabbath in order to eat – and they went out on the Sabbath to get more manna.
And we wonder why we are always asking, and god always supplies and we have to ask again. We don’t hold onto the gift of trust for too long.
Frustration in the new testament
The gospel lesson is a story of frustration, of working in the midst of hardship, of thinking you are getting ahead, and realizing that you are getting no where – without God.
In the parable of the first and the last – we have heard this story before. A man of means hires some day workers and promises to pay them for they work. Those who work twice as hard get the same thing as those who don’t. it is a story that peaks our frustration, and sense of injustice as you will. One person upon hearing some of Jesus’ parables – just outright says sometimes Jesus is just unfair in what he says.
The parable that Jesus gives, there is no names, no context, no connection to the worker or his money. Listen to this story and see if your perspective changes….
The story with a name
There’s a play by Timothy Thompson based on this parable in which he depicts two brothers vying for work. John is strong and capable; Philip is just as willing but has lost a hand in an accident. When the landowner comes, John is taken in the first wave of workers, and as he labors in the field he looks up the lane for some sign of Philip. Other workers are brought to the field, but Philip is not among them. John is grateful to have the work, but feels empty knowing that Philip is just as needful as he. Finally, the last group of workers arrive, and Philip is among them. John is relieved to know that Philip will get to work at least one hour. But, as the drama unfolds, and those who came last get paid a full days’ wages, John rejoices, knowing that Philip – his brother – will have the money necessary to feed his family. When it comes his turn to stand before the landowner and receive his pay, instead of complaining as the others, John throws out his hand and says with tears in his eyes, “Thank you, my lord, for what you’ve done for us today!”
God’s economy
What fair and right in the worlds economy, is not what is right and fair in God’s economy. In the worlds economy you too are a nameless, faceless situation with no connection, and no context. And yet in God’s economy you are loved, needed, cared for and important. God created your circumstance, God put you in it- and God will take you out of it – all so that you can realize that God really does care about you. The situation you are in is a test, a lesson and a gift – the gift of God’s grace.
And believe it or not, sometimes Jesus is just wrong. Wrong in the worlds eyes – to remind us that we are in the world but not of the world. We are in the situation – but God has plans for us to move somewhere else. Look at your neighbor and say – I don’t plan to stay in this place for too long….
The prayer of the filled cup
Recently I learned of a special prayer that one woman does every day. When she wakes up in the morning who gets a bowl- and as she pours water in to she starts to pray for all of the things and all of the people in her life. As the bowl fills up she still pour the water. And she is reminded of God’s grace in her life. She remembers all of the needs that God supplies, all that she is grateful for. All that she has for her say. She realizes that her life is just as full as that bowl. And then she leaves the bowl on her kitchen sink for the rest of her day – to remind her of the fullness of God, and that her soul is full.
Let us pray…..
Englewood UMC
Rust Memorial UMc
September 18, 2011
What’s Fair
Exodus 16:2-15
Matthew 20:1-16
14th Sunday after Pentecost
Year A
Wandering in the wilderness
We have all been there at some point in our lives. We have been at a time in our lives when we are just wandering in the wilderness – looking for where we will go next. We might be just finishing school looking for a career, just out of a relationship looking for what comes next, looking for a lifestyle change. We may be looking for a new job. There are any number of things that might put us in that place of wandering. The point is, some of us at some point find a sense of direction of where we are supposed to go, and some of us just keep on wandering.
Turn to you neighbor and say – I don’t plan on being in this place for too long.
Some of us get home and some of us keep wandering
There is a saying that the king of England said a prayer to God on day – he prayed that God would give him a light so that he could see in the unknown. The priest replied, instead of praying for light, just pray for God – that is all that you need.
That is the difference between those who make it to the promised land, and those who don’t. Some are still looking for the light, and some discover that God knows the way – not them.
We have to go in the wilderness to find God
Often times it is those wilderness experiences that teach us that we need God. It is those wilderness experiences that teach us of the ways of God. It is those wilderness experiences that put us face to face with a God. A God that had been with us all along, but for some reason we had not been paying attention to.
It is in the wilderness that we start to exchange our fear for courage, and we have to strength to move on.
Even when we get to the promisedland we see that in reality, all of our lives are lived somewhere in between hardship and promise. No Matter how far we make it, there is something that we have to struggle with.
We like to complain
And when we have to struggle we get frustrated, and when we get frustrated what do we do? We start to complain. Something is wrong, and somebody is to blame for all of our struggles.
As our Old Testament reading today indicates, complaining seems to be an essential element of the human condition. In 1770 Edmund Burke published a little treatise called Thoughts on the Cause of the Present Discontents. His perception sounds quite contemporary as well as reflective on ancient Israel: "To complain of the age we live in, to murmur at the present possessors of power, to lament the past, to conceive extravagant hopes of the future, are the common dispositions of the greatest part of humankind."
News reports say that the approval rate for president obama is at an all time low. Many are saying that life is worse for them now then it was when he got in office. He may have done a lot for the country – but we are all still frustrated.
God knows the frustration of his people very well. The whole subject of the first books of the bible are God’s people complaining, and God hearing and responding to their frustration.
The isrealites cried because of the hardship of slavery – and the bible says that God heard the cries of his people. They needed a leader to lead them out of Egypt – and God called Moses. In our text today – the isrealites have been freed, they are on their own, they have been given a vision of a land that God promises them – and yet what is going on? They are feeling the tension between hardship and promise. They are hungry, they are frustrated, and they are complaining. God bought us here out of the middle of nowhere – to die. Once again God hears their cries. And they are fed with manna an quail. And they are able to move on with their task of finding a homeland.
The history of God and his people
God hearing the call of his beloved people – and answering the call – that is the theme of the bible. Biblical scholars say that is the theme of the Hebrew story. Some say that God never really recovered from feeling hurt that his people did not fully trust him to supply all of their needs. That is why their hardship never really ended.
Even more interesting for me – is that the while in isreal – I learned that there has never been any archeological proof that this story happened in reality at all. Jews today believe that it was just an old folk tale. They have looked for years for relics of the day , and have not found them. No buildings, no bones, no artifacts. They have dug all over the place where the isrealites would have been in the wilderness and all they can really find are the bones of egytpians settlers in the land. No proof that the isrealites actually wandered in the wilderness. Do we really need proof of the story to get the point of the story. At some point in our lives, we will be wandering around in the wilderness, at some point in or lives God comes to us and supplies or needs. And either we are going to trust God – or we are going to continue to complain about what we don’t have, and what we cant do.
Turn to your neighbor again and say – I don’t plan on staying in this place for too long.
A lesson, a test, a gift
The manna that provided for the isrealites to eat when they were hungry was a test, a lesson and a gift all in one. God created the hunger and the need in them, just as God created the satisfaction. God wanted to test his people to see how they would respond to being in need, God wanted to teach them then He could supply all they needed, and God wanted to satisfy that hunger so that they could know redemption. And who was responsible. The hardships we go through are a test, a lesson, and a gift of faith for those who believe.
We only read part of the story of the people and God’s gift of manna. God told the people to only take what they needed for the day – the people’s response to hoard and save it. God said not to forget the Sabbath in order to eat – and they went out on the Sabbath to get more manna.
And we wonder why we are always asking, and god always supplies and we have to ask again. We don’t hold onto the gift of trust for too long.
Frustration in the new testament
The gospel lesson is a story of frustration, of working in the midst of hardship, of thinking you are getting ahead, and realizing that you are getting no where – without God.
In the parable of the first and the last – we have heard this story before. A man of means hires some day workers and promises to pay them for they work. Those who work twice as hard get the same thing as those who don’t. it is a story that peaks our frustration, and sense of injustice as you will. One person upon hearing some of Jesus’ parables – just outright says sometimes Jesus is just unfair in what he says.
The parable that Jesus gives, there is no names, no context, no connection to the worker or his money. Listen to this story and see if your perspective changes….
The story with a name
There’s a play by Timothy Thompson based on this parable in which he depicts two brothers vying for work. John is strong and capable; Philip is just as willing but has lost a hand in an accident. When the landowner comes, John is taken in the first wave of workers, and as he labors in the field he looks up the lane for some sign of Philip. Other workers are brought to the field, but Philip is not among them. John is grateful to have the work, but feels empty knowing that Philip is just as needful as he. Finally, the last group of workers arrive, and Philip is among them. John is relieved to know that Philip will get to work at least one hour. But, as the drama unfolds, and those who came last get paid a full days’ wages, John rejoices, knowing that Philip – his brother – will have the money necessary to feed his family. When it comes his turn to stand before the landowner and receive his pay, instead of complaining as the others, John throws out his hand and says with tears in his eyes, “Thank you, my lord, for what you’ve done for us today!”
God’s economy
What fair and right in the worlds economy, is not what is right and fair in God’s economy. In the worlds economy you too are a nameless, faceless situation with no connection, and no context. And yet in God’s economy you are loved, needed, cared for and important. God created your circumstance, God put you in it- and God will take you out of it – all so that you can realize that God really does care about you. The situation you are in is a test, a lesson and a gift – the gift of God’s grace.
And believe it or not, sometimes Jesus is just wrong. Wrong in the worlds eyes – to remind us that we are in the world but not of the world. We are in the situation – but God has plans for us to move somewhere else. Look at your neighbor and say – I don’t plan to stay in this place for too long….
The prayer of the filled cup
Recently I learned of a special prayer that one woman does every day. When she wakes up in the morning who gets a bowl- and as she pours water in to she starts to pray for all of the things and all of the people in her life. As the bowl fills up she still pour the water. And she is reminded of God’s grace in her life. She remembers all of the needs that God supplies, all that she is grateful for. All that she has for her say. She realizes that her life is just as full as that bowl. And then she leaves the bowl on her kitchen sink for the rest of her day – to remind her of the fullness of God, and that her soul is full.
Let us pray…..
Sunday, September 11, 2011
The Day the World Changed
“The day the world changed”
September 11, 2011
Year A
Exodus 14:19-31
Romans 14:1-12
Matthew 18:21-35
13th Sunday after Pentecost
The importance of September 11th
Today is September 11th. We all know that ten years ago a plane destroyed the twin towers, and drove into the pentagon. We all know that was a pretty traumatic day for our nation. September 11, 2011 is also a day of trepidation as we have been told that the threat for today is just as real. We live in fear that it could happen again. And we don’t know what to do about it.
There are those days when we remember and will never forget
When we think about that day – most of us can remember where we were, what we were doing. I was on the train from Aurora to Chicago, I had a special meeting to attend downtown Chicago. A cell phone above me rang, and the lady above me was told that a plane had just driven into the twin towers. By the time we got to the meeting, everyone was so worried that we watched television as we met. We watched in horror. We told that the building had to be evacuated, and I caught the train back home. There have been several events in my life where a particular day will be etched in my mind forever. I was not yet three years old – but I remember the day Robert Kennedy was killed. I wasn’t born, but many have recounted the day MLK was killed or John Kennedy was killed
Those were moments when life as we know it changed forever, and we realized that there was no way that we could return.
Every year we are asked where we were on 9/11. Someone yesterday asked do you remember what you were doing on 9/10 – and I don’t. I didn’t need to. But when our lives change – things stick with us.
The Isrealites 9/11
Exodus tells of that day for the Israelites when life as they knew it would change. God had found favor on their condition. God sent them out. They crossed the red sea as Moses parted the sea for them. They all passed through. The angel passed before them and behind them and the spirit of God was with them. Scripture says that the Egyptians came after them, and the water passed over and they were destroyed. Once they made it over, they looked back and all they could see were dead Egyptians.
Midrash story
There is another midrash story which says that says that after the event, the angels noticed that God was sitting on the side crying. The angels asked why god was crying since god’s children have been saved. God said that he was mourning the loss of his children. The Israelites were his children, but so were the Egyptians. And now they lay dead.
Life changing moments usually a day of life and death
Death is usually a part of those life changing moments. In this story it was the death of the Egyptians, on 911 it was the 2000 or more people who perished that day, or it could be the death of an important or inspirational person. That day could also include the death of the past, the death of a dream, the death or all that you have been working for, the death of innocence, the death of normalcy in life.
Whatever that day may be – that day is a day when we look back and see death, and we look ahead and see a life that we don’t understand. It is a say when we see what has been taken away from us, but we don’t see what we have been given. We see that the life that we embraced doesn’t work anymore. But we don’t know what to do to go on. Until god comes along and tells us that there is no way to go back, we can only go forward. The question is not why life changes, but how it changes. What are we supposed to do now in order to go forward?
The motto for 911 is - we will never forget. Never forgot the moment that changed our lives. Never forget the people, who we lost,
This is a moment for our nation to questions the values that hold us together as a community, to look at who are our enemies, who are our friends. Who can we trust and who can’t we trust, who do we blame for all of our pain.
10 years later there still a lot of pain, a lot of woundedness, a lot of consequences, a lot of unaswered questions.
In teaching a class on forgiveness, there was a story of three mothers who lost sons who were fireman. 10 years later they are still in pain, because the bodies of their sons were never found. Until their sons are buried and laid to rest, there is no closure, no chance to heal and to move on. They cannot forget. But if you can’t forget, how can you ever forgive? If you can’t let go, how do you get to move on. Only God can answer that.
Christian community is an example for the world
“There will be no peace among the peoples of this world without peace among world religions. There will be no peace among the world religions without peace among the Christian churches. The community of the Church is an integral part of the world community” Hans Küng.
We are called to be an example to the rest of the world of what is possible when you forgive and vow to live in community. We will have our differences, but how we solve them is to be an example for others.
Just as God cares just as much as the Egyptians as he cares for the Israelites. He cares for the world, and how we treat one another. What we do to one another. Christian community is chosen to be an example for the world. Not because we are better than others, but because we have been appointed for a special purpose – to do the work of Jesus. Jesus was a peacemaker, a way maker.
We did not focus on the gospel, but peter asks Jesus about the magic number of forgiveness. How many times should forgive a person, seven times? Seventy seven times, and more if it requires it. We are a forgiven people, so we need to be forgiving people.
Forgiveness and nonjudgment
Along with unforgiveness, comes judgment. We label that person, and no matter what they do, we attach that label to them. If they crossed us, they will cross us again. If we are a follower of God and we have been wronged, then that person must not be a friend of God. The gospel of a story of grace and mercy, not a story of judgment and criticism.
The two million dollar mistake
John D. Rockefeller built the great Standard Oil empire. Not surprisingly, Rockefeller was a man who demanded high performance from his executives. One day, one of those executives made a two million dollar mistake. Word of the man’s enormous error quickly spread throughout the executive offices, and the other men began to make themselves scarce, not wanting to cross his path. One man didn’t have any choice, however, since he had an appointment with the boss. So he straightened his shoulders and walked into Rockefeller’s office. As he approached Rockefeller’s desk, he looked up from the piece of paper on which he was writing. “I guess you’ve heard about the two million dollar mistake our friend made,” he said abruptly. “Yes,” the executive said, expecting Rockefeller to explode. “Well, I’ve been sitting here listing all of our friend’s good qualities, and I’ve discovered that in the past he has made us many more times the amount he lost for us today by his one mistake. His good points far outweigh this one human error. So I think we ought to forgive him, don’t you?”
We are asked to do the same that God does for us
God does the same for us everyday. God takes into account or value, not or sin. God expects us to do the same for others.
Romans says that we do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord, if we die, we die to the Lord. Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.
God is the judge of my actions, not you. And everything that I do is to please God, not to please you. We all have to stand before God, so it is not our job to judge their character. It is or job to learn to live in community.
When we live in a world of us and them – it is real easy to point to finger at them. Romans says that we are all different, we understand or faith differently. What may be okay with you may not be okay with me. And yet we are not only Christian, we are a part of the same church. How do we manage our differences, how do we disagree without losing community? By learning to forgive, and not to pass judgment. If we master that, we can change the world.
We all stuck on Egypt
The truth is we all, faithful or not – we are all stuck in Egypt, looking for freedom. We are all holding onto something. There is something holding us back to being the person God wants us to be. There is something that we need to be delivered from.
We all live in a 9/11 world – where we have wounds that need to heal, unfinished monuments that we promised to build, things that we will never forget, and will drive our actions and opinions.
Live in 9/12 not 9/11
And the day has come and it will come again, when God will intervene in our lives, in a way that we can’t deny. When whatever happened yesterday is wiped away. And all there is for us to do is to take account of or lives and move on. 9/11 affects us all in some way. But let’s not stay stuck on what we were doing on 9/11. The real question for followers of Christ is what did we do on 9/12. If I remember correctly, that is the day that we got up and needed to pray. We needed to come together in community, we needed to volunteer to help make a difference, we needed to make plans for how to support others, and how to understand those who we have ignored, how to stand together in community. We can remember 9/11 – but we need to live for 9/12 and beyond. I want us to say a litany – a community prayer for God’s healing and hopes in our lives and in the lives of others.
Litany
Leader: When memories of terror reawaken the past, and experiences of death, loss, and grief, then ...
People: In your sure hope, O God, bring healing to the world.
Leader: When anger and inflamed passion tempt us to respond with violence and seek revenge, then ...
People: In your sure hope, O God, bring healing to the world.
Leader: When we are enticed to give in to the illusion that war alone will resolve conflict between enemies, then ...
People: In your sure hope, O God, bring healing to the world.
Leader: When it feels like every menace, whether imagined or real, is a threat to our security, and fills us with fear, then ...
People: In your sure hope, O God, bring healing to the world.
Leader: When religion is used as an excuse to exclude, threaten, or destroy others, forgetting or ignoring all that unites us, then ...
People: In your sure hope, O God, bring healing to the world.
Leader: When we become stuck in the past, unable to respond to the challenges we face with vision and hope, then ...
People: In your sure hope, O God, bring healing to the world.
Leader: When we wrestle with how to create a better future for our children, even to the seventh generation, then ...
People: In your sure hope, O God, bring healing to the world.
Leader: When we struggle to find a new and peaceful way to live in the world, and forget that you, O God, are our help and salvation, then ...
People: In your sure hope, O God, bring healing to the world.
All: O God of all peoples, nations and creeds: you have created us and rejoiced in the goodness of creation, and have wept with us when have experienced death, loss and grief.
Send your healing presence into the world and endow all people, leaders, groups and nations with your vision of unity and peace; so that we and all people may move on from the wounds of the past and seek to live in harmony with one another; to the end that the goodness of your creation may be restored, enhanced and sustained for the common good of all.
Through mercies of your love and grace, and in your sure hope, O God, bring healing to the world. Amen!
September 11, 2011
Year A
Exodus 14:19-31
Romans 14:1-12
Matthew 18:21-35
13th Sunday after Pentecost
The importance of September 11th
Today is September 11th. We all know that ten years ago a plane destroyed the twin towers, and drove into the pentagon. We all know that was a pretty traumatic day for our nation. September 11, 2011 is also a day of trepidation as we have been told that the threat for today is just as real. We live in fear that it could happen again. And we don’t know what to do about it.
There are those days when we remember and will never forget
When we think about that day – most of us can remember where we were, what we were doing. I was on the train from Aurora to Chicago, I had a special meeting to attend downtown Chicago. A cell phone above me rang, and the lady above me was told that a plane had just driven into the twin towers. By the time we got to the meeting, everyone was so worried that we watched television as we met. We watched in horror. We told that the building had to be evacuated, and I caught the train back home. There have been several events in my life where a particular day will be etched in my mind forever. I was not yet three years old – but I remember the day Robert Kennedy was killed. I wasn’t born, but many have recounted the day MLK was killed or John Kennedy was killed
Those were moments when life as we know it changed forever, and we realized that there was no way that we could return.
Every year we are asked where we were on 9/11. Someone yesterday asked do you remember what you were doing on 9/10 – and I don’t. I didn’t need to. But when our lives change – things stick with us.
The Isrealites 9/11
Exodus tells of that day for the Israelites when life as they knew it would change. God had found favor on their condition. God sent them out. They crossed the red sea as Moses parted the sea for them. They all passed through. The angel passed before them and behind them and the spirit of God was with them. Scripture says that the Egyptians came after them, and the water passed over and they were destroyed. Once they made it over, they looked back and all they could see were dead Egyptians.
Midrash story
There is another midrash story which says that says that after the event, the angels noticed that God was sitting on the side crying. The angels asked why god was crying since god’s children have been saved. God said that he was mourning the loss of his children. The Israelites were his children, but so were the Egyptians. And now they lay dead.
Life changing moments usually a day of life and death
Death is usually a part of those life changing moments. In this story it was the death of the Egyptians, on 911 it was the 2000 or more people who perished that day, or it could be the death of an important or inspirational person. That day could also include the death of the past, the death of a dream, the death or all that you have been working for, the death of innocence, the death of normalcy in life.
Whatever that day may be – that day is a day when we look back and see death, and we look ahead and see a life that we don’t understand. It is a say when we see what has been taken away from us, but we don’t see what we have been given. We see that the life that we embraced doesn’t work anymore. But we don’t know what to do to go on. Until god comes along and tells us that there is no way to go back, we can only go forward. The question is not why life changes, but how it changes. What are we supposed to do now in order to go forward?
The motto for 911 is - we will never forget. Never forgot the moment that changed our lives. Never forget the people, who we lost,
This is a moment for our nation to questions the values that hold us together as a community, to look at who are our enemies, who are our friends. Who can we trust and who can’t we trust, who do we blame for all of our pain.
10 years later there still a lot of pain, a lot of woundedness, a lot of consequences, a lot of unaswered questions.
In teaching a class on forgiveness, there was a story of three mothers who lost sons who were fireman. 10 years later they are still in pain, because the bodies of their sons were never found. Until their sons are buried and laid to rest, there is no closure, no chance to heal and to move on. They cannot forget. But if you can’t forget, how can you ever forgive? If you can’t let go, how do you get to move on. Only God can answer that.
Christian community is an example for the world
“There will be no peace among the peoples of this world without peace among world religions. There will be no peace among the world religions without peace among the Christian churches. The community of the Church is an integral part of the world community” Hans Küng.
We are called to be an example to the rest of the world of what is possible when you forgive and vow to live in community. We will have our differences, but how we solve them is to be an example for others.
Just as God cares just as much as the Egyptians as he cares for the Israelites. He cares for the world, and how we treat one another. What we do to one another. Christian community is chosen to be an example for the world. Not because we are better than others, but because we have been appointed for a special purpose – to do the work of Jesus. Jesus was a peacemaker, a way maker.
We did not focus on the gospel, but peter asks Jesus about the magic number of forgiveness. How many times should forgive a person, seven times? Seventy seven times, and more if it requires it. We are a forgiven people, so we need to be forgiving people.
Forgiveness and nonjudgment
Along with unforgiveness, comes judgment. We label that person, and no matter what they do, we attach that label to them. If they crossed us, they will cross us again. If we are a follower of God and we have been wronged, then that person must not be a friend of God. The gospel of a story of grace and mercy, not a story of judgment and criticism.
The two million dollar mistake
John D. Rockefeller built the great Standard Oil empire. Not surprisingly, Rockefeller was a man who demanded high performance from his executives. One day, one of those executives made a two million dollar mistake. Word of the man’s enormous error quickly spread throughout the executive offices, and the other men began to make themselves scarce, not wanting to cross his path. One man didn’t have any choice, however, since he had an appointment with the boss. So he straightened his shoulders and walked into Rockefeller’s office. As he approached Rockefeller’s desk, he looked up from the piece of paper on which he was writing. “I guess you’ve heard about the two million dollar mistake our friend made,” he said abruptly. “Yes,” the executive said, expecting Rockefeller to explode. “Well, I’ve been sitting here listing all of our friend’s good qualities, and I’ve discovered that in the past he has made us many more times the amount he lost for us today by his one mistake. His good points far outweigh this one human error. So I think we ought to forgive him, don’t you?”
We are asked to do the same that God does for us
God does the same for us everyday. God takes into account or value, not or sin. God expects us to do the same for others.
Romans says that we do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord, if we die, we die to the Lord. Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.
God is the judge of my actions, not you. And everything that I do is to please God, not to please you. We all have to stand before God, so it is not our job to judge their character. It is or job to learn to live in community.
When we live in a world of us and them – it is real easy to point to finger at them. Romans says that we are all different, we understand or faith differently. What may be okay with you may not be okay with me. And yet we are not only Christian, we are a part of the same church. How do we manage our differences, how do we disagree without losing community? By learning to forgive, and not to pass judgment. If we master that, we can change the world.
We all stuck on Egypt
The truth is we all, faithful or not – we are all stuck in Egypt, looking for freedom. We are all holding onto something. There is something holding us back to being the person God wants us to be. There is something that we need to be delivered from.
We all live in a 9/11 world – where we have wounds that need to heal, unfinished monuments that we promised to build, things that we will never forget, and will drive our actions and opinions.
Live in 9/12 not 9/11
And the day has come and it will come again, when God will intervene in our lives, in a way that we can’t deny. When whatever happened yesterday is wiped away. And all there is for us to do is to take account of or lives and move on. 9/11 affects us all in some way. But let’s not stay stuck on what we were doing on 9/11. The real question for followers of Christ is what did we do on 9/12. If I remember correctly, that is the day that we got up and needed to pray. We needed to come together in community, we needed to volunteer to help make a difference, we needed to make plans for how to support others, and how to understand those who we have ignored, how to stand together in community. We can remember 9/11 – but we need to live for 9/12 and beyond. I want us to say a litany – a community prayer for God’s healing and hopes in our lives and in the lives of others.
Litany
Leader: When memories of terror reawaken the past, and experiences of death, loss, and grief, then ...
People: In your sure hope, O God, bring healing to the world.
Leader: When anger and inflamed passion tempt us to respond with violence and seek revenge, then ...
People: In your sure hope, O God, bring healing to the world.
Leader: When we are enticed to give in to the illusion that war alone will resolve conflict between enemies, then ...
People: In your sure hope, O God, bring healing to the world.
Leader: When it feels like every menace, whether imagined or real, is a threat to our security, and fills us with fear, then ...
People: In your sure hope, O God, bring healing to the world.
Leader: When religion is used as an excuse to exclude, threaten, or destroy others, forgetting or ignoring all that unites us, then ...
People: In your sure hope, O God, bring healing to the world.
Leader: When we become stuck in the past, unable to respond to the challenges we face with vision and hope, then ...
People: In your sure hope, O God, bring healing to the world.
Leader: When we wrestle with how to create a better future for our children, even to the seventh generation, then ...
People: In your sure hope, O God, bring healing to the world.
Leader: When we struggle to find a new and peaceful way to live in the world, and forget that you, O God, are our help and salvation, then ...
People: In your sure hope, O God, bring healing to the world.
All: O God of all peoples, nations and creeds: you have created us and rejoiced in the goodness of creation, and have wept with us when have experienced death, loss and grief.
Send your healing presence into the world and endow all people, leaders, groups and nations with your vision of unity and peace; so that we and all people may move on from the wounds of the past and seek to live in harmony with one another; to the end that the goodness of your creation may be restored, enhanced and sustained for the common good of all.
Through mercies of your love and grace, and in your sure hope, O God, bring healing to the world. Amen!
Sunday, September 04, 2011
Help us Accept Each Other
September 4, 2011
Year A
“Help Us Accept Each Other”
Romans 13:8-14
Matthew 18:15-20
12th Sunday After Pentecost
Sanibonani – that means hello to you all in Zulu – the language of blacks in South Africa. And you would respond…..
Another important zulu word is ubuntu. Nelson Mandela and Bishop Desmond Tutu have made this word popular around the world. It is a very important word in all of African culture. It means I am because you are. It means that my humanity is tied up in who you are. It means I am a human being because of you. You define my life.
It is a spirit of community, togetherness. It drives us to help others. It is also the definition of love. Because true love is not a feeling, or emotion. True love is who we are as a church, how we treat one another, how loyal we are to the whole and not just to some of the parts. The way in which we love one another is a reflection of God.
Over the next few weeks in our lessons we will deal with who we are as a church and what Jesus calls the church to be. We will talk about how we are supposed to treat one another. Matthew 15-35 will deal with the very topic. Christ realized that the only way his disciples could carry on his work was to work together in community. If there were things that stood in the way of loving one another, there were things that stood in the middle of the mission.
Ubuntu is unity.
But I also need to say that not all unity is healthy. There are times when we are united by our own survival and self interest. There are times when we are united because we have a secret. Sometimes we are united because of unhealthy emotions.
Only unity in Christ is ubuntu – true love.
We only have two more chapters of Romans until we start to deal with the four chapters of Phillippians. In Romans, Paul is telling new Christians how to be the body of Christ in the face of Roman oppression. In Matthew Jesus is preparing the disciples for the persecution ahead. It is interesting that Jesus mentions the word church in these verses, and yet Jesus would not have known what a church was. Matthew was writing in the second century of the early church. There too was a small struggling community, struggling against the circumstances of life.
Jesus knew, and Paul came to realize that the biggest threat to the church was not out there somewhere. It continues to be right here in this room. It is ourselves, and the ways in which we treat one another. And the ways that we explain away the behavior of others, and we allow others to be treated.
It is inevitable – whether we are a family, a church or just a gathering. Wherever 2or 3 are gathered, there is going to be some form of woundedness, someone is going to feel hurt, someone is going to feel offended, someone is going to feel victimized. Whereever 2or 3 are gathered there is going to be sin – jealousy, resentment, nosiness. Sin is something in your life that at the moment is more important to you than God and God’s commandment to love one another. Romans 13:8 says – Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The 10 commandments are instructions to love one another is a world that shows no love. Sermon on the mount – sermon on unconditional love. There is really no way that you can escapte the law of love.
In the fall there is this new show coming on called Revenge. I am dying to watch it. It is a series about a beautiful young woman whose father was killed. The tag line of the show says this is not a show about forgiveness. I have been scratching my head all summer dying to understand what that means. Even the Hebrew bible says an eye for an eye. In other worlds once you kill the person that killed your father – its over, the debt has been paid and it is time to move on. Revenge for revenge sake is crazy thinking. And people who walk around thinking that it is their job to seek revenge become crazy soul sick people. They not only put their souls in a very dangerous place, they become dangerous people. Forgiveness and reconciliation is not about the other person, it is always about you. It cleans your soul and allows you to move on. Forgiveness and reconciliation are the major part of God’s law of love. There is no escaping it, and we all have to come to that realization in life whether we want to or not. Every story is a story of forgiveness and reconciliation eventually. Creation is God’s law, justice is God’s law, mercy is God’s law and love is God’s law. You cant escpae it no matter how hard you try.
Where 2or 3 are gathered there is sin – but in the midst of it all there is also love. Because there is Jesus Christ in the midst.
If you look at Matthew 18 – it spells out the rules for confronting sin within the Christian community. Confronting sin means stop pretending that there is nothing wrong. Whatever it is, it needs to come out in the open.
Things that live in darkness, secrecy and unspoken understandings become the devil’s playground. When the meeting in the parking lot becomes more important than the meeting at the table, something is wrong. Problems that are never dealt with continue to fester and get worse. When they come to the light of Christ – they are resolved and they go away. Matthew 16 says that there is a process to the way that you confront. First you come face to face with the person and you confront them alone to tell them what they did wrong (or what you think they did wrong). Then you being a witness along with you, and then you confront them with the entire church. And you pray through the whole process. Another person put it this way…
1. Put Your Complaint into Words
2. Tell the Person about It in Person
3. Counsel with Other Wise Christians.
4. Make Use of the Christian Fellowship.
5. Never Give up Trying
The most important thing to remember is that you cant have confrontation without reconciliation. The point of the process is to learn to forgive.
A story of 4 friends
Four friends gathered for lunch after church as they did every Sunday. They went into their favorite café to talk. They had gathered for so long – that the conversation could go anywhere. They could be talking about their gardens and which vegetables didn’t come up this year. They could be talking about the new sewing project one had started, they could be talking about the new garage one just had designed. Then the conversation flows to more practical issues – the sermon they heard, the music the choir sang/
Today as the four picked their seat – one noticed that there was a young man at the table next to them – sitting all alone. She seemed to have recognized him – she could see the family resemblance – she must have known his father.
But she too immediately got into the conversation. The conversation always goes from church business to church gossip. And she had a good one to talk about – Patty. Patty was in the choir with her, but when she saw her at the grocery store last Saturday she did not even speak. It seems that every since Patty inherited that money from uncle, she has become very stuck up. She doesn’t talk to anyone. But this time our friend was offended. She did not appreciate this treatment at all.
Did you speak to Patty? Asks one of the friends. This person obviously didn’t understand the situation. If you noticed what was going on with Patty did you speak to Patty. As the friend looks away – she notices the gaze of the young man at the next table – he is looking right at her, his eyes seem sad, even a little concerned. But he is very quiet.
As her attention goes back to her friends- and the conversation she is upset but she listens to their advice. Maybe you should just go to Patty and ask her what is going on. You never know until you talk with her. If you sense there there is a problem talk with her – afterall, we are church members. Jesus calls us to forgive one another and to resolve our differences. When we feel that we have been hurt – Jesus asks us not to dwell in the pain – but to go directly to the person and resolve the issue. If you cant resolve the issue between the two of you – take some others with you. Afterall – Jesus reminds us that he is always with us – where two or three are gathered his presence is there.
And suddenly it came to her – she recognized the young man at the table- he did indeed look just like his father. Whom she knew so well also. But she also realized why her relationships with those in her church were so important. Because wherever those relationships were present – so was that young man who looked so familiar.
That young man was Jesus Christ himself. Jesus says that where 2 or 3 are gathered, so is Christ. The combination of us and Christ unleashes a powerful spirit. In the face of God we have to put aside our selfishness, our pride, our predjudice and the the holy spirit reign in the situation.
You have to realize that you love God more than you love being right. Because whatever it is that hold your spirit, hold you.
There is a Russian saying that we need to make peace with people and make war with our sin. Sometimes even in the church we like to do the opposite.
Forgiveness is a choice to put our future in God’s hands. Oprah said forgiveness is finally realizing that whatever it was that happened in the past, there is nothing you can do to change it. I would add that forgiveness is the decision to put it all in God’s hands. Forgiveness is the choice to leave the past behind and to live in God’s future. Christ calls us not to get so caught up in the way things are, and to embrace the way things can be. To create heaven here on earth – just in your attitude. To free ourselves of whatever it is that is holding us back.
True Freedom in Forgiveness
When Bill Clinton met Nelson Mandela for the first time, he had a question on his mind: "When you were released from prison, Mr. Mandela," the former President said, "I woke my daughter at three o'clock in the morning. I wanted her to see this historic event." Then President Clinton zeroed in on his question: "As you marched from the cellblock across the yard to the gate of the prison, the camera focused in on your face. I have never seen such anger, and even hatred, in any man as was expressed on your face at that time. That's not the Nelson Mandela I know today," said Clinton. "What was that about?"
Mandela answered, "I'm surprised that you saw that, and I regret that the cameras caught my anger. As I walked across the courtyard that day I thought to myself, ‘They've taken everything from you that matters. Your cause is dead. Your family is gone. Your friends have been killed. Now they're releasing you, but there's nothing left for you out there.' And I hated them for what they had taken from me. Then, I sensed an inner voice saying to me, ‘Nelson! For twenty-seven years you were their prisoner, but you were always a free man! Don't allow them to make you into a free man, only to turn you into their prisoner!'"
You can never be free to be a whole person if you are unable to forgive.
Ubuntu – I can only be as human as I allow you to be.
We all have the power to bind and the power to set free. Whatever you are still holding onto – is still holding on to you. Whether it is the past, a person, an injustice, a resentment – God is asking you right now to let it go. That is the law of God’s love.
With faith comes goodness, with goodness comes knowledge, with knowledge comes self control, with self control comes endurance, with endurance comes godliness, with godliness comes mutual affection, with mutual affection comes love. Let us pray..
Year A
“Help Us Accept Each Other”
Romans 13:8-14
Matthew 18:15-20
12th Sunday After Pentecost
Sanibonani – that means hello to you all in Zulu – the language of blacks in South Africa. And you would respond…..
Another important zulu word is ubuntu. Nelson Mandela and Bishop Desmond Tutu have made this word popular around the world. It is a very important word in all of African culture. It means I am because you are. It means that my humanity is tied up in who you are. It means I am a human being because of you. You define my life.
It is a spirit of community, togetherness. It drives us to help others. It is also the definition of love. Because true love is not a feeling, or emotion. True love is who we are as a church, how we treat one another, how loyal we are to the whole and not just to some of the parts. The way in which we love one another is a reflection of God.
Over the next few weeks in our lessons we will deal with who we are as a church and what Jesus calls the church to be. We will talk about how we are supposed to treat one another. Matthew 15-35 will deal with the very topic. Christ realized that the only way his disciples could carry on his work was to work together in community. If there were things that stood in the way of loving one another, there were things that stood in the middle of the mission.
Ubuntu is unity.
But I also need to say that not all unity is healthy. There are times when we are united by our own survival and self interest. There are times when we are united because we have a secret. Sometimes we are united because of unhealthy emotions.
Only unity in Christ is ubuntu – true love.
We only have two more chapters of Romans until we start to deal with the four chapters of Phillippians. In Romans, Paul is telling new Christians how to be the body of Christ in the face of Roman oppression. In Matthew Jesus is preparing the disciples for the persecution ahead. It is interesting that Jesus mentions the word church in these verses, and yet Jesus would not have known what a church was. Matthew was writing in the second century of the early church. There too was a small struggling community, struggling against the circumstances of life.
Jesus knew, and Paul came to realize that the biggest threat to the church was not out there somewhere. It continues to be right here in this room. It is ourselves, and the ways in which we treat one another. And the ways that we explain away the behavior of others, and we allow others to be treated.
It is inevitable – whether we are a family, a church or just a gathering. Wherever 2or 3 are gathered, there is going to be some form of woundedness, someone is going to feel hurt, someone is going to feel offended, someone is going to feel victimized. Whereever 2or 3 are gathered there is going to be sin – jealousy, resentment, nosiness. Sin is something in your life that at the moment is more important to you than God and God’s commandment to love one another. Romans 13:8 says – Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The 10 commandments are instructions to love one another is a world that shows no love. Sermon on the mount – sermon on unconditional love. There is really no way that you can escapte the law of love.
In the fall there is this new show coming on called Revenge. I am dying to watch it. It is a series about a beautiful young woman whose father was killed. The tag line of the show says this is not a show about forgiveness. I have been scratching my head all summer dying to understand what that means. Even the Hebrew bible says an eye for an eye. In other worlds once you kill the person that killed your father – its over, the debt has been paid and it is time to move on. Revenge for revenge sake is crazy thinking. And people who walk around thinking that it is their job to seek revenge become crazy soul sick people. They not only put their souls in a very dangerous place, they become dangerous people. Forgiveness and reconciliation is not about the other person, it is always about you. It cleans your soul and allows you to move on. Forgiveness and reconciliation are the major part of God’s law of love. There is no escaping it, and we all have to come to that realization in life whether we want to or not. Every story is a story of forgiveness and reconciliation eventually. Creation is God’s law, justice is God’s law, mercy is God’s law and love is God’s law. You cant escpae it no matter how hard you try.
Where 2or 3 are gathered there is sin – but in the midst of it all there is also love. Because there is Jesus Christ in the midst.
If you look at Matthew 18 – it spells out the rules for confronting sin within the Christian community. Confronting sin means stop pretending that there is nothing wrong. Whatever it is, it needs to come out in the open.
Things that live in darkness, secrecy and unspoken understandings become the devil’s playground. When the meeting in the parking lot becomes more important than the meeting at the table, something is wrong. Problems that are never dealt with continue to fester and get worse. When they come to the light of Christ – they are resolved and they go away. Matthew 16 says that there is a process to the way that you confront. First you come face to face with the person and you confront them alone to tell them what they did wrong (or what you think they did wrong). Then you being a witness along with you, and then you confront them with the entire church. And you pray through the whole process. Another person put it this way…
1. Put Your Complaint into Words
2. Tell the Person about It in Person
3. Counsel with Other Wise Christians.
4. Make Use of the Christian Fellowship.
5. Never Give up Trying
The most important thing to remember is that you cant have confrontation without reconciliation. The point of the process is to learn to forgive.
A story of 4 friends
Four friends gathered for lunch after church as they did every Sunday. They went into their favorite café to talk. They had gathered for so long – that the conversation could go anywhere. They could be talking about their gardens and which vegetables didn’t come up this year. They could be talking about the new sewing project one had started, they could be talking about the new garage one just had designed. Then the conversation flows to more practical issues – the sermon they heard, the music the choir sang/
Today as the four picked their seat – one noticed that there was a young man at the table next to them – sitting all alone. She seemed to have recognized him – she could see the family resemblance – she must have known his father.
But she too immediately got into the conversation. The conversation always goes from church business to church gossip. And she had a good one to talk about – Patty. Patty was in the choir with her, but when she saw her at the grocery store last Saturday she did not even speak. It seems that every since Patty inherited that money from uncle, she has become very stuck up. She doesn’t talk to anyone. But this time our friend was offended. She did not appreciate this treatment at all.
Did you speak to Patty? Asks one of the friends. This person obviously didn’t understand the situation. If you noticed what was going on with Patty did you speak to Patty. As the friend looks away – she notices the gaze of the young man at the next table – he is looking right at her, his eyes seem sad, even a little concerned. But he is very quiet.
As her attention goes back to her friends- and the conversation she is upset but she listens to their advice. Maybe you should just go to Patty and ask her what is going on. You never know until you talk with her. If you sense there there is a problem talk with her – afterall, we are church members. Jesus calls us to forgive one another and to resolve our differences. When we feel that we have been hurt – Jesus asks us not to dwell in the pain – but to go directly to the person and resolve the issue. If you cant resolve the issue between the two of you – take some others with you. Afterall – Jesus reminds us that he is always with us – where two or three are gathered his presence is there.
And suddenly it came to her – she recognized the young man at the table- he did indeed look just like his father. Whom she knew so well also. But she also realized why her relationships with those in her church were so important. Because wherever those relationships were present – so was that young man who looked so familiar.
That young man was Jesus Christ himself. Jesus says that where 2 or 3 are gathered, so is Christ. The combination of us and Christ unleashes a powerful spirit. In the face of God we have to put aside our selfishness, our pride, our predjudice and the the holy spirit reign in the situation.
You have to realize that you love God more than you love being right. Because whatever it is that hold your spirit, hold you.
There is a Russian saying that we need to make peace with people and make war with our sin. Sometimes even in the church we like to do the opposite.
Forgiveness is a choice to put our future in God’s hands. Oprah said forgiveness is finally realizing that whatever it was that happened in the past, there is nothing you can do to change it. I would add that forgiveness is the decision to put it all in God’s hands. Forgiveness is the choice to leave the past behind and to live in God’s future. Christ calls us not to get so caught up in the way things are, and to embrace the way things can be. To create heaven here on earth – just in your attitude. To free ourselves of whatever it is that is holding us back.
True Freedom in Forgiveness
When Bill Clinton met Nelson Mandela for the first time, he had a question on his mind: "When you were released from prison, Mr. Mandela," the former President said, "I woke my daughter at three o'clock in the morning. I wanted her to see this historic event." Then President Clinton zeroed in on his question: "As you marched from the cellblock across the yard to the gate of the prison, the camera focused in on your face. I have never seen such anger, and even hatred, in any man as was expressed on your face at that time. That's not the Nelson Mandela I know today," said Clinton. "What was that about?"
Mandela answered, "I'm surprised that you saw that, and I regret that the cameras caught my anger. As I walked across the courtyard that day I thought to myself, ‘They've taken everything from you that matters. Your cause is dead. Your family is gone. Your friends have been killed. Now they're releasing you, but there's nothing left for you out there.' And I hated them for what they had taken from me. Then, I sensed an inner voice saying to me, ‘Nelson! For twenty-seven years you were their prisoner, but you were always a free man! Don't allow them to make you into a free man, only to turn you into their prisoner!'"
You can never be free to be a whole person if you are unable to forgive.
Ubuntu – I can only be as human as I allow you to be.
We all have the power to bind and the power to set free. Whatever you are still holding onto – is still holding on to you. Whether it is the past, a person, an injustice, a resentment – God is asking you right now to let it go. That is the law of God’s love.
With faith comes goodness, with goodness comes knowledge, with knowledge comes self control, with self control comes endurance, with endurance comes godliness, with godliness comes mutual affection, with mutual affection comes love. Let us pray..
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