The Power of Baptism

April 21, 2018 Fourth Sunday of Easter Year B Acts 8:26-40 The Power of Baptism Children’s time: the children will welcome a new child for baptism. Acts 8:26-40 Common English Bible (CEB) Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch 26 An angel from the Lord spoke to Philip, “At noon, take[a] the road that leads from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a desert road.) 27 So he did. Meanwhile, an Ethiopian man was on his way home from Jerusalem, where he had come to worship. He was a eunuch and an official responsible for the entire treasury of Candace. (Candace is the title given to the Ethiopian queen.) 28 He was reading the prophet Isaiah while sitting in his carriage. 29 The Spirit told Philip, “Approach this carriage and stay with it.” 30 Running up to the carriage, Philip heard the man reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, “Do you really understand what you are reading?” 31 The man replied, “Without someone to guide me, how could I?” Then he invited Philip to climb up and sit with him. 32 This was the passage of scripture he was reading: Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent so he didn’t open his mouth. 33 In his humiliation justice was taken away from him. Who can tell the story of his descendants because his life was taken from the earth?[b] 34 The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, about whom does the prophet say this? Is he talking about himself or someone else?” 35 Starting with that passage, Philip proclaimed the good news about Jesus to him. 36 As they went down the road, they came to some water. The eunuch said, “Look! Water! What would keep me from being baptized?”[c] 38 He ordered that the carriage halt. Both Philip and the eunuch went down to the water, where Philip baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Lord’s Spirit suddenly took Philip away. The eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing. 40 Philip found himself in Azotus. He traveled through that area, preaching the good news in all the cities until he reached Caesarea. Footnotes: a. Acts 8:26 Or travel south along b. Acts 8:33 Isa 53:7-8 c. Acts 8:36 Critical editions of the Gk New Testament do not include 8:37 Philip said to him, “If you believe with all your heart, you can be.” The eunuch answered, “I believe that Jesus Christ is God’s Son.” Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible They say that there is a reason that God gives us two ears and only one mouth. It is twice as important to use our ears to hear, than it is to use our mouth to speak. In order to have a relationship with anyone, we have to be able to listen to them. Our relationship with God starts with God listening to us. When we pray, we are asking God to listen to us. We become a Christian when we realize that God cares about us. Before we can care for God, God tells us the God cares about us. When we are finally able to listen to God, we are called to help others to listen also. We get them to listen, by informing them of God’s love. Our lives depend on it. That is what evangelism is all about – spreading the good news of God’s love for us. It is interesting that for most people in the pews today, evangelism is a bad word. None of us want to go up the strangers and start talking about God. None of us want to tell others about our faith. Telling others about Jesus Christ is just something that you do in this day and age. What if I told you that spreading the good news of Jesus Christ is not so much about what you say, as it is your ability to listen. Remember you only have one mouth, but you have two ears for a reason. I am excited as I read this story of Philip in the book of Acts – because it is a story of Philip learning to listen. It was in his ability to listen, that he learned to respond to the situation. Remember the book of Acts is the story of how the holy spirit started the church. And the main character in this story is the holy Spirit. The spirit told Philip to travel down this road, and the spirit told him to minister to whomever he met. Philip listens to the Ethiopian official before saying anything. He hears that the man is trying to understand the book of Isaiah. Philip never really leads the conversation, he answers the mans questions. Being that the man feels that he is heard, and that God cares, he is willing to become a believer himself. The spirit tells Philip that his work is done and he can move on. To listen to the lives of others. Our lesson is that when we are trying to bring others to Christ, all we have to do is listen to their story, and then to be willing to tell them our story. When we are able to listen the Holy Spirit is willing to speak and show others God’s love. Listening to others is not just the secret to bringing others to Christ. It is the secret to all of our relationships. A woman went to see a divorce lawyer. Frantically she told him, "I must have a divorce from my husband immediately!" The lawyer asked, "Do you have any grounds?" "Yes, about five acres." "I mean, do you have a grudge?" the lawyer questioned. "No, just a carport." Then the lawyer asked, "Does he beat you up?" "No," the woman replied, "I get up before he does." Exasperated, the attorney demanded, "Madam, why do you want a divorce from your husband?" "Because it is impossible to communicate with that man!" Question: How well do we hear God's voice? If we want someone to respond to us, we have to do that by learning to listen, then the words that need to be said will all fall into place. A boy with a record of juvenile delinquency spelled out clearly what he really needed in a letter, just before he ran away from home. Dear Folks, You asked me why I did those things and why I gave you so much trouble, and the answer is easy for me to give you, but I wonder if you will understand. Remember when I was about six or seven and I used to want you to just listen to me? I remember all the nice things you gave me for Christmas and my birthday. I was really happy with the things — for about a week — at the time I got those things, but the rest of the time during the year I really didn't want presents. I just wanted for you to listen to me like I was a somebody who felt things, too, because even when I was young I felt things. But you said you were busy. Mom, you are a wonderful cook, and you had everything so clean and you were tired so much from doing all those things that made you so busy, but, you know something, Mom? I would have liked crackers and peanut butter just as well if you had only sat down with me a while during the day and said to me: "Tell me all about it so I can maybe help you understand." If Donna ever has children, I hope you will tell her to just pay some attention to the one who doesn't smile very much because that one will really be crying inside. And when she's about to bake six dozen cookies, tell her to make sure first that the kids don't want to tell her about a dream or a hope or something. Thoughts are important to small kids, even though they don't have so many words to use when they tell about what they have inside them. I think that all the kids who are doing so many things that grown-ups are tearing out their hair worrying about are really looking for somebody who really and truly will treat them as they would a grown-up who might be useful to them, you know — polite-like. If you folks had ever said to me: "Pardon me" when you interrupted me, I'd have dropped dead! Your son Someone with time, someone who will listen and hear — that's what young people want today. That's what all of us want. Jesus heard the cries of the weary. He calls us to do the same. He wants us to hear what he says and what people are really saying. That's why he died on the cross — to open our ears and our minds to what is really happening instead of what seems to be happening. Philip was able to listen to the Ethiopian Official in a way that actually changed his life for the better and made a difference. As I was preparing for today – I realized some interesting lessons in this story. We don’t know why the Ethiopian was in Jerusalem. Or even what drew him to even have an interest in the Jewish faith. He had been castrated, probably at an early age. Deuteronomy 23 specifically says that a castrated male cannot be a part of the faith. But for some reason, something spoke to him about this faith. He wanted to know more, in the midst of all of the human exclusion, he heard that God loved him. God sent someone to teach him and to baptize him. That is the good news of the faith -we are able to give love, because God loves us first. God has a plan for us that goes all the way back to before we were born. God watches that plan unfold in our lives, and God is leading us, God is speaking to us, God sends people into our lives to show us even more love. Even though he was excluded from joining the church, somehow he knew that God’s grace was working in his life. That is what baptism is all about, us experiencing the grace of God that has been there even before we were born. God’s grace comes upon us before we are born. If our parents recognize God’s grace, we are baptized. Baptism brings more grace into our lives. And as we live, and God sends people into our lives, that grace grows until we are able to speak for ourselves. Once we can speak, and we can think that grace continues to grow, it gives us a better life, and it empowers us to give that better life to others. And when we finally stand before God, it is that grace that unites us with God. The story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch reveals what true evangelism is about and how it's carried out. It's one of the best resources for unpacking what Florence Nightingale meant when she said that all of Christianity could be expressed in 8 one-syllable words, four of which are spoken by God, and four spoken by us: "Lo, it is I" (God's initiative) and "Here I am, Lord" (our response). It's God's work to ready the heart. It's God's work to set the stage. It's God's work to let the Spirit blow where it may. It's our work to help people hear God speaking in their lives, "Lo, it is I." And it is our work to help people speak to God in reply, "Here I am, Lord." Baptism is God’s way of saying – I am listening to you. I care about you. And I am sending my grace to you life, so that you can know that you are never alone. Whenever your heart speaks – I care. Some Christians believe that baptism is something one agrees to when one becomes a believer. Other Christians believe that baptism is a sacrament, that it bestows faith. It doesn't matter. Baptism is a sign of one's faith. The eunuch went back to Ethiopia, cleaned by baptism, in union with Christ, and ready to start a new life. The existence of the Ethiopian Orthodox church today might be a witness to the eunuch's powerful witness. Who knows? The point is this: The Ethiopian eunuch found identity in Christ and probably shared the hope of a meaningful new identity with others. What identifies us is our unity in and with Christ. He called us; we answered; we have returned to him. We are his. What does it mean to belong to him? I think that as we welcome Henry into the Christian family it is important to remember that helping him to understand what it means to be a Christian is not so much about teaching him as it is about listening to him. It is not in telling him who to be, but in listening to who he is. He is a child of God, loved by God, God has a plan for his life, and we get to be a part of that plan. Our confirmand have also started their journey this week – our young people need to know that they are valued and that they have something to contribute. And that God speaks to all of us on the journey- so we all have something to contribute to the faith. Faith is remembering that it is twice as important to listen as it is to speak. It is knowing that God is listening, and God sends people in our lives to remind us that God cares. A teenage virtuoso pianist played his heart out to a large audience. At the end, as he walked off the stage, the audience stood and applauded. The man behind the curtain told the boy to go out and take a bow. "No," the boy replied, "I can't." "Why not?" asked the man. "They are all standing and applauding." "Not all of them," the young pianist replied. "The man in the back row in the balcony is still sitting." "That's only one," the man said. "What's so important about him?" "He's my teacher," the boy meekly replied as he watched from behind the curtain. "I was playing for him." Just then the man in the back row stood up and joined in the standing ovation. Isn't that what life is all about? Not pleasing everyone, but keeping our eyes on the one we call our Lord, our leader, our teacher? Think of the end of your life and imagine the Lord giving you a standing ovation and saying, "Enter into the joy of your master." Isn't that the most important thing of all? May God bless our children. May they go through life knowing that there is always someone listening to them, supporting them, guiding them. That is the secret to bringing more people in from the outside. God has heard your cry – will you hear the cry of others. Listening is what gives us life. Let us pray……. Additional illustrations… When we see what our leader and teacher has done for us, we want to serve him. We want to be like him. We can ignore the cheers or boos of the crowd and seek only to please Jesus, the servant leader. Back in the '60s, a real "hip" kid attended the morning service of worship at an upper-class church. The pastor greeted him at the door. The groovy kid grabbed the minister's hand and said, "Dad, I really dug that sermon!" The staid pastor was taken by surprise and said, "Young man, I don't understand." The beatnik answered, "Dad, I really ‘went' for that sermon; it really came down the middle, man, loud and cool; it was like, gone, man." The minister's dignity was rattled and he decided to confront the young man with some propriety. He said, "Son, I just don't understand what you are trying to say; perhaps you could use some appropriate English." The loose-shirted, blue-jeaned, and sandaled lad tried again. "Dad, what I really mean is, I really went for what you had to say, so much so that I put 100 smackeroos in the collection plate." Suddenly the cast of enlightenment crossed the face of the minister and he said, "Crazy, man, crazy!" Some years ago, in the '80s, a tour director led some of the older ladies in his group after the evening meal down Kurfuerstendam, the main street of Berlin. The streets were crowded by punkers, one outfit more outrageous than the other. As the leader approached one particular punker, she noticed something furry on his shoulder chained by a pin to his ear. She was startled to discover that it was a rat. A bit of a mean streak seized her and she quickly stepped aside in order to observe the reaction of the lady next in line. The punker also attracted the interest of the tourist. The woman approached him with curiosity, closing in order to figure out what he had on his shoulder. When she realized that she was almost within kissing distance of a live rat, she yelled and jumped backward a considerable distance. The punker, of course, loved it. He delighted in shocking the people walking along Kurfuerstendam. He had found identity and he wanted to flaunt it. In a city that, before the reunification of Germany, was a symbol of lost hopes and futility, the punker found "success" with purple hair, with an outrageous costume, and with a rat pinned to his ear. All Philip asked was what God gave him, "Do you understand what you are reading?" I can guarantee that people are more ready to talk about spiritual things than we are ready to initiate it. Dr. Waylon Moore encourages us in witnessing "never to presuppose a negative response" in speaking to people about Jesus! 3. Listen to them and then answer them with Jesus: You don't have to have all the answers. Just listen and then tell them about what the Bible says about Jesus. "Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus." Philip hadn't had years of training or school; Christianity had just begun. But he knew and had experienced Jesus. So he listened and then testified. The eunuch knew God, but now he knew Jesus! 4. Don't make it harder than it is: Obviously Philip told him more specifics than we have recorded because the hungry eunuch knew enough to ask to be baptized. But he had faith and he wanted to fulfill God's wishes for him, so he asked to be baptized. "Why shouldn't I be baptized?" Yes, why not? God had done his job in giving faith. Let's not add any more than Scripture does to give people assurance of faith! 5. Keep at it: Philip had the privilege of baptizing a new Christian, but he didn't get to see the eunuch grow up spiritually. That's okay, Philip just kept on doing what God was calling him to do: "preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea." Don't give up. Every day ask God to help you find a eunuch! Each morning as you put in your spiritual hearing aids, be sure you turn them loud enough to hear God say to you what he said to his Son at his baptism: "You are my beloved child. I love you and I am well pleased with you!" Ooh, I like that. Now I can take on the world for Jesus! "

An Easter Sighting of the Risen Christ

April 15, 2018 Luke 24: 36-48 An Easter sighting of The Risen Christ Year B 3rd Sunday After Easter Exegetical Aim: To demonstrate the need in our lives to have God's power at all times in our life. Prop: A heavy winter coat you can wear. Lesson: [If you can wear the coat over your robe put it on and act as though it's cold.] Burr, I'm glad I have this coat. (response) Its so cold I think its going to snow! (response) What? (response) What are you laughing about? (response) It's hot? (response) It is? (response) You mean I don't need this coat? (response) Take the coat off hold and hold it in your hands. Your right it's not really cold outside. What time of year do I need a coat like this? (winter) That's right. I don't need it in the summer because it's not the right time of year. We have winter clothes and we have summer clothes don't we? (response) There are some clothes that we wear all year round. Can you name some? (response) If the kids don't name "socks" then you name it (For the women who are not wearing socks use your shoes). Application: I guess I need to put away this coat until fall when it starts to get cold again. Showing the kids your socks Should I put away my socks too? (response) Well, the Holy Spirit is kind of like these socks. When it's summer and hot outside we don't put away our socks until next winter do we? (response) No, we need our socks all year round. And, we need the Holy Spirit all year round. Jesus told his disciples they were going to be "clothed with power from on high." They were going to be clothed with the power of Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is kind of like a heavy coat. When we need strength and power in our lives we can put it around us and God will give us comfort. But the Holy Spirit is also like my socks. We always need the Holy Spirit. We always need the power God gives us to live. ChristianGlobe, , by Brett Blair Luke 24:36-48 Common English Bible (CEB) Jesus appears to the disciples 36 While they were saying these things, Jesus himself stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 37 They were terrified and afraid. They thought they were seeing a ghost. 38 He said to them, “Why are you startled? Why are doubts arising in your hearts? 39 Look at my hands and my feet. It’s really me! Touch me and see, for a ghost doesn’t have flesh and bones like you see I have.”40 As he said this, he showed them his hands and feet. 41 Because they were wondering and questioning in the midst of their happiness, he said to them, “Do you have anything to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of baked fish. 43 Taking it, he ate it in front of them. 44 Jesus said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the Law from Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures. 46 He said to them, “This is what is written: the Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and a change of heart and life for the forgiveness of sins must be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible When I travelled to Israel in seminary in 1992, I learned a lot from my first trip out of the country. I learned a lot about myself, and about my faith. There are two earthshattering experiences that stand out for me that really challenged me. The first was on the first evening that we had arrived and we had orientation on our work. I remember staring at the instructor in disbelief, I consider myself to be a pretty intelligent person, but it never occurred to me that an archeological dig was something that you had to do in the ground, with dirt. I was mortified, because unless there was a miracle, I was not going to have anything to do with dirt. And sure enough, everyone else got up at 5am to get dressed, and trek a mile up a hill to work on the site. Luckily for me, I was sick everyday for two weeks, so that I could stay in bed. We, or they worked undigging the sight during the week. And on weekends were visited various sites around the country. On our first weekend, we went to Jerusalem. Within the larger city is the old city of Jerusalem, where Jesus would have walked. The old city is strictly a tourist sight. And most of the storekeepers are Palestinian Christians. At that time, the 4th of every month was intifada where that Palestinians were supposed to close their businesses in protest. But it turned out that they were so desparate for our tourist dollars, they were secretly opened for us. As you walk down the streets that Jesus was supposed to have travelled to the cross, you are bombarded by vendor after vendor wanting you to buy in their store. The journey through the stations of the cross is not a historical experience of what happened to Jesus, it is a recreation of the stations created by the catholic church. The church of the holy sepulcher, which has the sites of the cross and burial cave are inside. The best way to describe the experience is it is like being in Christian Disneyland. You stand in lines in order to see these holy sights. And then you get to touch the place that might have been calvary, then stand next to a picture of Mary to take a picture. In the highlight of the experience, you stand in line for over 30 minutes. They give you a candle, and you are allowed into the cave where Jesus may have been buried 10 at a time. A priest lights your candle, tells the story of the resurrection and says a prayer. It was the end of a very distressing day. As I sat in the cave, looking at the place where Jesus may have been laid, I remember thinking this is the biggest crock of mess that I have ever seen in my life. There is no way that a man laid in this place and died and just magically arose and came back to life. There is no way anyone who died came come back to life. Luckilly I did not have a lot of time to dwell on that thought, because after the prayer, they kick you out and lead you out of the church, so that the next ten people can have their chance to pray. Belief in the resurrection of Christ is the foundation of our faith as Christians. But being faced with a real place where that could have happened- made it even harder to understand. Luckily, that was just the end of a strange experience. But it didn’t make me question my faith, it drew me to ask more questions and to learn more about the story. Years later, I have more questions about resurrection than answers. There are things that I still can’t explain about what happened to Jesus. But today, after 22 years of being in ministry, I have learned that they are many strange things happening in the relationship between life and death. It is a normal part of my job to deal with that relationship and to guide families through that journey. The more that I experience in life, the less I question the resurrection. I am comfortable with it being a mystery. All four gospels accounts mention sightings of Jesus Christ after the resurrection. In each account, the man that they see after resurrection is not quite the same man that died on the cross. In each resurrection sighting, the person who know Jesus does not recognize him. But in each account Jesus comes to those who know him and speak to them. When people die, accounts of them reappearing is well documented. It is a spiritual phenomenom. As a matter of fact, it is not strange for parishioners to visit me as they are making their transitions. For years I have talked to families who told me the time that someone died, and I can remember back and remember thinking of that person at that very moment. I still vividly remember the dream that I had of the ancestors coming to get my sister, only to learn that she had died that night in her sleep. So as I experience more about life, I no longer question whether it is possible for a man to die and to come back to life. The relationship between life and death is a very real mystery. But in our story in Luke, Jesus goes through lengths to show people that he is not a spirit, that he is real. He shows them his hands and his feet. This story takes place after the walk to Emmaus. When he appears, not only does he challenge his friends to touch his hands and feet, he also asks for something to eat. Spirits don’t have flesh and bones, and they don’t eat fish. Scripture says that he enjoyed a whole meal with them and taught them many things over the meal. So it is official – church potlucks are holy meals that have been ordained by Christ. But being that Luke was a doctor, he teaches us another important lesson. That believing in the resurrection is not a spiritual experience, it is a real, physical experience. It is not about what goes on in our heads, it is about how we live and treat real people. Sermon Opener – See My Hands and Feet - Luke 24:36b-48 Tolstoy once told a story of a Czar and Czarina who wished to honor the members of their court with a banquet. They sent out invitations and requested that the guests come with the invitations in their hands. When they arrived at the banquet the guests were surprised to discover that the guards did not look at their invitations at all. Instead they examined their hands. The guests wondered about this, but they were also curious to see who the Czar and Czarina would choose as the guest of honor to sit between them at the banquet. They were flabbergasted to see that it was the old scrub woman who had worked to keep the palace clean for years. The guards, having examined her hands, declared, "You have the proper credentials to be the guest of honor. We can see your love and loyalty in your hands." A similar story is told of the great missionary to Burma, Adoniram Judson. Judson went to the King of Burma to ask him if he might have permission to go to a certain city to preach. The King, a pagan, but quite an intelligent man responded, "I'm willing for a dozen preachers to go but not you, not with those hands. My people are not such fools as to take notice of your preaching but they will note those calloused, work scarred hands." After his crucifixion, the disciples of Jesus were trying to sort out the meaning of the reports they had been receiving about appearances of the risen Christ. It was most confusing to them. Was it a hoax? They were not completely immune to superstition. Perhaps it was some kind of ghost. Suddenly it happened. Jesus himself stood among them. The disciples were startled and frightened. Then Jesus said to them, "Why are you troubled and why do questionings rise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself..." The response of the disciples is a sermon in itself. Luke tells us that they "disbelieved for joy..." It was simply too wonderful to be true. He was alive and he was with them right there. No wonder they had difficulty believing. Some persons still have that problem today. Many desperately want to believe but something holds them back. "See my hands and my feet..." 1. It Is Difficult to Believe God Cares That Much. 2. It Is Difficult to Believe Life Goes on Beyond the Tomb. 3. We Have Trouble Processing the Implications of These Two Truths. We are the hands and feet of Christ. Scripture says that what we will be is not known, but when it becomes obvious we will be just like Christ. But further in Luke he also says that when we do for others in the world, that it is not us, but the spirit in us. Jesus told his disciples to wait for his power, then to go out and change the world. When we embrace the resurrection, and we can feel the presence of God in our lives, we have the power to make a difference. Luke teaches us not to look for Christ in the spiritual world, but to look for him in the people around us. Spirits don’t ask for something to eat, but people do. We really do need to break bread with those around us, work the transform the lives of those around us. God with Us Wheaton Webb tells about a time when a stranger approached him and asked, "You couldn't let a man have a dollar for a meal?" A group of people was about to eat a potluck supper, so the pastor invited the man, who had the look of one who hadn't had a good meal for some time, to join them; they sat down at the end of one of the tables by themselves. "How long have you been on the road?" asked Webb. "A long time, a very long time," came the answer. "And it never occurred to you to settle down and take some steady work?" "No," the man replied, "I used to be a carpenter. But I'm one of those who has to be on his way. I'd never be happysettled in just one place." Webb comments: "It was odd the way he said it - like the wayfarer who visited Emmaus and who made as if he would have gone further until Cleopas and his companion (in the earlier episode) invited him to stay for supper." Webb asked him his name and he answered, "Mr. Immanuel." As we know, Immanuel means "God-with-us." Wheaton Webb concludes the story this way: "Presently he said his thanks and was off on his lonely journey that has no ending. And I thought: He still goes on his way, the hungry man, Mr. God-with-us, in his shabby coat, and always a look in his eyes as if he would go further. But when he had gone, my heart began to burn within me, and I had no doubt that Cleopas and his companion, in that silence that suddenly fell over their table, would have understood."41 So would the eleven on the occasion when Jesus asked for something to eat, and so do we when the Lord occasionally appears in others who come to our tables hungry and lonely. Instead of getting stuck on whether the resurrections makes sense to us, if we want to see the resurrected Christ, we have to be present to those around us. When we are able to be present, we can be a witness to Christ in spite of our questions, doubts and fears. The spirit works through our actions to change the world. Walking the Walk A Civil War chaplain approached a wounded soldier on the battlefield and asked if he'd like to hear a few verses from the Bible. The wounded man said, "No, I'm so thirsty, I'd rather have some water." The chaplain gave him a drink, and then repeated his question. "No sir, not now – but could you put something under my head?" The chaplain did so, and again repeated his question. "No," said the soldier, "I'm cold. Could you cover me up?" The chaplain took off his inside coat and wrapped the soldier. Afraid to ask, he did not repeat his question. He made to go away, but the soldier called him back. "Look, Chaplain, if there's anything in that book of yours that makes a person do for another what you've done for me, then I want to hear it." Carlos Wilton, via PresbyNet, "Sermonshop 04 17 1994," #5, 4/12/94 In the coming days, as others can see Christ in us, let us be able to see Christ in them. Christ the lord has risen today – really. Let us pray… With Your Eyes Open to the Grace of God There is a neighborhood grocery store in our fairly affluent town that is visited each morning by the same clearly non-affluent person. We will call her "Ruth," and she is a street person. She enters the grocery about 11 a.m. every day and makes her way through the aisles. There is no polite way to describe what she does: Ruth steals food. Each morning she gathers enough for her lunch, poking pieces of fruit, loaves of bread, wedges of cheese, or a can of meat under her torn and stained coat. She then glides out the door. But she is not very subtle about it. Everyone at the store can see what she does. The stockroom crew know she is taking food; the butcher sees her activity; the checkout clerks are aware of her pilfering; the manager knows what she is about. Not long ago, this grocery moved several blocks away to a larger building. The week they moved to the new location, the store manager telephoned a downtown pastor. "I don't want to embarrass Ruth," he began, "so would you please find her and tell her where we've moved. I want to be sure she can find us." There in the city is a parable of mercy. An urban grocery store owner wants to be sure a homeless woman, a woman very much unlike the owner, can nonetheless find food, and for disciples with discerning eyes, there is much to learn here about the power of God in the world. "Stay in the city with your eyes open to the grace of God," the disciples are told, "and you will receive power." Thomas G. Long, Whispering The Lyrics, CSS Publishing Touch Sanctifies Memory Touch sanctifies memory. I have a favorite cup for my morning coffee. It was my mother’s long before it was mine. For years it had its place on the kitchen window sill in my boyhood home. The chip is still on the rim, reminding me of the horseplay my sister and I enjoyed in a time when kids actually washed and dried dishes. My mother’s hands have long since relinquished that flowered coffee cup, but because she was all that she was to me, I can hold it and remember. We do well to gather our memories around things we can touch, especially baptismal water and the bread and wine of the Easter meal. These sustain us as we journey, hand in hand, with the whole company of the faithful, toward the eternal Easter yet to come. F. Dean Leuking, "Touch and See," article in The Christian Century April 2, 1997 p. 337 The Forgiveness Business I have frequently quoted Robert Capon's comments that the church is not in the morals business. The world does a pretty good job of that. What the world can't get right is the forgiveness business which is the church's proper job. From a slightly different angle, he writes in Between Noon and Three: Morality, by its very nature, must be concerned with norms, with standards; whereas grace, by definition, is concerned with persons: it is a refusal to allow the standards to become the basis of their reconciliation or condemnation. Thus the conflict: morality tells you the standard you need to meet in order to be properly alive; grace tells you that all you ultimately need is to be dead – which is either the world's lowest standard or no standard at all. Grace and morality, therefore, are two different kettles of fish. Morality deals with virtue and vice, with what is strengthening or weakening for human nature considered as an operational possibility. Grace, however, deals with sin, with a condition in which human nature has ceased to be an operational possibility and has ended up a lost cause. Grace is, to say it once again, about raising the dead. In the Bible the opposite of sin is not virtue; it is faith – faith in God who raises the dead. All this talk about morality, therefore, is misleading. When we get far enough into it we begin to convince ourselves that the preaching of the moral law will, if done energetically enough, lead people to lead good lives and so make them more like what they ought to be. But that's not biblical. St. Paul says that the purpose of the law was not to do that at all, but to bring us to the awareness of sin. We sit here talking as if proper moral instruction to fifteen-year-olds will somehow keep them clear of sin. But St. Paul says that Scripture has concluded – locked up – all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. [pp. 157-8] The goal of our preaching is not more moral behaviors, but forgiveness. I have often said that the primary purpose of sermons is absolution. While there may be instructions, and illustrations, and jokes, etc., if the forgiveness of sins through Jesus is not proclaimed in some way, I think that the sermon (and the church) has failed in its God-given purpose. Brian Stoffregen, Exegetical Notes The Urgency of the Task Luiqi Tarisio was found dead one morning with hardly any creature comforts in his home, except the presence of 246 exquisite violins. He had been collecting them all his life. They were all stored in the attic, the best in the bottom drawer of an old rickety bureau. In his very devotion to the violin, he had robbed the world of all that music. Much of that collection was owned by others before him who had done the same. So that when the greatest of his collection, a Stradivarius, was first played it had had 147 speechless years. How many of Christ's people are like old Tarisio? In our very love of the church we fail to give the glad tidings to the world; in our zeal for the truth we forget to publish it. When shall we all learn that the Good News needs not just to be cherished, but needs to be told? Don't bury God's Good News of Easter at the bottom of a rickety old bureau. Let the people hear the great sound of the music: He is Risen! Adapted from James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited, Wheaton: Tyndale, 1988, p. 492. George M. Bass, The Tree, The Tomb, And The Trumpet, CSS Publishing Co., Inc.

Something to United About

Second Sunday of Easter April 8, 2018 Year B Acts 4:32-5:5 Something to United about Acts 4:32-35 One Heart and Soul By Lois Parker Edstrom Objects suggested: Various vegetables and, if situation permits, a finished pot of vegetable soup. If you like to cook with your mom or dad, soup is a fun thing to make. First you will need a big pot. Next you choose the ingredients you would like in your soup. Vegetable soup is a favorite because you can just look in the refrigerator, see what you have – almost anything works. How about starting with carrots? Peel them, cut them into small pieces, and throw them into the pot. (You always need to work with an adult when you are near a stove and chopping things.) Then you may want to wash some potatoes and add them to the pot. Onions give good flavor. If you’ve worked with them before, you may know they cause tears. How about celery, cabbage, mushrooms, tomatoes, squash, beans, turnips, peas? Can you think of other things you may want in your soup? Yes, you will need some water, broth or tomato juice. You will also want some seasonings like salt, pepper, and perhaps some herbs. The wonderful thing about soup is that it begins as several individual things, but as it cooks the flavors blend and it becomes one thing – soup! Delicious and so healthy! In the Bible, where we learn about the early Christians, we find this verse: “The multitude of those who believed were of one heart and soul” (4:32). The idea of how soup is made will help us understand today’s lesson and it applies to Christians today as well. We are all individuals and we are each as different from one another as a carrot is from a cabbage, yet when we work together, doing God’s work, we blend and become of “one heart and soul.” We become Christians. Scripture quotations from the World English Bible Copyright 2009, Richard Niell Donovan • • • • Acts 4:32-5:5 Common English Bible (CEB) Sharing among the believers 32 The community of believers was one in heart and mind. None of them would say, “This is mine!” about any of their possessions, but held everything in common. 33 The apostles continued to bear powerful witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and an abundance of grace was at work among them all. 34 There were no needy persons among them. Those who owned properties or houses would sell them, bring the proceeds from the sales, 35 and place them in the care and under the authority of the apostles. Then it was distributed to anyone who was in need. 36 Joseph, whom the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (that is, “one who encourages”), was a Levite from Cyprus. 37 He owned a field, sold it, brought the money, and placed it in the care and under the authority of the apostles. Pretenders of sharing 5 However, a man named Ananias, along with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property. 2 With his wife’s knowledge, he withheld some of the proceeds from the sale. He brought the rest and placed it in the care and under the authority of the apostles. 3 Peter asked, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has influenced you to lie to the Holy Spirit by withholding some of the proceeds from the sale of your land? 4 Wasn’t that property yours to keep? After you sold it, wasn’t the money yours to do with whatever you wanted? What made you think of such a thing? You haven’t lied to other people but to God!” 5 When Ananias heard these words, he dropped dead. Everyone who heard this conversation was terrified. Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible There are several different themes for the second Sunday of Easter. Some people call this low Sunday – after the high of Easter things return back to normal. Attendance and offerings are low. Some call this holy humor Sunday, where you bring jokes to church and we laugh, because resurrection is the biggest joke that God played in the devil. For those who were here for the Ash Wednesday service, we watched a movie about lent. At the end of the movie, the church held a big carnival for the whole community. In many European villages, Easter Monday is a holiday, where people gather in the church yard for a huge carnival. For us, we do have something special planned for most of the Sundays of Easter. The point is that after the resurrection, once spring has arrived the whole word has shifted, things have changed, we start to witness things coming back to life – the church becomes a witness to the power of resurrection over all of life. As we begin our Easter transformation in this church, I thought that it would be a good idea for us to look at the book of Acts. The book of Acts is the story of how the church was born and how it grew to a worldwide movement. The book of acts was written by Luke as a companion book to his gospel. The Christian movement was not started by Christ, but by his 12 disciples. Remember we have been reading the book of Mark this year, and in Mark whenever Jesus performs a miracle he tells the disciples to tell no one about it. At the time, that made no sense to them. But after witnessing his death and resurrection, it all clicked. They understood the good news, and they understood how important it was to spread that message to the world. All 12 of them were so inspired, that they each took a section of the world to spread the news to. And they each were publically executed for their efforts – John is the only one of the disciples who died as a young man. When the romans hung Peter on a cross, he insisted that they hang him upside down, so that he would not be crucified in the same way Jesus was. What message could have been so important that you dedicate your whole life to spreading it to the world, and then you are even willing to die for that message. The good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. More impressive than the fact that they were so dedicated to it is the fact that today. 2018 years later, Christianity is the most popular religion on the planet. 1/3 of all people in the world consider themselves to be Christian. There is no other movement, that has gone that viral. Acts is the story that documents the beginnings of that movement. Acts demonstrates that the disciples made the effort, but the holy spirit expanded those efforts and made a difference. Recently in a finance committee meeting, I was telling them that it is a well known fact, that money and people follow energy, and that energy follows vision. Luke documents how that energy expanded the church to start from a small teaching group of 12 to become a worldwide movement. Jesus’ mission was to take care of the widows and orphans of Jerusalem. They had no other means of being taken care of. When Paul went throughout Europe – he was collecting money for this cause. As the disciples went throughout the world, they too were collecting money for this cause. When they first started out, the roman authorities fought them and stopped them from talking to the public. They just went to their own friends and started to preach the good news and collect for mission. This is where our scripture starts out – as a response to being censored, the communities came together and decided that they would do everything that they could to help others. As they worked together, they were able to fulfill their mission. Barnabas is listed as a person, who sold his property and gave it to the church and was blessed. Ananias and Sapphira are listed as persons who kept money aside from the church and died as a result. The lectionary ends the story in the middle abruptly, but both examples are important. The lesson that I want to point out from this lesson is that community is a gift from God. Christianity started out as a religion that would only make sense to a Hebrew culture. As the disciples spread the message, they, or rather the Holy spirit through them had to find ways to speak to people with different languages and different values. As they heard the good news, the disciples quickly encouraged them to put differences aside and to be united in Christ mission to help others. An invitation to join the work of the church was an invitation to come together in spite of differences. It was an invitation to work alongside someone who you may not normally talk to or even understand. Being able to be community was the first gift of the resurrection. Luke says that the community of believers was one in heart and mind. None of them said this is mine. They were able to put their differences aside and work together. Not only did they work together, but they were able to put all of their money together into one pot, and it was distributed uniformly from the same place, in order to fulfill the mission of the community. Hmmmm. Imagine that……all the money in one pot, distributed together for mission. Why would they do that. Acts 4 says that in this way the needs of everyone were met, they were able to help everyone. But the point was that community, a community that can work together for a common mission is the foundation of the Christian movement. You cant be a Christian in isolation. The Rev. Brian Bill tells about a friend of his named Ray who is originally from the South, but is now living in Chicago. Being a southerner, Ray says that one of the most challenging things about living in the Windy City is that it’s difficult to find a restaurant that serves grits. Rev. Bill asked Ray once what a “grit” is? Ray informed Rev. Bill that there’s no such thing as a “grit.” They don’t come by themselves. ¬They come in a community of other grits. You can’t just order one grit. Rev. Bill says, “You know, we’re a lot like grits.¬ Some of us are ‘grittier’ than others,” he continues. “We’re not here on our own.¬ We’ve been created to be in community with others.” (1) He’s right particularly as followers of Jesus. I could go as far as to say that there is no such thing as a solitary Christian. There is no such thing as a Christian who separates himself or herself from the community of faith. (4) Sharing with one another was how these early Christians testified to the resurrection of the Lord. What is interesting, that this living together with all possessions in one pot did not last long, today we call it communism. But it is an ideal of what it means to be the church and to work together in mission. This is still an important mission. And in 2018, as people talk about the church dying, I think that is is critical for us to go back to the basics in the beginning and look at when it means to be the church. What lessons can we learn for the church today? The greatest lesson was that the first gift of the resurrection is community, unity, common mission. But the greatest gift of the resurrection is that we are united by love. My favorite resurrection story is a story of a Christian community that had been imprisoned together. In prison, they has no money, and no freedom, but they still chose to worship together. When they were having church the other prisoners would make noise so that the guards would not get suspicious. One first Sunday, they had communion, but no bread or wine. It was called the communion of the empty hands. The pastor would say the words and they would hold hands while giving communion, which was just the love of God. When the service was over, one of the nonchristian prisoners came up to the pastor and said, that was so moving, you people have something so special, now I see what it means to have faith. That something special is a community that is united around the mission of Jesus Christ. I love that story, because I think that it shows that being the church is not about possessions, or finances, or how money is distributed, or even who is in charge of the mission committee. But underneath all of that, it is how we love one another. How we love Christ, how we are committed to the mission of Christ to help others, and the love we have for the church. It is that love underneath that determines how we handle our finances, our mission and our respect for other people. The book of acts is so important, because it shows that community was the first witness to the power of resurrection. How will we experience the power of the resurrection in the coming days? More importantly how do we put the love of God in action in our lives? Let us pray….. The community life which the apostles and other disciples of Jesus led was marked by four basic elements. First, Luke tells us that the members were in unity of mind and heart. This element was most basic; it was the ideal from which all the others flowed. Next, the community members shared all their possessions. This does not mean that people did not have personal property, but rather that members of the new way shared the things they had with others. Third, the fledgling community was marked by its powerful witness of the gospel. This was the group's common ministry; it was the way people demonstrated their belief and proclaimed the message of Christ to the world. Lastly, the community was special in that the grace of God rested upon its members. God was with this group of men and women in a special way. It was to this group that the Holy Spirit was originally sent. The community life of these first followers of Jesus was not imposed upon them, but rather, was voluntarily accepted. This was the way these men and women chose to live their lives of discipleship. Mask?" In my bedroom drawer, neatly tucked away What mask to church, will I wear today? There are four from which I have to choose But today, I'll wear the one that hides the "Blues." The "Smiley" mask, I've nearly worn out It hides so well, my fears and doubts. The "Spiritual" mask, works like a jewel It hides me when I've been mean and cruel. The mask I call my "Ace in the Hole" Hides me when my heart is cold. Sometimes, I wish others could see Right past the mask and into me. And help me find my way back home To God's dear arms, from whence I've roamed. But others seem to do so well My failures I wouldn't dare to tell. The question to myself I ask I wonder if they too, wear a "mask?" (4) The community model embedded in Acts 4 stood on the two pillars of proclamation and loving one another. There is a small congregation in eastern Arizona in a mining town that saw its glory days pass about a half-century ago. The parish has about 125 members and there are usually at least 125 people at Sunday services. When the pastor announces that the choir will sing, about half of the congregation stands up and approaches the altar. When the offering looks a little meager, the president of the congregation stands up and tells the ushers to pass the plate again. Closing prayers are long and detailed and cover those facing surgery to those who are worried about the kids to those who are about to go on a trip. The "refreshments" after the service include cakes, sandwiches, hot dishes, meatballs, gelatin dishes, and several kinds of beverages. In other words, it's a Sunday lunch and it's time to visit with one another and catch up on the latest happenings within the community. If someone should mention that they resemble the community described in Acts 4, they would be embarrassed. What if a stranger would confront the people? "What is the meaning of this city? Do you huddle close together because you love each other? Or do you dwell together to make money from each other?" The people in that community would say, "There's not much money to make from each other. We just enjoy each other's company. We share our mutual woes and joys. And by the way ... we meet up there on the ridge at 5 a.m. to greet the Son on Easter morning." What makes unity possible? The grace of Jesus Christ! “And much grace was upon them all" (Verse 33). Where grace abounds, it's no longer about me. Where grace abounds, nobody has to be perfect. Where grace abounds, position is eliminated. Where grace abounds, differences are accepted. Where grace abounds, God is glorified. Where grace abounds, unity is possible.