Knowledge and People
August 21, 2011
Year A
Exodus 1:8-2:10
Matthew 16:13-20
10th Sunday after Pentecost
First line of knew him not
I was attracted to the exodus text because of the first line – Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. Is that sort of like getting a new bishop, who doesn’t know anything about you, and having to start building a relationship all over again. Or talking to an old district superintendent weeks before he leaves, and promises of what is going to happen being made, and just as things start to progress, getting a new superintendent who really doesn’t want to hear your story?
Explanation of why he didn’t know them
For the Israelites, it was. They had built such a good relationship while Joseph was alive, and now things were about to take a big turn for the worse. History really does say that the pharaoh – Hyskos- while Joseph was alive tended to like to have a relationship with his Semitic neighbors. He was very sympathetic to their needs. But as a new dynasty arose, the Semitic people became a threat. What happens if their enemies attacked , the Jews were so numerous that if they sided with the enemy – they were a force to be reckoned with. In this case, they had to be controlled – so they were put into slavery.
Genesis was the story of the first family. Exodus is the story of how that family fell on hard times and how God delivered them. This is also a story of knowledge. Who you know and what you know about them
Scripture says that pharaoh knew them not. But the good news is that God did know them. God knew their situation. God knew exactly what it would take to deliver them.
Where is God in this story?
Interestingly enough – this is the story of Moses. How Moses was born in extenuating circumstances that should have killed him. How he survived, how he was raised in the best possible household, how he had the best possible education, how he used it to bring his people out of the oppression put on them by the new Pharaoh. Someone pointed out to me that if you read the story – the characters of the story are Moses, Moses sister, Moses mother, the princess of Egypt, and her family, there are the two midwives who are supposed to deliver and kill Hebrew babies, and yet they are more afraid of God then they are the pharaoh- and they let the babies live. Nowhere in the story is the voice of God. Nowhere in the story is the name of God even mentioned. And yet – God’s presence is obvious. You read between the lines of the story – and you know that Moses survival against the odds is nothing but God.
It is a lot like our lives. When we forget to pray to God, we forget to call on the name of God. Sometimes even in the church, we look at our business that we do, and say that there is no way that God could be in the midst of that. That is all the decision of man. And yet when you step back from it and you look at things a little closer, you realize that the only way that you made it through, was through the grace of God. When you look at the individual lines of history – you say I don’t hear God’s name nowhere. But when it is all said and done no one but could have cleaned that mess up.
It was God who told the midwives to do the right thing, it was God who told the mother to protect her baby, it was God who made sure the baby was found by the right person, it was God who told pharaoh’s daughter not the kill the baby, it was God who kept him safe in the enemy household, and it was God who called him to deliver his people from oppression to freedom.
And it is God who is head of our lives, our church , and our nation.
Whatever we need to be delivered from our oppression, be it in our mind, body or spirit – God is sending it to us right now. Leaders may not really know our needs – but God does. The news said that Michelle Bachman claimed she knew what needed to be done so that we could pay $2 for gas. Wherever there is a mess – there is always a solution from God.
Solution to confusion is Jesus
The good news is that the solution – usually involves Jesus Christ. God’s ultimate solution for the mess that we make of our lives. God’s answer to all of the problems of the world.
This is a confession
Matthew 16 is a pivotal verse for our times. It is also pivotal in the life of Jesus. He has been in ministry to his nation for three years. And he has taught us everything that he knows. Now all there is to do is to go to Jerusalem to the cross, and to make sure that his disciples are prepared to continue to spread the good news in his absence. In the remaining chapters you will see that he pulls away from the crowd and spends time with his disciples. In this lesson, it is not what Jesus teaches that is important to us, it is Peter’s response. Jesus tells Peter that he will make him the rock of the church. Now there is a difference to the way Catholics and Protestants interpret this verse. Catholics believe that Jesus was saying that Peter is literally the rock of the church. The Vatican is built upon the grave of Peter. The only way to be a bishop in the Catholic Church is to be touched by someone who has been touched by Peter. Peter is the rock. But for us as Protestants it is not the person of Peter that is important. It is Peter’s confession. Jesus asks Peter, who do you say that I am? Peter answers that you are the messiah – the son of the living God. It was not Peters’ common sense that could give that answer. It was the spirit of God who had to tell him. It was Peter’s answer that made the difference. Peter could have said that he was a prophet, or a good teacher, or a peacemaker, or a worthy leader. God revealed that this was his son. The messiah the savior of the world. Jesus knew the right question to ask to lead Peter in the right direction. And he continue to asks us the church the faithful disciples the same answer.
Jesus challenges us with a question
There is a story of a neighborhood in a large city – it was a neighborhood of immigrants. There were Christians, Jews and Muslims all in this neighborhood. The kids of the neighborhood struggled to understand one another and what made them different. They came to know the rabbi’s family because – he would pay the kids in the neighborhood to do what he needed on Fridays and Saturdays when he was not allowed to do the work themselves. The kids came to know what it meant to be a Jew by working for him. But they also realized that more than any adult – they liked to be with the rabbi. While others adults were giving them orders and telling them what to do. The rabbi had a different technique. Instead of saying this is what you need to do, he would ask – what would happen if? Is that the best decision that you can make? What are the alternatives to doing this.
It was in his questions, that they were able to come up with their own answers. They not only understood better, they were challenged to use their heads to think.
Jesus challenge to the church
Jesus uses the same technique to challenge the church. For the protestant church, Jesus didn’t put his faith in one person, Jesus put his faith upon the church. We are the rock upon which Jesus builds. It is in our confession of who Jesus is, that we come to know who we are – and what we are supposed to do. The politics of people are always a mess. But the politics of Jesus Christ is always salvation. Jesus says that if we understand that, then we are given the keys to the kingdom of heaven. If we know for ourselves that Jesus Christ is Lord – then we have been given supernatural power to change to world. The power is in our confession, not in ourselves. God is present in our faith, not in who we are.
Mystery too deep for church to understand
I began this sermon about mentioning new bishops, and new district superintendents, and even new pastors. New leaders are always a part of what it means to be united Methodist. Not a bad thing, not a good thing. Just the way we are. H. G Wells – writes a story called the soul of a bishop. The bishop is talking with an angel about his plans. And he says tell me the truth. Give me God’s plan for my life, for the church for the future. He wants to get a special revelation. The angel laughs at him and asks where he should put the special revelation. The bishop points at his bald spot and says why in here of course. The angel laughs and says inside of your head. No I can’t put it there – there is nothing inside of there to hold it. Whether we are a bishop, a pastor, or a lay person. It is not about what we know – because the reality is that none of us know much. It is about what we confess – that Jesus Christ is the messiah – the son of God. The head of the church – and of all that we do. Let us pray…..
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Clean hearts, clean words, clean love
August 14, 2011
“Clean Hearts, Clean Words, Clean Love”
Romans 11:1-2a; 29-32
Matthew 15:10-28
9th Sunday after Pentecost
Year A
The lesson of race from south Africa
There are a lot of lessons that I bring home from my trip to South Africa. I am still processing a lot of those lessons. The one thing that I struggled with throughout my whole trip – was the definition of race and the meaning of racism. I learned that the definition of race that I grew up with as an black person in America, does not necessarily apply in South Africa. Most of the people that I met, were very proud to day that their identity was as an South African, regardless of what their culture was. I met black people, Indians, whites, and colored (those of mixed race), and even though they were deeply concerned about their heritage, they would always insist that they were South African.
This is the second time that I have attended the world Methodist conference, and it is a conversation that I feel that I have to be a part of. As an African American, oppression, predjudice, racism is so much a part of my – our story. But it is a story that is repeated everywhere, in all parts of the country. I still ask God, why is predjudice and racism so much a part of the human story.
Bishop Chacour’s talk
One of the most compelling speakers of the week – was Bishop Elias Chacour. Bishop Chacour is a Palestinian Christian. He told of a story of why he could hate the jews for what they did to his family – and why he cant afford to hate them. He told a story of how racism is alive and well in his world. And in spite of it he is a faithful Christian. He told us that in many ways he was just like Jesus – being born in the same land.
Jesus is just a person
Interestingingly enough – Matthew 15 tells a story of how He and jesus are not brothers. They may look alike, they may have been born in the same land. But one of them was born a jew and the other a Palestinian. Jesus makes it very clear that his mission is to the lost sheep of the house of isreal and no one else. If you read the entire book of matthew, you will find that of all of the miracles that he does to transform lives, there are only 3 times that he reaches out to those who are not jewish. Of those three – one takes place after his resurrection when he finally tells the disciples to make disciples of all nations.
The Canaanite woman’s wit
The story of the cannannite woman might seem a little strange to us as Jesus tells her that he cant give the food to the children to the dogs. Is he really calling her a dog? The jews thought of all gentiles (anyone who was not like them as dogs). This was not just any gentile, but a gentile. Hebrew scriptures particularly tell Jews, not to associate with cannonites. They were to claim the promisland and to totally destroy all cannonaites. Not to get to know them, not try to understand them, not to relate to them. But to kill them without question. Just as they do to the Palestinians today. So it was the least he could do to call her a dog. Jewish religion is concerned with being clean. The only person capable of true cleaniliness are jews. Everyone else is dirty – thus dogs.
The woman made a simple request of Jesus – he had saved others, please save her daughter. She even acknowledges him as he son of david. And he refuses her request, and calls her a dog.
Was Jesus a racist
Was Jesus a racist? Is the new testament really saying that a personal predjudice okay? Or is it helping us to understand that Jesus was born in a particular time, place and situation. The story of the messiah comes out of the human story. And no matter where any of us are born – we cant escape the story of human predjudice. There is a place in all of our hearts where our predjudice begins and ends. Being a person of faith means being aware of where our faith begins and where it ends, and who is not included in our definitions of us and them.
We are all born baby
Bishop chacour himself said that many people find it hard to believe that he could be Palestinian and Christian. And yet he is proud of his heritage. As a matter of fact, the canannites would have been dogs to the jews, but they became some of the most loyal and faithful Christians in history. Since most Palestinians are muslim, bishop chacour said that many people ask him if he was born Christian. He explains to them that no, he was not born a Christian – he was born a baby. A newborn baby – fresh and innocent from heaven. He has to be taught how to walk, how to talk and how to be a Christian. Just like any other baby born anywhere in the world.
In the eyes of God we are not classified as jewish, or muslim or Christian. God doesn’t care if we are Methodist, or Baptist. All God cares about is whether we are faithful.
Matthew 15 is not a story of Jesus’ Jewishness – it is a story of what it means to be faithful. In America we tend to intellectualize faith as something that you learn, and that you commit to as long as you are being served. In the middle east – where our faith began – faith is a decision. A decision to be loyal no matter what. A decision to remain steadfast no matter what the circumstance. A decision to never take no for answer, to stay on course, to be always be loyal to the promises of God.
Stay faithful to the God that stays faithful to us
God never abandons us – faith is making a decision to never abandon God. All throughout the new testament Jesus outwits any who question him. In this story he meets his match – He says that he cant take the food for the children and feed it to the dogs – she comes back and says even the dogs get the crumbs from the table. In other words I might be a dog, I might be unclean, I might not fit into your in corwd, but I am still a child of god – worthy of salvation. What else could jesus say to that but great is your faith? Her daughter was healed.
She understood the messiah better than the disciples
The disciples didn’t understand anything that jesus was talking about, the learned Pharisees couldn’t make sense of him, the crowd did not know him – but this outsider had enough faith to know that he and he alone had the power to save her. He was the messiah – her messiah, the messiah of the jews and the messiah of all. I saw a sign yesterday which said that Jesus is capable of saving anybody from anything. If we just have the faith that it will be so.
Bishop Swanson’s story of standing firm
Last Friday – we attended evangelistic services at the churches throughout the area. I visited Kwamushu church, in a township. The church is so full of young people, that they cant fit them all in once church. Our preacher for the service was bishop james swanson – the bishop of dallas. His sermon was on faith – and how important it is for us to stand fast. He told a story of how he graduated in the top of his class and always believed that he would go to college. But because he was black, his counselor never even told him to go to college. He thought it was like high school. When it was time for school to start, you showed up, registered and showed up for class. So on the first day of school, he kissed him mother goodbye, took the bus and got in line to register for classes. When the clerk told him that he had not been accepted, the he could not register, he refused to get out of line. He had told his mother he was going to college, and he was determined not to disappoint her. He told the clerk that he was not getting out of line until she registered him. Finally he talked to someone in the admission office. It took him a year to take the ACT, send in his application and do all of the other things he needed to so. But he did get into school, and he was given all the scholarships he needed to pay for it. He went from a unknowing black student in the south – to a bishop of the united Methodist church. All because he had a need, patience, persistence and faith. Faith is a commitment to stay loyal to the promises of God no matter what, no matter how, no matter who.
God never gives up on you – so why should you ever give up on God? Jesus can save anybody from anything. But we have to remember that God wants to save anybody.
The limits of our faith
If Jesus was a product of a time, place and situation. If he can call someone a dog, then so can we. We might not call others dogs, but we all have an opinion. Our faith has limits. There are some people who we think are only worthy of God’s crumbs – while we deserve the whole meal. If God loves me, then he can’t possibly love them. If I am right, then there is someone in our world who must be wrong. If I am an insider, then you must be an outsider. Jesus proves that our faith has limits. Just as Jesus, we have to be aware of where those limits our. So that God can give us the power to overcome them.
Romans – we are all sinners
Romans 11 tells us that even the children of God aren’t worthy of sitting at God’s table. God made sure that at some point we would sin. No matter where we are in life, no matter what country, what culture, we are sinners. Sinners, so that we could learn the lesson of God’s mercy. God’s mercy is the source of our faithful loyalty.
A jews decision to remain faithful
Elie Weisel is a jew, a chosen of God who went through the holocaust. He tells the world of the horrible things that he went through in the holocaust. He tells of his anger at God at who could a God of love allow such things tohappen to him, when others are seemingly living a very good life. He tells of he moment when he ask himself why he should believe in God. And finally he realizes why not. Faith is not about what happens in life, faith is a choice, a decision. Faith is a decision to remain loyal to God no matter what, no matter where, no matter who. Faith is a choice that I will remain steadfast. Faith is belief in a God who remains faithful to me, even when I am faithful to God. Amen.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Have You Seen Joan?
July 24, 2011
Romans 8:26-39
Year A
6th Sunday after Pentecost
Repreach of “Have You Seen Joan?”
Romans: grace, predestination, the love of God
It was something in the book of Romans that converted the heart of John Wesley. He had been a Christian all of his life, his parents were Christians. His father, an Anglican priest. His grandfathers on both sides were Christians. He was a priest himself, he was a teacher an organizer. He was devoted to his faith, until he went out into the world and realized that no everyone had the same faith he did. In the weakest moment of his life, he went to a bible study and heard the words of romans. And as he puts it, his heart was strangely warmed. He realized that his Christian faith was not about how many of his relatives where Christian, or about how many times he had read the bible, or even about how many times he had failed in his Christian task. Salvation was in Christ alone. Salvation was not about what he did, but about what Jesus did for him. He realized that the only way to experience the love of God, is to experience Christ for yourself.
Romans 8:29 says: for those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son. Verse 30 says and those whom he predestined, he also called, and those whom he called, he also justified, and those whom he justified, he also glorified.
When the love of God is present in our lives, everything that happens good or bad is for the glory of God. and there is nothing, but our own unawareness, that can separate us from the love of God.
Interestingly enough – the word predestined is a big debate within the church. A large part of the church believes that this verse means that our destiny has already been decided since before we were born. And ironically John Wesley is intentionally on the other side of that debate. He believed very strongly that there is nothing about our destiny that is ever final. There is always space in our lives for change and transformation.
No matter how long we have been going to church – or not, not matter how much we give to the church or not, no matter how far down the road to sin we may be, there is always a chance that Christ is going to intercede in our lives and give us a change to turn back around.
And it is not about us- it is the grace of god. we didn’t earn it, or pay for it, it is a free gift from God.
John Wesley did not believe in predestination, because he believed that grace could change the course of our lives at any time.
How I ended up in the shelter
That moment of grace came for me about 21 years ago now. I was a senior at Northwestern University. I had started out in the journalism program, one of the best in the country. Yet it seemed that school was not fulfilling for me. When I looked at my grades, I knew that I could do much better than I was doing. I was at a period of questioning in my life, I was searching for meaning. This had been a very busy time in my life, a lot was going on. In my search for answers, I had even changed my major to religion. But things were still not right, I was still not happy.
I had one quarter left before I would graduate. And looking into the darkness of the future, I had no idea of what I was going to do next. More importantly, I did not have the energy to find out. I was tired of working to pay my tuition, tired of having papers to write, and frankly, just plain tired of dealing with the red tape of life. So, on the day that I had to move out of my rented room for the summer, instead of registering for my last quarter of school, I put my things in storage and checked into a homeless shelter.
The Shelter Experience
The shelter at First Baptist church in Evanston had room for 30 people. 25 men and 5 women. This was a shelter for adults, so most women would have to go somewhere else with their children. So usually, not all of the women’s beds were filled. We called the shelter, Hilda’s place, because Hilda was the director. We were allowed to stay for three months as long as we followed the rules. We had to check into the shelter every night by 10:30 pm. There was no drinking, smoking or fighting with the other guest. And you had to be ready to leave the shelter by 7 in the morning. We called the shelter, Hilda’s place after the director.
I must have been there about a month and a half, when Joan moved in. She was from Milwaukee. She was 34 years old, with 2 children. As I got to know her, I learned that she had some mental issues, as well as being addicted to cocaine and alcohol
When you checked into the shelter at night, the first thing we would do is have a meal and get to know one another, the first question that you would be asked, was so what is your sad story. Everybody here got a sad story – what’s yours. There was always some sad reason that we were there. Joan was a journalist, very intelligent and very articulate. She lived a very happy life with her two children in their own house. As her life unraveled, she lost everything, and ended up in Chicago.
After three months when it was time for us to move out of the shelter, Joan and I were given a transitional apartment. We could live for free, but we had to work and to save up our money to be able to make a deposit on an apartment.
On the outside looking in
During this time, I went on with my daily activities. Went to work, went to social events at school, hung out at the library. But I felt that I had gained a whole new perspective on life. Today, we hear and talk a lot about homelessness. And we have an image of who homeless people are and how we should deal with them.
I listened to a lot of conversations on homelessness, and how we as a society should deal with it. Perhaps, if we had enough jobs, or enough people to help, everyone would have a place to go. Or perhaps is we could just raise the self esteem of people and teach them a better way of life, everything would be okay.
But the explanations that we make up, don’t always fit the reality of the people and their stories. There were a lot of times when I felt that I was an alien, listening to the thoughts of others, and just not understanding.
For instance, I remember listening to a speech of a man who was in tears, because he had met a women sitting on a park bench crying. He made up a whole story about the women, and felt so guilty that he never bothered to help her. I remember being so frustrated because I could not help but to wonder why he would just assume she was homeless. Why didn’t he just speak to the woman to say hello, instead of making up a story about her. Like many people, he was willing to feel guilty about doing something big, but he was not even willing to relate to the woman.
And there was the time when I was in the Northwestern library, and a former classmate and fellow religion major, Heather, had organized a canned food drive for the homeless. I told her that was a nice gesture, but most of the homeless people that I knew did not have can openers in their pockets. And most of us were not as resourceful as Joan, who one day borrowed a hot plate, and cooked her can of soup right there on the street.
I had been baptized at Second Baptist church a few months before this experience. My Associate Pastor worked at the morning center where we would go when the shelter closed. One day I had finally worked up the courage to go up to his little card table and talk with him – to ask him a question. I think I am being called by God – can you tell me what that means? His response to me was that I had fallen through the cracks of society and that I needed to concentrate on getting me life together. I remember staring at the table to find the crack that I had fallen through – that he couldn’t answer me question.
Lessons I learned
I feel that it is important to tell my story, because we get caught up on our impressions. So we give to causes in hopes that they are making a difference. But what is it really that we are giving people and why?
As a journalist, one of the first things that Joan did upon moving into the shelter, was to ask the Chicago Tribune if she could write a story about being homeless. One the night before her deadline, we talked about her story. Our conversation has always stuck with me.
In her research, she said that she realized that if Hilda announced to all of us that the shelter was closing tomorrow and she told us all to go home, not one of us would be at a loss of where to go. As a matter of fact, for thanksgiving many of us had to call in to make a special execption for being late to return to the shelter, because most people had went home to visit their In her interviewing other people in the shelter, she realized that if they were to shut the shelter down and tell us all to go home. Not one of us would be at a lost of where to go. We all had families, and a place to go. Yet there was always a reason that people felt alienated from their families.
Joan went on to note that the search for a homeless shelter is not really a search for a physical bed, or food or clothing. People on the tramp trail (as living in shelters is affectionately called) are really on a spiritual journey. They are in search for a spiritual bed, spiritual covering, and spiritual food. For many of us – we had a bed, and shelter and a means of getting food – but were looking for someone who cared enough to give.
I was not born a Methodist. The seeds of my decision to devote my life to the Methodist church began in the help that I received during that time in my life. The mystery of God was not in the physical help that I received, it was in the grace that I felt for the first time in my life. I didn’t have to earn my keep, or answer any questions. I was just taken care of.
A Day of Grace
One day a minister from Northwestern brought his campus ministry group to worship with us in the shelter. Afterwards, Jack came up to me and told me that I appeared to be such a happy person. I think it was the reflection of the purple sweatshirt that I had on. People have told me that purple makes me glow. Because happy is not a verb that I would ever use to describe myself. But the interesting thing is, that after he said that - I didn’t need to live that life anymore. That was my moment of grace. I did need to earn a good grade, or be on my best behavior, or be told that what someone expected of me. I joined his campus ministry, went back to school and went on the seminary. All because of one word of kindness from a stranger.
During his weekly worship service we would always sing songs out of the Methodist hymnal. I decided that if Jack liked those corny songs – then I had to like to too. Jack was willing to talk with me and answer all of my questions, and invite me to be apart of his faith. I not only went to worship – I actually worked there all throughout seminary, and decided that perhaps I should be Jack to other people and become a United Methodist minister.
Interestingly enough – the pastor from the shelter also went to Garrett seminary. If I couldn’t think of a valid reason to back to school before – the chance to walk down the same halls as him, and attend the same classes as him and lick my tongue out at him was a very good reason. That was fun, God is good sometimes. – He became a United Methodist pastor too. I am a United Methodist pastor today because that is the church that helped me to truly understand what grace means. This was my experience that helped me to experience the power of Jesus for myself.
Mission to Save the Nice Church People
I often wondered if the people who volunteered to help us realized that people go to homeless shelters in search of the same things that people who haven’t lost their patience with society would go to church.
As members of the shelter grew together and shared our stories, they were not stories of houses burning down, or robbers taking everything. They were stories of significant relationships breaking down. They were stories of marriages falling apart, or of alienation from parents, or dealing with the death of a loved one. Even today, when I talk with people who ask for money- I always ask about their family. And I always find some type of alienation.
Some people can get their spiritual fulfillment by going to work or spending time in community. But when they cant find community, many people seek the tramp trail. It is called a trail, because people go from shelter to shelter, church to church telling their sad story over and over again. And once you start to get responses to your story – you get accustomed to that lifestyle. You get accustomed to getting taking care of.
Which is why I am not comfortable with our approaches to homelessness. After awhile, it starts to enable to behavior that it tries to address. It is important to give to those in need, but until the spiritual issues are addressed, I wonder if anything will ever change?
There were many times in my stay with Joan, where I wondered if I would ever get out of that situation alive. There were many times when she threatened me. By the time I moved out – I was sleeping with the dresser pulled over the door because she had predicted that I would be found in a park cut up in little pieces. My prayer to God was that if I ever got out of the situation alive, my mission would not be to the homeless people I lived with – I don’t know the answers to that situation, my mission would be to save the nice church people that helped me.
I will never forget the first day I went to the community dinner at First Presbyterian Church. All of the churches of Evanston has gotten together and decided that they would provide a lunch and dinner somewhere in the city everyday of the week. The people were so proud that they had given me a meal. Yet I was concerned that this was the worst day of my life. A day when I was totally confused, and had no answers of what was happening and what to do. And yet no one talked to me, no one said anything about their faith, their call to help me.
The prayer that got me through that experience was a request to God. Not to have a chance to help homeless people necessarily. But to be able to go back and give a message to all of those nice church people. That in the midst of all of your giving – give people Jesus.
make sure that you give people love and care. Treat them as if they are people, on the same level as your are. They are searching for answers, give them the answers of your faith.
There are people in the world who are really looking for what you have – a relationship with a caring community.
21 years later, I am still homeless. Contrary to rumors, I still don’t have a place of my own to stay. And I am still totally dependant on nice church people to provide my housing. Until next general conference if guaranteed appointments are taken away, Jesus told me that was not a problem for me to worry about. My home was to be totally inside of the Love of God.
Have you Seen Joan
Finally, at one point, Joan had as many as seven men living in our house. Whenever they got kicked out of the shelter, Joan would take them in. We only had six months to live in our apartment. Joan was pretty far gone at the end of those six months. She had really gotten in a drug culture, and her illness got much worse. At the end of the six months, Joan’s mother picked her up and she went back home to her family and I went back to school. When I walked around, I would see a lot of the men that lived with us. And we would always end our conversation with the question – Have you seen Joan?
On the day that we moved out of the apartment, joan said goodbye to me and wished me well. Remembering the fact that I slept with the dresser to my door because Joan threatened to kill me, my response to Joan was that if I ever see her again in life, it will be too soon. Forever isn’t here yet, because I still don’t care where Joan is. (people have told me that I need to learn to forgive Joan).
My point being, None of us ever saw Joan again. She never returned to the people she considered family and to to place she called home. Have you seen Joan? If you have, what did you say to her? How did you show the love of God?
Other things to add to the story:
The structure of all of the Evanston churches working together to provide a structure to help people. Several churches took a day to provide a meal. Which during that time provided a safety net for me.
The experience with second Baptist pastor- I wanted to talk with him because I felt that I had been called by God. He told me that I had fallen through the cracks of society and I needed to get my life together. Looking for the crack in the table that I had fallen through that prevented him from asking my question.
I don’t really care where Joan is the last thing I told Joan when her family came to pick her up – If I ever see you again in life, it will be too soon for me. Forever aint here yet, because I don’t care where Joan is. People have told me that I need to get past that.
Standing in line , an hour wait to talk with the episcocal priest to get bus tokens. When I was asked why I was on the tramp trail – you know it is the tramp trail – because you go from church to church giving your sad story, asking for help.
Joined the campus ministry group, worked for university Christian ministry all through seminary, became United Methodist. Those corny songs in the hymnal seemed to really mean something to Jack, so they started to mean something to me. If Jack was United Methodist, I would be one too.
Why don’t you get your life together – just don’t feel like it
Romans 8:26-39
Year A
6th Sunday after Pentecost
Repreach of “Have You Seen Joan?”
Romans: grace, predestination, the love of God
It was something in the book of Romans that converted the heart of John Wesley. He had been a Christian all of his life, his parents were Christians. His father, an Anglican priest. His grandfathers on both sides were Christians. He was a priest himself, he was a teacher an organizer. He was devoted to his faith, until he went out into the world and realized that no everyone had the same faith he did. In the weakest moment of his life, he went to a bible study and heard the words of romans. And as he puts it, his heart was strangely warmed. He realized that his Christian faith was not about how many of his relatives where Christian, or about how many times he had read the bible, or even about how many times he had failed in his Christian task. Salvation was in Christ alone. Salvation was not about what he did, but about what Jesus did for him. He realized that the only way to experience the love of God, is to experience Christ for yourself.
Romans 8:29 says: for those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son. Verse 30 says and those whom he predestined, he also called, and those whom he called, he also justified, and those whom he justified, he also glorified.
When the love of God is present in our lives, everything that happens good or bad is for the glory of God. and there is nothing, but our own unawareness, that can separate us from the love of God.
Interestingly enough – the word predestined is a big debate within the church. A large part of the church believes that this verse means that our destiny has already been decided since before we were born. And ironically John Wesley is intentionally on the other side of that debate. He believed very strongly that there is nothing about our destiny that is ever final. There is always space in our lives for change and transformation.
No matter how long we have been going to church – or not, not matter how much we give to the church or not, no matter how far down the road to sin we may be, there is always a chance that Christ is going to intercede in our lives and give us a change to turn back around.
And it is not about us- it is the grace of god. we didn’t earn it, or pay for it, it is a free gift from God.
John Wesley did not believe in predestination, because he believed that grace could change the course of our lives at any time.
How I ended up in the shelter
That moment of grace came for me about 21 years ago now. I was a senior at Northwestern University. I had started out in the journalism program, one of the best in the country. Yet it seemed that school was not fulfilling for me. When I looked at my grades, I knew that I could do much better than I was doing. I was at a period of questioning in my life, I was searching for meaning. This had been a very busy time in my life, a lot was going on. In my search for answers, I had even changed my major to religion. But things were still not right, I was still not happy.
I had one quarter left before I would graduate. And looking into the darkness of the future, I had no idea of what I was going to do next. More importantly, I did not have the energy to find out. I was tired of working to pay my tuition, tired of having papers to write, and frankly, just plain tired of dealing with the red tape of life. So, on the day that I had to move out of my rented room for the summer, instead of registering for my last quarter of school, I put my things in storage and checked into a homeless shelter.
The Shelter Experience
The shelter at First Baptist church in Evanston had room for 30 people. 25 men and 5 women. This was a shelter for adults, so most women would have to go somewhere else with their children. So usually, not all of the women’s beds were filled. We called the shelter, Hilda’s place, because Hilda was the director. We were allowed to stay for three months as long as we followed the rules. We had to check into the shelter every night by 10:30 pm. There was no drinking, smoking or fighting with the other guest. And you had to be ready to leave the shelter by 7 in the morning. We called the shelter, Hilda’s place after the director.
I must have been there about a month and a half, when Joan moved in. She was from Milwaukee. She was 34 years old, with 2 children. As I got to know her, I learned that she had some mental issues, as well as being addicted to cocaine and alcohol
When you checked into the shelter at night, the first thing we would do is have a meal and get to know one another, the first question that you would be asked, was so what is your sad story. Everybody here got a sad story – what’s yours. There was always some sad reason that we were there. Joan was a journalist, very intelligent and very articulate. She lived a very happy life with her two children in their own house. As her life unraveled, she lost everything, and ended up in Chicago.
After three months when it was time for us to move out of the shelter, Joan and I were given a transitional apartment. We could live for free, but we had to work and to save up our money to be able to make a deposit on an apartment.
On the outside looking in
During this time, I went on with my daily activities. Went to work, went to social events at school, hung out at the library. But I felt that I had gained a whole new perspective on life. Today, we hear and talk a lot about homelessness. And we have an image of who homeless people are and how we should deal with them.
I listened to a lot of conversations on homelessness, and how we as a society should deal with it. Perhaps, if we had enough jobs, or enough people to help, everyone would have a place to go. Or perhaps is we could just raise the self esteem of people and teach them a better way of life, everything would be okay.
But the explanations that we make up, don’t always fit the reality of the people and their stories. There were a lot of times when I felt that I was an alien, listening to the thoughts of others, and just not understanding.
For instance, I remember listening to a speech of a man who was in tears, because he had met a women sitting on a park bench crying. He made up a whole story about the women, and felt so guilty that he never bothered to help her. I remember being so frustrated because I could not help but to wonder why he would just assume she was homeless. Why didn’t he just speak to the woman to say hello, instead of making up a story about her. Like many people, he was willing to feel guilty about doing something big, but he was not even willing to relate to the woman.
And there was the time when I was in the Northwestern library, and a former classmate and fellow religion major, Heather, had organized a canned food drive for the homeless. I told her that was a nice gesture, but most of the homeless people that I knew did not have can openers in their pockets. And most of us were not as resourceful as Joan, who one day borrowed a hot plate, and cooked her can of soup right there on the street.
I had been baptized at Second Baptist church a few months before this experience. My Associate Pastor worked at the morning center where we would go when the shelter closed. One day I had finally worked up the courage to go up to his little card table and talk with him – to ask him a question. I think I am being called by God – can you tell me what that means? His response to me was that I had fallen through the cracks of society and that I needed to concentrate on getting me life together. I remember staring at the table to find the crack that I had fallen through – that he couldn’t answer me question.
Lessons I learned
I feel that it is important to tell my story, because we get caught up on our impressions. So we give to causes in hopes that they are making a difference. But what is it really that we are giving people and why?
As a journalist, one of the first things that Joan did upon moving into the shelter, was to ask the Chicago Tribune if she could write a story about being homeless. One the night before her deadline, we talked about her story. Our conversation has always stuck with me.
In her research, she said that she realized that if Hilda announced to all of us that the shelter was closing tomorrow and she told us all to go home, not one of us would be at a loss of where to go. As a matter of fact, for thanksgiving many of us had to call in to make a special execption for being late to return to the shelter, because most people had went home to visit their In her interviewing other people in the shelter, she realized that if they were to shut the shelter down and tell us all to go home. Not one of us would be at a lost of where to go. We all had families, and a place to go. Yet there was always a reason that people felt alienated from their families.
Joan went on to note that the search for a homeless shelter is not really a search for a physical bed, or food or clothing. People on the tramp trail (as living in shelters is affectionately called) are really on a spiritual journey. They are in search for a spiritual bed, spiritual covering, and spiritual food. For many of us – we had a bed, and shelter and a means of getting food – but were looking for someone who cared enough to give.
I was not born a Methodist. The seeds of my decision to devote my life to the Methodist church began in the help that I received during that time in my life. The mystery of God was not in the physical help that I received, it was in the grace that I felt for the first time in my life. I didn’t have to earn my keep, or answer any questions. I was just taken care of.
A Day of Grace
One day a minister from Northwestern brought his campus ministry group to worship with us in the shelter. Afterwards, Jack came up to me and told me that I appeared to be such a happy person. I think it was the reflection of the purple sweatshirt that I had on. People have told me that purple makes me glow. Because happy is not a verb that I would ever use to describe myself. But the interesting thing is, that after he said that - I didn’t need to live that life anymore. That was my moment of grace. I did need to earn a good grade, or be on my best behavior, or be told that what someone expected of me. I joined his campus ministry, went back to school and went on the seminary. All because of one word of kindness from a stranger.
During his weekly worship service we would always sing songs out of the Methodist hymnal. I decided that if Jack liked those corny songs – then I had to like to too. Jack was willing to talk with me and answer all of my questions, and invite me to be apart of his faith. I not only went to worship – I actually worked there all throughout seminary, and decided that perhaps I should be Jack to other people and become a United Methodist minister.
Interestingly enough – the pastor from the shelter also went to Garrett seminary. If I couldn’t think of a valid reason to back to school before – the chance to walk down the same halls as him, and attend the same classes as him and lick my tongue out at him was a very good reason. That was fun, God is good sometimes. – He became a United Methodist pastor too. I am a United Methodist pastor today because that is the church that helped me to truly understand what grace means. This was my experience that helped me to experience the power of Jesus for myself.
Mission to Save the Nice Church People
I often wondered if the people who volunteered to help us realized that people go to homeless shelters in search of the same things that people who haven’t lost their patience with society would go to church.
As members of the shelter grew together and shared our stories, they were not stories of houses burning down, or robbers taking everything. They were stories of significant relationships breaking down. They were stories of marriages falling apart, or of alienation from parents, or dealing with the death of a loved one. Even today, when I talk with people who ask for money- I always ask about their family. And I always find some type of alienation.
Some people can get their spiritual fulfillment by going to work or spending time in community. But when they cant find community, many people seek the tramp trail. It is called a trail, because people go from shelter to shelter, church to church telling their sad story over and over again. And once you start to get responses to your story – you get accustomed to that lifestyle. You get accustomed to getting taking care of.
Which is why I am not comfortable with our approaches to homelessness. After awhile, it starts to enable to behavior that it tries to address. It is important to give to those in need, but until the spiritual issues are addressed, I wonder if anything will ever change?
There were many times in my stay with Joan, where I wondered if I would ever get out of that situation alive. There were many times when she threatened me. By the time I moved out – I was sleeping with the dresser pulled over the door because she had predicted that I would be found in a park cut up in little pieces. My prayer to God was that if I ever got out of the situation alive, my mission would not be to the homeless people I lived with – I don’t know the answers to that situation, my mission would be to save the nice church people that helped me.
I will never forget the first day I went to the community dinner at First Presbyterian Church. All of the churches of Evanston has gotten together and decided that they would provide a lunch and dinner somewhere in the city everyday of the week. The people were so proud that they had given me a meal. Yet I was concerned that this was the worst day of my life. A day when I was totally confused, and had no answers of what was happening and what to do. And yet no one talked to me, no one said anything about their faith, their call to help me.
The prayer that got me through that experience was a request to God. Not to have a chance to help homeless people necessarily. But to be able to go back and give a message to all of those nice church people. That in the midst of all of your giving – give people Jesus.
make sure that you give people love and care. Treat them as if they are people, on the same level as your are. They are searching for answers, give them the answers of your faith.
There are people in the world who are really looking for what you have – a relationship with a caring community.
21 years later, I am still homeless. Contrary to rumors, I still don’t have a place of my own to stay. And I am still totally dependant on nice church people to provide my housing. Until next general conference if guaranteed appointments are taken away, Jesus told me that was not a problem for me to worry about. My home was to be totally inside of the Love of God.
Have you Seen Joan
Finally, at one point, Joan had as many as seven men living in our house. Whenever they got kicked out of the shelter, Joan would take them in. We only had six months to live in our apartment. Joan was pretty far gone at the end of those six months. She had really gotten in a drug culture, and her illness got much worse. At the end of the six months, Joan’s mother picked her up and she went back home to her family and I went back to school. When I walked around, I would see a lot of the men that lived with us. And we would always end our conversation with the question – Have you seen Joan?
On the day that we moved out of the apartment, joan said goodbye to me and wished me well. Remembering the fact that I slept with the dresser to my door because Joan threatened to kill me, my response to Joan was that if I ever see her again in life, it will be too soon. Forever isn’t here yet, because I still don’t care where Joan is. (people have told me that I need to learn to forgive Joan).
My point being, None of us ever saw Joan again. She never returned to the people she considered family and to to place she called home. Have you seen Joan? If you have, what did you say to her? How did you show the love of God?
Other things to add to the story:
The structure of all of the Evanston churches working together to provide a structure to help people. Several churches took a day to provide a meal. Which during that time provided a safety net for me.
The experience with second Baptist pastor- I wanted to talk with him because I felt that I had been called by God. He told me that I had fallen through the cracks of society and I needed to get my life together. Looking for the crack in the table that I had fallen through that prevented him from asking my question.
I don’t really care where Joan is the last thing I told Joan when her family came to pick her up – If I ever see you again in life, it will be too soon for me. Forever aint here yet, because I don’t care where Joan is. People have told me that I need to get past that.
Standing in line , an hour wait to talk with the episcocal priest to get bus tokens. When I was asked why I was on the tramp trail – you know it is the tramp trail – because you go from church to church giving your sad story, asking for help.
Joined the campus ministry group, worked for university Christian ministry all through seminary, became United Methodist. Those corny songs in the hymnal seemed to really mean something to Jack, so they started to mean something to me. If Jack was United Methodist, I would be one too.
Why don’t you get your life together – just don’t feel like it
Monday, July 18, 2011
Our God is an Awesome God
Genesis 28:10-19a
Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
5th Sunday after Pentecost
July 17, 2011
Year A
Our God is an Awesome God
When Barry Merritt was a little boy, he fondly remembers playing baseball. Those were the days when his coach would take them all out on a picnic, and they would all have a good time. The coach would ask them, how many of you want to grow up and become a part of the major leagues, and play baseball in the big time. Every single had went up, every child had a dream of being something more than what they were, every child had something to aspire for and to hope for. When he grew up, he didn’t become a major league player – but he did become a coach. He had his own team, he was entrusted to pass on his dreams to the next generation. He did the things that his coach did. He had picnics for the boys, he asked the question that he had been asked – how many of you want to become major league players when you grow up? How many of you think you have what it takes to play professionally. Not one hand went up. Not one of the children had any hope or any dreams of being anything more than what they were. Barry had to stop and ask himself what went wrong? Who had stolen the dreams of these young people? More importantly, how do you give hope and encouragement to someone, who doesn’t have a dream of being anything more than what they are today?
It is our dreams that define us. Our dreams that call us forward. Our dreams that inspire us to move forward. The dream to play ball professionally is still a big one. I think of how many young men in Englewood who love to play basketball. Who if you ask them what they want to grow up to be – they tell you that they want to be a basketball player. A basketball player and a lawyer. If it keeps them in school, it keeps them motivated, it inspires them to do the right thing – then it is a wonderful dream. You never want to say anything to them to take away their dream. The good news for us today is that no matter how much the world change, no matter how much we change, the power of our dreams never change. If it is God that gave us that dream, then there is nothing in the world that can take it away. God gives us our dreams for a reason. It is in our dreams that God makes a promise to us. Promises for our future, for the future of the kingdom of God. A dream is the image of something that is not present yet, but is coming.
Genesis is another story of a young man and a dream. A pretty typical young man by today’s standards. He was always competing with his twin brother, always in some kind of trouble. He came from a religious family, but didn’t have much use for this God himself. But this time he has gotten into enough trouble that the dream may be in danger. He has been fighting so much with his brother, that his mother sends him away to a safe place – back to her family down home. During his escape he has a strange dream. A dream of angels descending and ascending into heaven. God speaks to him, reminds him of the promises of the past, and the promises of the future. Reminds him that the world is dependent on his dreams, his hope, his future. He changes his life, and learns to include God in everything that he does. That all that he does is dependent on the presence of God with him. For him to experience the love of God, this must be an awesome place. He sets a stone so that the place would be remembered. What he misses is that this is not an awesome place. But an awesome God. The presence of God with us is not a place or a thing, it is a relationship. Anyplace with God is awesome. Any dream that we have that includes God is an awesome. Because the God we worship is an awesome God. A god that is incomparable, unexplainable, and without rival.
Jacob called it Bethel, Jesus called it the kingdom of God. What do you call it? When you reach that point in your life when you feel the presence of God? And you know that God is with you?
In chapter 13 of Matthew jesus gives several parables that describe what the kingdom of God is like. Jesus says that the kingdom of God is like a field, a field of wheat with a bunch of tares. That is an interesting comparison. Jesus was a carpenter, not a farmer, so what did he know about planting seeds? And the people that Matthew would have wrote this story for were city dwellers, they too would not have understand planting. But this was written to address something going on in the church. People were starting to judge others. The bible teaches us right from wrong, good from bad. What do you do when you are doing to right thing, and you see other people doing the wrong thing. Is it time for you to judge them and what they are doing?
Is God always going to be with us, going to support us. Is everthing that we do right? We know that answer to that question no. Sometimes I do and sometimes not. But the real question for the disciples is how do you respond to people who you think are wrong? What happens when you disagree with their dreams? How do you respond? Do you respond? Do we ever have a right to judge someone else’s dream?
There were two stories in the news that resonate with this point. First there is the story of the 16 year old who just married a 60 year old. The met on the internet and talked for 4 months and decided that they were a match made in heaven. When you look at the girl, she has boobs out to here, wears short dresses, and is constantly smooching on this man. Hardly appropriate for a 16 year old. Her parents say that she is a devout Christian and feels that this marriage is the right thing to do. It makes you ask – what kind of church does she go to. More importantly, what kind of church does her parents go to that they would allow such a thing. Is she still a child of God? do we have a right to take away her dream?
And then there is the Casey Anthony case. She was just released and protestor were angry, feeling that she got away with murdering her daughter. Is she a child of God? Does God have a plan for her life? Was she guilty? Jesus says that none of that is our place to judge.
A group of pastors experienced that first hand in Rwanda as they witnessed whole congregations being killed. As their life was threatened, they ask their superiors what to do. They were told that that God no longer needed them. They were watching everyone getting killed around them, and their turn was coming too. God did not need them that was why this was happening. In the war between the Tutsis and hutu’s. there were tutsi and their bosses were hutus. Some were the wheat and some were the weeds.
That seems a little extreme, but when we judge other people as good and bad, right and wrong, us and them that is what we do. When we think we need to get rid of the wrong people in church that is whag we do.
There is good and bad in us all. But there is also a part of God. And only god knows the difference in us. If God can save a scoundrel like Jacob, then surely God has use for all of us, you and me.
Our God is an awesome God, God has some awesome plans for us, God has some awesome dreams for us.
Anyone who is a part of God, has a dream from God. If God gives you a dream God will make sure that it comes to fruition. For God’s sake not yours.
If you can think it, you caught it, God bought it, You sought it, I got it. God will give you the vision to see, the faith to believe, and the will to do some awesome plans. amen.
Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
5th Sunday after Pentecost
July 17, 2011
Year A
Our God is an Awesome God
When Barry Merritt was a little boy, he fondly remembers playing baseball. Those were the days when his coach would take them all out on a picnic, and they would all have a good time. The coach would ask them, how many of you want to grow up and become a part of the major leagues, and play baseball in the big time. Every single had went up, every child had a dream of being something more than what they were, every child had something to aspire for and to hope for. When he grew up, he didn’t become a major league player – but he did become a coach. He had his own team, he was entrusted to pass on his dreams to the next generation. He did the things that his coach did. He had picnics for the boys, he asked the question that he had been asked – how many of you want to become major league players when you grow up? How many of you think you have what it takes to play professionally. Not one hand went up. Not one of the children had any hope or any dreams of being anything more than what they were. Barry had to stop and ask himself what went wrong? Who had stolen the dreams of these young people? More importantly, how do you give hope and encouragement to someone, who doesn’t have a dream of being anything more than what they are today?
It is our dreams that define us. Our dreams that call us forward. Our dreams that inspire us to move forward. The dream to play ball professionally is still a big one. I think of how many young men in Englewood who love to play basketball. Who if you ask them what they want to grow up to be – they tell you that they want to be a basketball player. A basketball player and a lawyer. If it keeps them in school, it keeps them motivated, it inspires them to do the right thing – then it is a wonderful dream. You never want to say anything to them to take away their dream. The good news for us today is that no matter how much the world change, no matter how much we change, the power of our dreams never change. If it is God that gave us that dream, then there is nothing in the world that can take it away. God gives us our dreams for a reason. It is in our dreams that God makes a promise to us. Promises for our future, for the future of the kingdom of God. A dream is the image of something that is not present yet, but is coming.
Genesis is another story of a young man and a dream. A pretty typical young man by today’s standards. He was always competing with his twin brother, always in some kind of trouble. He came from a religious family, but didn’t have much use for this God himself. But this time he has gotten into enough trouble that the dream may be in danger. He has been fighting so much with his brother, that his mother sends him away to a safe place – back to her family down home. During his escape he has a strange dream. A dream of angels descending and ascending into heaven. God speaks to him, reminds him of the promises of the past, and the promises of the future. Reminds him that the world is dependent on his dreams, his hope, his future. He changes his life, and learns to include God in everything that he does. That all that he does is dependent on the presence of God with him. For him to experience the love of God, this must be an awesome place. He sets a stone so that the place would be remembered. What he misses is that this is not an awesome place. But an awesome God. The presence of God with us is not a place or a thing, it is a relationship. Anyplace with God is awesome. Any dream that we have that includes God is an awesome. Because the God we worship is an awesome God. A god that is incomparable, unexplainable, and without rival.
Jacob called it Bethel, Jesus called it the kingdom of God. What do you call it? When you reach that point in your life when you feel the presence of God? And you know that God is with you?
In chapter 13 of Matthew jesus gives several parables that describe what the kingdom of God is like. Jesus says that the kingdom of God is like a field, a field of wheat with a bunch of tares. That is an interesting comparison. Jesus was a carpenter, not a farmer, so what did he know about planting seeds? And the people that Matthew would have wrote this story for were city dwellers, they too would not have understand planting. But this was written to address something going on in the church. People were starting to judge others. The bible teaches us right from wrong, good from bad. What do you do when you are doing to right thing, and you see other people doing the wrong thing. Is it time for you to judge them and what they are doing?
Is God always going to be with us, going to support us. Is everthing that we do right? We know that answer to that question no. Sometimes I do and sometimes not. But the real question for the disciples is how do you respond to people who you think are wrong? What happens when you disagree with their dreams? How do you respond? Do you respond? Do we ever have a right to judge someone else’s dream?
There were two stories in the news that resonate with this point. First there is the story of the 16 year old who just married a 60 year old. The met on the internet and talked for 4 months and decided that they were a match made in heaven. When you look at the girl, she has boobs out to here, wears short dresses, and is constantly smooching on this man. Hardly appropriate for a 16 year old. Her parents say that she is a devout Christian and feels that this marriage is the right thing to do. It makes you ask – what kind of church does she go to. More importantly, what kind of church does her parents go to that they would allow such a thing. Is she still a child of God? do we have a right to take away her dream?
And then there is the Casey Anthony case. She was just released and protestor were angry, feeling that she got away with murdering her daughter. Is she a child of God? Does God have a plan for her life? Was she guilty? Jesus says that none of that is our place to judge.
A group of pastors experienced that first hand in Rwanda as they witnessed whole congregations being killed. As their life was threatened, they ask their superiors what to do. They were told that that God no longer needed them. They were watching everyone getting killed around them, and their turn was coming too. God did not need them that was why this was happening. In the war between the Tutsis and hutu’s. there were tutsi and their bosses were hutus. Some were the wheat and some were the weeds.
That seems a little extreme, but when we judge other people as good and bad, right and wrong, us and them that is what we do. When we think we need to get rid of the wrong people in church that is whag we do.
There is good and bad in us all. But there is also a part of God. And only god knows the difference in us. If God can save a scoundrel like Jacob, then surely God has use for all of us, you and me.
Our God is an awesome God, God has some awesome plans for us, God has some awesome dreams for us.
Anyone who is a part of God, has a dream from God. If God gives you a dream God will make sure that it comes to fruition. For God’s sake not yours.
If you can think it, you caught it, God bought it, You sought it, I got it. God will give you the vision to see, the faith to believe, and the will to do some awesome plans. amen.
Saturday, July 09, 2011
A vessel to be filled
July 10, 2011
Year A
5th Sunday after Pentecost
Romans 8:1-11
Matthew 13:1-9; 18-23
“A Vessel to be Filled”
Introduction: Trying to find meaning in a story
The Wrong Question: What Does It Mean?
For a moment, let's put this story to one side and hear another story. It concerns a young anthropologist named Connie who works among aboriginal people in Australia. The community where she lives has a rich tradition of storytelling. Everyone gathers at night, a story is told, and then another, and another. Connie feels extraordinarily privileged when she is asked to join in this activity.
The first story told that evening is about the animal ancestor of this community and its adventures at the beginning of time. The story overflows with detail, action, imagery.
At the end of the story, Connie is delighted. "May I ask a question?" she says. "What does it mean?"
All eyes are upon her. The elder looks at her gravely and says, "That is the one question you cannot ask." A long time passes before she is invited again. She has asked the wrong question.
"What does it mean?" was the wrong question for Connie to ask about the aboriginal myth. It may also be the wrong question for us to ask about the story of the sower, or any of the stories told by Jesus. "What does it mean?" is the wrong question if we think that by having an answer, we can somehow get a handle on this story, domesticate it, make it safe. The stories Jesus tells are not subject to our control. He tells these stories so that we can be transformed. He tells these stories, not so that we can ask questions about them, but so that the stories can ask questions of us.
Charles Hoffacker, What Kind of Soil Are You, What Kind of Sower?
We tend to ask that question a lot of ourselves, our lives and of God, and yes even of Jesus - what does it all mean? We want the bible to have all of the answers to our lives. And in a sense it does and in a sense it doesn’t.
It is not Jesus intention to give us the answers, but to give us something to think about, believe it or not, he trusts us enough to be able to come up with our own answers – if we have the right guidance.
Romans 8 the answers to all questions
I chose the scripture romans 8 in honor of Marj. A member of my last church, who told me that romans 8 was her favorite chapter in the bible, because she felt that it contained all of the answers to living a life of faith.
Verse 28 says that all things work together for those who love God.
Verse 31 asks if God is for us, then who can be against us. Verse 35 asks who can separate us from the love of God? verse 37 tells us that we are more than conquerors. Pretty powerful words at the end of the chapter.
Our scripture for today comes from the beginning of the chapter – where Paul starts with the beginning of our faith – there is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Life in the spirit, Life in the flesh
Throughout the whole chapter, Paul talks about two warring forces in all of our lives and in the world. There is the life of the flesh and the life of the spirit. Life in the flesh is not a really a life of overconcern about bodily satisfaction. It is a more a life of overconcern about the things of the world. About what is here on earth. It is a life which leads to death and to sin. Life in the spirit is a life concerned with the things of God and heaven. It is a life that Christ was leading us to. It is a life that leads to eternal life. We all have a choice – we can follow the things of the flesh – and stay stuck in the bad things of our lives, the wounds that have happened to us, the things that people have done to us, the meaning of this life. Or we can chose to be transcendent – knowing that with God’s help all things will come to pass and we will get over them.
The thing to remember however, is that life in the spirit and life in the flesh are not about us – but about cosmic forces the control the universe. It is a battle in life that will never end.
We also have to remember that Paul is telling us that we will never ever conquer that battle. None of us will ever live totally a life in the flesh, none of us will ever live a life totally in the spirit. We spend our lives always somewhere in between the two. Romans is the place where Paul talks about how he does the things that his heart tells him is wrong, but he does them anyway. He also talks about a thorn in his side that he has to life with. He never tells us what that thorn is, but the point that he want us all to remember is that suffering is a part of life. As long as we are in this fleshly body – there is something wrong, there is something to worry about, there is something to learn to live with, there is a reason to go forward. We don’t always have control over the circumstances of our lives, but we do have control over how we deal with them.
If we are in Christ Jesus – then we have the mind of Christ and the spirit of Christ. Romans8: 11 says of the spirit of him who raised Jesus dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.
Christ gives us the power to live in the flesh
Because Jesus Christ came to the world to live our life, was crucified, dead buried and rose from the dead. Even though we are fleshly people. We don’t have to live in the flesh. We can always choose between the life of the flesh and the life of the spirit.
Hearing the gospel as fertile soil
The good news of the gospel this morning is that not only are there two ways to live our lives. There are also different ways to hear the gospel of the lord. We can choose to be a fly by night hearer – who hears the word one minute – and pursuing the desires of the flesh the next, we can be a fair weather hearer – who hears the word when it is good for us, but forgetting it when it is not. We can be a too busy hearer – who hears the word, but is too busy to apply it to our lives, or we can be a productive hearer – that not only transforms our own lives, but has learned to transform the lives of others. Just by how we listen and obey the bible and what Jesus says.
Jesus tells the parable of the sower to the crowds the he was teaching. The disciples asks him what does it mean – why would he tell that story – what are we supposed to get out of it. The standard explanation of the story is that God is the sower, the word of God is the seed, and that we are the soil in which the word falls. But the point is that it means that and it means so much more.
Story of church clothes pantry – and planting seeds
There is the story of a church – a small church in a changing community- which started to see its membership declining. They noticed that there were no children in the Sunday school and wanted to do something to attract new members.
They decided that as an outreach project – they turned their Sunday school rooms into a clothing center. They would collect old clothes and give them away to anyone who needed them. Anyone could take as many clothes as they needed.
One winter day – a mother came with her many children. She said that she needed clothes. The kids took bags and bags of clothes. The church realized that this was a needy family – so they asked the pastor and some others to stop by to visit the family. While at the house – they noticed a pile of clothes that they had taken so much time to fold – being used as bedding for the dog. One lady noticed a dress that had belonged to her late grandmother torn and crumpled on the floor. As they were walking back to the church – they decided that the clothing ministry was a waste of time. People did not care anyway. And the help that you gave most people was wasted, because there were ungrateful about what you do for them.
Until one snowy day a winter later – when the pastor noticed an old beat up pickup truck in the parking lot before church service. The pickup was plowing the parking lot – when the pastor asked why – it was one of the older children of the family who had taken all of those clothes – the young man was now eighteen. He replied that the church had helped out his family when they were down on their luck. Now that they were on their feet and doing a little bit better, this was their way of helping out.
For many years later – the family plowed the churches parking lot. Most parishioners never even noticed.
In this story, the church members were the sower and the seeds were planted within the lives of those they served. It is not our responsibility to make the seeds grow – the life is inside of the seed not inside of our actions. We may never know the difference that our Christianity makes to those whose lives we touch. But it does indeed make a difference. Our job is to plant freely and abundantly – just as God has done for us.
The Mystery of God
Isaiah 55:10-11 says “My word is like the snow and the rain that come down from the sky to water the earth. They make the crops grow and provide for planting and food to eat. So also will be the word that O speak – it will not fail to do what I plan for it; it will do everything I send it to do.” The wonder and mystery of God is contained in the seeds that we plant for God. Why did Jesus tell parables with no real definite meaning – because he understood that God was a mystery that we have to experience for ourselves. The life is in the seed itself, not in the sowing.
Jesus trusts that what is planted will bloom
Speaking of parable – we may have heard of the parable of the rich young ruler. He asked what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus told him to sell everything that he had and to give it to the poor. He told Jesus that was more than he could bear. Jesus did not argue with him, or try to convince him otherwise. Jesus walked away. The seed had been planted, all there was to do now was to patiently wait for it to grow within the heart of the hearer. The seed of God, the seed of life, the seed of the eternal, is somewhere inside of us all. What does it take to make it grow? Let us pray….
Year A
5th Sunday after Pentecost
Romans 8:1-11
Matthew 13:1-9; 18-23
“A Vessel to be Filled”
Introduction: Trying to find meaning in a story
The Wrong Question: What Does It Mean?
For a moment, let's put this story to one side and hear another story. It concerns a young anthropologist named Connie who works among aboriginal people in Australia. The community where she lives has a rich tradition of storytelling. Everyone gathers at night, a story is told, and then another, and another. Connie feels extraordinarily privileged when she is asked to join in this activity.
The first story told that evening is about the animal ancestor of this community and its adventures at the beginning of time. The story overflows with detail, action, imagery.
At the end of the story, Connie is delighted. "May I ask a question?" she says. "What does it mean?"
All eyes are upon her. The elder looks at her gravely and says, "That is the one question you cannot ask." A long time passes before she is invited again. She has asked the wrong question.
"What does it mean?" was the wrong question for Connie to ask about the aboriginal myth. It may also be the wrong question for us to ask about the story of the sower, or any of the stories told by Jesus. "What does it mean?" is the wrong question if we think that by having an answer, we can somehow get a handle on this story, domesticate it, make it safe. The stories Jesus tells are not subject to our control. He tells these stories so that we can be transformed. He tells these stories, not so that we can ask questions about them, but so that the stories can ask questions of us.
Charles Hoffacker, What Kind of Soil Are You, What Kind of Sower?
We tend to ask that question a lot of ourselves, our lives and of God, and yes even of Jesus - what does it all mean? We want the bible to have all of the answers to our lives. And in a sense it does and in a sense it doesn’t.
It is not Jesus intention to give us the answers, but to give us something to think about, believe it or not, he trusts us enough to be able to come up with our own answers – if we have the right guidance.
Romans 8 the answers to all questions
I chose the scripture romans 8 in honor of Marj. A member of my last church, who told me that romans 8 was her favorite chapter in the bible, because she felt that it contained all of the answers to living a life of faith.
Verse 28 says that all things work together for those who love God.
Verse 31 asks if God is for us, then who can be against us. Verse 35 asks who can separate us from the love of God? verse 37 tells us that we are more than conquerors. Pretty powerful words at the end of the chapter.
Our scripture for today comes from the beginning of the chapter – where Paul starts with the beginning of our faith – there is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Life in the spirit, Life in the flesh
Throughout the whole chapter, Paul talks about two warring forces in all of our lives and in the world. There is the life of the flesh and the life of the spirit. Life in the flesh is not a really a life of overconcern about bodily satisfaction. It is a more a life of overconcern about the things of the world. About what is here on earth. It is a life which leads to death and to sin. Life in the spirit is a life concerned with the things of God and heaven. It is a life that Christ was leading us to. It is a life that leads to eternal life. We all have a choice – we can follow the things of the flesh – and stay stuck in the bad things of our lives, the wounds that have happened to us, the things that people have done to us, the meaning of this life. Or we can chose to be transcendent – knowing that with God’s help all things will come to pass and we will get over them.
The thing to remember however, is that life in the spirit and life in the flesh are not about us – but about cosmic forces the control the universe. It is a battle in life that will never end.
We also have to remember that Paul is telling us that we will never ever conquer that battle. None of us will ever live totally a life in the flesh, none of us will ever live a life totally in the spirit. We spend our lives always somewhere in between the two. Romans is the place where Paul talks about how he does the things that his heart tells him is wrong, but he does them anyway. He also talks about a thorn in his side that he has to life with. He never tells us what that thorn is, but the point that he want us all to remember is that suffering is a part of life. As long as we are in this fleshly body – there is something wrong, there is something to worry about, there is something to learn to live with, there is a reason to go forward. We don’t always have control over the circumstances of our lives, but we do have control over how we deal with them.
If we are in Christ Jesus – then we have the mind of Christ and the spirit of Christ. Romans8: 11 says of the spirit of him who raised Jesus dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.
Christ gives us the power to live in the flesh
Because Jesus Christ came to the world to live our life, was crucified, dead buried and rose from the dead. Even though we are fleshly people. We don’t have to live in the flesh. We can always choose between the life of the flesh and the life of the spirit.
Hearing the gospel as fertile soil
The good news of the gospel this morning is that not only are there two ways to live our lives. There are also different ways to hear the gospel of the lord. We can choose to be a fly by night hearer – who hears the word one minute – and pursuing the desires of the flesh the next, we can be a fair weather hearer – who hears the word when it is good for us, but forgetting it when it is not. We can be a too busy hearer – who hears the word, but is too busy to apply it to our lives, or we can be a productive hearer – that not only transforms our own lives, but has learned to transform the lives of others. Just by how we listen and obey the bible and what Jesus says.
Jesus tells the parable of the sower to the crowds the he was teaching. The disciples asks him what does it mean – why would he tell that story – what are we supposed to get out of it. The standard explanation of the story is that God is the sower, the word of God is the seed, and that we are the soil in which the word falls. But the point is that it means that and it means so much more.
Story of church clothes pantry – and planting seeds
There is the story of a church – a small church in a changing community- which started to see its membership declining. They noticed that there were no children in the Sunday school and wanted to do something to attract new members.
They decided that as an outreach project – they turned their Sunday school rooms into a clothing center. They would collect old clothes and give them away to anyone who needed them. Anyone could take as many clothes as they needed.
One winter day – a mother came with her many children. She said that she needed clothes. The kids took bags and bags of clothes. The church realized that this was a needy family – so they asked the pastor and some others to stop by to visit the family. While at the house – they noticed a pile of clothes that they had taken so much time to fold – being used as bedding for the dog. One lady noticed a dress that had belonged to her late grandmother torn and crumpled on the floor. As they were walking back to the church – they decided that the clothing ministry was a waste of time. People did not care anyway. And the help that you gave most people was wasted, because there were ungrateful about what you do for them.
Until one snowy day a winter later – when the pastor noticed an old beat up pickup truck in the parking lot before church service. The pickup was plowing the parking lot – when the pastor asked why – it was one of the older children of the family who had taken all of those clothes – the young man was now eighteen. He replied that the church had helped out his family when they were down on their luck. Now that they were on their feet and doing a little bit better, this was their way of helping out.
For many years later – the family plowed the churches parking lot. Most parishioners never even noticed.
In this story, the church members were the sower and the seeds were planted within the lives of those they served. It is not our responsibility to make the seeds grow – the life is inside of the seed not inside of our actions. We may never know the difference that our Christianity makes to those whose lives we touch. But it does indeed make a difference. Our job is to plant freely and abundantly – just as God has done for us.
The Mystery of God
Isaiah 55:10-11 says “My word is like the snow and the rain that come down from the sky to water the earth. They make the crops grow and provide for planting and food to eat. So also will be the word that O speak – it will not fail to do what I plan for it; it will do everything I send it to do.” The wonder and mystery of God is contained in the seeds that we plant for God. Why did Jesus tell parables with no real definite meaning – because he understood that God was a mystery that we have to experience for ourselves. The life is in the seed itself, not in the sowing.
Jesus trusts that what is planted will bloom
Speaking of parable – we may have heard of the parable of the rich young ruler. He asked what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus told him to sell everything that he had and to give it to the poor. He told Jesus that was more than he could bear. Jesus did not argue with him, or try to convince him otherwise. Jesus walked away. The seed had been planted, all there was to do now was to patiently wait for it to grow within the heart of the hearer. The seed of God, the seed of life, the seed of the eternal, is somewhere inside of us all. What does it take to make it grow? Let us pray….
Saturday, July 02, 2011
Come to Jesus
July 3, 2011
Come to Jesus
Genesis 24: 34-38;42-49;58-67
Matthew 11:16-19;25-30
Third Sunday of Pentecost
Year A
The Fourth of July and Freedom
On this 4th of July weekend, we can all relate to the song “America the Beautiful. We can all agree that we live in the land of the free and the home of the brave. America is a very special country, a country where all are free to pursue their happiness and well being.
And even though we all enjoy that freedom, we all know that freedom is not free. We know the cost that many have paid with their lives, and that many others pay for with their obedience to continue to defend our country. We know that America is not perfect, our forefathers and leaders have done their fair share of injustice.
Freedom and discipline
But we also know that freedom is not free, because we cannot go around doing what we want to do. We cant just sit around and expect freedom to hand deliver everything that our heart desires. It takes much hard work and discipline. It takes obedience to our laws and rules. It takes being yoked, as Jesus would say. Jesus says to put on his yoke. The burden is easy and light. We are called to be obedient to his way of life.
Rabbi and the woman
There is an old story of a widow – who had two daughters and a field. Since her daughters were young – she would plow the field herself. But the law said to her that she was not supposed to plow with an ox and an donkey together. When she began to seed the field the law said that she was not to seed with a mix of different seed. When she began to reap and to stack her corn – the law said that she should not be reaping if she still had corn in the field. When she began to thresh – she was commanded to give her offering for the first and second tithe. She accepted the law and gave all that she had. But she sold her field and thought it easier to raise sheep – until the law said that she had to give her first fleece to the temple. She killed the sheep so that she could eat it – until the priest told her that she had to give the shoulder, the cheeks and the stomach of her sheep to the temple for sacrifice. Frustrated – she threw up her hands and asked the priest if there was anything that she could do to be free from the law. I have killed me sheep – and you are still asking for more - you killed the sheep asked the priest? Yes replied the woman. In that case the whole sheep belongs to me – he took her sheep, her lively hood and left her alone with her two daughters. There was absolutely nothing that she could do to escape the yoke of the law. It demanded everything of her. That is not the kind of yoke that Jesus is asking us to bear.
Freedom in Christ
Jesus asks us to take on the burden of freedom. Freedom in Christ. Galations 5:13 says that you were called into freedom. Matthew 11 says Come to me all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.
The yoke of Christ is voluntary, easy, and peaceful. The yoke of Christ is faith in Christ. The yoke fulfills all of the promises of God.
The freedom of Rebekah
Genesis 24 is a beautiful story of the faithfulness of Rebekah in fulfilling the promises of God. God promisedAbraham that he would have a family as numerous as the stars. In spite of himself destroying the promise. God works to fulfill the promise and saves Isaac. Now Sarah has died, and Isaac is unmarried. Before he dies he asks his servant to find a wife for Isaac. The servant prays for a successful mission, but it is Rebekah herself who offers herself as a faithful servant, by being willing to go home with the servant. When she sees her fiancé for the first time, she is estatic. And happily accepts the yoke not only of marriage, but of the faith to follow God.
Where are you in the story?
This unique perspective may be the point of this story, not only narratively (after all, the aged and well-off Abraham is not going to do this himself), but also theologically. This next phase of God's promise unfolds through the faithfulness not so much of the one calling the shots (Abraham), but of a trusted servant and kinfolk hundreds of miles away. God's story and promise is embedded in the interactions of all these people across all these cultures. Perhaps most importantly, that promise now depended on the decisions and discernment of the two who had the least power, but had been given the most trust by all involved — the unnamed servant and Rebekah.
Where does your worshiping community find itself in this story?
Where do some people in your worshiping community find themselves in this story?
(Note: These are two different questions which will likely have very different answers!)
Are you or some of your worshiping community Abraham, entrusting the hopes for the continuation of God's promise to another?
Are you or some of them the trusted servant, trusting God and skillfully navigating the negotiations that will help that promise come to fruition?
Are you or some of them Rebekah, suddenly finding yourself invited to be part of a story you didn't know could be opened to you?
Or are you or they Laban, invited to make a bargain that may seem like sending a sibling far away?
Put another way, is your congregation or are some in it releasing control, actively negotiating, being invited to consider a new future, or entering into some sort of exchange in which you may lose one thing to gain another?
Now a third level — where is your community — not just where your building is located, but the networks of relationships you have as individuals and a congregation — in this story?
Given where you are as a congregation, where your people are, and where you discern your community is, how might this story encourage you to understand the kind of role or roles you may have in continuing to embody God's promise, God's kingdom, where you are?
But don't stop there. Remember that the response of every person in this story involved a new commitment.
Abraham had to commit to ensuring the line would continue through his family and to sending a servant with clear boundaries but no micromanaging instructions to take care of that. The servant had to commit to fulfill Abraham's commission and to trust that God would indeed help that happen. Laban had to commit to allowing his sister to join the journey his uncle Abraham had embarked on many years, several cultures, and hundreds of miles ago. And Rebekah had to commit; indeed, she was given final say and freedom to choose — to take up the role of matriarch in an extended branch of the family and with a husband she had never met in a land far away.
How is God at work in our story?
Where we see ourselves, depends on where we see God on our lives. How is God blessing us today? How is God at work in our lives. In the story, we hear from everyone except God. God speaks to know one, God directs no one, there are no miracles present that point to an obvious God.
God at work not in knowledge but in faith
And yet God’s promises are fulfilled, just in the actions of those who are powerless over their fate, yet obedient and faithful to what they are supposed to do in life.
Jesus thanks God that God has hidden the promises of God from the wise and shown them to infants. Those who have the innocent faith of a child.
The faith of a farmer
A farmer was hard at work on his farm, and he did not realize that it was time for the Sabbath. Nightime Saturday came upon him, and he could not go home. The law forbid him from walking that far on the Sabbath. He had to spend the night in the field. He missed his home that night, he missed his family. But most of all he missed his scriptures. Without them he did not know how to pray to honor God. The next day, he told his rabbi what happened. The rabbi told him that he did not need scripture in order to praise the glory of God, to tell God that God was the head of his life. The farmer confessed that he did not think that far in his faith. He was not that wise. But he did pray the letters of the alphabet – a, b,c. Knowing that if he said the letters, then God would put the words together to hear what needed to be said. The rabbi could do nothing but praise the simplicity of his faith. Freedom is not free….but faithfulness is always rewarded and understood by God.
The invitation of Christ
All that God is to us is revealed in the lessons that Christ taught us. Jesus invites us to come. On this day and in the days to come. Take on the yoke of Christ and find rest, peace, and a freedom that is fulfilled forever. Real freedom is a promise of God to the faithful. Amen.
Come to Jesus
Genesis 24: 34-38;42-49;58-67
Matthew 11:16-19;25-30
Third Sunday of Pentecost
Year A
The Fourth of July and Freedom
On this 4th of July weekend, we can all relate to the song “America the Beautiful. We can all agree that we live in the land of the free and the home of the brave. America is a very special country, a country where all are free to pursue their happiness and well being.
And even though we all enjoy that freedom, we all know that freedom is not free. We know the cost that many have paid with their lives, and that many others pay for with their obedience to continue to defend our country. We know that America is not perfect, our forefathers and leaders have done their fair share of injustice.
Freedom and discipline
But we also know that freedom is not free, because we cannot go around doing what we want to do. We cant just sit around and expect freedom to hand deliver everything that our heart desires. It takes much hard work and discipline. It takes obedience to our laws and rules. It takes being yoked, as Jesus would say. Jesus says to put on his yoke. The burden is easy and light. We are called to be obedient to his way of life.
Rabbi and the woman
There is an old story of a widow – who had two daughters and a field. Since her daughters were young – she would plow the field herself. But the law said to her that she was not supposed to plow with an ox and an donkey together. When she began to seed the field the law said that she was not to seed with a mix of different seed. When she began to reap and to stack her corn – the law said that she should not be reaping if she still had corn in the field. When she began to thresh – she was commanded to give her offering for the first and second tithe. She accepted the law and gave all that she had. But she sold her field and thought it easier to raise sheep – until the law said that she had to give her first fleece to the temple. She killed the sheep so that she could eat it – until the priest told her that she had to give the shoulder, the cheeks and the stomach of her sheep to the temple for sacrifice. Frustrated – she threw up her hands and asked the priest if there was anything that she could do to be free from the law. I have killed me sheep – and you are still asking for more - you killed the sheep asked the priest? Yes replied the woman. In that case the whole sheep belongs to me – he took her sheep, her lively hood and left her alone with her two daughters. There was absolutely nothing that she could do to escape the yoke of the law. It demanded everything of her. That is not the kind of yoke that Jesus is asking us to bear.
Freedom in Christ
Jesus asks us to take on the burden of freedom. Freedom in Christ. Galations 5:13 says that you were called into freedom. Matthew 11 says Come to me all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.
The yoke of Christ is voluntary, easy, and peaceful. The yoke of Christ is faith in Christ. The yoke fulfills all of the promises of God.
The freedom of Rebekah
Genesis 24 is a beautiful story of the faithfulness of Rebekah in fulfilling the promises of God. God promisedAbraham that he would have a family as numerous as the stars. In spite of himself destroying the promise. God works to fulfill the promise and saves Isaac. Now Sarah has died, and Isaac is unmarried. Before he dies he asks his servant to find a wife for Isaac. The servant prays for a successful mission, but it is Rebekah herself who offers herself as a faithful servant, by being willing to go home with the servant. When she sees her fiancé for the first time, she is estatic. And happily accepts the yoke not only of marriage, but of the faith to follow God.
Where are you in the story?
This unique perspective may be the point of this story, not only narratively (after all, the aged and well-off Abraham is not going to do this himself), but also theologically. This next phase of God's promise unfolds through the faithfulness not so much of the one calling the shots (Abraham), but of a trusted servant and kinfolk hundreds of miles away. God's story and promise is embedded in the interactions of all these people across all these cultures. Perhaps most importantly, that promise now depended on the decisions and discernment of the two who had the least power, but had been given the most trust by all involved — the unnamed servant and Rebekah.
Where does your worshiping community find itself in this story?
Where do some people in your worshiping community find themselves in this story?
(Note: These are two different questions which will likely have very different answers!)
Are you or some of your worshiping community Abraham, entrusting the hopes for the continuation of God's promise to another?
Are you or some of them the trusted servant, trusting God and skillfully navigating the negotiations that will help that promise come to fruition?
Are you or some of them Rebekah, suddenly finding yourself invited to be part of a story you didn't know could be opened to you?
Or are you or they Laban, invited to make a bargain that may seem like sending a sibling far away?
Put another way, is your congregation or are some in it releasing control, actively negotiating, being invited to consider a new future, or entering into some sort of exchange in which you may lose one thing to gain another?
Now a third level — where is your community — not just where your building is located, but the networks of relationships you have as individuals and a congregation — in this story?
Given where you are as a congregation, where your people are, and where you discern your community is, how might this story encourage you to understand the kind of role or roles you may have in continuing to embody God's promise, God's kingdom, where you are?
But don't stop there. Remember that the response of every person in this story involved a new commitment.
Abraham had to commit to ensuring the line would continue through his family and to sending a servant with clear boundaries but no micromanaging instructions to take care of that. The servant had to commit to fulfill Abraham's commission and to trust that God would indeed help that happen. Laban had to commit to allowing his sister to join the journey his uncle Abraham had embarked on many years, several cultures, and hundreds of miles ago. And Rebekah had to commit; indeed, she was given final say and freedom to choose — to take up the role of matriarch in an extended branch of the family and with a husband she had never met in a land far away.
How is God at work in our story?
Where we see ourselves, depends on where we see God on our lives. How is God blessing us today? How is God at work in our lives. In the story, we hear from everyone except God. God speaks to know one, God directs no one, there are no miracles present that point to an obvious God.
God at work not in knowledge but in faith
And yet God’s promises are fulfilled, just in the actions of those who are powerless over their fate, yet obedient and faithful to what they are supposed to do in life.
Jesus thanks God that God has hidden the promises of God from the wise and shown them to infants. Those who have the innocent faith of a child.
The faith of a farmer
A farmer was hard at work on his farm, and he did not realize that it was time for the Sabbath. Nightime Saturday came upon him, and he could not go home. The law forbid him from walking that far on the Sabbath. He had to spend the night in the field. He missed his home that night, he missed his family. But most of all he missed his scriptures. Without them he did not know how to pray to honor God. The next day, he told his rabbi what happened. The rabbi told him that he did not need scripture in order to praise the glory of God, to tell God that God was the head of his life. The farmer confessed that he did not think that far in his faith. He was not that wise. But he did pray the letters of the alphabet – a, b,c. Knowing that if he said the letters, then God would put the words together to hear what needed to be said. The rabbi could do nothing but praise the simplicity of his faith. Freedom is not free….but faithfulness is always rewarded and understood by God.
The invitation of Christ
All that God is to us is revealed in the lessons that Christ taught us. Jesus invites us to come. On this day and in the days to come. Take on the yoke of Christ and find rest, peace, and a freedom that is fulfilled forever. Real freedom is a promise of God to the faithful. Amen.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
God and daddies
Is God Like Daddy?
Think of a four-year-old coming home one Sunday after a lesson that taught about God as our Heavenly Father. Sound theology would quickly note that God is neither male nor female, but youngsters do not concern themselves with theological niceties. A four-year-old hears "Father;" the only father he knows anything about is the one that lives with him and says, "Pass the biscuits, please;" so he asks..."Is God like Daddy?" Wow! What a heavy load! But a good load to consider on Fathers' Day...and a good one to consider when we realize that what Daddy is can become a role model for our children's concept of God.
On this fathers day, that is the question that we are faced with, is God like daddy? Or is daddy like God?
Today scripture was the story of creation, and the great commandment – to go make disciples of all nations.
We read of the magnificence of God in all of God’s glory. The father, the son and the holy spirit.
We read of what was present before creation. God did not create out of nothing, God created out of chaos and confusion. He created order first. Scripture says that the spirit brooded over chaos and pondered on what to do about it. You may not realize that there are actually two creation stories in genesis, and this is the second. In the first God created adam first and then eve out of adam’s rib. In this one God created male and female together at the same time, and intended them to be equal. He created them with the other animals, and yet humans are the only creature that was blessed. Blessed to do more, blessed to take care of all of the rest of creation. He created them in our image, in the image of heaven.
Is Daddy like God? yes he is. He is created in the image of God.
Science spends a lot of time explain what creation is, the bible helps us understand why creation is. Why did God create the world in that way – because he wanted to. Creation is God’s vision for the future. Creation is the beginning of order. Creation is also the beginning of a promise of hope. Creation is the revelation of God’s nature – it shows us all that God is predictable, dependable, promise filled, progressive, and bigger, stronger, more powerful than anything in our lives.
At the end of each of the six days of active creation, the bible says In the beginning, God created… and it was good. Everything in God’s creation was good, even daddys and mommies. God created the world to fulfill his plan for redemption of our times today.
The life of Jesus Christ adds an even greater dimension to the magnificence of God. the trinity. Jesus tells his disciples to go and baptize all nations of the world in the name of the father, the son, and the holy ghost. God the creator, the son the redeemer, and the spirit the sustainer.
In the despair of what to do after Jesus death, Jesus appears to his disciples. He tells them to go home, back to gallilee. Back where their ministry began. He tells them to go to the top of the mountain, for mountain tops are the place in our lives where we experience the presence of God. He tells them to go out into the world and to baptize and to tell everyone the good news of the father the son and the holy ghost. The creator, the redeemer and the sustainer.
The good news is that creation is still going on today – and God wants us all to be a part of it. If we are a part of creation and it is good, then we all need to be good for something. We all have a job to in the name of the father the son and the holy ghost – the full magnificence of God. Is daddy like God? daddies are a part of creation, daddys have a job to do. And a role to play in the world.
But how important Christian fathers are! A study of church attendance sometime back showed that if both Mom and Dad attended church regularly 72 percent of their children remain faithful to the church. If only Mom attended regularly, only 15 percent remained faithful.
According to Dr. T. Berry Brazelton, a father's involvement with a child increases the child's IQ, the child's motivation to learn, and the child's self-confidence. In addition, children with involved dads are more likely to develop a sense of humor as well as an "inner excitement."
Is daddy like God? A pastor had to hold 2-3 jobs in order to take care of his family. On Sundays of course, he was always very clean. But during the week, when he would return home from work he would be dirty. He never thought anything of it until he saw his two young sons cleaning the car, and his one son started to put gravel and dirt on his pants. The son replied that he wanted to be dirty like his dad. Children pick up who we are and what we do like sponges – what are we passing on the them, what model do we present to them to follow.
In the jewish home it is the father’s job to provide religious teachings for their children. Jesus would have gotten his image of what a father does from his earthly father – Joseph. What kind of model must Joseph have been for Jesus to experience God as a father. TO describe the entire magnificence of God – as God the father? Jesus teaches the entire world to pray – Our father – not just our father, but our abba – our daddy.
Is God like Daddy? Jesus seems to think so.
A father had always taught his 3 year old to live life with his all. To try as hard as he could to do anything. So he watched with fascination out the window as his son tried to lift this very heavy rock out of his sandbox. The boy struggled, but he just couldn’t lift the rock. The little boy sat on the edge of the box with his head in his hands frustrated. That father came and sat next to him. Youre having a hard time with the rock I see, said the dad. The boy didn’t really answer. Did you do everything that you could the boy asked? Yeah the boy responded? Are you sure the dad asked? The boy looked puzzled. Did you come to ask me to help?
Is God like daddy?
Our magnificent God saw fit to bless us amongst all creation. Our magnificent God saw fit to send his son to us to teach us what it means to be a part of the family of God. Our magnificent God saw fit to make us a part of creation by becoming disciples and preaching the good news to all nations, Our magnificent God cares about every hair on our head, and our magnificent God in involved in our lives enough to answer our prayers – if we just ask.
Is God like daddy?
I think that we spend so much time in the black community talking about the dads that are absent, are not around, are not helping. When there are many dads who are doing their job, and helping with our faith.
I would invite anyone who would like to share a story about their dad.
Let us pray this prayer…..
Think of a four-year-old coming home one Sunday after a lesson that taught about God as our Heavenly Father. Sound theology would quickly note that God is neither male nor female, but youngsters do not concern themselves with theological niceties. A four-year-old hears "Father;" the only father he knows anything about is the one that lives with him and says, "Pass the biscuits, please;" so he asks..."Is God like Daddy?" Wow! What a heavy load! But a good load to consider on Fathers' Day...and a good one to consider when we realize that what Daddy is can become a role model for our children's concept of God.
On this fathers day, that is the question that we are faced with, is God like daddy? Or is daddy like God?
Today scripture was the story of creation, and the great commandment – to go make disciples of all nations.
We read of the magnificence of God in all of God’s glory. The father, the son and the holy spirit.
We read of what was present before creation. God did not create out of nothing, God created out of chaos and confusion. He created order first. Scripture says that the spirit brooded over chaos and pondered on what to do about it. You may not realize that there are actually two creation stories in genesis, and this is the second. In the first God created adam first and then eve out of adam’s rib. In this one God created male and female together at the same time, and intended them to be equal. He created them with the other animals, and yet humans are the only creature that was blessed. Blessed to do more, blessed to take care of all of the rest of creation. He created them in our image, in the image of heaven.
Is Daddy like God? yes he is. He is created in the image of God.
Science spends a lot of time explain what creation is, the bible helps us understand why creation is. Why did God create the world in that way – because he wanted to. Creation is God’s vision for the future. Creation is the beginning of order. Creation is also the beginning of a promise of hope. Creation is the revelation of God’s nature – it shows us all that God is predictable, dependable, promise filled, progressive, and bigger, stronger, more powerful than anything in our lives.
At the end of each of the six days of active creation, the bible says In the beginning, God created… and it was good. Everything in God’s creation was good, even daddys and mommies. God created the world to fulfill his plan for redemption of our times today.
The life of Jesus Christ adds an even greater dimension to the magnificence of God. the trinity. Jesus tells his disciples to go and baptize all nations of the world in the name of the father, the son, and the holy ghost. God the creator, the son the redeemer, and the spirit the sustainer.
In the despair of what to do after Jesus death, Jesus appears to his disciples. He tells them to go home, back to gallilee. Back where their ministry began. He tells them to go to the top of the mountain, for mountain tops are the place in our lives where we experience the presence of God. He tells them to go out into the world and to baptize and to tell everyone the good news of the father the son and the holy ghost. The creator, the redeemer and the sustainer.
The good news is that creation is still going on today – and God wants us all to be a part of it. If we are a part of creation and it is good, then we all need to be good for something. We all have a job to in the name of the father the son and the holy ghost – the full magnificence of God. Is daddy like God? daddies are a part of creation, daddys have a job to do. And a role to play in the world.
But how important Christian fathers are! A study of church attendance sometime back showed that if both Mom and Dad attended church regularly 72 percent of their children remain faithful to the church. If only Mom attended regularly, only 15 percent remained faithful.
According to Dr. T. Berry Brazelton, a father's involvement with a child increases the child's IQ, the child's motivation to learn, and the child's self-confidence. In addition, children with involved dads are more likely to develop a sense of humor as well as an "inner excitement."
Is daddy like God? A pastor had to hold 2-3 jobs in order to take care of his family. On Sundays of course, he was always very clean. But during the week, when he would return home from work he would be dirty. He never thought anything of it until he saw his two young sons cleaning the car, and his one son started to put gravel and dirt on his pants. The son replied that he wanted to be dirty like his dad. Children pick up who we are and what we do like sponges – what are we passing on the them, what model do we present to them to follow.
In the jewish home it is the father’s job to provide religious teachings for their children. Jesus would have gotten his image of what a father does from his earthly father – Joseph. What kind of model must Joseph have been for Jesus to experience God as a father. TO describe the entire magnificence of God – as God the father? Jesus teaches the entire world to pray – Our father – not just our father, but our abba – our daddy.
Is God like Daddy? Jesus seems to think so.
A father had always taught his 3 year old to live life with his all. To try as hard as he could to do anything. So he watched with fascination out the window as his son tried to lift this very heavy rock out of his sandbox. The boy struggled, but he just couldn’t lift the rock. The little boy sat on the edge of the box with his head in his hands frustrated. That father came and sat next to him. Youre having a hard time with the rock I see, said the dad. The boy didn’t really answer. Did you do everything that you could the boy asked? Yeah the boy responded? Are you sure the dad asked? The boy looked puzzled. Did you come to ask me to help?
Is God like daddy?
Our magnificent God saw fit to bless us amongst all creation. Our magnificent God saw fit to send his son to us to teach us what it means to be a part of the family of God. Our magnificent God saw fit to make us a part of creation by becoming disciples and preaching the good news to all nations, Our magnificent God cares about every hair on our head, and our magnificent God in involved in our lives enough to answer our prayers – if we just ask.
Is God like daddy?
I think that we spend so much time in the black community talking about the dads that are absent, are not around, are not helping. When there are many dads who are doing their job, and helping with our faith.
I would invite anyone who would like to share a story about their dad.
Let us pray this prayer…..
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Reverance to an Unkown God
May 29, 2011
Acts 17:22-31
John 14:15-21
Reverance to an Unknown God
Sixth Sunday of Easter
Year A
Introductory story - a children’s story of love
"I love chocolate," mumbled Paul as he stuffed the last fragment of Mars bar into his mouth.
Matthew grinned. "I love bubble gum," he announced.
Carolyn refused to be outdone. "I love - whatever group is number one!"
All the children looked at Sam. But his face clouded and he shook his head. "I don't love anyone or anything," he said and pushed his hand into his pockets and hunched his shoulders.
There was a pause. After a while Carolyn said, "You must love your mum and dad. Everyone loves their parents. You have to."
"Huh!" exclaimed Sam. "I haven't got a dad, and my mum's got a new boyfriend and I hate him. And I hate her too, because she doesn't love me any more, she only loves him."
Nobody knew what to say, for they all suspected Sam was right. He'd never really known his father except for occasional visits, and his mother had lived with a succession of boyfriends. Some of them had been quite kind to Sam, but none of them had lasted. Just when he cautiously began to like and trust one of them, that one would disappear only to be replaced by someone new. Sam was growing up into something of a loner; it was safer that way, you didn't get hurt.
What is true love for Christians?
Sam is a lot like a lot of children in our world – like a lot of people in our world today. Who are asking themselves what is love is, what is true love. A love that gives us meaning, a sense of peace, a sense of security, a sense of confidence.
Many of us here know, that the only true love that we have is the love of God. It is God’s love that underlies all of history. God’s love bought Jesus to our world, God’s love is the point of the resurrection. God’s love s what bought us here today, and God’s love is what brings meaning to our lives. If you don’t know God, you don’t know love.
We all know that God is the most important thing in our lives, and yet we too are a part of this story.
We freely talk about how we love ice cream, we love candy, we love the latest movie star. Sam asks each of us is that really love? Or is it somethings else, affection, affinity, a strong like, a bad habit? Even as Sam looks at his own life, at those who should love him, and he continues to ask the question of God really in that relationship? Is it really love? Is love a feeling an attraction. In the gospel lesson, John 14 – Jesus makes it clear that true love is obedience. If we really love God, then we obey his commandements. We do what God says, we live according to what the bible says, we have a relationship with God, we believe whole heartedly in Jesus Christ.
Commentary of John 14
John 14:17 says This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him, nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, he will be with you.
If you don’t know god, you don’t know love. We live in a world where the love of god is present, yet us unknown.
And yet we live in a world where people don’t know love, and yet they continue to talk about how much they love ice cream, candy and Justin bieber. There are plenty of substitutions available for the love of God.
Commentary on Acts 17
That is the world that Paul is talking to when he goes to mars hill in Athens, Greece and he sees a monument to an unknown god. I have been to the park that is now on mars hill. And seen the monument to an unknown God – just a small low level square stone.
Representing the hopes and dreams of the people. Showing the world that they were open to the religious. That they wanted to believe in something more, that their hearts were open to a change, but they like Sam, like a lot of people, had to admit that they did not really know love, because they did not know God.
What are our present monuments to an unknown God?
When you walk around the city, our city today – I think we still can see lots of monuments to the things that we love. How many liquor stores, fast food restaurants, ice cream stores, shopping malls are there- where people are flocking to trying to feel better. They have no idea of what love is, so they don’t know where to look for it.
Are churches monuments to an unkown God?
But something else to think about – how many churches do we have in our neighborhood, but do the people in them really know God enough to know God’s love. Jesus says that the only the only way to love god is to ……obey god. Keep God’s commandments in everything that we do.
To continue our story….
Advanced Search— (click to expand)
Continuation of story of children’s story of love
"Anyway," continued Sam, "I don't know what love feels like. But I do know you can't love chocolate or bubble gum or pop stars. You can like them really, really much, but you can't actually love them."
"Well, I know what love feels like," exclaimed Carolyn. "Maybe I don't actually love any pop stars, maybe I just adore them and like them loads and - and almost worship them and want to listen to them all the time over and over again. And maybe that's not real love. But it's a bit like love."
"No, it isn't," argued Paul. "I love my parents and even my little sister, but I don't want to be with them all the time. I don't adore them, and I certainly don't want to listen to them over and over again! But I do love them, and I'd be really sad if they weren't around. I guess I kind of rely on them. Perhaps that's love."
Matthew was frowning. "This is boring," he said. "All that love stuff is boring. You should see my big sister. She's 15 and she's always mooning around some boyfriend or other. They're always kissing and cuddling, it's disgusting."
"You don't need love," declared Sam. "I get on OK without it. Nobody loves me and I'm never going to love anyone else ever again. Love's awful. I used to love my mum, and look what happened to me. I just got hurt. If you don't love anyone, you don't get hurt."
They all heard what Sam said, but it didn't feel right. Deep down inside they all felt really sorry for Sam. Somehow they knew he was missing out on something important, even though they weren't sure exactly what it was. But they were all aware that Sam was becoming a lonely and solitary figure, that most people kept away from Sam because he was somehow prickly, and that they were the only friends he had. They also had the feeling that they were very important to Sam because he had no other friends. And they vaguely suspected that had something to do with a mild kind of love.
Carolyn lay on her back, gazing up into the sky. "I know who I really love," she suddenly announced. "I love God. It's easy to love God because he somehow lives inside each human being, and if he lives inside me it's like he's part of me and knows me really well. God loves every human being more than anything in the whole world. And you don't have to trail round after him, or think about him all the time, he's just there. Always around when you need him, but never interfering or making a nuisance of himself. You could love God, Sam. God would never let you down, and he'd always be there if you felt hurt. God is great."
Not a part of the sermon
Sam stared at her, a small frown between his eyes. But he looked thoughtful, and for the first time there was a hint of hope in his eyes. Then he shrugged. "Come on," he said, "let's play football." And the children jumped to their feet and ran outside.
John 14 is Jesus final advice to us. He reminds of to love him, to love god , to obey God, the believe in God. He knows the world that we live in, and the challenges that we face. He knows that there are lot of Sams out there –looking for love with no idea of where to look. He knows that even we have questions about true love, how do we know that we are in relationship with God. What happens when we get lost?
Story of Jim Reed, his wife whispering in his ear
Many of you probably have stashed away in a drawer somewhere around your home the old 45 rpm records. If you have some from the 50s and early 60s you will have Elvis' grinding out "Hound Dog," Buddy Holly and the Crickets' hiccupping "Peggy Sue," Chuck Berry's joyful hot licks in "Maybellene," the Coasters' slapstick tour de force "Charlie Brown," the mournful "Tears On My Pillow" by Little Anthony and the Imperials, the impenetrable and probably scandalous "Louie, Louie" by the Kingsmen, and the teenaged gropings of the Paris Sisters' "I Love How You Love Me."
Here and there in these dusty stacks, one can find an occasional recording by the great blues master Jimmy Reed. A share-cropper's son, Reed brought the throbbing harmonica-and-guitar-driven black rhythm-and-blues of the Mississippi Delta into the popular rock-and-roll mainstream. Many of us, when we were in high school, fancied ourselves a budding rock band. My friends and I did. We would play and replay our 45s attempting in vain to capture the sound. But how do you imitate someone like Reed. The pain-soaked cries of his mahogany voice could not be imitated by our too-tight, too-white, suburban throats.
There's an interesting story behind the Jimmy Reed records. In placing the phonograph needle again and again in the grooves of Jimmy Reed's records, you began to notice something curious. If one listened very carefully, there could sometimes be heard, ever so faintly in the background, a soft woman's voice murmuring in advance the next verse of the song. The story that grew up around this -- and perhaps it is true -- was that Jimmy Reed was so absorbed in the bluesy beat and the throbbing guitar riffs of his music that he simply could not remember the words of his own songs. He needed help with the lyrics, and the woman's voice was none other than that of his wife, devotedly coaching her husband through the recording session by whispering the upcoming stanzas into his ear as he sang.
Whether or not this story is accurate, Christians will surely recognize a parallel experience. Jesus tells his followers that the role of the Holy Spirit is, in effect, to whisper the lyrics of the gospel song in the ears of the faithful. When Jesus was present, he was the one who instilled in them the right words, coached them through the proper verses, taught them the joyful commandments. But now that Jesus approaches his death, now that he draws near to his time of departure, now that the disciples will be on their own without him, that task is to be handed over to the Holy Spirit:
"If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth ..." (John 14:15-17).
The Holy Spirit does the same thing for us
primary task, then, of the Holy Spirit is reminding the faithful of the truth, jogging the memories of the followers of Jesus about all of his commandments so that they can keep them in love, whispering the lyrics of the never-ending hymn of faithful obedience in their ears. It may surprise us to think of the Holy Spirit in this way, as a quiet, whispering teacher of the commandments of Jesus. Often the Spirit is advertised in flashier terms: The Spirit gives ecstasy; the Spirit evokes speaking in unknown tongues; the Spirit prompts dramatic and miraculous healings. Indeed, the Holy Spirit of God does perform such deeds, but these are all derivative of the one, primary activity of the Spirit -- reminding the children of God about everything that Jesus taught and commanded (John 14:26), whispering the gospel lyrics into the ears of the forgetful faithful.
Conclusion
All of us are looking for loves, all of us have some monument in our lives to that search.
But only those who love God enough to follow his commendments have the presence of the holy spirit – in our lives, in our ears guiding us, leading us, revealing to us to love of God.
God with us, Jesus with us, the Holy Spirit with us – the promise of power, comfort and guidance.
Let us pray….
Acts 17:22-31
John 14:15-21
Reverance to an Unknown God
Sixth Sunday of Easter
Year A
Introductory story - a children’s story of love
"I love chocolate," mumbled Paul as he stuffed the last fragment of Mars bar into his mouth.
Matthew grinned. "I love bubble gum," he announced.
Carolyn refused to be outdone. "I love - whatever group is number one!"
All the children looked at Sam. But his face clouded and he shook his head. "I don't love anyone or anything," he said and pushed his hand into his pockets and hunched his shoulders.
There was a pause. After a while Carolyn said, "You must love your mum and dad. Everyone loves their parents. You have to."
"Huh!" exclaimed Sam. "I haven't got a dad, and my mum's got a new boyfriend and I hate him. And I hate her too, because she doesn't love me any more, she only loves him."
Nobody knew what to say, for they all suspected Sam was right. He'd never really known his father except for occasional visits, and his mother had lived with a succession of boyfriends. Some of them had been quite kind to Sam, but none of them had lasted. Just when he cautiously began to like and trust one of them, that one would disappear only to be replaced by someone new. Sam was growing up into something of a loner; it was safer that way, you didn't get hurt.
What is true love for Christians?
Sam is a lot like a lot of children in our world – like a lot of people in our world today. Who are asking themselves what is love is, what is true love. A love that gives us meaning, a sense of peace, a sense of security, a sense of confidence.
Many of us here know, that the only true love that we have is the love of God. It is God’s love that underlies all of history. God’s love bought Jesus to our world, God’s love is the point of the resurrection. God’s love s what bought us here today, and God’s love is what brings meaning to our lives. If you don’t know God, you don’t know love.
We all know that God is the most important thing in our lives, and yet we too are a part of this story.
We freely talk about how we love ice cream, we love candy, we love the latest movie star. Sam asks each of us is that really love? Or is it somethings else, affection, affinity, a strong like, a bad habit? Even as Sam looks at his own life, at those who should love him, and he continues to ask the question of God really in that relationship? Is it really love? Is love a feeling an attraction. In the gospel lesson, John 14 – Jesus makes it clear that true love is obedience. If we really love God, then we obey his commandements. We do what God says, we live according to what the bible says, we have a relationship with God, we believe whole heartedly in Jesus Christ.
Commentary of John 14
John 14:17 says This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him, nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, he will be with you.
If you don’t know god, you don’t know love. We live in a world where the love of god is present, yet us unknown.
And yet we live in a world where people don’t know love, and yet they continue to talk about how much they love ice cream, candy and Justin bieber. There are plenty of substitutions available for the love of God.
Commentary on Acts 17
That is the world that Paul is talking to when he goes to mars hill in Athens, Greece and he sees a monument to an unknown god. I have been to the park that is now on mars hill. And seen the monument to an unknown God – just a small low level square stone.
Representing the hopes and dreams of the people. Showing the world that they were open to the religious. That they wanted to believe in something more, that their hearts were open to a change, but they like Sam, like a lot of people, had to admit that they did not really know love, because they did not know God.
What are our present monuments to an unknown God?
When you walk around the city, our city today – I think we still can see lots of monuments to the things that we love. How many liquor stores, fast food restaurants, ice cream stores, shopping malls are there- where people are flocking to trying to feel better. They have no idea of what love is, so they don’t know where to look for it.
Are churches monuments to an unkown God?
But something else to think about – how many churches do we have in our neighborhood, but do the people in them really know God enough to know God’s love. Jesus says that the only the only way to love god is to ……obey god. Keep God’s commandments in everything that we do.
To continue our story….
Advanced Search— (click to expand)
Continuation of story of children’s story of love
"Anyway," continued Sam, "I don't know what love feels like. But I do know you can't love chocolate or bubble gum or pop stars. You can like them really, really much, but you can't actually love them."
"Well, I know what love feels like," exclaimed Carolyn. "Maybe I don't actually love any pop stars, maybe I just adore them and like them loads and - and almost worship them and want to listen to them all the time over and over again. And maybe that's not real love. But it's a bit like love."
"No, it isn't," argued Paul. "I love my parents and even my little sister, but I don't want to be with them all the time. I don't adore them, and I certainly don't want to listen to them over and over again! But I do love them, and I'd be really sad if they weren't around. I guess I kind of rely on them. Perhaps that's love."
Matthew was frowning. "This is boring," he said. "All that love stuff is boring. You should see my big sister. She's 15 and she's always mooning around some boyfriend or other. They're always kissing and cuddling, it's disgusting."
"You don't need love," declared Sam. "I get on OK without it. Nobody loves me and I'm never going to love anyone else ever again. Love's awful. I used to love my mum, and look what happened to me. I just got hurt. If you don't love anyone, you don't get hurt."
They all heard what Sam said, but it didn't feel right. Deep down inside they all felt really sorry for Sam. Somehow they knew he was missing out on something important, even though they weren't sure exactly what it was. But they were all aware that Sam was becoming a lonely and solitary figure, that most people kept away from Sam because he was somehow prickly, and that they were the only friends he had. They also had the feeling that they were very important to Sam because he had no other friends. And they vaguely suspected that had something to do with a mild kind of love.
Carolyn lay on her back, gazing up into the sky. "I know who I really love," she suddenly announced. "I love God. It's easy to love God because he somehow lives inside each human being, and if he lives inside me it's like he's part of me and knows me really well. God loves every human being more than anything in the whole world. And you don't have to trail round after him, or think about him all the time, he's just there. Always around when you need him, but never interfering or making a nuisance of himself. You could love God, Sam. God would never let you down, and he'd always be there if you felt hurt. God is great."
Not a part of the sermon
Sam stared at her, a small frown between his eyes. But he looked thoughtful, and for the first time there was a hint of hope in his eyes. Then he shrugged. "Come on," he said, "let's play football." And the children jumped to their feet and ran outside.
John 14 is Jesus final advice to us. He reminds of to love him, to love god , to obey God, the believe in God. He knows the world that we live in, and the challenges that we face. He knows that there are lot of Sams out there –looking for love with no idea of where to look. He knows that even we have questions about true love, how do we know that we are in relationship with God. What happens when we get lost?
Story of Jim Reed, his wife whispering in his ear
Many of you probably have stashed away in a drawer somewhere around your home the old 45 rpm records. If you have some from the 50s and early 60s you will have Elvis' grinding out "Hound Dog," Buddy Holly and the Crickets' hiccupping "Peggy Sue," Chuck Berry's joyful hot licks in "Maybellene," the Coasters' slapstick tour de force "Charlie Brown," the mournful "Tears On My Pillow" by Little Anthony and the Imperials, the impenetrable and probably scandalous "Louie, Louie" by the Kingsmen, and the teenaged gropings of the Paris Sisters' "I Love How You Love Me."
Here and there in these dusty stacks, one can find an occasional recording by the great blues master Jimmy Reed. A share-cropper's son, Reed brought the throbbing harmonica-and-guitar-driven black rhythm-and-blues of the Mississippi Delta into the popular rock-and-roll mainstream. Many of us, when we were in high school, fancied ourselves a budding rock band. My friends and I did. We would play and replay our 45s attempting in vain to capture the sound. But how do you imitate someone like Reed. The pain-soaked cries of his mahogany voice could not be imitated by our too-tight, too-white, suburban throats.
There's an interesting story behind the Jimmy Reed records. In placing the phonograph needle again and again in the grooves of Jimmy Reed's records, you began to notice something curious. If one listened very carefully, there could sometimes be heard, ever so faintly in the background, a soft woman's voice murmuring in advance the next verse of the song. The story that grew up around this -- and perhaps it is true -- was that Jimmy Reed was so absorbed in the bluesy beat and the throbbing guitar riffs of his music that he simply could not remember the words of his own songs. He needed help with the lyrics, and the woman's voice was none other than that of his wife, devotedly coaching her husband through the recording session by whispering the upcoming stanzas into his ear as he sang.
Whether or not this story is accurate, Christians will surely recognize a parallel experience. Jesus tells his followers that the role of the Holy Spirit is, in effect, to whisper the lyrics of the gospel song in the ears of the faithful. When Jesus was present, he was the one who instilled in them the right words, coached them through the proper verses, taught them the joyful commandments. But now that Jesus approaches his death, now that he draws near to his time of departure, now that the disciples will be on their own without him, that task is to be handed over to the Holy Spirit:
"If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth ..." (John 14:15-17).
The Holy Spirit does the same thing for us
primary task, then, of the Holy Spirit is reminding the faithful of the truth, jogging the memories of the followers of Jesus about all of his commandments so that they can keep them in love, whispering the lyrics of the never-ending hymn of faithful obedience in their ears. It may surprise us to think of the Holy Spirit in this way, as a quiet, whispering teacher of the commandments of Jesus. Often the Spirit is advertised in flashier terms: The Spirit gives ecstasy; the Spirit evokes speaking in unknown tongues; the Spirit prompts dramatic and miraculous healings. Indeed, the Holy Spirit of God does perform such deeds, but these are all derivative of the one, primary activity of the Spirit -- reminding the children of God about everything that Jesus taught and commanded (John 14:26), whispering the gospel lyrics into the ears of the forgetful faithful.
Conclusion
All of us are looking for loves, all of us have some monument in our lives to that search.
But only those who love God enough to follow his commendments have the presence of the holy spirit – in our lives, in our ears guiding us, leading us, revealing to us to love of God.
God with us, Jesus with us, the Holy Spirit with us – the promise of power, comfort and guidance.
Let us pray….
Monday, May 02, 2011
The Love of a Woman
Easter Sunday
April 24, 2011
Acts 10:34-43
John 20:1-18
Year A
What I want to know if what was she doing up that early? Why would she need to come to his tomb by herself? What was going on that she didn’t want anyone to know about? Who did she think she was? What was her relationship with him anyway? That she felt that it was her responsibility to put spices on his body.
These are the questions that many of us are asking; after all, we all know that Mary Magdalene has a reputation. Magdala means evil city. We know that Jesus cast out 7 demons from her; she is the woman we love to hate. She was the sinner of sinners of all of the things that she did wrong.
And yet God chose her for a special purpose. God chose her to be a special witness.
Mary was witness to two separate events – one the empty tomb and the resurrection.
Mary represents all of us – faithful, devoted, looking for answers, trying to make it right.
We are here to witness the risen Christ.
We are here on Easter, like Mary hoping someone will roll away the stone. We just want to get a glimpse of his body. Proof that he was here, proof that he loves us as much as he claimed.
We go to the tombs of our lives, looking for a new life, but secretly hoping we will find a body, or can make things the way the way they used to be. Not really ready for anything different.
Story of the stone
There was an eighth grade teacher in a catholic school who decided that she wanted to put on a passion play – the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection. She started to assign the parts – and one by one, students took the part of Mary, of Jesus, of the soldiers, of the angels, of Pontius Pilate, of the disciples, one student even volunteered to be Judas. Johnny was still left to be assigned a part. When she asked what part he wanted to play – he volunteered to be the stone. I want to be there to let Jesus out of the tomb – he said.
The teacher explained that the stone was not rolled away to let Jesus out – he was already out – the stone had been rolled away to let Mary see in. To let Mary see that a miracle happened – and that no Sunday morning would ever be the same.
If that stone was not there, we could see the body – we would know what was going on.
When Mary got there, the work has already been done for her. The stone was rolled away.
Jesus was standing in front of her, she didn’t even recognize him.
Resurrection is not jut resuscitation of the same old thing, it is total and complete transformation. He was changed to something different.
If God can do it for Jesus, he can do it for us.
Something in his voice helped Mary to recognize him.
He called Mary, she responded – teacher.
He helped her to understand – to understand clearly who Jesus Christ is...
How do we get from the empty tomb to believing in Christ?
Jesus chose to reveal the gift of life to a faithful Mary. She told her friends, they came and saw and went home unsure of what to make of it all.
But Mary testified to the truth _ I have seen the Lord.
Have you seen the Lord today?
Do you know that he has been resurrected? And gives you the power to be transformed?
Who was she? She was a faithful servant looking for salvation. What wondrous love is this? Is not just the love of Jesus for his people, it is our love for him. The love that drives us to come out.
Easter is about liberation – the freedom to come out of the tombs.
I want to share these 8 ways to keep the resurrection alive
1. Know that God is God
God raised Jesus, Jesus did not raise himself. So that God may be glorified God is good all of the time. See the goodness of God in your life.
2. Whatever it is turn it over to God
And leave it there
3. Cast our fear
Mary was not afraid to seek God because she loved him
4. Testify to what God has done
Jesus told Mary to go to her brothers and tell what she has seen.
5. Stay humble
God is teacher – you are the student
6. Walk to Emmaus
Servant found God in places that they did not expect along the way.
7. Pray always and everywhere
8. Recognize the God in all thin
Who was she? A woman of faith and love. Someone that we can all learn from. The lesson that Mary teaches is that Jesus is right on front of us.
The same Jesus who fed 500, who walked on water, who opened the eyes of the blind, who raised Lazarus, healed Mary.
The same Jesus who was not in the tomb them is here now present in a new way.
Same Jesus does not leave us too our own devices, but resurrects us to new life.
God raised Jesus, God cleared Mary of her confusion, and will God do any less for us?
April 24, 2011
Acts 10:34-43
John 20:1-18
Year A
What I want to know if what was she doing up that early? Why would she need to come to his tomb by herself? What was going on that she didn’t want anyone to know about? Who did she think she was? What was her relationship with him anyway? That she felt that it was her responsibility to put spices on his body.
These are the questions that many of us are asking; after all, we all know that Mary Magdalene has a reputation. Magdala means evil city. We know that Jesus cast out 7 demons from her; she is the woman we love to hate. She was the sinner of sinners of all of the things that she did wrong.
And yet God chose her for a special purpose. God chose her to be a special witness.
Mary was witness to two separate events – one the empty tomb and the resurrection.
Mary represents all of us – faithful, devoted, looking for answers, trying to make it right.
We are here to witness the risen Christ.
We are here on Easter, like Mary hoping someone will roll away the stone. We just want to get a glimpse of his body. Proof that he was here, proof that he loves us as much as he claimed.
We go to the tombs of our lives, looking for a new life, but secretly hoping we will find a body, or can make things the way the way they used to be. Not really ready for anything different.
Story of the stone
There was an eighth grade teacher in a catholic school who decided that she wanted to put on a passion play – the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection. She started to assign the parts – and one by one, students took the part of Mary, of Jesus, of the soldiers, of the angels, of Pontius Pilate, of the disciples, one student even volunteered to be Judas. Johnny was still left to be assigned a part. When she asked what part he wanted to play – he volunteered to be the stone. I want to be there to let Jesus out of the tomb – he said.
The teacher explained that the stone was not rolled away to let Jesus out – he was already out – the stone had been rolled away to let Mary see in. To let Mary see that a miracle happened – and that no Sunday morning would ever be the same.
If that stone was not there, we could see the body – we would know what was going on.
When Mary got there, the work has already been done for her. The stone was rolled away.
Jesus was standing in front of her, she didn’t even recognize him.
Resurrection is not jut resuscitation of the same old thing, it is total and complete transformation. He was changed to something different.
If God can do it for Jesus, he can do it for us.
Something in his voice helped Mary to recognize him.
He called Mary, she responded – teacher.
He helped her to understand – to understand clearly who Jesus Christ is...
How do we get from the empty tomb to believing in Christ?
Jesus chose to reveal the gift of life to a faithful Mary. She told her friends, they came and saw and went home unsure of what to make of it all.
But Mary testified to the truth _ I have seen the Lord.
Have you seen the Lord today?
Do you know that he has been resurrected? And gives you the power to be transformed?
Who was she? She was a faithful servant looking for salvation. What wondrous love is this? Is not just the love of Jesus for his people, it is our love for him. The love that drives us to come out.
Easter is about liberation – the freedom to come out of the tombs.
I want to share these 8 ways to keep the resurrection alive
1. Know that God is God
God raised Jesus, Jesus did not raise himself. So that God may be glorified God is good all of the time. See the goodness of God in your life.
2. Whatever it is turn it over to God
And leave it there
3. Cast our fear
Mary was not afraid to seek God because she loved him
4. Testify to what God has done
Jesus told Mary to go to her brothers and tell what she has seen.
5. Stay humble
God is teacher – you are the student
6. Walk to Emmaus
Servant found God in places that they did not expect along the way.
7. Pray always and everywhere
8. Recognize the God in all thin
Who was she? A woman of faith and love. Someone that we can all learn from. The lesson that Mary teaches is that Jesus is right on front of us.
The same Jesus who fed 500, who walked on water, who opened the eyes of the blind, who raised Lazarus, healed Mary.
The same Jesus who was not in the tomb them is here now present in a new way.
Same Jesus does not leave us too our own devices, but resurrects us to new life.
God raised Jesus, God cleared Mary of her confusion, and will God do any less for us?
My God, My God why Have you Forsaken Me - Good Friday - 7 last words
Good Friday service
7 Last Words
Mark 15:33-34
My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?
Fourth Word
April 22, 2011
Eloi, Eloi, Lama Sabachthani – translated My God, My God why have you forsaken me.
That’s actually the title of a short story about a man who developed an explosive that can create darkness. He was also fascinated by the passion story. He considered himself a devout Christian.
Mr. Baumoff was also a scientist, when he saw the explosives of war, he was fascinated. He couldn’t wait to tell his friends about his new invention. But none of them seemed to be interested.
Mr. Baumoff wanted to impress his best friend so he actually drank the invention to demonstrate it’s effectiveness. His friend really did not want to watch to see what would happen, but Mr. Baumoff told him the he should be priveledged to watch, and should document all that he saw.
Mr Baumoff started to sweat and to turn red. His friend became scared. Then Mr. Baumoff felt that he needed to reenact the crucifixion. He started to out nails in his hands and feet, he tied himself to the chair. All of a sudden there was a loud boom and everything dark. The friend fainted. When he woke up, he found Mr Baumoff dead. When they did an autopsy, they found that he died from heart failure, not from the cruxifixion. But the friend remembered that the last thing that he said before he died was “Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachthani.
The story is intended to remind us of cruxifion – the darkness – the last words, the torn curtain, the anguish of Christ.
Baumoff is not intended to be a hero- he is sort of like a suicide bomber. He had a confused and contorted theology of pain and suffering. He was also confused about why Jesus died on a cross. Confused about the darkness surrounding the day and the events of the cross
God’s response of darkness is not about his disappointment of Jesus. But disappointment with others, with us: our need to blame, to not take responsibility for our actions, to disregard for how our actions affect others, disappointment basically in our sin.
The darkness surrounding the cross, darkness surrounding our lives. Our world today.
Arthur Blessit got a call from God to carry the cross across the country in 1968. In 1969 he was called to carry the cross across Ireland. 42 years later, he has taken the cross to 315 countries, and travelled over 39,000 miles. Wherever there is calamity, he brings the cross. One day a reporter asked him if its heavy – he reported that it is not nearly as heavy as the burden of listening to peoples stories –stories of pain, war, loss hunger, and untold suffering.
The New York times says that the mood of the nation is worse then it have ever been. That is the darkness of the day – the suffering of Christ.
The suffering of Christ was not about his physical pain, but about his spiritual and emotional pain. The pain of bearing our suffering and sin.
Eloi, Eloi, Lama Sabachthani – My God, My God, whi have you forsaken me.
We know from these words that Jesus spoke Aramaic. Hebrew, araimaic and Arabic are very similar but not the same. But aramaiic is a beautiful language, because words can carry double meanings at the same time.
Eli – means My God
Not the God of the situation, that the God that I have always heard about, Not the God that I read about, but My God.
The God of my soul, the God of my life, who knows me and understands my situation and feels my pain, My God.
Lama – means why
I am asking you a question God – why?
Why is this happening , why does it hurt so bad, why is the darkness so deep?
It’s the question that God never answers, not for me of for Jesus. But Jesus has to ask anyway
Why god, Why?
Not a day goes by in my life that I don’t ask that same question.
Why God, why?
Jesus was speaking in Aramaic…
In hebew the word is azabathani, in greek it is transliterated sabachthani. But it cant be properly translated in Aramaic.
It is a grief that is too deep for words. A sorrow that cannot be explained.
It is the pain of being abandoned by God. jesus is literally saying that the spirit of God inside of him has left – after he cried a second time he gave up the ghost.
But it also means totally and completely separated from God. beig abandonded by God.
Why would god abandon his son on the cross?
Habbukuk 1:13 says that God cannot look upon sin and approve it. God cant ignore that it happens, god cant pretend it is okay, God cant participate in it, not even for his Son.
The consequences of sin is death.
The darkness cant be dispelled, but dark and light cannot exist in the same place.
My God, My God why have you forsaken me? Those are the first words of palm 22. This is a cry of aganoy – a request for relief and victory over the darkness
But it is also a psalm that speaks of the cruxifision of Christ. Verse 17-18 says I can count all m bones, they stare and glote over me. The divide my clothes amongst themselves and for my clothing they cast lots.
In times of despair – I believe Jesus us leading me to this psalm. The first 21 verses speak of suffering of the world, of people of the results of sin. The last 10 verses are the hope of God.
Verses 23-23 says that he has not despised me or afflicted me. Thse who seek him shall not be disappointed. Praise the Lord in your hearts forever!
The work of Christ on the cross – to give hope to overcome all despair, no darkness, cant be overcome by light.
No pain that can be sung in a song
There is no time in my life that God will ever leave me. There is no death that will not someday find new life. All because Christ’s work on the cross.
There are times when I might abandon God, times when I may think God has left me.
Those are the times when I need to remember the cross, Christ unspoken love for me, and know that I am never alone.
Amen.
7 Last Words
Mark 15:33-34
My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?
Fourth Word
April 22, 2011
Eloi, Eloi, Lama Sabachthani – translated My God, My God why have you forsaken me.
That’s actually the title of a short story about a man who developed an explosive that can create darkness. He was also fascinated by the passion story. He considered himself a devout Christian.
Mr. Baumoff was also a scientist, when he saw the explosives of war, he was fascinated. He couldn’t wait to tell his friends about his new invention. But none of them seemed to be interested.
Mr. Baumoff wanted to impress his best friend so he actually drank the invention to demonstrate it’s effectiveness. His friend really did not want to watch to see what would happen, but Mr. Baumoff told him the he should be priveledged to watch, and should document all that he saw.
Mr Baumoff started to sweat and to turn red. His friend became scared. Then Mr. Baumoff felt that he needed to reenact the crucifixion. He started to out nails in his hands and feet, he tied himself to the chair. All of a sudden there was a loud boom and everything dark. The friend fainted. When he woke up, he found Mr Baumoff dead. When they did an autopsy, they found that he died from heart failure, not from the cruxifixion. But the friend remembered that the last thing that he said before he died was “Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachthani.
The story is intended to remind us of cruxifion – the darkness – the last words, the torn curtain, the anguish of Christ.
Baumoff is not intended to be a hero- he is sort of like a suicide bomber. He had a confused and contorted theology of pain and suffering. He was also confused about why Jesus died on a cross. Confused about the darkness surrounding the day and the events of the cross
God’s response of darkness is not about his disappointment of Jesus. But disappointment with others, with us: our need to blame, to not take responsibility for our actions, to disregard for how our actions affect others, disappointment basically in our sin.
The darkness surrounding the cross, darkness surrounding our lives. Our world today.
Arthur Blessit got a call from God to carry the cross across the country in 1968. In 1969 he was called to carry the cross across Ireland. 42 years later, he has taken the cross to 315 countries, and travelled over 39,000 miles. Wherever there is calamity, he brings the cross. One day a reporter asked him if its heavy – he reported that it is not nearly as heavy as the burden of listening to peoples stories –stories of pain, war, loss hunger, and untold suffering.
The New York times says that the mood of the nation is worse then it have ever been. That is the darkness of the day – the suffering of Christ.
The suffering of Christ was not about his physical pain, but about his spiritual and emotional pain. The pain of bearing our suffering and sin.
Eloi, Eloi, Lama Sabachthani – My God, My God, whi have you forsaken me.
We know from these words that Jesus spoke Aramaic. Hebrew, araimaic and Arabic are very similar but not the same. But aramaiic is a beautiful language, because words can carry double meanings at the same time.
Eli – means My God
Not the God of the situation, that the God that I have always heard about, Not the God that I read about, but My God.
The God of my soul, the God of my life, who knows me and understands my situation and feels my pain, My God.
Lama – means why
I am asking you a question God – why?
Why is this happening , why does it hurt so bad, why is the darkness so deep?
It’s the question that God never answers, not for me of for Jesus. But Jesus has to ask anyway
Why god, Why?
Not a day goes by in my life that I don’t ask that same question.
Why God, why?
Jesus was speaking in Aramaic…
In hebew the word is azabathani, in greek it is transliterated sabachthani. But it cant be properly translated in Aramaic.
It is a grief that is too deep for words. A sorrow that cannot be explained.
It is the pain of being abandoned by God. jesus is literally saying that the spirit of God inside of him has left – after he cried a second time he gave up the ghost.
But it also means totally and completely separated from God. beig abandonded by God.
Why would god abandon his son on the cross?
Habbukuk 1:13 says that God cannot look upon sin and approve it. God cant ignore that it happens, god cant pretend it is okay, God cant participate in it, not even for his Son.
The consequences of sin is death.
The darkness cant be dispelled, but dark and light cannot exist in the same place.
My God, My God why have you forsaken me? Those are the first words of palm 22. This is a cry of aganoy – a request for relief and victory over the darkness
But it is also a psalm that speaks of the cruxifision of Christ. Verse 17-18 says I can count all m bones, they stare and glote over me. The divide my clothes amongst themselves and for my clothing they cast lots.
In times of despair – I believe Jesus us leading me to this psalm. The first 21 verses speak of suffering of the world, of people of the results of sin. The last 10 verses are the hope of God.
Verses 23-23 says that he has not despised me or afflicted me. Thse who seek him shall not be disappointed. Praise the Lord in your hearts forever!
The work of Christ on the cross – to give hope to overcome all despair, no darkness, cant be overcome by light.
No pain that can be sung in a song
There is no time in my life that God will ever leave me. There is no death that will not someday find new life. All because Christ’s work on the cross.
There are times when I might abandon God, times when I may think God has left me.
Those are the times when I need to remember the cross, Christ unspoken love for me, and know that I am never alone.
Amen.
Lost and Found
September 12, 2010
Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28
Luke 15:1-10
Lost and Found
Year C
16th Sunday after Pentecost
A man walks out of the hospital, prepared to go to his car. But he cant find his car, frustrated that his car has been stolen, he calls security. They look around for his car and sure enough it is no where to be found. Until the man realizes that the door he just came out of is not the door that he walked into. And this is not the parking lot where he parked his car. In the midst of his frustration and pain, he has somehow lost his way…
A colleague of mine tells a story of being in seminary in new York, and being invited to a professor’s house for a gathering. She was given instructions on how to get there on the subway system. But once she gets on the subway, discovers that it is an express train, which takes her a few steps past where she is supposed to go, into a section of town that she is not familiar with. She panics as she gets out of the train, and it is obvious to others that she is lost – because one woman walks up to her and tells her to be careful, this is a dangerous neighborhood, the last time she was in this neighborhood someone set her hair on fire, so she has better be careful. This frightens her that much more, and she runs out of the subway station to see if there is another way to travel. The cab never shows up, and the bus seems to take forever.
She remembers her fear and resentment while sitting at the bus stop. Everyone was suspect – anyone around her could be the person who was going to set her hair on fire. She is white, and the neighborhood that she is lost in is black. Which only adds to her sense of uneasiness, and her mistrust of everyone around her.
We have all gotten lost in our lives somewhere. I think we have all been stuck somewhere where we are unfamiliar, but we have heard the stories of the people there. And as ludicrus as it may sound – we have been in that situation , where everyone we don’t know is a potential enemy to protect ourselves against.
The man who lost his car eventually realized that he had come out of wrong door, and that his car was even in that particular parking lot. He had been in such pain and frustration when he left the hospital, he was not paying attention.
The seminary student was finally put at ease in waiting for the bus when a group of ladies, all in their hats and dressed – came out of the building next to her, singing and celebrating at what a wonderful workshop they had just been too. They were all from the same church- and helped her to see the humanity in that neighborhood, before her bus finally came and she went on to her destination.
Being lost is not so much about the neighborhood we are in, or the people we are around, or even whether we know where we are going or not. Being lost is a feeling in the soul – it can a place of fear and uncertaintly, it can be a place of mistrust of others just because you don’t know them. I think at some point in our lives we all know that sense of fear we experience in making sure that no one sets out hair on fire.
I think that goes on in our world on a global scale. The anniversary of September 11th reminds us of that. Nine years later there is still a lot that we don’t understand about others. And that it is easier for us to condemn them then it is to understand them.
We have all seen the story of Pastor Terry Jones as it unfolds on the news. His instistance to burn the Koran on September 11th. And the reactions of so many all around the world – that would only make matters worse not better. It is a perfect excuse for retaliation in a situation that has been simmering for more than nine years.
I see the arrogance
I see the fear of being lost
I see insensitivity to danger.
But what does the bible say about how to treat others? The bible is full of paradox – opposites. It says that Jesus is the way – but also says to love unconditionally. The way to bring people to Christ is love – not punishment and condemnation.
Jerimaiah is full of despair. There is no hope for people. Things are so bad there is only destruction of created order. An yet even he says that not God’s final word.
The end of our world is not the end of the world. God has more in story for us.
Know what it is to lose – now what it is to be lost. Wants us all to know what it means to be found.
God is in the business of finding the lost. Giving us a home – making us useful. Jesus tells the story of sheep. 99 found, but one lost.
Kneel for prayer
Symbolism is that God is waiting for you in this place – now you are found. You are the 100 candle.
Wishing more people could be in that place. Being found not visiting the Vatican. Being lost about where you are – is a feeling in your heart.
99 candles surrounding your life now. God giving you a place to call home. To be found, love and accepted.
Give up fear – turn on the trust.
Turn from your old ways – accept the new
Rejoice – so that God is our there to find everyone. Rejoice when they come to church, when they come home.
Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28
Luke 15:1-10
Lost and Found
Year C
16th Sunday after Pentecost
A man walks out of the hospital, prepared to go to his car. But he cant find his car, frustrated that his car has been stolen, he calls security. They look around for his car and sure enough it is no where to be found. Until the man realizes that the door he just came out of is not the door that he walked into. And this is not the parking lot where he parked his car. In the midst of his frustration and pain, he has somehow lost his way…
A colleague of mine tells a story of being in seminary in new York, and being invited to a professor’s house for a gathering. She was given instructions on how to get there on the subway system. But once she gets on the subway, discovers that it is an express train, which takes her a few steps past where she is supposed to go, into a section of town that she is not familiar with. She panics as she gets out of the train, and it is obvious to others that she is lost – because one woman walks up to her and tells her to be careful, this is a dangerous neighborhood, the last time she was in this neighborhood someone set her hair on fire, so she has better be careful. This frightens her that much more, and she runs out of the subway station to see if there is another way to travel. The cab never shows up, and the bus seems to take forever.
She remembers her fear and resentment while sitting at the bus stop. Everyone was suspect – anyone around her could be the person who was going to set her hair on fire. She is white, and the neighborhood that she is lost in is black. Which only adds to her sense of uneasiness, and her mistrust of everyone around her.
We have all gotten lost in our lives somewhere. I think we have all been stuck somewhere where we are unfamiliar, but we have heard the stories of the people there. And as ludicrus as it may sound – we have been in that situation , where everyone we don’t know is a potential enemy to protect ourselves against.
The man who lost his car eventually realized that he had come out of wrong door, and that his car was even in that particular parking lot. He had been in such pain and frustration when he left the hospital, he was not paying attention.
The seminary student was finally put at ease in waiting for the bus when a group of ladies, all in their hats and dressed – came out of the building next to her, singing and celebrating at what a wonderful workshop they had just been too. They were all from the same church- and helped her to see the humanity in that neighborhood, before her bus finally came and she went on to her destination.
Being lost is not so much about the neighborhood we are in, or the people we are around, or even whether we know where we are going or not. Being lost is a feeling in the soul – it can a place of fear and uncertaintly, it can be a place of mistrust of others just because you don’t know them. I think at some point in our lives we all know that sense of fear we experience in making sure that no one sets out hair on fire.
I think that goes on in our world on a global scale. The anniversary of September 11th reminds us of that. Nine years later there is still a lot that we don’t understand about others. And that it is easier for us to condemn them then it is to understand them.
We have all seen the story of Pastor Terry Jones as it unfolds on the news. His instistance to burn the Koran on September 11th. And the reactions of so many all around the world – that would only make matters worse not better. It is a perfect excuse for retaliation in a situation that has been simmering for more than nine years.
I see the arrogance
I see the fear of being lost
I see insensitivity to danger.
But what does the bible say about how to treat others? The bible is full of paradox – opposites. It says that Jesus is the way – but also says to love unconditionally. The way to bring people to Christ is love – not punishment and condemnation.
Jerimaiah is full of despair. There is no hope for people. Things are so bad there is only destruction of created order. An yet even he says that not God’s final word.
The end of our world is not the end of the world. God has more in story for us.
Know what it is to lose – now what it is to be lost. Wants us all to know what it means to be found.
God is in the business of finding the lost. Giving us a home – making us useful. Jesus tells the story of sheep. 99 found, but one lost.
Kneel for prayer
Symbolism is that God is waiting for you in this place – now you are found. You are the 100 candle.
Wishing more people could be in that place. Being found not visiting the Vatican. Being lost about where you are – is a feeling in your heart.
99 candles surrounding your life now. God giving you a place to call home. To be found, love and accepted.
Give up fear – turn on the trust.
Turn from your old ways – accept the new
Rejoice – so that God is our there to find everyone. Rejoice when they come to church, when they come home.
Does Easter still matter?
Easter Sunday
March 23, 2008
Year A
Does Easter Still Matter?
Matthew 28:1-10
Acts 10:34-43
Introduction (Easter is a hard holiday to relate to)
I was in a very crowded Whole Foods yesterday. I thought that it was interesting that even in the midst of the long lines, one worker comments to another that unlike Christmas, this was not their busy season. People don’t make such a bog deal over Easter as they do Christmas. Ad I guess it is like that here at church also. Coming to church at Christmastime is a tradition, coming to church at Easter is a chore. Just a part of the family visit. It is easy to relation to babies, and shepherds and wise men. Those are all things that we can relate to. But what do we do with torture, and death and empty tombs? We can relate to God coming to be with us here on Earth. But what do we do with God raising someone from the dead bringing him back to life? Easter is the true test of our devotion and our faith.
What are you relating to?
The most popular version of the story of this day comes from the book of John. John 20 – where Mary spots the tomb and she runs back to tell the disciples, who come to see for themselves that leader that they buried just days earlier is no where to be found. When they see him, they don’t recognize him – and he tells them not to hold onto him, because he must still be raised into heaven. This morning we heard a slightly different version of the story – found in Matthew 28. In this version there is an earthquake when Mary appears at the tomb. Everyone is trembling until an angel tells them not to be afraid. Whenever an angel appears in the bible, they always tell us not to be afraid of the unnatural. The angel does not explain what has happened overnight – the angel just explains that Jesus is not here. The angel tells Mary to go to Galilee to tell the others. And as Mary is walking Jesus appears. He too tell her not to be afraid. But continue on her journey and sheill will see Jesus later.
Mary’s Story
I will meet you in Galilee
Experience with those who have passed on
As I have been a pastor, and as I have had more experience with death, I have found that not to be an experience that is out of the ordinary. I have heard many people who have said that their loved ones appeared to them after death to tell them things would be okay. That she was moving on, and that I should not mourn for too long and to move on too.
Just last year a member passed away. She was in the hospital for some time before she died. And whenever I would visit her, she would always ask me to take her home. I did her funeral, and a few weeks afterward, I seemed to feel her presence while walking into a Walgreens. I thought to myself about how much I missed her. As soon as I walked into the story and spoke to an employee – the only thing the woman said to me was that she wanted to go home. I had to laugh , because I knew that was Kay speaking to me in a language that only she and I would understand.
So we are not getting into strange territory yet, for Jesus to appear to his disciples and to tell them to meet him in Galilee.
Where are the other places that Jesus says that you will see him?
Where we do get into strange territory is the places where we meet Jesus in our lives today – 2000 years later. Jesus speaks of ways in which he would appear to us in the bible. He says that he is in the presence of those who are hungry, in need of clothing, or imprisoned. He says that he is the morning and evening star. He says that there is no place on earth or heaven that we can go that he is not there, he says they he prays in heaven on behalf of us, he says that anything that we ask God for in his name will be given to us.
Who is Jesus for today?
But in order for us to believe that in life? We have to have an experience of Jesus in our own lives. Jesus comes to us in the midst of our sorrow, in the midst of our despair, in the midst of our questions, in the midst of our doubts. Even in the midst of our unwillingness or our ability to believe that he has appeared to us.
Story of the stone
There was an eighth grade teacher in a catholic school who decided that she wanted to put on a passion play – the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection. She started to assign the parts – and one by one, students took the part of Mary, of Jesus, of the soldiers, of the angels, of Pontius pilate, of the disciples, one student even volunteered to be Judas. Johnny was still left to be assigned a part. When she asked what part he wanted to play – he volunteered to be the stone. I want to be there to let Jesus out of the tomb – he said.
The teacher explained that the stone was not rolled away to let Jesus out – he was already out – the stone had been rolled away to let Mary see in. To let Mary see that a miracle happened – and that no Sunday morning would ever be the same.
God is till in the business of rolling away the stones in our lives. The stones are things that stand in the way of us seeing Jesus in our lives. The stone is the attitude to which we look ahead to the future. Are we looking for Jesus or are we looking for failure?
If you have ever seen something in your life that you have given up on, come back to life, of you have ever seen something that you doubted turn our perfectly, if you have ever been afraid and able to do something anyway. Then you have seen Jesus. If you have seen hope, joy, celebration, life, vibrancy, or even the newness of Spring, then you are a witness to the Risen Christ.
What burden can Christ take away from you, so that you can see life more clearly?
The power of the Resurrection of Christ is not to fact that Jesus is no longer present in an empty tomb. The power of the resurrection is the fact that death has been totally transformed into life. Jesus didn’t tell the disciples to remember me on the cross – but to look for me on your way to Galilee. What stone can Jesus roll away in your life that will help you see life more clearly? What lies ahead is a surprise – that you will only see if you are looking for Jesus. Easter is a celebration of God’s wonderful surprise for our life.
When you go forward on your journey of life, may you see Jesus in each moment of hope, of peace, of love and of grace that you experience in life. Amen.
March 23, 2008
Year A
Does Easter Still Matter?
Matthew 28:1-10
Acts 10:34-43
Introduction (Easter is a hard holiday to relate to)
I was in a very crowded Whole Foods yesterday. I thought that it was interesting that even in the midst of the long lines, one worker comments to another that unlike Christmas, this was not their busy season. People don’t make such a bog deal over Easter as they do Christmas. Ad I guess it is like that here at church also. Coming to church at Christmastime is a tradition, coming to church at Easter is a chore. Just a part of the family visit. It is easy to relation to babies, and shepherds and wise men. Those are all things that we can relate to. But what do we do with torture, and death and empty tombs? We can relate to God coming to be with us here on Earth. But what do we do with God raising someone from the dead bringing him back to life? Easter is the true test of our devotion and our faith.
What are you relating to?
The most popular version of the story of this day comes from the book of John. John 20 – where Mary spots the tomb and she runs back to tell the disciples, who come to see for themselves that leader that they buried just days earlier is no where to be found. When they see him, they don’t recognize him – and he tells them not to hold onto him, because he must still be raised into heaven. This morning we heard a slightly different version of the story – found in Matthew 28. In this version there is an earthquake when Mary appears at the tomb. Everyone is trembling until an angel tells them not to be afraid. Whenever an angel appears in the bible, they always tell us not to be afraid of the unnatural. The angel does not explain what has happened overnight – the angel just explains that Jesus is not here. The angel tells Mary to go to Galilee to tell the others. And as Mary is walking Jesus appears. He too tell her not to be afraid. But continue on her journey and sheill will see Jesus later.
Mary’s Story
I will meet you in Galilee
Experience with those who have passed on
As I have been a pastor, and as I have had more experience with death, I have found that not to be an experience that is out of the ordinary. I have heard many people who have said that their loved ones appeared to them after death to tell them things would be okay. That she was moving on, and that I should not mourn for too long and to move on too.
Just last year a member passed away. She was in the hospital for some time before she died. And whenever I would visit her, she would always ask me to take her home. I did her funeral, and a few weeks afterward, I seemed to feel her presence while walking into a Walgreens. I thought to myself about how much I missed her. As soon as I walked into the story and spoke to an employee – the only thing the woman said to me was that she wanted to go home. I had to laugh , because I knew that was Kay speaking to me in a language that only she and I would understand.
So we are not getting into strange territory yet, for Jesus to appear to his disciples and to tell them to meet him in Galilee.
Where are the other places that Jesus says that you will see him?
Where we do get into strange territory is the places where we meet Jesus in our lives today – 2000 years later. Jesus speaks of ways in which he would appear to us in the bible. He says that he is in the presence of those who are hungry, in need of clothing, or imprisoned. He says that he is the morning and evening star. He says that there is no place on earth or heaven that we can go that he is not there, he says they he prays in heaven on behalf of us, he says that anything that we ask God for in his name will be given to us.
Who is Jesus for today?
But in order for us to believe that in life? We have to have an experience of Jesus in our own lives. Jesus comes to us in the midst of our sorrow, in the midst of our despair, in the midst of our questions, in the midst of our doubts. Even in the midst of our unwillingness or our ability to believe that he has appeared to us.
Story of the stone
There was an eighth grade teacher in a catholic school who decided that she wanted to put on a passion play – the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection. She started to assign the parts – and one by one, students took the part of Mary, of Jesus, of the soldiers, of the angels, of Pontius pilate, of the disciples, one student even volunteered to be Judas. Johnny was still left to be assigned a part. When she asked what part he wanted to play – he volunteered to be the stone. I want to be there to let Jesus out of the tomb – he said.
The teacher explained that the stone was not rolled away to let Jesus out – he was already out – the stone had been rolled away to let Mary see in. To let Mary see that a miracle happened – and that no Sunday morning would ever be the same.
God is till in the business of rolling away the stones in our lives. The stones are things that stand in the way of us seeing Jesus in our lives. The stone is the attitude to which we look ahead to the future. Are we looking for Jesus or are we looking for failure?
If you have ever seen something in your life that you have given up on, come back to life, of you have ever seen something that you doubted turn our perfectly, if you have ever been afraid and able to do something anyway. Then you have seen Jesus. If you have seen hope, joy, celebration, life, vibrancy, or even the newness of Spring, then you are a witness to the Risen Christ.
What burden can Christ take away from you, so that you can see life more clearly?
The power of the Resurrection of Christ is not to fact that Jesus is no longer present in an empty tomb. The power of the resurrection is the fact that death has been totally transformed into life. Jesus didn’t tell the disciples to remember me on the cross – but to look for me on your way to Galilee. What stone can Jesus roll away in your life that will help you see life more clearly? What lies ahead is a surprise – that you will only see if you are looking for Jesus. Easter is a celebration of God’s wonderful surprise for our life.
When you go forward on your journey of life, may you see Jesus in each moment of hope, of peace, of love and of grace that you experience in life. Amen.
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