A Word from Rev. Dan

Baptism of Jesus

2012-01-10T18:37:00.000-08:00

Baptism of Jesus

Genesis 1:1-5 The beginning of creation
Psalm 29 The voice of the Lord
Acts 19:1-7 Baptism and the Holy Spirit
Mark 1:4-11 Jesus baptized by John

"Back to Basics!” We hear that phrase a great deal these days. It is a term tossed around the political arena in relation to our government. It is a term spoken of in relation to how we consume and in terms of the environment. This morning I would like to use this term as the bases for our reflecting together on our baptism.

Let’s start with water. There is no substance more basic to our survival than water. What do you know about water? A lot. You drink it, you bathe in it, you swim in it, wash your clothes in it. Water can be just there, as when we use it for washing, it can be healthful, as when we use it for drinking, and it can be downright dangerous as when there is a flood. When we refer to water as a used in our baptism, it is much more symbolic of the dangerous waters of a flood than the just there water of washing or the healthy waters of drinking. Turns out that then John the Baptizer baptizes Jesus the water was very dangerous. And the waters of baptism are still very dangerous.

The baptism of Jesus is an epiphany, it is a revelation, a manifestation of God made flesh. “I am your God and you are my people” says God. This is water made dangerous. It is dangerous being God’s people. If you don’t believe me, go ask the long list of those who have given their very lives for the faith.

Baptism is a covenant. A covenant (Hebrew berith, Greek diatheke) is a legal agreement between two or more parties. The word "covenant(s)" occurs 284 times in the Old Testament (as found in the New American Standard Bible). "Covenant(s)" occurs 37 times in the New Testament, which gives a total of 321 occurances.

Using covenants is how God communicates to us, redeems us, and guarantees us eternal life in Jesus. He does this because a covenant is a promise, and God's promises cannot be broken since they rest in his infinite, pure character. The Bible is a covenant document. The Old and New Testaments are really Old and New Covenants. The word "testament" is Latin for Covenant..

The disturbing part of all this is very few of us, understand, really understand, what a dangerous thing baptism is? This is not surprising since we know that the church has been transformed by the culture into something resembling a feel-good, warm and fuzzy country club. Who in their right mind would want to give their heart and soul to the person we know Jesus to have been? Who among us would truly want to follow this One who never had 5 cents to call his own, who ate with tax collectors and sinners, who welcomed prostitutes and all other sorts of unsavory people, and ended up arrested and hanging on a cross. Sure isn’t the American dream, is it?? Who would have thought that baptism, whether of an infant or an adult, was so radical, so dangerous?

And so it has been for 2000 years. Literally millions of us have been baptized. God has said to each one of us, “You are mine,” but very few have joined the dangerous covenant of baptism: to die to the dominant culture, and rise with Jesus the Christ to new life.

A fellow Covenant pastor told me about a 10 year-old boy in her congregation named Cameron. Cameron walked into her office and said he needed to talk to her. Fresh from soccer practice, and wearing his Red Sox baseball cap, he had a request for her. "I'd like to be baptized," he said. "We were learning about Jesus' baptism in Sunday School. The teacher asked the class who was baptized, and all the other kids raised their hands. I want to be baptized too."

Using her best pastoral care tone of voice, she said, "Cameron, do you want to be baptized because everyone else is?" He replied, "No. I want to be baptized because it means I belong to God."

She was touched by his understanding. "Well, then," she said, "How about this Sunday?" His smile turned to concern and he asked, "Do I have to be baptized in front of all those people in the church? Can't I just have a friend baptize me in the river?" She asked where he came up with that idea. "Well, Jesus was baptized by his cousin John in a river, wasn't he?"

Caught off guard, she conceded, "You have a point. But, if a friend baptized you in the river, how would the church recognize it?"

"I guess by my new way of living" he said.

Here was a boy who understood something about the dangerous covenant of baptism.

There are many ways of thinking about Jesus and baptism. It seems clear that Mark—the earliest of our four Gospels—saw something extremely important in God’s calling Jesus His son. It was not just about Jesus, but about each member of the Church.

Your baptism is a dangerous covenant with God, a covenant sealed in the blood of Jesus, a covenant that says you will not live as a mere follower of the culture, or the politically correct, or the official government pronouncement. No, the covenant of baptism is a covenant that says because of God’s love, you will demonstrate a new way of living, a way that may have to oppose the culture, the politically correct, or the official government.

God’s love is not shown through cheap grace where baptism is an initiation rite into a warm fuzzy feel good type of club that does little service, doesn’t care about attendance, essentially expects nothing. God’s love is shown through a dangerous covenant, a life and death covenant, a covenant that results in a new life of worship, tithing, serving, and prayer. God expects His people to live UP toward Him, not DOWN toward “what’s in it for me.”

The baptism of Jesus Christ is a covenant that means life is lived in a different way, a new way, a way through which God works to redeem the world. Baptism means something and requires something. Baptism is a dangerous covenant.

Some of you have a deep appreciation for C.S. Lewis’ Narnia Chronicles. Anyone who has read the books or seen the movie knows that C.S. Lewis wrote a kind of mythology that reflects the Christian story. In the movie, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, there is a scene where the forces of good, supported by the boy Peter, are facing a battle for life and death against the forces of the evil White Queen. Though the forces of evil are greater than those led by Peter, he, nevertheless, expresses courage and commitment. He turns to his second in command, and asks, “Are you with me?” The response is instantaneous: “To the death, sir.”

“To the death, Sir:” the covenant made at our baptism.

“To the death, Sir:” the covenant we made when we became members of the church.

"To the death, Sir:” the covenant we are invited to reaffirm today. It is obviously a dangerous covenant, and I urge you NOT to renew it if you prefer to feel good and want to be in control of things. “To the death sir:” a covenant that requires our trust and our transformation, that this church, this region, this state, this country, this planet may finally realize what it is to live as the people of God.

Presented to God

2012-01-10T18:31:00.000-08:00

Presented to God

Isaiah 61:10 to 62:3 You shall be a crown of beauty
Psalm 148 Praise the Lord form the heavens
or Psalm 113 Praise O servants of the Lord
Galatians 4:4-7 God sent his son born of a woman
Luke 2:22-40 The baby Jesus presented in the temple

It is fortunate that New Year's Day rarely falls on a Sunday. Many who stayed up last night to greet the New Year are in no condition to worship today. [Though I understand that a few could be heard this morning moaning, "Oh God . . . Oh God . . . Oh God . . . "] And then, of course there is football, the real religion of many in our land. New Year's Day is always a day of worship for the true football devotee. But here you and I are in the house of God. This, of course, is where we ought to begin a New Year.

I want to begin with a sports story, but you don't have to be a sports fan to appreciate it. It's about a young man named Kyle. Kyle Maynard was born with birth defects. Most people would consider him to be handicapped. But most people don't know Kyle Maynard. This young man, who chooses not to use prosthetic limbs, constantly challenges himself to break physical barriers. He played middle school football alongside much bigger kids. In high school, Kyle began weight training and joined the wrestling team. He and his coach developed moves that made the most of Kyle's physical assets.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFke91pbfUo

In fact, Kyle Maynard has such a positive attitude that a juvenile court judge once sentenced a troublesome kid to spend the day with Kyle. The judge wanted the teen to understand that our lives are shaped much more by our attitude than by our circumstances. After spending a day with the troubled teen, Kyle commented, "People think I have a bad life. Look at my life compared to this kid's. I have a beautiful family who loves me. Everybody has struggles. My struggles are just more apparent." (1)

Isn't that amazing? You and I see people every day with perfectly good bodies, healthy in every way, who are mired in unhappiness. And then we run into a Kyle Maynard with his stunted arms and legs, and he is so positive. How does that happen? Obviously it helps to have people who love you and believe in you.

Does it make a difference when people love you and believe in you and encourage you? Of course, it does. I feel for children brought up by negative parents--critical, demanding, quick to admonish, slow to praise. I see people every day who are scarred by parents who could give them everything except what they needed most--unconditional love and acceptance.

Sometimes, because we think of Jesus as the Son of God, we may not give Mary and Joseph enough credit as his earthly parents. They were not wealthy people, as today's story from the Gospels makes clear. But they gave him what he needed and what all of us need more than anything else; they helped Jesus know he was loved. And they taught him about God. The 22nd verse of the second chapter of Luke reads like this: "When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord . . ."

This was the custom in New Testament times. Couples brought their first born and presented them at the temple [just as parents in our church bring their children and present them to God.]

Mary and Joseph presented Jesus as an infant to God and they lived godly lives when they returned home. Note how Luke sums up Jesus' childhood years, "When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him."

I wish everybody could have an affirming adult in their lives. Some of you know about that kind of love. That was the kind of love you experienced from your parents. And you know how precious it is.

But some of you didn't receive that kind of positive love. Your parents were good people. But somehow they were not able to affirm you the way every child deserves to be affirmed. You never got the message that you are smart and worthy. And there is something missing in your life. A confidence, a sense of self-worth, what is often termed by psychologists, healthy self-esteem. And so you are continually sabotaging yourself. And you find yourself withholding love from your children and your spouse and other people important in your life. You were never really presented to God--not as a person of worth, of value, a person who deserves to enjoy abundant life. Is it too late? Are you doomed to always feeling a sense of inadequacy?

The answer is no. There is hope--if you realize that you and I have been presented to God--by Christ. This is the meaning of the atonement. Christ has presented us to the Father. He has placed his seal of approval on each of us. He has presented us unblemished and complete before the Father and said, "These people are my beloved. They are those for whom I laid down my life." And the Father looks upon us not as the flawed people we see ourselves, but as a new creation in Christ.

Galatians 4:4-7

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.

Christ has presented us, you and I, to the Lord. Give thanks and go from this place as one accepted and loved by God.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FGRbUrfvZ8&feature=related

The Fitting Room

2011-05-29T17:31:00.000-07:00

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." Colossians 3:12

The Apostle Paul uses the metaphor of putting on the virtues like you put on your clothes, but for much of my life I felt more like I was wrestling them on. Like when you're in the fitting room and your arms are above your head and you start what appears to be a frenetic shimmy into an outfit that should have had an extra button, zipper or should simply be a large. I don't think that is what Paul had in mind.

My greatest hope is that you will believe how chosen, set apart and dearly loved you are by Jesus. And that in this believing you'll discover a new set of virtues you don't have to fight, but simply get to wear.

A Hope Based on Faith Not Hype!!

2010-08-08T14:14:00.000-07:00

Hebrews 11:1-3

The beauty business is big business. Adorning ourselves, perfecting every perceived imperfection, curling what is straight, straightening what is curly, bleaching this/highlighting that, products that promise to make youngsters look older and oldsters look younger never lose their appeal. “Stuff” made out of low-tech squished fruit or high-tech spliced genes all promise to adorn and ultimately to transform our faces, save our skin, and sanctify our souls.

If only we will buy just this ONE product.

An Arizona based cosmetics firm calling itself “Philosophy” sells a moisturizer it calls “Hope in a Jar.” The label on this jar of “hope” declares” “Where there is hope there can be faith. Where there is faith, miracles can occur.” Here the cosmetics company provides (for a hefty price) the “hope in a jar.” But the consumer must supply their own “faith” if they expect a “miracle” to occur.

We all KNOW that nothing we smear on our face, or rub through our hair, or massage into our “love handles” or pop bellies is really going to defy the time and strip away everything wrinkled, grey, or saggy. We all KNOW that if that super-secret skin serum being hawked on that late-night infomercial could really do what it claims, its manufacturers wouldn’t have to be advertising it on a late-night infomercial.

But.

And every cosmetic manufacturer in the world loves, depends, exists on this “but.” BUT we do have “hope.” The problem with this “hope” is that too often it is rooted in “hype.” Unlikely. Unproveable. Unrepeatable. Unreliable.

Hope based on hype leads nowhere at best, hell at worst.

The writer of the “Letter to the Hebrews” didn’t give a message of “hope” based on hype. He didn’t tell a story about a perfect life that was just around the corner. Instead, he spoke about FAITH. Faith was that which stood firm even as the years passed and the promise of a “promised land” seemed to be a lie in the distant future.
In fact, none of the examples of great “faith” offered by the Hebrews’ author seems to have much of a happy ending.

Life is unpredictable. Life is filled with uncertainties. Trouble seems to have a way of finding us. As all know, we can't always avoid trouble.

The thing about trouble--it rarely announces itself before it comes. Trouble hardly ever says, "Here I come! Get ready!" We wish it would. At least we could prepare for it, or better yet, we could avoid it altogether. But life doesn't work that way. In fact, you are one of three people today--you are coming out of trouble, you are in the middle of trouble, or you about to get into trouble. That's life.

It is because of this truth that our lives are defined by how we respond to trouble. Think about it. Addicts are defined by their ability to numb themselves to trouble. Criminals act out destructively to trouble. Atheists blame the absence of God for trouble. Narcissistic victims exploit trouble to avoid responsibility. Look at many unhealthy people and you will see lives which have been defined by unhealthy responses to trouble. The late M. Scott Peck, who wrote The Road Less Traveled, even went so far as to say that the reason for much human dysfunction is the inability to face trouble.

At the bottom of all unhealthy responses to trouble is one bad word. This word is the enemy to all that brings life and joy and peace and hope. The word is "panic." Panic is the feeling of being out of control. Panic is grabbing anything that makes you feel like you are in control, even if it's unhealthy.

Sound familiar? Maybe you are putting on a good show to others, but inside you are coming apart at the seems. Perhaps your business is failing. Maybe you can't find a job in this economy and the bills are piling up. Maybe your marriage is on the rocks. Maybe you're living between doctor appointments and you are scared to death. Maybe the trouble you are facing is sending you into a panic.

I want you to know something. There is another choice besides panic. You can find peace in the midst of your storm. You can calm the raging tempest inside you. You can find help and hope. All that is needed is one thing.

Oh, I know people who have this one thing. Countless people have had it over the years, and it has made all the difference to their lives. It has given them strength to deal with trouble.

What is it? It goes all the way back to Abraham. Oh, you remember Abraham, right? It all started with him. Because he had it, all the rest of us can have it. He had it when God told him to leave everything he knew, and he didn't know where he was going. He had it when God told him and his wife Sarah they were going to have children, when, huh, they no longer had the resources to procreate. Abraham had it. You know what it is? Faith. "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."

You see, Christians are not perfect. Christians are not in control. Christians don't have all the answers. Christians are not better than other people. Christians are not folks that can give the perfect theological answer to every question. Christians are those who have learned, like Abraham, that God can be trusted. God can be trusted to give peace in the midst of the storm. God can be trusted to take what is evil and transform it into something good. God can be trusted to empower you in the midst of trouble. God can be trusted to receive you when you die. God can be trusted!

The late great spiritual writer Henri Nouwen received the greatest revelation about faith at, of all places, the circus! Nouwen went to see the German trapeze group "The Flying Rodleighs" perform. He was mesmerized by their breath-taking performance as they flew gracefully through the air. At the end of the show, he spoke with the leader of the troupe, Rodleigh himself. Nouwen asked him how he was able to perform with such grace and ease so high in the air. Rodleigh responded, "The public might think that I am the great star of the trapeze, but the real star is Joe, my catcher...The secret is that the flyer does nothing and the catcher does everything. When I fly to Joe, I have simply to stretch out my arms and hands and wait for him to catch me. The worst thing the flyer can do is try to catch the catcher. I'm not supposed to catch Joe. It's Joe's task to catch me" (Henri J.M. Nouwen, The Only Necessary Thing: Living a Prayerful Life (New York: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 1999), pp.195-196).

When trouble comes, so often we try to grab on to God. We think if we do enough fanciful praying, we can somehow catch God. It's not our job to catch God. God catches us.

I remember it well. It had been a difficult time for me. Real trouble had come.
"I'm in deep," I cried out to God.
"I'm deeper," God replied.
"How deep?" I asked.
"Let go and see," God sighed.

Let us pray.
Lord, we don't give up, but we give in to you. We let go and allow you to take over. It's in Christ's name we pray. Amen.

What Does It Mean to Be the Family of God?

2010-08-07T13:55:00.000-07:00

Colossians 3:12-3:17

Max Lucado, in his book In The Grip of Grace tells the story of the family of God in the form of a parable. He writes, “God has enlisted us in his navy and placed us on his ship. The boat has one purpose — to carry us safely to the other shore. This is no cruise ship. . . . We aren’t called to a life of leisure, we are called to a life of service. Each of us has a different task. Some, concerned with those who are drowning, are snatching people from the water. Others are occupied with the enemy, so they man the cannons of prayer and worship. Still others devote themselves to the crew, feeding and training the crew members. Though different, we are the same. Each can tell of a personal encounter with the captain, for each has received a personal call. He found us among the shanties of the seaport and invited us to follow him. Our faith was born at the sight of his fondness, and so we went. We each followed him across the gangplank of his grace onto the same boat. There is one captain and one destination. Though the battle is fierce, the boat is safe, for our captain is God. The ship will not sink. For that, there is no concern.

There is concern, however, regarding the disharmony of the crew. When we first boarded we assumed the crew was made up of others like us. But as we’ve wandered these decks, we’ve encountered curious converts with curious appearances. Some wear uniforms we’ve never seen, sporting styles we’ve never witnessed. ‘Why do you look the way you do?’ we ask them. ‘Funny,’ they reply, ‘we were about to ask the same of you.’ The variety of dress is not nearly as disturbing as the plethora of opinions. There is a group, for example, who clusters every morning for serious study. They promote rigid discipline and somber expressions. ‘Serving the captain is serious business,’ they explain. It’s no coincidence that they tend to congregate around the stern. There is another regiment deeply devoted to prayer. Not only do they believe in prayer, they believe in prayer by kneeling. For that reason you always know where to locate them, they are at the bow of the ship. And then there are a few who staunchly believe real wine should be used in the Lord’s Supper. You’ll find them on the port side. Still another group has positioned themselves near the engine. They spend hours examining the nuts and bolts of the boat. They’ve been known to go below deck and not come up for days. They occasionally are criticized by those who linger on the top deck, feeling the wind in their hair and the sun on their face. ‘It’s not what you learn,’ those topside argue. ‘It’s what you feel that matters.’ And, oh, how we tend to cluster.

Some think once you’re on the boat, you can’t get off. Others say you’d be foolish to go overboard, but the choice is yours. Some believe you volunteer for service, others believe you were destined for the service before the ship was even built. Some predict a storm of great tribulation will strike before we dock, others say it won’t hit until we are safely ashore. There are those who speak to the captain in a personal language. There are those who think such languages are extinct. There are those who think the officers should wear robes, there are those who think there should be no officers at all, and there are those who think we are all officers and should all wear robes. And oh, how we tend to cluster.

And then there is the issue of the weekly meeting at which the captain is thanked and his words are read. All agree on its importance, but few agree on its nature. Some want it loud, others quiet. Some want ritual, others spontaneity. Some want to celebrate so they can meditate, others meditate so they can celebrate. Some want a meeting for those who’ve gone overboard. Others want to reach those overboard but without going over board and neglecting those on board. And, oh, how we tend to cluster.

The consequence is a rocky boat. There is trouble on deck. Fights have broken out. Sailors have refused to speak to each other. There have even been times when one group refused to acknowledge the presence of others on the ship. Most tragically, some adrift at sea have chosen not to board the boat because of the quarreling of the sailors.”

Compare Lucado’s parable to what Paul said in his letter to the Colossians, where he talked about the character of the people of God “clothed with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” He said, “And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” The real problem with the average American church is that people who desperately need God are not attracted to it since it looks like any other organization with its politics, cliques, and strife. Someone compared the church to Noah’s ark saying, “The only thing that made them able to tolerate the stink inside was the storm that was raging outside.”

What does it mean to be the family of God? What does it look like for us to live in community? I think the first thing is: A commitment to the hard work of relationships. It is very frustrating when someone says, “I just don’t feel like I fit in. It is hard to get to know people here and feel like I am a part of the group.” Most often these are people who never join a group, become a part of a study group or come to the ministry opportunities — the things that would help them make friends and be a part. Only where there is input can we expect an output. Only when we deposit, can we expect return. Don’t participate, don’t expect. Nothing comes from nothing.

I am often dismayed at how people often have such little committed to relationships and how easily we let go of them. How seldom the people of God practice forgiveness and follow the scripture that says, “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Colossians 3:13). Or what about the love chapter of the Bible that says that love “is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs” (1 Corinthians 13:5). Many people cannot let go of their grievances; they keep a list of them in their head. A disagreement or disappointment comes and we are more than ready to let go of our friendship with other people. We just set off and look for new friendships which will last only as long as it takes for us to see that they are imperfect as well. Relationships are hard work, but people are often not willing to do the hard work.

The same thing happens in our relationship to the church — people go from one to the other. In a consumer-based culture we seek some place which will better suit our needs, instead of committing ourselves to a body of believers “for better or for worse.” We are supposed to be a covenant community where the individuals pledge themselves to the larger community. We realize the church is bigger than we are.

Here is the problem as I see it. People are more interested in being right than having right relationships. Let me ask a few questions. Is it more important to Jesus that you are right about doctrine, politics, and cultural and moral issues, or is it more important to him that you have right relationships? Is it more important to Jesus that you are right in your squabble with another person, or is it more important that you remain in love with that other person? Did Jesus say, “By this will all men know that you are my disciples, if you know how to argue and win a debate”? Did he say, “By this will all men know that you are my disciples, if you have perfect doctrine”? Did he say, “By this will all men know that you are my disciples, if you are more righteous than anyone else”? No. He said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35). If People are the priority with God. Shouldn’t our primary goal be our relationships with each other?

What does it mean to be the family of God? The second thing it means is: Having compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. These are the words of Scripture. If you always have to be right, you don’t have humility. If you can write people off with whom you disagree, you do not have kindness. If you have to get even and are unwilling to forget a wrong that has been done to you, you do not have mercy. If you condemn people who are less than perfect, then you do not have compassion. If you are easily irritated with others, you don’t have patience. If you are negative and critical toward others, you do not have love.

What does it mean to be the family of God? What does it look like for us to live in community? The third thing is: A willingness to risk. Frankly, it is easier to avoid intimacy with others. It is easier to avoid friendship and withdraw into our own little private world or our personal family. It doesn’t hurt as much. Living in community — really being a part of and living within a community — involves risk. When you open yourself to someone else there is the possibility of being rejected, misunderstood or hurt. When you ask for forgiveness, you may not be given forgiveness. When you try to reconcile with someone, they may not be willing to reconcile. When you want to be close friends with someone, they may not reciprocate. Nevertheless, we are called to take the risk. It is the only way we can be the people of God.

The One Thing

2010-07-18T15:20:00.000-07:00

Scripture Text: Luke 10:38-42

In the movie “City Slickers,” three long time friends face mid-life crisis. In their middle-age crisis they find themselves losing their focus and in danger of losing their families.

To reignite the fire in their lives the guys sign up as “cowboys,” helping a dude ranch move its herd of cattle from high in the hills down to the lower valley. “Curly,” the grizzled old cowboy who leads them, seems to be the toughest, wisest person they have ever met. Billy Crystal asks the usually tight-lipped cowboy what his secret is. What makes his life so strong and centered and sure. Curly smiles, raises his grubby index finger and proclaims, “It is just one thing,” then he rides away.

Billy’s character spends the rest of the movie frantically trying to figure out what Curly meant. What IS that “just one thing?”

Psychologists, marriage counselors, relationship specialists, warn us not to expect one person to provide for all our emotional, intellectual, and relational needs. We need a variety of relationships, a network friends, colleagues from work, basketball buddies, quilting club friends, children, elders, and peers, to meet all our relational needs.

But what might be true for our human relationships does not hold true for our spiritual needs. Our soul needs only “one thing.” No matter if your spiritual temperament is exuberant, reserved, flamboyant, or meditative. Whether your soul craves cathedrals, or the great outdoors, it is all the same as long as we have that “one thing.”

What is that one thing? That “one thing” is Jesus.

Jesus and his disciples were on their way to Jerusalem. But first they take a little side trip to a little village called Bethany. There they spent some time in the home of a woman named Martha. Notice I didn’t say “in the home of Mary and Martha.” Luke tells us that this was Martha’s house. Perhaps Martha was a widow. That might explain how she happened to own a house not a common occurrence in that day. This also may explain why Martha is often thought of as the older sister that and the fact that she seems more responsible.

Now I’m getting myself in trouble. I know that younger sisters are not always irresponsible. However, studies of the effects of birth order on how people conduct their lives suggest that older children are generally more responsible.

Frustrated at her sister Mary’s inactivity, Martha is so wrapped up in her own agenda that she goes to Jesus in a huff and demands that he do something about her lazy sister. Martha is hosting the Messiah; the gospel is being proclaimed in her living room; the Kingdom of God is embracing her entryway. And she complains to the “Lord” that she is doing all the work herself, and couldn’t Jesus please get sister Mary to help out, just a little?

Jesus gently reminds his hostess that “hospitality” is not about getting everything just right. Hospitality is about giving over your time, your attention, your home, your heart in order to focus on the guests — the ones you are welcoming. Someone has said, “If there’s room in the heart, there’s always room in the house.” Hospitality is more about room in your heart than the rooms in your house.

Our “one thing” is always Jesus.

Christianity is a religion based on a person, not on propositions or regulations. Christians derive their unique identity, not from principles or even “values,” but from relationships. And the primary relationship for every Christian must be with Jesus the Christ.

A few years there was an “uproar” among Christians over the novel The DaVinci Code. When I read Dan Brown’s book, I thought to myself: “Well, at least he got one thing right.”

Do you remember the great heresy at the center of that book? It was the suggestion that Jesus had offspring. The bigger heresy for twenty-first century Christians should be the suggestion that Jesus does NOT have offspring.

When we say yes to Christ, when Jesus becomes our “one thing,” we are welcomed into the most intense, intimate relationship possible — “even as you, Father are in me, and I in you . . .they also may be one in us” (John 17:21). When we become a follower of Christ, we become "heirs of God", "joint heirs with Christ", heirs of promise", "heirs to the kingdom of God", "heirs of salvation,” “sons and daughters of the Most High God.” This is how Paul puts it in Romans 8:17: “Now if we are children, then we are heirs; heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory” (Romans 8:17).

The claim to be a member of the Jesus family is one Jesus wants us all to make. Jesus is calling us to embrace that claim, to let the world know that Jesus is our “one thing.”

There is a Sunday School story of the little boy who comes home from the first day of Sunday School. His parents are curious about how things went, and begin by asking him what the teacher’s name was.

“I don’t know. I don’t remember her name.”
“Well, do you remember anything about her?”
“I think she is Jesus’ grandmother.”
“Why would you think that?”
“Because all she did was hold up His picture and brag on him.”

If Jesus is your “one thing” shouldn’t you be “bragging on him” every day to every one you meet?

The greatest moment in your life comes when you say from the innermost depths of your being, “You are the messiah, the son of the living God.” When you can say that, when you can say “Jesus, you are my One Thing” and mean that, you will have discovered the pearl of great price. You will have found the buried treasure you have been searching for. You will have grasped the Holy Grail. You will have fulfilled your fondest hopes, your wildest dreams.

Make Jesus your “One Thing.”

Meeting a Good Samaritan

2010-07-12T08:42:00.000-07:00

Sermon Preached on Sunday, July 11
Greenfield Covenant Church

A few years ago, an astonishing thing happened in New York City. A construction worker named Wesley Autrey was standing on a subway platform with his two young daughters, ages four and six, waiting for a train. Suddenly another man on the platform, suffered a seizure, stumbled and fell off the platform down onto the subway tracks. Just at that moment the headlights of a rapidly approaching train appeared in the subway tunnel. Acting quickly, and with no thought for himself, Wesley Autrey jumped down onto the tracks to rescue the stricken man by dragging him out of the way of the train. But he immediately realized that the train was coming too fast and there wasn't time to pull the man off the tracks. So Wesley pressed the man into the hollowed-out space between the rails and spread his own body over him to protect him as the train passed over the two of them. The train cleared Wesley by mere inches, coming close enough to leave grease marks on his cap.

Immediately, and for good reason, Wesley Autrey became a national hero. People were deeply moved by his selflessness, and they marveled at his bravery. What Wesley had done was a remarkable thing. He had no obvious reason to help this stranger. He didn't know the man. He had his young daughters to think about. What he did was at severe risk to his own life. But a human being was in desperate need, and Wesley saw it and, moved with compassion, did what he could to save him. "The Subway Superman"-that's what the press called him, the "Harlem Hero." But the headline in one newspaper described Wesley Autrey in biblical terms. It read, "Good Samaritan Saves Man on Subway Tracks."

Wesley Autrey was indeed a Good Samaritan, and many of us, when we heard his story, wondered, "If I had been the one on the subway platform that day, what would I have done? Would I have been as courageous as Wesley? Would I have had what it takes to jump down on those tracks, with a train bearing down, to help that man? In other words, would I have been a 'Good Samaritan' that day?"

Many people believe that this is the exactly the question that Jesus wants us to ask ourselves. That's why, they say, he told his original parable of the Good Samaritan in the first place. The Parable of the Good Samaritan is one of Jesus' most familiar stories, and the way we usually hear that parable is as Jesus' way of getting us to ask ourselves, "Am I willing, when the circumstances arise, to be a Good Samaritan to other people? If I see a person lying in a ditch somewhere or in trouble on the highway or on subway tracks in distress, would I risk myself to be of help? Am I a Good Samaritan?

But I wonder if that's what Jesus was really saying in that parable.
Let's take another look at it. Jesus told the Parable of the Good Samaritan as he was headed toward Jerusalem. In a village along the way, he got involved in a rather testy conversation with a local attorney. The lawyer evidently did not like Jesus' message, and he was pressing Jesus, trying to make him look foolish, attempting to expose a weakness in his teaching. He was figuratively cross-examining Jesus on the witness stand: "In your view," the lawyer asked Jesus, "just what do I need to do to inherit eternal life?"

"You're the lawyer," said Jesus. "What does it say in the law?"

Well, the attorney knew the law of Moses, and he quoted it. "The law says, 'Love God with all your heart and soul and strength and mind and also love your neighbor as you love yourself.'"

"Well," said Jesus. "There you have it. You're right. Love God fully and love your neighbor as yourself. Do this and you will have life."

But the lawyer was not going to let this drop so easily. "Ahh, but wait just a second," he objected. "There's a problem with your definitions here. State your terms, Jesus. Just what do you mean by 'neighbor'? Be precise here. Who exactly is my neighbor?"

It was in response to that challenge that Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan. Jesus' parable is about a man traveling down to Jericho who is mugged by robbers and left bleeding and near death beside the road. So, like the man who fell onto the tracks, here is another man in serious, life-threatening trouble. A man in desperate need of help. Nothing unusual about this, really. The road from Jerusalem to Jericho was notoriously dangerous, riddled with thieves, unsafe to travel alone, so the fact that a man was beaten and robbed...well that was a familiar story.

Nothing shocking. But now, two genuinely shocking things do happen in Jesus' story. The first shock is that two people who could have helped, in fact who might have been expected to help, a priest and a Levite, both religious people, came up the road and saw the man in trouble, but did nothing, absolutely nothing. They intentionally avoided the man by crossing over to the other side of the road and continuing on their journey. This would be like saying that the pastor of New York's largest church and a New York City police officer saw the man in trouble on the subway tracks, but simply shrugged their shoulders, turned, and walked the other way. That would be a shock. But if the first shock in the story is that people whom we would expect to help did nothing, the second, and even bigger, shock is that the last person in the world we would count on for help is the one who in fact mercifully and bravely rescues the injured man.

Down the road, said Jesus, came a Samaritan. Now Jesus is, of course, Jewish, and the lawyer and the rest of those listening to this parable are also Jews. Even the characters in the parable are Jews-the priest, the Levite, almost surely the injured man, maybe even the robbers. But here comes a Samaritan, and Jews and Samaritans have a bitter history of racial and religious hatred. They have nothing to do with each other. Jews and Samaritans are enemies. In fact, not only would the injured man not expect any help out of one of these despicable Samaritans, he probably wouldn't want any help from a Samaritan. A Samaritan was viewed, well, like a member of Al Qaeda. Better to die in a pool of blood on the road than to be touched by a Samaritan. But it is this Samaritan, despised and rejected, who is nevertheless moved with compassion. Even though they were enemies, he cared for him.

Having told that story, Jesus now says to the lawyer, "So, you now define the term 'neighbor.' Who proved to be the neighbor in this story?"

The lawyer cannot bring himself even to spit out the word "Samaritan." He simply mumbles, "The one who showed mercy."

"Go and do likewise," said Jesus.

Now, as I said before, some people think that what Jesus is saying in this story is, "OK everybody, I want you to go out and be just like that Good Samaritan. He cared for someone in need; I want you to imitate him. Go and do likewise." But there are two problems with this. The first problem is that if this were really Jesus' point, then he probably would have given a simple moral example and left out all that troubling Samaritan business. What he would have said is there was a man in trouble, and three people passed by who could have helped. The first one didn't, and neither did the second, but the third one did, so be like the third one and not like the first two. But this isn't a simple moral story. It's a parable, and parables always have something shocking, surprising, unexpected, something to be wrestled with and puzzled over, and in this story, it is the fact that an unwanted, rejected Samaritan is the one who shows mercy to his enemy. That throws a monkey wrench into any simple explanation. There's something deeper going on here than merely, "OK folks, go out and be like that Good Samaritan."

The second problem is even more significant. If Jesus' point is that he wants us to imitate the courageous compassion of the Good Samaritan, the sad fact is we can't do it. That is why what Wesley Autrey did on that subway platform is so remarkable and almost incredible. Almost none of us would have done it. It is simply not in our nature to forget ourselves and risk everything for a stranger.

Some years ago a famous experiment was conducted with seminary students. Researchers gathered a group of ministry students in a classroom and told them that each of them had an assignment. Their assignment was to give a talk about the Parable of the Good Samaritan. The thing was, the recordings were going to be done in a building on the other side of the campus, and because of a tight schedule, they needed to hurry to that building. Unbeknownst to the students, on the path to the other building the researchers had planted an actor to play the part of a man in distress, slumped in an alley, coughing and suffering. The students were going to make a presentation about the Good Samaritan. But what would happen, the researchers wondered, when they actually encountered a man in need? Would they be Good Samaritans? Well, no, as a matter of fact, they were not. Almost all of them rushed past the hurting man. One student even stepped over the man's body as he hurried to teach about the Parable of the Good Samaritan!

We should not look down at these seminary students who couldn't put the Parable of the Good Samaritan into practice, because neither can we. Simply knowing in our minds what the right thing to do is does not mean we can do it. If we are going to be Good Samaritans, then this will mean more than a change of mind. It will take a change of heart. And that's what this parable is about: a change of heart.
Has anything like that ever happened to you? Have you had something happen to you that resulted in a change of heart? That is the point of Jesus' Parable of the Good Samaritan. What the lawyer discovered-and what we discover, too-is that we cannot stand on the sidelines and figure out how to be good, defining our terms-is this person my neighbor or not-figuring out just what we have to do to inherit eternal life. For all of our religious virtues and attitudes, we just cannot do it. We are helpless to be Good Samaritans on our own strength. In other words, we are the person in the ditch, the one who lies helpless and wounded beside the road, the one who needs to be rescued. And along comes a Good Samaritan, a Good Samaritan named Jesus -despised and rejected-who comes to save us, speaks tenderly to us, lifts us into his arms, and takes us to the place of healing. As Paul said, while we were still God's enemies, God saw us in the ditch and had compassion, and in Jesus came to save us.

So, the question is not the lawyer's, "What is the definition of 'neighbor'?" The question is who has been neighbor to you. I pray that Jesus Christ has been neighbor to you. The crucified one has been neighbor to you. Have you felt his compassion make your own heart compassionate? Then in your heart you will know what this means: Go and do likewise.

Let us pray.
O God,
When we are honest about ourselves, we know that we do not choose in our own strength to do what is right. We talk a good game about right and wrong, but we do not have the courage or the power in ourselves to be righteous. We lie helpless on the side of the road, and even our best moral instincts pass us by on the other side. Come to us, O God, come to us in Jesus Christ. Lift us out of our brokenness and take us to the place of healing. Prone to wander, Lord, we feel it, prone to leave the God we love; Here's my heart, O take and seal it, Seal it for Thy courts above. Amen.

Even Better Blessings

2010-04-11T18:29:00.000-07:00

Ever feel overwhelmed? So what's that like? It as if I can't get my arms around it. I can't get it figured out. I am unable to organize it or to bring it under control. When I'm overwhelmed I feel small, weak and inadequate.

"Overwhelmed" is a good way to describe the disciples after Jesus died, huddled together in their fear and confusion, not knowing where to turn or what to do next. Their leader and teacher who had held them together all those long months was dead and buried, executed like a common criminal, and lying in a tomb (or so they thought). What a disappointing turn of events! With Jesus into that tomb went their hope, their vision, their sense of direction and purpose in life. They were left only with an overwhelming sense of failure, loss, and shame, because they knew they had deserted Jesus in his hour of need. Were they more disappointed and disillusioned with themselves or with Jesus, who had raised their hopes so high? It would be hard to "get your arms around" that kind of disappointment, to "organize" the feeling of that kind of loss, to "bring under control" that depth of shame. They must have indeed felt "small, weak and inadequate."

Then, one of the women, Mary Magdalene, was saying things that didn't make sense: that she had actually seen Jesus and had talked with him, that Jesus was alive, that he had risen from the dead just as he had promised. They didn't believe Mary's words, of course, because she was only a woman, and women, after all, aren't "rational thinkers." They stayed put and waited to see what would happen next. Suddenly, astonishingly, quietly, there he was, right there, in their midst, before their very eyes. Jesus was alive.

Isn't it reasonable to assume that the disciples might have been just a little bit afraid that this was not all good news? That Jesus might be understandably angry with them for abandoning him, in Peter's case for even denying Jesus three times as he warmed himself by the fire in the courtyard, while his Lord and Savior was questioned by the religious authorities? It's frightening enough to see someone who was dead suddenly alive, but what if he had every reason to say, "Where were you when I needed you? What kind of faithful disciples are you, anyway? Why did you run out on me? Peter, you especially, I picked you out to be the leader; how could you have denied me three times?"

But that's not what happened. There were no recriminations, no anger, no condemnation or judgment, not even an understandable "venting" of disappointment and hurt. Instead, the first words Jesus offered were both greeting and gift: "Peace be with you." He knew what was in their hearts and why they had barred the door. He saw right through them and knew that they weren't re-grouping, getting it together and deciding on their next move, that is, how they were going to carry on Jesus' legacy or spread his teaching. They were scared and hiding out.

Then the story shifts to Thomas, out running his errands. He was the only one among the disciples who was not so filled with fear that he was unwilling to leave the disciples' hiding place. When he returned and heard that the others had seen Jesus, he of course wanted to have the same experience himself, to receive the same assurance the other disciples had received. He was no more a "doubter" than they were, before they saw the risen Jesus.

Thomas wanted to experience the Resurrection for himself, to put his finger and his hand on the marks of Jesus' suffering and feel for himself that this incredible news was indeed not "too good to be true." His faith was no less, no weaker than the other's faith; he was just that one little sheep that the good shepherd sure enough would come back for, to tie up this one loose end. The story of Thomas is a message for the people in John's community a generation or two later when the Gospel was being written down. Their faith was based not on what they had seen with their own eyes but on what they heard. Jesus is really talking to us when he says to Thomas the words that Eugene Peterson translates as, "Even better blessings are in store for those who believe without seeing" (The Message).

Even better blessings. That is the promise to the church one week after our beautiful Easter services, back to life as usual. Back to our lives with their own "overwhelmings": two wars that drag on past six years, with 4200+ American soldiers and countless Iraqis killed; an economic crisis threatening thousands with foreclosure and bankruptcy, high unemployment, high gasoline prices, high health care costs. And there are our own private griefs and burdens: health problems, kid problems, too much work, too much worry, too much coming at us, so much to run away from, so much to fear. What's an overwhelmed person of faith to do? Even one week after the music of the trumpets and the splendor of the lilies have faded, how are we to live "as Easter people"?

We may feel overwhelmed on the Second Sunday of Easter, like those disciples one week later, even though we have experienced the risen Jesus. We may feel like locking our doors and hiding out. Indeed, it's a great temptation in the life of the church to huddle behind massive, beautiful doors, to hide out from a world in pain and great need, and to make our faith a personal, private thing that has nothing to do with that pain or that need.

Jesus gives us the same gift of himself, not just once, but over and over. It is, however, so hard to persist in faith. It does not take long for the vocabulary of death to creep back in and to push Easter out....The Easter gospel turns the world upside down, but congregations live out their days in right-side-up realities. Still it's our task to witness to the world that Easter is real, not simply in the trumpet celebrations of the week before, but as it unfolds in the lives and stories of disciples who are regularly tempted by fear and despair,and to offer the world "parables of grace."

Whatever overwhelms us, God comes to us in the midst of our fear and says, "Peace be with you." Whatever doubts churn in our minds, whatever sins trouble our consciences, whatever pain and worry bind us up, whatever walls we have put up or doors we have locked securely, God comes to us and says, "Peace be with you." Whatever hunger and need we feel deep in our souls, God calls us to the table, feeds us well, and sends us out into the world to be justice and peace, salt and light, hope for the world. We can do it, if we keep our eyes open, our minds, as William Sloane Coffin would say, "limber," and our hearts soft and willing to love. As God sent Jesus, God sends us, too, into the world that God loves.

Embrace Eternity

2010-04-08T18:35:00.000-07:00

I am so glad you are here on this Easter Sunday for the final week of our “Live Like You Were Dying” experience. It has been a wonderful journey for us as a church. I am hearing some great stories of what God has been doing.

Well, as you can see from the video there are a lot of different thoughts about death and heaven, and who is going and how we get there. As you listen to the answers by people on the street you are left wondering, “How do I know heaven is real? And if it is, can I really know that I am going there?” These are exactly the questions we are going to take an honest look at today.

It’s a topic we don’t like to talk about. Maybe you can relate to the words of Woody Allen when he said “Its not that I’m afraid to die. I just don’t want to be there when it happens.”

Our denial doesn’t change death’s existence. And our refusal to talk about it doesn’t delay its coming. Actually, I think it is healthy for us to have some honest conversation about death. We're all terminal… some of us are just blessed enough to know it.

This weekend, I would like us to linger over a two-word question. It is simple but important. Your future is not only riding on this question, but your forever is at stake. Here is the question. Then what?

When I have lived my last day and I have taken my last breath and my heart has beat for the last time, then what? When my death certificate has a specific time and date on it, then what?

To help us wrestle with this question, I want us to engage in a story that Jesus told.

Luke 12:13-21 (NLT) Then someone called from the crowd, “Teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father’s estate with me.” [14] Jesus replied, “Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that? “ [15] Then he said, “Beware! Don’t be greedy for what you don’t have. Real life is not measured by how much we own.” [16] And he gave an illustration: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. [17] In fact, his barns were full to overflowing. [18] So he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store everything. [19] And I’ll sit back and say to myself, my friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!’” [20] “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get it all?’ [21] “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”

Wow! The world would call this guy a very successful businessman. I’m sure he would have been on the cover of Forbes magazine. Notice in the story that God doesn’t call him wicked or dishonest or evil. Yet, God does call him a fool. Nowhere in the story do we read that this man had mistreated people or cut ethical corners. He was certainly driven, ambitious, and shrewd. Yet, God calls him a moron. That is the literal word that is translated here as “fool.” For all his business genius, he made a supreme miscalculation. In his frantic pursuit of the good life he forgot to pursue eternal life and abundant life. He gave his life for that which ultimately didn’t matter.

His priorities were work hard, grow the business, expand the business, sell the business, and retire on easy street. In fact, in v. 19 he says to himself “You have plenty of things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink, and be merry.” He is building a great big nest egg and an inflation proof retirement portfolio. By most everyone’s standards, this guy is living the American dream. Yet, God calls him a fool.

When we look closer at the story, we will discover 3 mistakes.

He lived like this life is all there is — This is a fatal miscalculation
This rich man in the story of Jesus had a philosophy of life. His view of life was all about the here and now. It was about today. It was about this world. It was all about the dash. Let me explain. When you look at a grave marker, there is a set of dates. The date that person checked into this planet and the date they checked out. And, in between those dates is a “dash” and that dash represents this life.
People with this philosophy don’t have time for the “then what” question. They are too busy with life to worry about death. They are too focused on today to think about forever. But, this is a fatal miscalculation.

“We think that we are in the land of the living going to the land of the dying when in reality we are in the land of the dying going to the land of the living.”
In Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NLT) Solomon writes, “God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end.” Did you get that? He planted eternity in the human heart.

In his most recent book, John Ortberg talks about nighttime prayers his grandmother would pray with him.
“Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
If I should die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take.”

That’s a cheery way to send kids off to bed, isn’t it?
There actually was another verse to this prayer that children would recite. Picture the scene.
“Our days begin with trouble here,
Our life is but a span,
And cruel death is always near,
So frail a thing is man.”
Good Night honey. Pleasant dreams.

Ortberg makes this observation. “There was a day, much different than ours, when children said this prayer by the millions. Somebody wanted children to know: Earth is fallen and broken and not home. Life is not permanent. Death is inevitable, and human life hangs by a slender thread. We have a soul and not just a body. God is the kind of person who can be trusted with our eternal destiny. To be clear about who keeps our souls is infinitely important.”

Now, before we move on, I want you to notice something else in this story. When you disconnect this life from the life to come, it has a very practical result. When you believe that this life is all there is, you begin to mistakenly act as though the point of life is acquisition and accumulation. The word “more” becomes the driving force in your life.

This was certainly true of the guy in Jesus’ story. More grain. More goods. More and bigger barns. More stuff. He thought making a living was the same as making a life. He was wrong.

Just think how much stuff we have and how much “life” it takes to shop for it, clean it, repair it, manage it, maintain it, insure it, store it, and ultimately dispose of it. You spend all this time and energy stockpiling stuff. Then, you die and leave it all behind.

He lived like there would always be more time — This is a costly procrastination
This is all about the illusion of control. This rich businessman was used to being in charge and controlling all the aspects of his world. In fact, I’m sure he prided himself in being on top of things. He didn’t like surprises and he made it his business to have as few as possible.

I want to be very clear here. There is nothing wrong with planning. Where this becomes a problem is when our plans cross over to presumption. We become presumptuous when we stop recognizing God’s ultimate control in the universe and his ultimate control in my life. It is presumption when I start living as though I control the universe.

Notice the smug words of this rich man. “I’ll sit back and say to myself, My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!” Do you hear the arrogance? “I’ve got all the bases covered. I have planned for all the possible contingencies. I am set for life.”

There’s just one problem. We aren’t ultimately in control. The song Live Like You Were Dying is about a guy who sits down with the doctor and gets the bad news about his health. His world is rocked as he realizes that he isn’t in control. All it takes is to see that little spot on the x-ray or have a drunk driver pull over in your lane.

“But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night.”’ You and I don’t get to choose the day or the way in which we leave this world. This guy acted like he had all the time in the world.

When you think about it, there is so little in this life that we really control. You didn’t control when you were born or who your parents were. You didn’t control the place of your birth or your ethnicity. You didn’t control your looks or the color of your hair.

Your life is in God’s hands. God rightfully claims ownership over every soul. He can give and take life as he pleases according to his wise plan.
The older I get the more intimately aware I am that life is fragile and life is short. None of us sitting here has the guarantee of another year or even another day.

So, make your plans. But remember that you don’t control the universe. You don’t know how many days you have left. That has been the point of this whole 30 days. It is helping us learn not to take our days for granted. We are learning how to live today to its fullest because we don’t know how many we have left. We are learning to savor the precious moments of today because we aren’t guaranteed tomorrow.

He didn’t live this life in light of the life to come — This is a missed preparation
Many people I know believe heaven is real, but live as though it is irrelevant. It never crosses their mind and it has no bearing on their daily life.

In fact, the Bible says that heaven is the true home of those who are Christ followers. We are pilgrims just passing through this world. If we really believe that, it should and will change what matters to us and how we live.

In 2 Corinthians 4:17-5:1 (NLT) Paul said, “For our present troubles are quite small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever! So we don't look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever. For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down — when we die and leave these bodies — we will have a home in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands.”
In generations past, the favorite topic for Christian songs was heaven. For so many Christians down through the centuries, this life has been incredibly hard. They were often destitute and persecuted. What gave them hope was knowing that someday they would be with their heavenly Father.

The truth is, life can sometimes be hard and unbearable. When you are in that health crisis or you are going through that divorce or you are still fighting that addiction, the Lord’s encouragement to us is to remember that we are not home yet.
There is a lot about eternity and heaven that we don’t know. But, Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 2:9 (NLT) are enough to know for now. “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”
Did you get that? What lies beyond death is so breathtakingly wonderful; we can’t wrap our minds around it. It is beyond anything we could dream up. And it’s real and it’s forever.

And, I don’t want one person here to miss it. I can tell you without hesitation that being prepared to die is the most important issue of life. Settling this and being clear about your eternal future is the most important decision you will ever make.

I want to go back to the parable that Jesus told in Luke 12 about this rich man. The implication in the story is that this man was unprepared for his sudden death. He had thoroughly prepared for his retirement, but had ignored to prepare for his eternity. Eternity is real and you are one day closer to it than you were yesterday. This life is not all there is. The Bible speaks with sobering clarity about this. Though your body will die, your soul will live on eternally. You are immortal. Even if you get 80, 90, or 100 years on this planet, that is nothing compared to forever. Nothing could be more tragic than to prosper in this world and fail to prepare for the world to come.

The Bible says that you and I came into this world with a nature to sin and that from birth we are separated from God. The bad news is that there isn’t anything you can do to fix the problem.

But, that’s why Jesus came. He came to earth as our rescuer and savior. His death on the cross and his resurrection from the dead paved the way for us to be reconciled to God. It is a free gift of grace and there is nothing you can do to earn it. But, it is your choice to either receive it or reject it. I am asking you today, will you accept his gift of salvation and become a Christ follower? Your eternity is riding on your answer to that question.

Jesus' resurrection that we celebrate this morning is so amazing, isn't it?? There is no way that I can adequately express in words all that the Risen Christ means to me. My life overflows with gratitude that he would allow me to know him and that he would adopt me into his family. He doesn’t owe me anything. I don’t deserve his grace. I am fully aware how unlovable I can be and how much darkness resides in my own heart. And yet, this great creator who holds the stars in his hand and who rules the universe unconditionally accepts me. This same Jesus, who guides the history of humanity and has need of nothing, pays attention to me.

Your one shot to get it right is this life. There are no make-up exams on the other side of death. Don’t make the tragic mistake of thinking this life is all there is or that there will always be more time. Let today be the day you step over the line of faith and settle your eternal destiny. Let today be the day you begin living without any fear of dying.

Give Forgiveness

2010-03-28T18:25:00.000-07:00

This is the 4th Sunday in our 30-day experiment called “Live Like You Were Dying.” Here is the question we have been wrestling with during this series, “If I only had 30 days to live, how would I spend my time?” How would I change? What would I start doing that I haven’t been doing?

Our topic this Sunday might be the most difficult of any messages during this series. Today we are going to talk about forgiveness.

As soon as I say that word, for some of us the adrenalin and the emotions begin to surge. We have all heard the old adage that “time heals all wounds.” But, it just isn’t true. For some, even though it has been years, the wounds are still raw, fresh, and real. Isn’t it amazing how God has wired us up? Life’s greatest joys and life’s most agonizing wounds both come from the same place. They come from relationships. God has made us with the capacity to love deeply, but he has also made us with the capacity to hurt deeply.

This struggle with forgiveness is a challenge for all of us, because all of us have relationships. And, somewhere along the way, we will get hurt, wounded, betrayed, or abandoned. The truth is, we all know what it is to carry around a rock of unforgiveness.

Now, let us dig into this issue of forgiveness
1. We've been released from God’s judgment…CELEBRATE
One of my fears is that we have lost the sense of this in the modern church. We keep trying to give ourselves a makeover.

But underneath the surface, there is ugliness and darkness inside every one of us that the Bible calls sin. If you are a big fan of the pop psychology book “I’m OK, You’re OK,” you are not going to be thrilled with this message. I am thinking about writing my own book and calling it “I’m not ok, and you’re really messed up.”
The Bible doesn’t pull any punches as it discusses the nature of man. In the Old Testament, we read that the heart is desperately wicked. Romans 3:10 (NLT) says, "No one is good—not even one.

In Ephesians 2:4 (NIV), we read, “we were by nature objects of wrath”—according to the Bible, you did not come into the world innocent, and with a moral blank slate. You arrived here with a heart tainted and poisoned by sin.

Just look at every two year-old you know. You don’t have to teach them to be selfish, or to lie, or to fight, or to throw a fit when they don’t get their way. No, they come factory installed with a sin nature.

Listen to the words of the Bible as the apostle Paul describes our condition. Colossians 1:21 (TEV) says, “At one time you were far away from God and were his enemies because of the evil things you did and thought.” Did you get that? We were the ENEMIES of God. To go back to our story, we have an enormous debt that we can never pay. We are helpless and hopeless to bring any solution to the table. Our debt was so serious that the only solution was for the perfect son of God, Jesus Christ, to come and die on the cross.

The death of Jesus was God’s declaration “paid in full.” I deserved punishment. I got pardoned. I deserved judgment. I got Jesus. I deserved eternal condemnation. I got eternal salvation. I deserved hell. I got heaven.

Every year, as I journey through Holy Week, I am reminded again the size of my debt and the sweetness of my pardon. It also helps me remember the price of my forgiveness.

So, before we go any further, I want to make sure that you have received the gift of God’s forgiveness and know what it is to be pardoned of the enormous debt of your sin. If you really only had thirty days to live, nothing would be more important than getting this settled. Where you spend eternity is at stake. Jesus has already paid the price and God offers salvation to you as a gift.

It is yours to simply receive. Right now, today, you can cross the line of faith and receive the wonderful gift of eternal life. Once and for all, you can have your debt forgiven. So, don’t wait.

Here is a truth I want you to get. There is a direct connection between your sense of being forgiven and your ability to grant forgiveness. In other words, when I feel forgiven, I am more forgiving. Let me say that again. When I feel forgiven, I am more forgiving. So, today, God’s forgiveness of our enormous debt is the starting place in our discussion about forgiving others.

Listen carefully to these words from Ephesians 4:32 (NLT) “Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” The basis of us forgiving one another is God’s forgiveness of us. So, the starting place is to choose to celebrate how much we have been forgiven. Then, based on the size of my debt before God…

2. So we can release others from your judgment…LIBERATE

That statement is not meant to minimize anything that you might have been through or how much someone might have hurt you. Rather, according to this story in Scripture, compared to what we have been forgiven by God, every other debt is small. This much I do know. You will never have to forgive someone more than what God has forgiven you.

But, let’s be honest. Forgiving is not easy. Extending grace doesn’t come natural. We want justice. We want people to get what they deserve. There is something sadistically satisfying about “pay backs".

Now, admit it. You’ve wanted to do that. Letting people off the hook isn’t easy.
But, we have been commanded to forgive. I want to be really clear. Forgiveness is a choice. Every time you are offended or hurt, you have a choice to make. Will you choose resentment and bitterness or will you choose forgiveness?

How many of you here today know what TIVO is? It is a device that allows you to record your favorite programs or games. Then, you can watch the show whenever you want. You can play it back as many times as you want. I know some people who have TIVO’d their hurts. They have recorded them and they play them back time after time.
It reminds me of the guy who was telling his friend that he and his wife had a fight the night before. He said, “Yeah, my wife was so upset she went historical.” His friend said “Don’t you mean hysterical?” “No, I mean historical… she brought up everything I had ever done wrong.” We have an amazing ability to hang on to our hurts.

You need to realize that you have a choice.

What are some clues that you need to choose to forgive?
· You feel resentment toward somebody. In fact, their name may have just come to mind.
· When their name comes up, you are instantly critical.
· You can’t stop thinking about the hurt. You keep pushing rewind and rehearsing a hurtful incident in your past.

So, what does it mean to forgive? Does it mean to forget? NO. You can’t do some kind of mental gymnastics and erase the hurt from your memory bank.

It doesn’t mean minimizing the hurt or justifying the other person’s actions.
Nor does forgiveness mean to pretend the hurt didn’t happen.

Forgiveness is relinquishing my right to hurt you for hurting me. It is releasing you from my judgment and releasing you to God’s justice. It is making the choice to let the person off the hook, to not charge the offense to their account. It is letting go of my RIGHT to get even. Letting it go is primarily an act of the will, not a warm feeling! Letting it go means giving up the right to relish the memory! Letting it go means releasing the offender from any obligation! I must learn to release, not re-live my hurts.

Colossians 3:13 (NLT) says, “Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.”
I know that right now some of you are thinking, “No way. You don’t realize what they’ve done and the hurt they’ve caused.” Maybe it was a friend who deliberately hurt you and left you feeling violated. Maybe it was a friend at school who verbally stabbed you in the back.

It could be a relative who physically abused you or sexually abused you. Maybe it’s an ex-spouse who walked out on you and you still haven’t recovered. And, in this moment, everything in your spirit recoils at the thought of “giving them a free pass” or releasing them from your judgment.

You have a choice. You can carry it to your grave. But, I want to beg you, let it go. Life is too short. It is poisoning your soul. Step back and choose to let it go.
Now, I know for some of you, this feels like the hardest thing you have ever been asked to do. But, today, I am going to take the risk of asking you to go one step further. Let it go.

When we are forgiving and choose to pray for those who have hurt us, we can expect God’s blessing on our life.

So, how about it? First, will you choose to celebrate how much you have been forgiven? Then, will you choose to liberate those who have hurt you?
Now, before we wrap this up, I want to leave you with a word of warning that also comes from our story. If you don’t forgive, you…

3 Release yourself from the prison of unforgiveness…DEVASTATE

Go back to this story from Matthew 18. Listen to these harsh words. Matthew 18:32-34 (NLT), “Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. [33] Shouldn't you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ [34] Then the angry king sent the man to prison until he had paid every penny.”

The master says, “You evil servant.” The NIV says, “You wicked servant.”

I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. I forgave an avalanche of your debt. Shouldn’t you have given the same forgiveness I gave you?

Then he hands this guy over to be imprisoned… and Jesus concludes the story in verse 35 with these words: “That's what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters in your heart.” Matthew 18:35 (NLT)

I just want to pause for a moment and let those sobering words sink in. These are what I think are some of the most troubling words in the Bible. There are a lot of people who don’t take Jesus’ words seriously.

Harboring bitterness and embracing resentment is like taking cancer into your body. It always hurts you more than the person you are bitter towards. Your resentment will not change the past and will not solve the problem of today. It will rob you of joy and allows the other person to continue to control you. Unforgiveness tears you up on the inside. We all know people who are tortured by their unforgiving spirit.
Bitterness will cause your heart to shrivel and grow hard. It can make you negative and critical. And for some, it can become all-consuming.

Someone has to break the cycle. Someone has to have the courage to say ENOUGH. Stop the insanity and destruction. All we will gain is bitterness toward each other.
It is time for some of you to speak up and to say “ENOUGH.” To utter the words “I forgive you.” “I release you from my judgment.” It is time to put down the rock.
In light of how much we have been forgiven, how can we do anything else?

Love Deeper

2010-03-23T10:00:00.000-07:00

Here is the question we have been thinking about: “If I only had 30 days left on this earth, how would I live each day? What would change?

If you had 30 days to live, I know what it is that God would want you to do. If today’s topic became the passionate pursuit of the rest of your life God would be pleased. As a Christ follower, if you could achieve this one accomplishment, your life will not have been squandered. God has weighed in on this and told us what he values above everything else. I Corinthians 13 says, “now abides faith, hope and love… but the GREATEST of these is LOVE.” According to Paul, if your life was defined by extraordinary and extravagant love, that would be your greatest achievement and legacy.

I know we hear the word “love” an awful lot in our culture. As people in the video said “we use it so much, it has cheapened its meaning.” So, you may find it easy to tune this out today. But let me press you. Take a hard look. Linger with this question for a few moments. What is the condition of your heart? Are you becoming more loving? Is your heart getting bigger and expanding with the love of Christ, or is your heart shrinking and shriveling? Really? What would those closest to you say?
This issue is so important that Jesus said that the ONE authenticating, validating proof that we are Christ followers is our love. In John 13:35 (NLT) Jesus said, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
You know what the Bible teaches? It teaches that you can’t have an authentic encounter with the gospel of Jesus and you can’t have a true invasion of the Holy Spirit into your life without a explosion of love taking place. That’s the NORMAL Christian life. It is abnormal, it is dysfunctional, and it is a sign of heart disease not to become more loving.

You see, when you taste God’s grace. When you see darkness of your own soul and you realize that God loves you, forgives you, and wants a relationship with you, it changes everything. I hope you never, ever get over God’s grace. And, when I really embrace grace, love is the natural byproduct.

It shows up in our face. It shows up in our words. It shows up in our relationships. It shows up in times of conflict. It shows up in how we interact with strangers. When I feel loved, I am more loving.

So, today, I want to challenge you to activate love in your life. Our gospel reading this morning has given us a picture of this kind of love. Did it surprise you that Jesus is the one on the receiving end of an unrestrained gesture of love. As we think together about our gospel lesson, let me share with you steps I want all of us to work on this next week.

1. Do the unexpected (v.3)
When we pick up the story, Jesus is in his final days. His crucifixion, the defining moment in human history, was looming on the horizon. He knows what is ahead and is fully aware of the suffering he will soon endure.

He knows his arrest is just around the corner. So, he wants to spend these final days with people that he loves. It’s just a few days before Passover. Now, Passover was to Jews the most important of all holidays. It was a time for extended family to come to town and it was a time for good food. But more important, it was a time to remember how God delivered Israel from the bondage of Egypt.

On this particular night Jesus is in Bethany which is just about 2 miles southeast of Jerusalem. A man named Simon is hosting a dinner party for Jesus and some friends. So, picture the scene. Everyone is sitting around the table, laughing and enjoying great conversation. Martha is up serving coffee and dessert. Mary excuses herself and comes back with this alabaster container. She breaks the seal, opens the bottle and then does something that is absolutely lavish and “over the top”. She takes the perfume and begins to pour out the whole bottle on Jesus. She pours out some on his feet. The account in Mark says that she also poured it out on his head. Then, overcome with love in this moment, Mary commits a social taboo. She lets down her hair. This wasn’t acceptable in this ancient culture. A woman was to loosen her hair only in the presence of her husband. Then, she starts wiping the feet of Jesus with her hair.

Can you sense the emotion of this scene? Mary unexpectedly comes to Jesus with a spontaneous, awkward, unrestrained, uninhibited, lavish, excessive expression of love.

She was desperate to express her love and worship. I love the impulsiveness and spontaneity of this scene. In a way, she gives what we all want. We all like being surprised by gestures of love. And, we have all felt the urge to do something lavish and “over the top” for someone we love. But more times than not we push the urge back down, choose to play it safe, and get on with our business. And, we miss the chance to watch people light up because we took the risk to love.

I just wonder how many times this past week we missed an opportunity to surprise someone with love. We live in a world that is driven to achieve. We are obsessed with efficiency and productivity. This hard driving, bottom line lifestyle often mitigates against spontaneous acts of love.

So, how about it? Who could you surprise with your love this week? Who could you ambush with grace and kindness? Go for it this week. When you feel the prompting, say “yes.”

The first action step is to do the unexpected…the second action step I see in this story is…

2. Do the sacrificial
Let’s go back to the scene that night at the dinner party. You see, in the room that night was not just Jesus, this woman and Simon. There were other invited guests. And, the Bible tells us their reaction in verses 4-6: But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him said, [5] “That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.” [6] Not that he cared for the poor—he was a thief and since he was in charge of the disciples' money, and he often stole some for himself. John 12:4-6 (NLT)

Judas did not applaud her spontaneous gesture of love. He saw it as wasteful, inappropriate, and careless. And he said so. Notice the description. This perfume was worth a small fortune.

There has been a show on television the last 3–4 years that has been a phenomenon. It has no sex, no violence, and no political corruption and yet it has been wildly popular. It is called “Extreme Makeover.” This is a show where they identify an extremely needy family whose home is usually in very bad disrepair. Then, Ty Pennington and his design team, along with hundreds of workers converge on the house and in one week’s time do an EXTREME MAKEOVER. Part of the success of the show is not what they do, but how they do it. They don’t just come in and make a few repairs, slap on a new coat of paint and call it day. They tear down the whole house and put in its place a brand new, spacious, beautifully designed and decorated home. Part of what makes this show fun to watch is that what they do is “over the top.” It is lavish. They spare no expense. They do things for these families that they could never even dream of doing for themselves. It is the “extreme” part of the show that makes it so wildly popular.

When you go to the New Testament, you see this same kind of “over the top” love. You find Christians doing the sacrificial. Just days or weeks after the first church was launched in Jerusalem, you read these remarkable words.

Acts 4:32 (NIV) says, “All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had.” They held loosely all of their possessions. And they so loved Jesus and their fellow believers, they did the unexpected and unaffordable. Their love was “over the top.”
Then, later on in the New Testament, Paul is writing to the church at Corinth about the example of believers in Macedonia. These were very poor Christians going through many difficult problems. Paul was collecting an offering to take to the saints down in Jerusalem.

Listen to Paul’s description of their love. In 2 Corinthians 8:3-4 (NLT) he says, “For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford but, far more. And they did it of their own free will. [4] They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the Christians in Jerusalem.” Talk about “extreme” Christianity. They begged Paul to take up an offering from them. When is the last time you saw that in a church?

However, without question, the supreme example of extreme love was demonstrated on the cross. It was the most costly gesture of love in the history of man. Romans 5:6-8 (NLT) says, “When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. [7] Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. [8] But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”

You know, giving is always attached to loving. Being generous demonstrates love. So, who can you bless this week with an “over the top” expression of love. I want to challenge you this next week to do something sacrificial and something extravagant. Let me ask you, what is the 21st century equivalent for this woman’s jar of perfume? What precious, valuable thing do you have that you could lavish on someone else as an expression of your love?

Not everyone will applaud. Some won’t understand. Some will accuse you of being wasteful. So what? Go for it. In the name of Jesus, let’s break open the perfume bottles this week.

So, from this wonderful story, we learn that when we ambush someone with love, we do the unexpected. Next, we do the sacrificial. There is one final thing I want to ask you to do.

3. Do it now
I’m sure you could have heard a pin drop. Can you imagine how Mary must have been feeling at this point? She was motivated by love. She thought she was doing a good thing. Now she is being blasted.

But before these detractors can say anything else,I love the fact that Jesus rushes to defend this woman.

Listen to Mark 14:6-8 (NLT) But Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. Why criticize her for doing such a good thing to me? [7] You will always have the poor among you, and you can help them whenever you want to. But you will not always have me. [8] She has done what she could and has anointed my body for burial ahead of time.”
She has done a GOOD thing. Jesus is not minimizing the need to care for the poor. He is simply saying that this woman has done a good thing in seizing THIS moment to show love. She would not have this opportunity again.

And, then, I love that next phrase. SHE HAS DONE WHAT SHE COULD. You can’t ask for any more. She did what she could with what she had. She didn’t know that Jesus was about to be crucified. But she saw an opportunity to express her love and she grabbed it. And, now her story lives on thousands of years later.

You really don’t know if you will be here a week from now. You have today. You have right now. You have this moment. You can’t do everything…You can’t meet every need…you can’t bless every person…Do what you can.

For some of us here today, the most radical expression of our love would be to SPEAK it. Some of us are not very good at saying those three life-giving words…I love you. There are people all around you that are affection starved. Some of those people may be sitting with you and around you today at church. They have learned to hide the pain and they would never ask for it, but they long to hear you say, “I love you”. I hope before you even get out of the parking lot today, that you will grab a spouse, a child, a good friend and look them in the eye and say “I just want you to know today that I love you. I am glad you are in my life. My life is better and richer because of you.” Words of love and affirmation and blessing ought to flow more freely in this group here today than any other group of people in this town. Don’t wait. Do it now.

A few years back Bob Greene wrote an article in the Chicago Tribune. His article is a sobering reminder that you don’t always have much time. He writes about a dad who is saying good-bye to a three-and-a-half-year-old son. Like all of us he thought he would have his son for a life time. But a diagnosis of a brain tumor shattered their world. Listen to an excerpt from this father to his son.

“Dear Casey, As I lie in bed holding you, I am so painfully aware that you will only be with us for only a few more minutes or hours, and my heart breaks when I think of the struggles you have endured in the last eight months. I would give anything to switch places with you. Nothing would make me happier.

As you close your eyes and decide when you want to go to heaven, remember how proud I am of you. From the day you were born until today, you have brought me only joy. You have exceeded my highest expectations of what fatherhood would be like. You have not only been my son, but you have been my dearest friend. Whenever I was at work or out of town, I would ache to be with you. I will miss you terribly.

All I have learned from you validates that my life is on the right course and that my values are in the right place. How else could I have such a wonderful boy? For this I thank you. We will never forget the happiness you brought us. I am the luckiest man in the world to have been your father and friend. I love you madly. So Casey, it's OK to close your eyes now. You don't have to fight anymore. Thanks for being my son. Dad.”

You just never know how many more opportunities you will have. So, do it now.
For some of you this week, God will call you to a radical expression of generosity. Maybe it is doing something for a widow in our church or a friend who has lost a job or a single mom who needs a car or a student in your school who is outcast. Maybe it is blessing someone on the mission field or an unexpected opportunity that God will bring across your path this week. Look for opportunities this week.

Who knows the impact your love could have? Can you imagine what could happen if just the people gathered in this room today took this seriously. What if our primary objective this week wasn’t a paycheck, or our to-do list, or getting a new gadget but THIS WEEK we lived to love. What if THIS WEEK we broke opens the perfume?
The final part of this story comes from the lips of Jesus. In Mark 14:9 he says, “I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman's deed will be remembered and discussed.”

Jesus says, “Down through the generations when the story is told of my life, death, and resurrection, this woman’s extravagant expression of love will be part of the story.” Just an ordinary woman, compelled by grace and forgiveness, takes a risk and now her story lives in history. Little did she know that her one act of love would have such a ripple effect? Down through the generations, what Mary is known for is her extravagant love. Do you know what is my greatest dream for our church? Do you know what I hope will be our legacy? When it is all said and done and when history is written may our legacy be a legacy of extravagant love for Jesus.

The Wilderness Journey

2010-03-14T15:23:00.000-07:00

Only two of the four gospels give the long version of Jesus' temptation in the wilderness. John leaves it out altogether and Mark's gospel covers the whole thing in two sentences: the Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness, he was there forty days, Satan tempted him, wild beasts kept him company, and angels waited on him. That's it; that's all Mark knew--or that's all he thought we needed to know--about what happened between Jesus and Satan in the wilderness.

One thing among many that this story illustrates is that the devil knows exactly where to find the Bible verses he needs to put Jesus to the test. The devil is well-versed in scripture. He will use any means to bring down Jesus and to bring down His followers. That is what the devil specializes in. He knows the Bible well and twists it making it look innocent enough, but all the time leading us into sin. What’s wrong with telling a stone to become bread? Jesus knows more than what the Bible says. Jesus knows how to do what the Bible says, which is how he passes his wilderness exam.

Every time the devil offered Jesus more--more bread, more power, more protection--Jesus turned him down. No to the bread, Jesus says, no to the kingdoms, no to the angelic bodyguards. He is full up, he says, on worshiping God and serving only him. So by the end of the story, the devil still has all his bribes in his bag and Jesus is free to go.

What I want to focus on this morning is not so much on the temptations, but on where the test took place--the wilderness--because I have an idea that every one of us has already been there. Maybe it just looked like a hospital waiting room to you, or the sheets on a cheap motel bed after you got kicked out of your house, or maybe it looked like the parking lot where you couldn't find your car on the day you lost your job. It may even have been a kind of desert in the middle of your own chest, where you begged for a word from God and heard nothing but the wheezing bellows of your own breath.

Wildernesses come in so many shapes and sizes that the only way you can really tell you are in one is to look around for what you normally count on to save your life and come up empty. No food. No earthly power. No special protection--just a Bible-quoting devil and a whole bunch of sand.

Needless to say, this is not a situation many of us seek. Most of us, in fact, spend a lot of time and money trying to stay out of it; but I don't know anyone who succeeds at that forever. Sooner or later, every one of us will get to take our own wilderness exam, our own trip to the desert to discover who we really are and what our lives are really about.

I guess that could sound like bad news, but I don't think it is. I think it is good news--because even if no one ever wants to go there, and even if those of us who end up there want out again as soon as possible, the wilderness is still one of the most reality-based, spirit-filled, life-changing places a person can be.

What did that long, famishing stretch in the wilderness do to him? It freed him--from all devilish attempts to distract him from his true purpose, from hungry craving for things with no power to give him life, from any illusion he might have had that God would make his choices for him. After forty days in the wilderness, Jesus had not only learned to manage his appetites; he had also learned to trust the Spirit that had led him there to lead him out again, with the kind of clarity and grit he could not have found anywhere else.

This wisdom about the value of the wilderness is just about lost, I think--lost to popular American culture for sure and lost even to the Christian tradition that is charged with preserving it. Isn't that why we observe Lent? I believe we observe Lent so that we can get a dose of wisdom that tells us anyone who wants to follow Jesus all the way to the cross needs the kind of clarity and grit that is found only in the wilderness.

From Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday, Christians are invited to do without some things they are perfectly capable of having--such as rich food or loud parties with their friends--and to take on some things that they are just as capable of avoiding--such as a moral inventory or a lunch date with someone they are mad at.

"Lent," it is called, from an English word meaning "spring"--not just a reference to the crocuses pushing their ways out of the ground in the season before Easter, but also to the greening of the human soul--pruned with repentance, fertilized with fasting, watering with self-appraisal, mulched with prayer. I was at least twenty-five years old before I learned that Lent wasn't about punishing myself for being human--and it took me five more years to figure out that it wasn't about giving up Hershey's bars and cursing.

Maybe a little spell in the wilderness is worth a try--a few weeks of choosing to live on less, not because your regular life is bad but because you want to make sure it is your real life--the one you long to be living--which can be hard to do when you're living on fast food and busyness. Remember when red lights gave you a minute just to sit and think? Not any more--not with your cell phone right there in your lap begging you to reach out and touch someone.

I know people who give up using their cell phones for Lent. Can you imagine? I know other people who give up watching television or shopping or eating while they are standing up. Of course, none of these things would impress people who have spent their whole lives trying to figure out where the next meal is coming from, but in a culture of plenty I am impressed with anyone who decides to make it without anesthesia for a while--to give up whatever appliances or habits or substances they use to keep themselves from feeling what it really feels like to live the kind of lives they are living.

I mean, almost everyone uses something--if not anesthesia, then at least a favorite pacifier: murder mysteries, Facebook, reruns of Boston Legal, Pottery Barn catalogs,tow six packs of beer. I'm not saying those are awful things. I'm just saying they are distractions--things to reach for when you are too tired, too sad, or too afraid to enter the wilderness of the present moment--to wonder what it's really about.

The problem for most of us is that we cannot go straight from setting down the cell phone to hearing the still, small voice of God in the wilderness. If it worked like that, churches would be full and Verizon would be out of business. If it worked like that, Lent would only be about twenty minutes long.

What we have instead are forty whole days for finding out what life is like without the usual painkillers, which is how most of us learn what led us to use them in the first place. Once you take the headphones off, silence can be really loud. Once you turn off the television, a night can get really long. After a while you can start thinking that all of this quiet emptiness or, worst case, all this howling wilderness, is a sign of things gone badly wrong: devil on the loose, huge temptations, no help from the audience, God gone AWOL--not to mention your own spiritual insufficiency to deal with any of these things.

But if you remember to breathe--and say your prayers--then nine times out of ten you can make it through your first night with no extra bread, power, or protection. You can get used to the sound of your own heart beating and whatever it is that is yipping out there. You may even be able to sleep a little while and wake up gladder to be alive than you can ever remember being. So there are thirty-five Lenten days to go. So don't count. Take it one day at a time.

After you have reached for your pacifier a few times and remembered it is not there--not because someone stole it from you but because you made a conscious decision to give it up--then you may discover a whole new level of relationship with the Lord.
We are great at telling ourselves that losing our pacifiers is going to kill us, but it's almost never true. All that's going to happen is that we're going to suck air for a while, then we're going to hiccup, then we're going to look around and see things without that pink plastic circle under our noses, which is going to turn out to be a good thing both for us and for everyone else in our lives.

But it would be a mistake for me to try to describe your wilderness exam. Only you can do that, because only you know what devils have your number, and what kinds of bribes they use to get to you. All I know for sure is that a voluntary trip to the desert this Lent is a great way to practice getting free of those devils for life.

For me, my times in the wilderness has taught we a very important fact about my relationship with the Lord. What is that lesson?? It is the lesson Andre Couch sang of in the 1970's. Hear the words of that song:
Through it all, through it all,
I have learned to trust in Jesus,
I have learned to trust in God,
Through it all, through it all,
I have learned to depend upon God's Word.

Glorious Potential

2010-02-16T18:26:00.000-08:00

Transfiguration
Luke 9:28-36 (37-43)

We hear a lot these days, both inside and outside the church, about each person achieving their potential. There is plenty of advertising that works by telling you that if you purchase this or that product, you will be closer to achieving your potential. That sort of advertising works precisely because the hunger to reach our potential or fulfil our destiny is very real and common to all of us. The majority of people in this country dream of making a radical change to their life. We live with a sense that we could be so much more than we are, and we yearn to bring that unrealised potential to fruition. But how are we to know what our potential is? How are we to know what it is that our lives could look like if we were to get there? What have we been created to be, and how are we to find out?

Peter, James and John - three of the disciples of Jesus - witnessed his transfiguration on the mountain top, they learned a lot about who Jesus was and what he was created to be. As the story we heard said, they saw him aglow with the glory of God. In his appearance, in the voice from heaven, and in the content of the conversation with Moses and Elijah, they glimpsed something of the astonishing potential that tied together Jesus' baptism, his ministry, and his impending execution and resurrection.

The voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, my chosen one," echoing the words that were heard from heaven as Jesus was baptised. Back then, the voice had addressed Jesus himself, assuring him of his identity, his mission, and his potential. Now it addresses the disciples, assuring them of who he is and instructing them to listen to him.

But none of us is Jesus, so what has all this got to do with us and fulfilling our potential? Well let's listen again to what the Apostle Paul said in our reading from his second letter to the Corinthian church: "And all of us, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit."

Again: "All of us are being transformed into the same image, from one degree of glory to another." "The same image." The same image that the disciples saw light up in glory on the mountain top is our destiny too. That same potential lies hidden in us, for we, like Jesus, are made in the image of God and destined to fully reflect the glory of God.

Paul was writing hundreds of years before the invention of the modern clear glass mirror. The mirrors he was talking about were either coloured glass or polished metal. They were little better than those vandal proof stainless steel ones you sometimes see in public toilets. As he said in another passage that we heard a couple of weeks ago, "we see as in a glass dimly." Paul is not saying you need a perfect vision of God for this transformation to be happening to you. The blurry glimpses are enough, because the image and glory of God already exists within you. It is an integral part of who you already are. You just need to learn to uncover it and let it shine.

I am not, however, suggesting that this is easy. There are obstacles both around us and within us. In the second half of our gospel reading, when Jesus had come down from the mountain and met up with the rest of his disciples, he finds them unable to exercise the healing power of the glory of God that is within them. They are trying to heal a boy who is afflicted by some kind of evil spiritual force, and they can't. In exasperation, Jesus says, "How much longer must I bear with you, you faithless and perverse generation?" In part he's probably just being a bit grumpy, but in part too he is acknowledging the difficulty of charting a completely different course than the culture, the rest of your generation. Going against the flow requires unusual courage, but it is also hard because it is much more difficult to imagine what might be possible and to catch a vision of how you might be a part of it. Almost all the role models and examples point in the other direction.

And there are internal obstacles as well. The boy in the story illustrates this, and did you notice the way the gospel writer tied the portrayal of the boy to the vision of transfiguration on the mountain? Did you hear the concerned father echoing the voice of the heavenly Father on the mountaintop? He cries out to Jesus, "Look at my son; my only son." So we have the only son on the mountaintop, fully reflecting the glory of God, and the only son down below, in the grip of something demonic that keeps the glory of God well and truly buried and out of sight. There is no suggestion that the boy is evil or demonic. The boy, like all of us, is created in the image of God and destined to reflect the full glory of God, but at this point, like a rampant virus, something evil is destroying him. "But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. And all were astounded at the greatness of God."

This Wednesday we will begin our annual journey through the season of Lent. The season of Lent is all about this stuff; about tackling the obstacles that would lock us into the useless and unhealthy ways of our faithless and perverse generation. It is about seeking to purge our inner selves of those things that infest us and cripple our capacity to love, to hope, to be merciful; our capacity to shine forth the glory of God.

Evil will continue to assail us, both inside and out, and we need to remain vigilant to its attacks and ready to stand against anything that would obscure the image of God in us. We won't only be focussing on the inward dimensions though. We will endeavour too to take seriously the influence of a "faithless and perverse generation" on us.

All of this is to better enable us to undergo the transformation from being like the helpless only son at the foot of the mountain to the gloriously transfigured only Son on top of the mountain. All of it is about unleashing our potential and fulfilling our destiny. All of us were created in the image of God, and in Jesus Christ we have seen what that potential looks like fulfilled and on fire with the glory of God. The connection I mentioned earlier between the transfiguration story and the resurrection stories is written into this Lenten journey. On this last Sunday before the journey begins, we hear this story, and when the journey ends, we will be celebrating the resurrection. In between, the journey of transformation takes us by way of the cross. Those who would realise their potential and achieve their destiny with the transfigured and risen Christ, must walk with him the way of the cross. For only there, only as we are put to death with him, will the powers of death lose their hold over us, and leave us free to be raised with Christ, that we might with him shine with the blazing glory of God.

A Fishing Story

2010-02-08T18:52:00.000-08:00

I would like to tell you a story about a group of people who called themselves fishermen. They lived in an area where there were many fish--waters all around them. In fact, the whole area was surrounded by streams and lakes and rivers just filled with fish. And the fish were hungry.

Week after week, month after month, year after year, these people who called themselves fishermen held meetings and talked about their call to be fishermen, the abundance of fish, and they passed along all the latest innovations in fishing. Year after year, they carefully defined what fishing was all about, defended fishing as a noble occupation, and declared that fishing is always the primary task of fishermen.

They constantly searched for new and better methods of fishing, and for new and better definitions of fishing. They loved such slogans as "Fishing is the task of every fisherman." They sponsored special meetings known as "Fisherman's Campaigns." They went on nationwide and even worldwide tours to discuss fishing and promote fishing and hear about all the new developments and technological advances in fishing and new ways of presenting the bait to the fish that made it more attractive and alluring.

They built large, beautiful buildings called "Fishing Headquarters," and selected some of their best fishermen to staff it. They appealed to everyone to become fishermen. There was only one thing they did not do. They didn't fish. Ever.

In addition to organizing and holding regularly scheduled meetings, they organized a board to send out fishermen to other parts of the world where the fish were plentiful. The board appointed various committees and held many meetings to talk about fishing, defend fishing, and develop new strategies for fishing. But the committee members never went fishing.

Large, expensive training centers were built for the purpose of teaching fishermen how to fish. They offered courses on the needs of fish, the nature of fish, dealing with the different generations of fish, the psychological makeup of fish, and how to approach and feed fish. The professors all had degrees in fishology, but none of them ever went fishing. They only taught fishing. After completing the course of study, graduates were given their fishing license and sent out to do full-time fishing, some to distant waters that were filled with fish.

Many who felt the call to be fishermen responded. They were commissioned and sent to fish. But like the fishermen back home, they could talk for hours about the need for fishing, and they knew all the current developments in fishing, but they didn't fish. They were too busy doing other things. Some said they really wanted to fish, but since they just didn't have time, they would just furnish fishing equipment for others. Others felt that their job was to establish a good relationship with the fish so that the fish would be more receptive to the fishermen.

After one stirring meeting on "The Necessity for Fishing," one young fellow left the meeting and actually went fishing! He reported the next day that he caught two outstanding fish. He was honored for his excellent catch, and immediately a nationwide tour was scheduled so that he could visit all the big meetings and tell how he did it. So he quit fishing at once in order to have time to tell others about the experience. He was also placed on the Fishermen's General Board, which consumed quite a bit of his time, so much so that he had no time at all for fishing.

Now it's true that many of the fishermen made personal sacrifices and put up with all kinds of difficulties. Some lived near the water and had to bear the smell of dead and decaying fish every day. They were ridiculed by some who made fun of their fishermen's clubs and for the fact that, though they claimed to be fishermen, they never fished. They wondered about those people who felt that attending weekly meetings to talk about fishing was a waste of time. After all, were they not following the Master, who said, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men"?

Imagine how hurt they were when one day someone suggested that those who don't catch fish were not really fishermen? After all, can people who never catch any fish really claim to be fishermen? Are you following if you're not fishing?

Fishers of People

2010-02-08T18:51:00.000-08:00

The ministry of Jesus took him to the Galilee area where he healed and preached. His message of good news spread to such an extent that crowds gathered and pressed upon him. Imagine such an immense crowd forcing Jesus to get on a boat in order to teach. Imagine people being so eager to hear the word of God.

Jesus chose the boat of Simon for his pulpit on that day and requested Simon take him away from the shore but near enough to be heard. From the boat, Jesus taught the crowd.

When Jesus finished teaching the crowd, he gave a fishing tip to Simon. It was not a new fishing technique, but rather Jesus gave some advice about the location to place the net. But Simon was tired from last evening’s fishing trip and the lack of fish caught in that very spot. Nevertheless, Simon agreed to drop his nets. What a surprise! The nets overflowed to a breaking point. Other fishermen were called to help with the bounty. Both boats became so full they began to sink. Where hours before, there were no fish, now there were plenty. This was plenty upon plenty, grace upon grace.

When Simon Peter witnessed this miracle, he dropped to his knees. He knew he was in the company of a holy man. He confessed, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” (Luke 5:8 NRSV) At this point, the names of the fisherman who witnessed the miracle were revealed. Peter had been fishing with James and John, sons of Zebedee, but Jesus focuses his attention and his words to Simon. Jesus said, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.”

When these three fishermen finally got on shore with their bounty of fish, they left everything and followed Jesus. Their trust and commitment ran deep, perhaps as deep as the waters of the Sea of Galilee.

The fisherman left everything to follow Jesus. EVERYTHING!

There is no doubt our 21st century culture is much different from the first century. The amount of things left behind by the fisherman is nothing in comparison to all that we have in this life. Perhaps we can rationalize that they had the benefit of being an eyewitness to the bounty of fish. Certainly, the fisherman had the advantage of actually hearing the voice of Jesus calling them to follow him. Nevertheless, they left everything!

This passage of the call of the fisherman can be humbling for us to hear. It is easy to forget about the transformation of those early followers. Their lives were turned upside down as they sacrificed to follow Jesus as their master.

The disciples did not just leave their possessions. They also left their jobs. Fishing was not just a hobby or leisure activity, but it was their livelihood.

Jesus calls the fishermen to a new kind of fishing where their nets and buckets are no longer needed. Instead, the fishermen will be partners with Jesus to share God’s good news. They will be asked to go to new areas to fish and seek out deep waters. Their ability to catch people will not be based on their skills or their creativity but on the grace of God.

Some Gifts We Have--Some We Don't

2010-02-06T11:36:00.000-08:00

I would like to conduct a little poll here today consisting of two questions. You have to put your hands in the air to vote. You can raise your hand to indicate your choice.

Question one -- Who would like to hear me really sing out today --- to really let go and put all of myself into a hymn, or better yet, into a solo.... Come on put up your hands if you would like that.

Now - put up your hands if you would rather – Fred or Tim or the Praise and Worship Team or just about anyone else sing.

The reason I conducted this straw poll is to make a point--a point about gifts and about how we regard them and how we regard ourselves.

That point is this - some gifts we have - and some we don't. Wisdom consists of knowing what gifts we have and exercising them, and equally wisdom consists of knowing what gifts we don't have – and encouraging others who do have them to use them.

I sometimes wish - as I am sure some of you wish - that I had the gift of music - that I could sing and play, but I do not. I also wish I had the gift of a photographic memory - but I do not.

At times these wishes have caused me problems. They have focused my mind and my heart on what I do not have. They have led me to feel inferior.

But at other times these wishes have led me in the opposite direction. They have led me to wonder what gifts I do have. They have led me to wonder how God has gifted me. And what it is that God has prepared for me to do.

In the twelfth chapter of the First Letter to The Corinthians, the Apostle Paul speaks at length about gifts and about how we should regard them. He also discusses how we should regard our own giftedness and the giftedness of others.

It is an important chapter and I want to deal with the first part of it this morning - the part that asserts that there are a variety of gifts and of services and of activities - and that each person is gifted with some assortment of these gifts - and that these gifts are a manifestation of the Holy Spirit that is in us - a manifestation that is given for one purpose - and that is for the common good.

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uniformed.... To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utter of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are activated by
one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.

To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. The spirit allots to each one individually, just as the Spirit chooses.

What gifts do you have?
What gifts do you rejoice in - in yourself - and in others?
Is it the gift of praying for others?
The gift are caring?
The gift of service?
The gift of praise?

Some gifts, my friends, are glorious in appearance and dramatic in their effect. They are easy to identify and easy to praise.

Other gifts are more subtle, more ordinary in appearance, and have their impact over the long term rather than in the instant and often they fail to receive the recognition they deserve.

Kathy and I and I were speaking the other day about the gifts we see being exhibited here in our congregation. Many of you have come forward as you have been made aware of some of the financial difficulties we have had over the past several months and have offered your gifts—Thank you! Others of you have come forward and offered your gifts as you have been aware of the challenges to the unity within the body of Christ here in Greenfield.

We have people with the highly visible gifts and we have many quieter people, less visible people, who had different gifts.

Some of you have wrote cards to those who were having birthdays,
others made visits to the elderly and to those who were shut-in.
Some of you have cleaned the Ministry Center
others fixed the copy machine and shoveled out when it snowed.
Some others have baked and cooked for Fellowship Time and other church events.
Some typed and filed,
others built and painted and furnished.
Some prepared minutes and agenda and newsletters to help the congregation,
and others prayed quietly every day for me and the leadership Team
and all the folk of the church.

I know that without all the gifts that are being offered our church will never grow and that the ministry of Christ in our community will never touched the lives of those around us.

Many of you know that our daughter Megan, our son-in-law Justin and our two grandchildren, Riley and Makayla recently spent a week with us. What you may not know is that they also brought their 7 month old white Lab puppy with them. While the puppy is only 7 months old – but being a Lab, he is a good size - he is already 50 lbs. and will end up being about 70 lbs. when he is full grown.

Anyhow, this rather large pup was walking along one day and decided that he had an itch that needed scratching, and that itch was only accessible to her back leg. So, while walking, she
picked up her leg to scratch. And fell over. So, what has that got to do with the gifts that we have, the gifts that God has given us? A great deal actually.

Greenfield Congregational Covenant Church - you and I together-- needs all our legs
- and more - we need those legs to be coordinated, to be in agreement, to work together freely
- gladly - and with unity—without any concern about which is more important or which is less important.

We need the leg of prophetic utterance and the leg of biblical teaching and the leg of inspired prayer and the leg of administration.

We need the leg of letter writing and the leg of woodworking ability and the leg of visitation and the leg of quiet companionship.

We need all the legs
- all the parts that God has made,
- all the gifts that God has distributed among his people.

We need the contribution that each person has been gifted with by God
- and we need that contribution to be offered willingly
- and we need those charged with receiving that contribution in God's name, and that's you and I again, to receive it without questioning it's worthiness.

Each gift is important - and we want our brothers and sisters to give willingly - we need our brothers and sisters to give willingly – for without them - we will fall down!

My friends - when each one of us knows what gift God has granted to us and uses that gift as God wants us to use it
- in the task of walking together - of working together - to do the ministry Christ has called us to
- we will be healthy and whole as both a community and as individuals, and this church will shine with the joy of God's presence

But if we permit ourselves to continue to be distracted
- if we stop doing what we are supposed to be doing and begin to scratch the itches that crop up here and there in our life together,
- if we forget what we are about and whose we are in the first place we will all suffer - as a community - and as individuals - and it will be dark and cold in this place.

We need to claim and celebrate what God has given to us individually, and exercise that expression of God's Spirit within us for the good of all. Do not worry or fret about what others are or are not doing, and about what others may or may not think about our relative importance.

I know that each one of you today has something very special in your hearts - something that has been placed there by God, something that is beautiful and good and precious in his eyes, something that is of vital importance to our church, our community, and our world.

You all have gifts. Claim the gifts - open them up - celebrate them. And then use them - offer them freely - without worrying whether or not your gift is greater than or less than someone else's.

You are worthy - and your gift is worthy - for God has made, and God is the one who gave you, the very thing you have to offer to his praise and his service in this, his church - in this, his world.

Blessed be his name, now and always. Amen

THE CHURCH AS THE BODY OF CHRIST

2010-01-24T18:35:00.000-08:00

In 1985, William R. Greer performed an in-depth chemical analysis of the human body and its mineral properties. His conclusions were published in the International Herald Tribune and The New York Times. Greer claimed that the average human body contained 5 pounds of calcium, 9 ounces of potassium, 1½ pounds of phosphorus, 6 ounces of sodium, 6 ounces of sulfur, 1 ounce of magnesium, and trace amounts of iron, iodine, and copper. According to a professor at the Illinois Medical School, the total value of these minerals is just a little over $8.00. So the value of the human body is roughly equal to the price of a movie ticket in most major cities. (1) Makes you feel good, doesn't it?

Our Bible passage for today is about the church being the body of Christ. Why do you think the apostle Paul used the image of a body to symbolize the church? Our bodies are strange, and wonderful, and complex, and awesome, and awkward things. Our bodies are capable of amazing physical feats--just think back to last year's Olympic Games. Those athletes gave the world a picture of the body at its healthiest and strongest. But our bodies are also capable of being weak, sluggish, and creaky. Picture yourself crawling out of bed after too little sleep. Some of you know what I'm talking about.

An out-of-shape teenager was discussing his tennis game with a friend. "When my opponent hits the ball to me, my brain immediately barks out a command to my body: 'Race up to the net,' it says. 'Slam a blistering drive to the far corner of the court, jump back into the position to return the next volley.' Then my body says, 'Who . . . me?' " That's our usual reaction when we think about our bodies. Most of us don't think our bodies are all that special or strong. Unfortunately, churches can also develop that "who . . . me?" attitude.

"Okay, pastor," you may say. "Let's get this straight. You want us to go out into the whole world and spread the good news of Jesus Christ, to feed the hungry, clothe the poor, help the prisoner, take care of widows and orphans, heal physical diseases, cast out demons, and be a place of worship and joy for all people? Who . . . us?"

Throughout the Bible, there are word-pictures about what the church should be. Any church that wants to understand its true purpose would do itself a favor and study these passages. In 1 Corinthians 3, the church is compared to a field and to a building. In Ephesians 5, the church is compared to a bride. In each of these comparisons, the church is "like" this, or "like" that. But then, in this passage, Paul says the church is the body of Christ. Not "like" the body of Christ. We are the body of Christ. A field is made of many grains of soil. But the body is one piece. There aren't separate parts. It is one. (3) With this imagery, Paul is giving us a new blueprint for the church.

THE FIRST CHARACTERISTIC OF A HEALTHY BODY OF CHRIST IS UNITY--ALL THE PARTS WORKING TOGETHER FOR ONE PURPOSE.
Verse 12 says, "For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ." Throughout the New Testament we can find constant warnings against letting ourselves be distracted by arguments and dissension.

It's as if the apostles are saying, "Come on, can't we all just get along? Is what you're arguing about going to bring people to Christ? If not, then it's just not worth it." The apostles had only one mind, the mind of Christ, to guide everything they did. They had only one purpose in life, to spread the good news of Christ. Funny how when you identify your greatest priority in life, lots of little details fall by the wayside. They're not important anymore. Until the church has one mind and one purpose, then we will continue to get distracted by trivial matters. The best way for us to destroy the image of Christ is to keep arguing among ourselves.

The various cells of the human body--muscle cells, blood cells, organ cells, bone cells, and all the other cells--are designed to work together to enhance the health and life of the entire body. But occasionally, a cell can begin growing and functioning out of sync with the other cells. It begins growing for its own purposes, and no longer follows the same blueprint as the other cells. This type of cell is called a mutagen, and mutagens are the cells that create a cancer in the body. People can have a cancerous effect on a church. If we, as the body of Christ, would realize that we share one mind and one purpose, if nothing else in life mattered to us as much as sharing the good news of Jesus, we could transform our whole world.

THE SECOND CHARACTERISTIC OF A HEALTHY BODY OF CHRIST IS EQUALITY.
A healthy body of Christ values all members equally. Listen to verses 22-25: ". . . those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor . . . But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other." As the pastor of this church, I have the honor of standing before you each week. But my importance to this church is no greater than any other member of the body of Christ. Every last one of us, from the youngest to the oldest member, is equally valuable and important in the body of Christ.

Have you ever felt like you're just not good enough to be valuable to the world? Author Max Lucado believes a society that doesn't believe in God sees no inherent value in human beings. What makes us different from a rock or an old sock? And if we have no inherent, inborn value as human beings, then we must create our own criteria to measure value. So we tend to value people either for their appearance or their performance. If you're good-looking, smart, athletic, or if you earn a lot of money, then you are valuable. If you don't fit that criteria, you're just taking up space. But check out Jesus' value system. He loved the outcast, the poor, the handicapped, the unclean, the sinner. Why? Lucado writes, "Jesus' love does not depend on what we do for him. Not at all. In the eyes of the King, you have value simply because you are." Listen to that again: "In the eyes of the King, you have value simply because you are." Makes us all sit up a little straighter, doesn't it? At your job, you may feel like just another number on a time card. In your other relationships you may feel like you are not being heard and recognized. But in the church, you are of infinite value. You have skills, abilities, and life experiences that other people need. You may have seen those signs out in front of churches that read: What's missing in our ch--ch? U R. Yes, I know those signs are corny, but the sentiment is true. You are important to the body of Christ. This is a corny way to put it, but we can't spell unity or equality without U!

The best place to see a picture of a truly alive, healthy body of Christ is in the book of Acts. In Acts 2: 42-47 and in Acts 4: 32-37 we see there were no barriers between the believers there. Rich and poor Christians, men and women, educated and uneducated believers lived and worked and ate side by side. In fact, the wealthier believers sold many of their possessions in order to provide for the needs of the poorer members so that there would be equality among them. And what was the result of this unity and equality? According to Acts 2, verse 47, "And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." Their lifestyle was having an impact on the society around them. People were coming to Christ because of the example of these early Christian believers.

THE FINAL CHARACTERISTIC OF A HEALTHY BODY OF CHRIST IS EMPATHY--THE BELIEVERS SHARE ONE ANOTHER'S JOYS AND SORROWS.
As I Corinthians 12: 26 says, "If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it." This is a little hard for us to understand. We tend to value rugged individualism. "I'm a self-made man (or woman). I don't ask for help. I can do it all alone. I did it my way." Empathy, that quality of sharing our lives with one another, even the most heartfelt moments, is kind of uncomfortable for us. That's why we present such a nice facade to one another in the church.

No matter what is going on in our lives, no matter what emotions are tearing us apart, we come to church with smiles on our faces and every hair in place.

"See, I'm living the victorious Christian life. I'm okay, you're okay," we say through clenched teeth. But we're not okay. None of us is okay. If there's one thing I've learned with each passing year it's that none of us has "got it all together."

That's what a healthy body of Christ does: we walk alongside one another and share one another's pain. I'm not trying to embarrass anybody, but I want everybody to take a moment and look at the people around you. Just look around you for a moment. Whether you know it or not, there are people on all sides of you whose hearts are breaking. People who are confused, angry, lost, scared, broken in spirit. They need you. You need them. That's what the church is all about. You don't have to go it alone.

In his song, "If This Is Not a Place," singer and songwriter Ken Medema questions the true purpose of the church. If we are not the body of Christ in the world, he asks, then what good are we? "If this is not a place where tears are understood," he writes, "Then where shall I go to cry?" "And if this is not a place where my spirit can take wings, Then where shall I go to fly?" (8)

Before Christ ascended to heaven, he left us with an awesome responsibility: to convince the world that God is alive and that God loves every person on this Earth and is available right here, right now to change lives. Christ's Holy Spirit fills our world and inspires so much of what we do. But it is his body that an unbelieving world needs to see. They need to see us working together in unity, equality, and empathy, not for our own selfish goals, but for the cause of Jesus and the good of one another. I challenge you this week to reflect on this question: what would my church be like if every member were just like me? Would this church be doing better or worse? Because it is only through the body of Christ that this world will come to know Jesus.

Reaffirmation of Faith and Baptismal Covenant

2010-01-24T18:24:00.000-08:00

Today I’ll be inviting us to reaffirm our faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Today I’m inviting us to reconsider the promises made at baptism. Baptism, be it that of an infant or an adult, is always a sign of new beginnings. Today I’m inviting you to consider a new beginning.

Our Scripture reading from Acts 19, gave us an intriguing story of Paul, on one of his missionary journeys, encountering a group of believers in God in Ephesus, who had been baptized by John the Baptist, but had not received the gift of the Holy Spirit nor fully accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ.

At first Paul seems confused. They were doing all the things church folk were meant to do. They were disciples. Meeting together. Sharing. Praying. They believed in God, no doubts about it. But as he talks with them he realizes that their experience with Christianity was minimal. They start discussing the role of the Holy Spirit in religious life and these folk are saying, “Holy Spirit? Nobody told us about the Holy Spirit?”

Paul quizzes them some more. “But I thought you said you’d been baptized? How did that happen?” “Well,” they explain, “There was this man of God called John who taught us how to turn our lives around. We went down into the waters with him and have committed ourselves to following the Lord’s leading as we look for the One John said was to come.”

“I’m with you now,” Paul seems to say. Filling in the gaps we can presume that these folks just hadn’t got the message that Jesus had come! They were out in Ephesus, a very different place to Jerusalem. So Paul explains what has been going on and they break through to a new level of understanding.

In the story of the book of Acts the significance of their acceptance of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that Acts tells the story of the spread of Christianity “in Jerusalem, in Samaria (that is amongst the Gentiles) and to the ends of the earth.” At each significant advance the spread of the gospel to a new area is marked by Pentecostal signs. The acceptance and baptism in the Holy Spirit of twelve disciples in territory beyond Jerusalem marked another milestone in the advance of Christianity.

The story reminds us that though we may be believers, there still needs to be moments and times when we refocus and reaffirm what we believe. These disciples had been baptized and they were people seeking to be God's people. God honored their search by granting them a fuller and deeper revelation of His love, filling them with the knowledge of Jesus as their Savior and empowering them for service through the Holy Spirit.

Today, our need is to come to God through our words and our prayers, to seek for a deeper and fuller revelation of Jesus Christ to dawn upon us, and to seek to be empowered by the same Holy Spirit that has been the life of the church since its foundation.

We still stand near the dawn of a New Year, and we can choose what forces are going to shape our lives in this new age. We like to think of ourselves as free agents. What a devilish lie! Our lives, our thoughts, our values, our spirituality, our whole outlook on life are something that is shaped by the forces around us and our reaction to them.

Admittedly, we can, like the folk in Ephesus that Paul came across, not always be in possession of all the facts, or aware of the full story. But as God reveals the way of discipleship to us there remains a decision to make as to how we will respond.

Psalm 14, verse one declares, "The fool says in their heart that there is no god." That verse means a whole lot more than just saying there is no Divine Being out there somewhere. It is a denial of any absolute standards.

The fool says that there is no right or wrong, good or evil, that such things are open to negotiation. The fool says that what goes around isn't going to come around. The fool says that what we welcome into our lives today has no relation to the welcome we should expect in eternity. The fool says life is a matter of how we feel not how we act.

At a time of recommitment we are asked to make a choice between living like a fool or living in the power of God's Spirit. We are called to renounce evil, to recognize that there are dark forces in the world that seek to have dominion over us; to make a distinction between living only for ourselves and living the way God would have us live.

We are not all basically good or basically bad. We are a complex mix of emotions and desires, often in conflict with others and with ourselves. We are conditioned by our culture and our upbringing and our expectations. We are miserable sinners who wouldn't recognize an act of God if it came to us wrapped in box that said, "God was here." Yet, at the same time we are glorious, possibility laden, miraculous, unique, creations of a loving God, and full of destiny, purpose and meaning.

I bid you to make a choice. Choose to have your life molded not by the passing fads and philosophy of today, but by the eternal, time tested wisdom of the Holy Scriptures. Choose not to be satisfied by the spirit of this world, full of promise but never actually delivering; but be filled with the Holy Spirit, be baptized in faith and hope and love, in goodness and self control, and in kindness and with patience.

Pray that this church may be a place where God's glory is known, where God's Spirit flows, and where the name of Jesus is lifted high

Our Promise-Keeping God

2009-11-30T05:20:00.000-08:00

Promises are so important! We know, for example, that when we make a child a promise, we must keep it at all costs, or the child will lose all trust in us and our word. We also know that if we do not keep a promise to a friend, we may lose that friendship.

Certainly we make promises through all our life. One of the most important ones is made when we stand before a pastor to be married. There we promise to love and comfort, to honor and keep our spouse, in sickness and in health. And we promise that we will forsake all others and be faithful to that marital partner as long as we both shall live.

Sometimes we keep our promises, but sometimes we do not. And often times, we live in regret and guilt that we have not kept some spoken word. We think a person who keeps his or her word is a person to be honored and trusted, and we regret the times when we fail to be trustworthy.

The passage in Jeremiah is written by the prophet when things looked real bad for his people. About 600 years before Jesus, they are about to be taken away from their Promised Land because for generations they have been not relying on the promise-giver, but on any other sort of promise. Everything that has given them meaning and identity, it all looks like it will be destroyed. And right then, Jeremiah, says that one will rise up – a Messiah – another David, who will restore Jerusalem to justice and righteousness. It is said that He, himself, will be our righteousness.

God is a promise-keeper, whose word is good forever. Therefore on this first Sunday of Advent, we eagerly await the day when we may celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, who is the fulfillment of this age-old promise of a Davidic ruler. Certainly Christ is a righteous Branch of David, fulfilling perfectly the will of God. Bound up with his person and sharing by trust in his righteousness, we are counted pure in the eyes of God. This is a righteous King who makes us righteous as well. And certainly too, Jesus Christ is just, in his life on this earth, bringing God's justice and order to the poor and oppressed, condemning the wicked, and setting right the relationships among human beings. Still today the risen Christ by his Spirit guides us in justice for all, and gives us the power to love one another.

But has this ancient promise been fully fulfilled? Do Judah and Jerusalem and, indeed, all the nations of the earth including ours, live in safety and security? Are our streets so safe now that we walk them at night? Are our children surrounded by a society of decency and peace? Can all of us enjoy an abundant life, free of violence and wrong, fear and upheaval? Or do the wicked still prowl through our society and world, and are countless millions still faced with the threat of death? Obviously, this promise in our text of safety and security has not yet fully been realized. The fulfillment of the total promise still awaits its time "in the days that are coming," when God brings it all to pass.

But remember! God is a promise-keeper. He began to fulfill this promise by sending us his own Son in the birth of that babe of Bethlehem. He has always kept his word in the past; the whole history of Israel testifies to that faithfulness. So we now know that God will also keep his word -- his full word -- in the future.

The evil and violence, the sin and suffering that surround us on every side are not the last word. On this first Sunday of Advent, the church not only looks back to the birth of Christ, but it also looks forward to Christ's Second Coming, when he will come to set up his kingdom. Then in fact, safety and security and blessed life will be present for all people, and God will rule over all. God is a promise-keeper whose word will come to pass.

Giving Our All to God

2009-11-09T11:26:00.000-08:00

There was a man who called at the church and asked if he could speak to the Head Hog. The secretary said, "Who?" Then she gathered herself and said "Sir, if you mean our pastor you will have to treat him with more respect than that and ask for the Reverend' or The Pastor.' But certainly you cannot refer to him as the Head Hog." The man said, "I understand. I was calling because I have $10,000 I was thinking about donating to the building fund." She said, "Hold on for just a moment-I think the big pig just walked in the door."

Now I am sure that Del wouldn't treat me like that, some of youy lay folks perhaprhaps but not the secretary! But we all are subject to changing our tune when substantial amounts of money are offered.

It is a mild Sabbath morning in the Palestinian City of Jerusalem. The sun has not yet risen to full strength, and yet people are already lined up all the way down the dusty road which leads to the Holy Temple. Smoke is in the air because of the animals that have already been sacrificed and burned on the altar. And in that slow moving line, there are rich and poor alike, carrying with them the offerings that are to be presented for the Lord God Jehovah.

The line leads to a small square room lined with metal collection boxes. The boxes have metal horns extending out of them, to receive the offerings of the people. As you can imagine, the coins make a constant clanging noise as they are cast into the receptacles.

Most of the people shuffling along, quickly make their donation, and move on. But one person, who has already given His offering, stands over in the corner with His disciples. And notice that it DOES NOT SAY that Jesus is watching WHAT everyone is giving but rather “HOW the people put money into the treasury.”

Of course, also in the room, supervising the money boxes, are several priests. As the wealthy citizens pass by and make loud clanging noises by virtue of their many coins, they seem to draw favored glances. Many seem quite impressed at the generosity of those who cast an abundance of big, heavy coins into the boxes.

And it is not surprise that no one pays particular attention to one frail, little lady who enters the room. Only one person sees her, and that is the One who sees all. But she nonetheless stops at the collection terminal. She then reaches into a tiny sachet and carefully draws out 2 rather insignificant coins -- mites, the smallest currency used by the Romans. She tosses both of these lightweight coins into the big metal box, but their faint click is drowned out by the heavy clanking of more substantial coins made by the wealthy patrons. So, no one notices her. After all, what difference would her two tiny coins make?

But Jesus is impressed. He is so impressed that he singles this woman out to all those there and tells them that her offering is more important than the offering made by any one else.
“Why was Jesus so impressed with the widow who gave her two mites?” What was it that caused him to stop and single her out of the crowd? Why did he honor her tiny gift so publicly?

Because this widow was willing to give from the heart. Her love of God knew no bounds. She gave even though she couldn’t afford it. She gave because she wanted to give. She was not compelled by guilt, or fear, or reward, she gave because she was in love, in love with God. She gave because she felt a deep commitment to God. She gave because this was one way she could respond to God’s blessings in her life. She gave sacrificially. She gave in humble respect for God. She gave quietly with no fanfare, no noise, but it was the small noise of her sacrifice that drown out all the noise in Jesus’ ears, The noise of the big givers who gave so that all would see their righteousness. This noise of two small coins was heard above the show, the fanfare of the Pharisees giving so everyone would know they were up-holding the law. This widow gave from her heart and it was the noise of love which stirred Jesus to say, "This poor widow has put in more than. all....out of her poverty has put in everything she had, her whole living,"

Jesus recognizes the level of our sacrifice. It's like the Sunday school teacher who asked her class if they would give $1,000,000 to the missionaries. "YES!" they all screamed!! "Would you give $1,000?" Again they shouted, "YES!" "How about $100?" "Oh, YES we would!" they all agreed!! "Would you give just a dollar to the missionaries?" she asked. The children exclaimed "YES!" just as before except for one little boy named Johnny. "Johnny," the teacher said as she noticed the boy clutching his pocket, "why didn't you say 'YES' this time?" "Well," he stammered, "I HAVE a dollar."

She, out of her poverty, Jesus said, put in everything-all she had to live on. We all dream about giving large sums of money to cure the world's ills. But you have a dollar. Right now, in your pocket, you have a dollar. Start there. Right now, you have a skill, apply that. Right now, you have a talent. Start there. You have a dollar. Start there.

Do you recall Jesus' words: He who is faithful in little will be faithful in much.

Have you ever been absolutely, totally dependent upon God? You need to be! Have you ever known incredible sacrifice, then you have never known what it means to depend on God. And if
you have never known what it means to depend on God, you don’t know what it means to be a disciple! Listen to His words in Luke 14:33: “In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.” (Read it AGAIN!)

The truth is, everything we have, and everything we are belongs to God. Then He allows us to be stewards over these things.

A wealthy Christian, a lawyer, Join a mission trip to Korea. When in Korea, as he and the other Christians who were traveling with him saw in a field a boy pulling a crude plow, while an old man held the handles.. The lawyer was amused, and took a picture.

Commenting to the mission guide, he said,” That is an unusual sight. I suppose they are very poor." "Yes," came the answer. "They are poor. When the church was being established in this area they were excited to give something to help it along, but they had no money so they sold their only ox and gave the money to the church. This spring they are taking turns pulling the plow themselves." The lawyer said thoughtfully, "That must have been a real sacrifice”. The guide said, "They did not call it that." They thought it was fortunate they had an ox to sell.".

The lawyer was real quiet after that event. When he reached home, the lawyer went to visit his pastor and he took the picture with him. As he sat down in the pastor’s study he said,” I want to double my pledge to the church. And please give me some plow work to do. I have never known what sacrifice for the church meant. A converted Korean taught me. I am ashamed to say I have never yet given anything to my church that cost me anything."

Love God and Love Your Neighbor...Is That All

2009-11-03T16:50:00.000-08:00

There is scene in the movie “The Dead Poet‘s Society” where Robin Williams who plays an eccentric English teacher has his boys come out in the courtyard and march in a circle. He compares the way that each of them walks with their character and what motivates them in life. He talks about one boy who really wants to get it right, but the exercise is so strange, that he doesn’t know if he is right. He is walking “am I doing it right?” “I think I’m doing it right,” “no wait I might be wrong,” “No, I must be right,” “am I doing it right?”

I believe there is a part of every one of us who wants to make sure that we are doing it right. This is the perfect passage for us. Jesus tells us how to get it right. All the Law and the prophets hang on these two commands – Love God, Love you neighbor. If you can’t remember all the things that God wants you to do and all the things that he doesn’t want you to do, but if you can remember to love Him and to love your neighbor, then you will likely do alright.

If you have decisions to make in your life and you aren’t sure about the will of God, these are the first filters that you can put the decision through: does this plan help me to love God with my whole being? Does this plan show love to my neighbor? If you have actions or behaviors in you life that you are not sure about, this is a good filter; does this behavior show love to God and my neighbor?

Let’s look at the two commands in more detail

Jesus says that the first command is to love God with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength. It is most likely that we shouldn’t get too caught up with each individual word. Jesus is saying that we need to love God with everything we’ve got –lock, stock and barrel.

Love God with your whole self; do not hold anything back from him. We cannot have areas of our life that we say, that is for me and for me only, God you are not allowed to come in here to this area. We cannot say, I’ll love you on Sundays, and in the evenings, but not while I’m at work and not on Saturdays. I’ll love you all the time except when I’m with my buddies; that is my time. God wants’ all of you, lock stock and barrel

All our love for God is a response to his love for us, and since he shows his love to us through his Son Jesus, we show our love to him through Jesus as well. God’s love is shown to us most through Jesus his Son. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

I think that it might be useful to take a look at the nuance of each word before we look at the second command

Heart – seat of 1) feelings, desires and passions.

Soul – what gives life, whole person, place of feeling, true life – “I love you with the very air I breathe”

Mind – understanding
We do not often tell people that we love them with our whole mind! But we are to love God with our mind – this means using our minds to bless him.

Strength- power, - physical strength
We can love God by worshiping him with our whole body in everything we do, but we can also love him by giving all the power i our lives over to him, and say “Your love has conquered me, I am yours through and through.”

Jesus says in John 14:5, "If you love me, you will obey what I command.”
And then in the same discourse he says this: “This is my command: Love each other.” - John 15:17

Part of the way that we love God is to love each other, which is the second greatest command: We must love our neighbor, but we must always start with God. It never works when we start with "love your neighbor" first, as we always are trying to do. But if we start there, without loving God first, we find ourselves incapable of loving others.”

We are a good neighbor when we see a person in need and help them with what we have. Jesus extended the notion of neighbor to include the hated Samaritans. In the 21st century, our neighborhood has greatly expanded to include the whole world, even those we might consider our enemy – so if we see them in need and are able to help them we are to help. We obey God by showing them love.

Sometimes it is harder to practically love those neighbors that we share a fence with than it is to love people in Afghanistan. Distant love is nice and theoretical, it might include only opening our wallet and possibly praying for them, while loving the next door neighbor is very practical, and it comes with the complications of living in relationship. God calls us to both.

This is the 100 proof stuff – this is all the commands of God distilled down to two. Love God with all that you got, and love your neighbor as yourself.

Jesus Is the Answer! Or Come! Be Crucified!

2009-10-24T12:21:00.000-07:00

I had a very interesting week as weeks go. First, last Monday, I suddenly, in the middle of the morning, came down with something—flu—and felt absolutely miserable for the next 3 days. Then on Thursday, I recovered as suddenly as I have fallen ill.

While home sick I was channeling surfing and came across a "Christian" channel. The following words flashed on the screen as I watched LOOKING FOR PEACE IN LIFE? WORRIED ABOUT THE FUTURE? Underneath the questions, the answer: JESUS CHRIST IS THE ANSWER.

Now from what I see, this is the predominate presentation of Christianity these days: You have some need, perhaps a need for peace in a troubled life, the need for greater hope and confidence in the future. Well, Jesus is the answer.

This is called "evangelism," the attempt to get people to accept Jesus, the effort to win people to Christ, by putting forth all the benefits of following Jesus. Looking for meaning in life? Jesus has got it for you. A sense of serenity and hope in an often difficult and demanding world? Jesus has got you covered.

Willow Creek, that 15,00 member mega-church outside Chicago, recently conducted a survey around "how successful they are in accomplishing their purpose of making fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ." Bill Hybels, founding pastor, indicated that the results were disturbing as they discovered that after 30 years they were doing something fundamentally wrong.

However, they have come up with a plan to respond to a whole new set of "needs" of those who self-identify themselves as "fully devoted followers" which focuses on believers to become "self-feeders" earlier on in their spiritual journey. Hybels and the staff at Willow are talking about having "personal trainers" to coach people to custom design ways in which people can mature spiritually.

I wonder how long it is going to be before Willow Creek realizes that continuing an individualized, need-focused, consumer-driven Christianity is just another facet of the "seeker-driven" model which sees spirituality as a need to be met. Christianity is not just another commodity to be consumed, rather it is being in a Spirit-led relationship with Jesus Christ within a Spirit-led community that permeates every aspect of our lives and demonstrates what it is to be fully human under the rule of God. It has more to do with developing the spiritual sensitivities of discerning -- seeing and hearing where God is active in the world, and being an obedient people participating with God in His redemptive mission of reconciling human beings to himself and recreating the earth. This involves a process rather than the working of another plan.

Our scripture is from Mark's gospel, the earliest of the gospels. Mark certainly wants to reach people with the message of Christ. Mark's gospel begins with "Here is the good news of Jesus Christ." Here in Mark is the good news about Jesus.

Remarkably, when compared with the way we talk about Jesus, Mark has little to say about our felt needs, our struggles and our difficulties. Mark mainly talks just about Jesus. And when he talks about Jesus, it's not Jesus as the answer to our problems that Mark stresses but, rather, Jesus as strange and demanding Lord.
Take today's scripture. As the disciples walk along with Jesus, a couple of the disciples say, "Lord, grant us to sit at your right and your left when you come into your kingdom." Those who sit next to the chief are those who share power with the chief. In other words, "Lord, when we get you elected Messiah and your Kingdom is come, grant us to sit on your Cabinet!"

It is an understandable request for the disciples to make of Jesus. After all, here are the ones who have left everything and they've come to follow Jesus, to walk with Jesus along his way. Why did they commit to Jesus? Well, unlike a lot of people, they believe that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah, the great leader who would come in, raise an army, kick out the Romans out of Judea, set up Israel again as the most powerful nation in the world.

It had not been easy trooping around behind Jesus through Judea. Their request is quite understandable: "Lord, when you finally get everything together and win your kingdom, let us sit beside you."

Lord, when you at last bring peace on earth, let that peace first be in my heart, in my marriage, in my family. Lord, when you at last lift up the poor and set things right in the world, be sure that I am one of the major beneficiaries.

And Jesus replies to this perfectly understandable request by saying: "You don't know what you're asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink? Are you able to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"
We know what the disciples don't know. The road that Jesus is walking is a road that leads to torture, to death on a cross. The "cup" that Jesus is to drink is the cup of his horrible death. The "baptism" that will drown him is the baptism of his death as he suffocates to death on a cross.

The disciples show that they are clueless when they respond, "Sure! We can do that! We are able to drink your cup and be baptized with your baptism! No problem!"
"'Are you able,' said the master, 'to be crucified with me?' Yea the sturdy dreamers answered, 'to the death we'll follow thee! Lord we are able!'" We sing that hymn.
We are the "sturdy dreamers." Are you able to receive the peace, the benefits, the joy, the sense of deeper meaning, the reassurance or whatever it is that Jesus is giving out this week? "Oh, sure! We are able!" we answer.

"Are you able to be crucified like I am to be crucified, to suffer, to be rejected and disappointed like I am to suffer and be rejected?" Jesus asks. And these knuckleheads reply, "Sure! We are able!"

And you expect Jesus to say, "You idiots! You are still clueless? You show by your response that you don't have the foggiest idea of what I've been talking about all along the road, do you?"

And maybe Jesus was thinking that. But what Jesus actually said was, "You will drink the cup that I drink, you will be baptized with my baptism."

Jesus promises his disciples not that they shall be in glory with him, rewarded and happy. He promises that if they will follow him they shall share with him in his sufferings and challenges.

Two disciples ask to sit next to Jesus in his glory, one on his right, one on his left. When Jesus came into his "glory," it was not on a throne. It was on a cross, with two thieves, one on his right and one on his left.

This is the message that followers of Jesus today have been reluctant to proclaim to the world, perhaps because we're reluctant to hear this message ourselves! Jesus is not a procedure for getting what we want out of God; Jesus is God's way of getting what God wants out of us. I was reading an article by Richard Foster this past week in which he said, “Salvation is not so much about getting into heaven as it is about getting heaven into us.” God wants a world, a world redeemed, restored to God. And the way God gets that is with ordinary people like us who are willing to walk like Jesus, talk like Jesus, yes, and even if need be to suffer like Jesus.

I've always thought it would have been enough of a challenge if Jesus had only said, "Even though I am the Messiah, the Son of God, Savior of the world, I am going to be nailed to a cross." Jesus said, "There's a cross for you too. Come, take up your cross and follow."

Passed by a church the other day that had a sign out front that proclaimed, "Celebrate Recovery!" Come, celebrate recovery, redemption, joy with us!
That's all well and good, but have you ever seen a church with a sign out front that read, "Come! Be Crucified! We've Got a Cross that Fits Your Back Too!"

And that's the Good News??

Let us pray.
Jesus, help us to hear you. Help us to hear your challenging--sometimes bad--news as our good news. Help us to hear your voice as our summons. Help us to take up your cross daily and walk where you lead. Amen.

Daily Devotional, October 16th

2009-10-16T11:16:00.000-07:00

This daily devotion powerfully spoke to me. I pray it does to you too!
Lamentations 3:37 ESV NASB

Who is there who speaks and it comes to pass, Unless the Lord has commanded it?
“Do I love?”

In the 1940s, Fred Craddock began serving as a missionary to India. When World War II ended, Craddock’s church wired him funds for a steamer ticket to return home. Arriving in his port of departure on Christmas day, Craddock discovered a disturbing sight. A ship of German-Jewish refugees had been allowed to temporarily dock, and these exiles had been stuffed in small spaces with no human comforts. Craddock used his money to buy pastries for as many as he could. When he informed his church, they asked, “Don’t you know they don’t believe in Jesus?” “Yes,” Craddock replied. “But I do.”

When we believe in Jesus, our world becomes radically reordered. For we are infused with the Spirit of the living Jesus, and our heart and eyes and hopes are (if we will allow them to be) freshly attuned to seeing our world the way God sees it.

If we’re curious to know whether or not our faith is growing . . . if we’re curious to know whether or not our actions are becoming more Jesus-like, if we’re curious to know if in fact we “know God,” we must answer this: Do we love? “Anyone who loves . . . knows God” (1 John 4:7).

It’s rare these days to come upon an unequivocal answer, a black-and-white, right-or-wrong way forward. But in 1 John 4 we have an acid test. If you truly love—you know God. If you do not truly love—you do not know God. Period.

When a friend leaves me feeling lonely, when my father walks away from my family, when I encounter another’s need—in these moments, do I love? And this love isn’t simply an act of mustering up some inner reservoir of goodwill. To truly love is to give away what God has generously given to us. —Winn Collier, Our Daily Journey

We Had a Great Faith in Action Sunday!

2009-10-12T04:53:00.000-07:00

We had a GREAT Faith in Action Sunday yesterday! Thanks to every one (all 47 of you ) who made it possible and served on the various project teams. I especially want to thank those who provided leadership on the Faith In Action Campaign Team (Trish Chickering, Bob A. Karsten, Tammy Pool, Tim Pool, and Michael Sparling). You made a difference in our community, our region and our world GCCC-- way to go!!!!

Faith In Action Sunday Has Arrived!!

2009-10-10T12:27:00.000-07:00

Wow- today Greenfield Covenant Church will go and be the church in the community. I am really excited about what God has done, is doing and will do through our Faith in Action Campaign. I know as we make the sacrifice of praise through our service that God will use us to love others.

We have four projects for today:
1. Cut, split, and stack wood at the Greenfield Wood Bank.
2. Weed and prepare for winter the gardens at the Meeting House and on the
Town Common.
3. Rake and do Fall clean-up around the yards of the CMRC Group Homes and
Fox Meadow Apartments.
4. Donate needed items and prepare Care Packages to be mailed to our sister
Covenant Church in Koyuk, Alaska.

Come, join us this morning at 10:00 A.M. in the "Gathering Room" of the Ministry Center as we spend time in prayer and praise before proceeding to our projects. CMRC has invited us all for lunch in their cafeteria at 12:15 P.M. We will finish our projects by 3:00 P.M. and then gather at the Ministry Center for a time of worship and fellowship.

I am so proud of our church and the people who have signed up for each of these projects. Mostly, I am thankful to God who made the first move to love us in Christ so that we might turn around and love others in response so they can know and experience Christ's love.

"On the journey to becoming Fully Alive!"
The Reverend Doctor F. Daniel Osgood,Pastor
Greenfield Congregational Covenant Church, ECC
PO Box 341
Greenfield, NH 03047
Phone: (603)547-3626
Website: www.greenfieldchurch.org
Email: pastor@greenfieldchurch.org

1 More Day Until Faith in Action Sunday

2009-10-10T11:47:00.000-07:00

I praise God for his amazing grace and love for the Monadnock Region - and for us all- in Christ. Amen.

Need more information? Visit our website www.greenfieldchurch.org or call the Ministry Center at 547-3626.

"On the journey to becoming Fully Alive!"
The Reverend Doctor F. Daniel Osgood, Pastor
Greenfield Congregational Covenant Church, ECC
PO Box 341
Greenfield, NH 03047
Phone: (603)547-3626
Website: www.greenfieldchurch.org
Email: pastor@greenfieldchurch.org

Putting Your Faith In Action

2009-10-07T19:10:00.000-07:00

These last few weeks, we have been preparing to put our faith in action. Our reading form Luke this morning tells us that the disciples took similar steps. So let’s take a look at how Jesus responded to the 72 and how they put their faith in action and I believe we will see how Jesus will respond to our serving others – putting our faith in action.

Luke 10:17-20

This morning I want to share 2 truths about putting our faith in action.

The first is that our faith in action brings us joy. The disciples reported back to Jesus– that their faith put into action plus God’s power equals an impact in the lives of others. The disciples are excited. Can you imagine the excitement in their coming back – all 72 of them – sharing what they saw and did?

Up to this time, Jesus was the expert, the traveling rabbi, the wonder-working messiah who performed miracles while his disciples looked on. But this assignment was different. They had been sent out by twos; this was firsthand experience of the divine power working its way into people’s lives through them.

They were celebrating!!! And next Sunday when we return to the Ministry Center at 3:30 P.M. we will celebrate, as well.

They shared their enthusiasm with Jesus, but Jesus saw more than they could see. He shared something else that he saw taking place. He upped the importance of their service by highlighting a reality that was out of the disciples’ ability to comprehend. Jesus said that the disciples’ actions dealt the evil one a fearsome blow.

The 72 acted in obedience and Satan was dethroned. “Satan falling like lightening from the heavens.” This is a curious phrase but most have interpreted it to mean that as a result of the
disciples’ actions, Satan lost his power. Wherever these disciples worked, wherever we work, a spiritual transformation takes place.

Wherever the disciples preached, healed and served – Jesus saw Satan fall.
o Even though we may not be able to see it next week with our eyes, Satan will fall like lightening from heaven when we go out to serve others by cutting, splitting, and stacking wood at the Wood Bank.
o Satan will fall like lightening from heaven when we go out next Sunday and rake leaves and do gardening and interact with folks in the CMRC Group Homes.
o Satan will fall like lightening from heaven when we gather at the Ministry Center and pack care boxes for our sister church in Koyuk, Alaska.
o Satan will fall like lightening from heaven when we work on the gardens around the Meeting House
o Satan will fall like lightening from heaven when we travel to the NE Seafarers Mission next Friday and interact with seafarers from all over the world.

Satan falls like lightening from heaven whenever we serve another with a heart of love. Satan falls like lightening from heaven when we put another’s needs in front of your own and lean into God’s marvelous adventure of faithful living.

Our Faith In Action combined with God’s power knocks the power out of Satan.

Jesus goes on to point out that an even greater reason to celebrate is because, “our names are written in heaven.” You are registered as one of God’s own. Jesus is saying that the real reason to celebrate is because we are on God’s team.

It is easy to get caught up in the size of our impact or even to get discouraged because of the seeming lack of our service results. But Jesus was clear that you are putting the emphasis on the wrong thing if that is what you focus on.

Our ministry is not to become an experience of power leading to pride, but an experience of servant hood out of love for God and out of the desire for more people to join us in the kingdom, more names “written in heaven.”

Our Faith In Action brings God joy! Look with me a little further in our passage – Luke 10:21-23

One of my favorite paintings of Jesus is the one of him laughing. If you had to find a place in scripture to put that picture, I think this would be a perfect place. What in our lives brings Jesus joy?

Scripture is clear – putting your faith into action is makes Jesus break into a prayer of praise. He praises God that the kingdom of God is available to all equally. A life of Faith In Action doesn’t come from natural abilities or education, it comes from trusting in God and imitating what Christ has done.

Next week when people see us working for Christ – in the name of Christ – my prayer is that do not see us, but they see Christ.

Next weekend:
We will step out and put your Faith In Action.
We will strike a blow against Satan.
We will be living witnesses to the continuing work and love of Jesus.
We will take one step.

Let’s go out like the 72 and knock Satan down.
Let’s get excited as we obediently lift Christ high.
I challenge you today to reach out with the hands of Christ and put your Faith In Action.

4 More Days until Faith in Action Service Day

2009-10-07T08:26:00.001-07:00

I pray that God's justice, righteousness, and peace would increasingly reign in our Monadnock Region- that God's will would be done on earth as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:10)

Need more information, check out our website: www.greenfieldchurch.org or call the Ministry Center at 547-3626.

5 Days Until Faith In Action Sunday

2009-10-06T12:00:00.000-07:00

I pray that Greenfield Congregational Covenant Church might be a beacon of hope and light in the Monadnock Region, drawing people to Christ. (Philippians 2:15-16)

Need more information, check out our website: www.greenfieldchurch.org or call the Ministry Center at 547-3626.

Church in the World

2009-10-02T11:38:00.000-07:00

I received the following email and have found it interesting. I thought you might as well.-- Rev. Dan

the flying spaghetti monster (FSM)

Posted: 01 Oct 2009 08:48 AM PDT

I came across a reference to 'FSM' and 'WWFSMD' the other day that piqued my curiosity. 'FSM' refers to "The Flying Spaghetti Monster" and "WWFSMD" to "What would the Flying Spaghetti Monster Do". FSM apparently stems from Richard Dawkin's book The God Delusion.

One of the reason this intrigued me is that one of this week's readings is Hebrews 1 & 2. I've always loved the Book of Hebrews because at its core I think its an apologetic to the Jewish world about why belief in Christ is compelling. I like to ask myself, "What do people believe in today, and what is a compelling way to engage them with the claims of Christ?"

Secularism, the belief that the natural world is all that there is, is certainly a worldview that many people base their lives upon today. If we as Christians were to write the Hebrews equivalent of an apologetic to the secular world, what would be it's basic outline? What would be the best way for me as a Christian to engage a secularist in a mutual pursuit of truth?

One place to start might be with the work of theologian and writer Alister McGrath who has written some detailed responses to Dawkin's arguments.

I'm not going to try to answer these questions within the confines of this post. However, if you have thoughts on this that you would like to share, I invite you to do so.

Please use with attribution.
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Small Acts Can Make a Big Splash

2009-09-27T17:13:00.000-07:00

Scripture Text: Luke 13:18-21

I have a pop quiz for you this morning. Let’s begin: Which country has the largest population? (China: 1.3 Billion)…What is the world’s tallest mountain? (Mt. Everest, 29,029)…Who is the richest man in the world? (Bill Gates)

So far, so good. Now let’s try the second half of the quiz. Which country has the smallest population? (Vatican City: 920)…What is the world’s smallest mountain? (Mt. Greylock, 3,491 ft)…Who is the world’s poorest man? (Jed Matthews owes $22.4 million and has no assets due to bad investments in an internet company) Adapted from “Is Bigger Really Better?” by Larry Sarver on sermoncentral.com

How did you do? I suspect most performed better on the first half. Many recognize, respect and remember those things in life that are big, while others tend to give little thought to the small things.

Many seem to believe “bigger is better.” Many believe this in spiritual matters. They think that more people, money, programs, bigger ministries and buildings, and greater talent will result in big dividends in God’s work. The more grand and marvelous things seem to be, the more that God is at work. On the other hand if things are small, then God must not be working or God
could not be working. It is as if God can not work through small churches and ministries, or through lesser talent, and fewer programs. We think if it isn’t big, God must not be in it.

Unfortunately some believe this about themselves. We may feel like we aren’t big enough, rich enough, talented enough, or important enough for God to use us in any meaningful way. But is bigger always better? No, not when it comes to spiritual things. Jesus told his followers two illustrations of how God works in his kingdom.

“Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air perched in its branches.” Again he asked, “What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough.” Luke 13:18–21

Jesus asks a question: “What is the kingdom of God like?” Instead of defining it, he told stories and employed metaphors to help people understand and visualize what it was like. In his first example, Jesus says that God’s working is like a “mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air perched in its branches.”

The mustard seed is very, very small. The mustard seed was the smallest seed ever sown by a first-century farmer in that part of the world. Because of its size the mustard seed was used proverbially for anything that was small and insignificant. Today we would say that someone had a “pea brain”; if we lived in Jesus’ time, we would have said they had a “mustard seed brain.” But even though the mustard seed was small, it grew to be the largest of the herbs grown in that area. It typically grew to be 12 feet. It was big and bushy enough for birds to nest in it.

Next, Jesus compares the kingdom of God to yeast. He said that God’s working is like “yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough.”

As a boy, Jesus undoubtedly had watched his mother make the daily bread. She would have used yeast to make it rise. She wouldn’t have used dry yeast used today; rather, it was a very small lump of dough taken from the previous day’s making of bread. She would take that lump of dough and knead it in to the new flour mixture and eventually that yeast would permeate and influence the entire batch.

The most important part of this illustration is the amount of flour into which the small amount of yeast was mixed: the amount is lost in the translation from Greek to English. The RSV says, “a large amount” but the Greek is more specific and says, three “satas.” Three satas is about 50 pounds of flour. This will feed 100 people. This was more than daily bread. No housewife had an oven large enough to hold that amount of dough. The very vastness of the dimensions of Jesus’ story shows us that he was not describing an ordinary household baking situation. Even
though the original ball of yeast was small, it would have a huge influence.

So what was the point of these examples? Jesus was revealing a kingdom truth. When it comes to spiritual things, God uses small things to do BIG stuff.

When God wanted to create a new nation to call his own, he didn’t start with a large, established family. Instead, he used a nomadic man and woman too old to conceive children. When God wanted to lead his people out of slavery in Egypt, he used a fugitive living as a shepherd. When God wanted a king to represent his people, his choice wasn’t a big shot, but a shepherd boy. When Jesus wanted to feed 5,000 people, he used a small boy’s sack lunch to do it. God uses small things to do BIG stuff.

What we might see as too small and insignificant to matter, God sees as something he wants to use to accomplish his purpose. Or maybe you feel too small and insignificant to make a difference. Perfect, The Bible says: “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things and the things that are not to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.” (1 Corinthians 1:27–29) God uses small things to do BIG stuff.

Few remember the “big lives,” that have made a huge visible impact in the public sphere. Many though remember the “small lives” that made an extraordinary impact in their private lives. Some either abandon or reduce their giving because they don’t believe that God could work mightily through something small and insignificant. But God often makes a significant tree out of an insignificant seed. It is just as possible for Him to do the same with you and me.

Let me ask you this: Who was a teacher who aided your journey through school? Who was a friend who helped you through a difficult time? Who taught you something worthwhile? Who has made you feel valued or appreciated? I suspect we can all name someone. It seems to me that the people who make a difference in our life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most
money, or the most awards. They are the ones who do the little things with a big heart. As Mother Teresa once said, “We can do no great things; only small things with great love.”
God uses small things to do BIG stuff.

In the September 2006 cover story of “Fast Company” there is a story about light bulbs. We see these light bulbs on the shelves in many stores across America. These $ 3.00 light bulbs have changed the world. This compact fluorescent light bulb, with a quirky-looking twist of frosted glass is quite the energy saver. Compact fluorescents emit the same light as classic incandescent but use 75 percent or 80 percent less electricity. What that means is that if every one of 110
million American households bought just one ice-cream-cone bulb, took it home, and screwed it in the place of an ordinary 60-watt bulb, the energy saved would be enough to power a city of 1.5 million people. One bulb swapped out, would be enough electricity saved to power all the homes in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. In terms of oil not burned, or greenhouse gases not exhausted into the atmosphere, one bulb is equivalent to taking 1.3 million cars off the roads. Source: Fast Company. “How Many Light Bulbs Does It Take To Change The World? One. And You’re Looking At It.” Issue 108 | September 2006 | Page 74 | By: Charles Fishman.

Small actions multiplied by many can change the world. So, “What if we all did small things for God?” Like serve in child care once a month. Like invite a friend to church. Like pray for
someone who doesn’t know Jesus. Like serve in our Food Pantry or Clothes Closet. We would see God do great things!!!

Can you imagine the power of many people doing small things and what God can do to multiply the influence? Don’t wait for someone else to start it. I challenge you to jump in. Be the one to start a chain reaction. There is incredible life-changing power when one person grabs hold of the fact that through Jesus Christ one life can make a difference. One life touches a life, touches a life, touches another life, and touches another life. One church can truly make a difference. One church touches its community; one church putting their faith into action is truly amazing. Let’s seize the opportunity today.

Be encouraged you’re not in this alone. Our efforts may seem like a drop in the bucket ... But that’s precisely what we are: a single drop that joins with others to become a mighty river.
God can use “little” you to make a BIG splash!

“Seeing People Through Christ’s Eyes”

2009-09-26T11:26:00.000-07:00

Luke 4: 14-21
September 20, 2009

How many of you have eye or vision problems? I do. I have worn glasses since I was 8 years old. I’ve worn bifocals for the past 10 years.

In addition to far-sightedness and near-sightedness, there are other things that can affect the way you see (or don’t see) things. “Lazy Eye,” or poor vision in an eye that is physically normal. Color Blindness is the inability to distinguish between some colors. Dry Eye Syndrome is the inability to produce tears.

Not only do most people suffer from physical vision problems, many people also have spiritual vision problems too. Some people may have ...
o Spiritual “Lazy Eye”: They may see a problem but don’t do anything about it.
o Others may have Spiritual Color Blindness: They may not pay as much attention to the plight of some people because of their race. (i.e. we may recognize that people in Africa are suffering ... but do we give it as much priority?)
o Others may have Spiritual Dry Eye Syndrome: They may lack compassion, they don’t “cry” for people who are hurting.
o Others may have Spiritual Farsightedness: They may give to overseas missions but don’t see the pain in our local community.
o Others may have Spiritual Nearsightedness: They may not see the pain of people in impoverished countries, whether it’s South America, Africa, Asia, etc.

This morning’s Faith in Action focus word (no pun intended) is lens. I’d like to begin this morning by having a little bit of fun. Look around you and notice how many of the people here today are wearing glasses. OK, here’s what I want you to do. VERY carefully and cautiously, if you are wearing glasses, I want you to take them off, and give them to the person sitting next to you. If they are also wearing specs, trade, if not, encourage them to try your glasses while you look around without them. Weird, eh? Have you ever thought about how very much the lenses through which we look at the world around us effect what we see?

But you know, in addition to the corrective lenses that we might wear, we all have spiritual lenses through which we view the world as well. We all have a “lens”— assumptions, responses, and judgments that influences how we see the world and other people. Jesus had his own unique way of viewing people as well, and it our challenge as Christians to do our very best to see the world through Jesus’ eyes, Jesus lenses, if you will. And so as a way of gaining some insight into the way that Jesus sees the world, we turn our attention to this morning’s passage from Luke’s
gospel, and Jesus’ homecoming sermon.

Now let’s look at what scripture says about how Jesus sees people.
Unrolling the scroll that was handed to him, Jesus found the place where it is written: 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of he Lord’s favor.” 20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, 21 andhe began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

Let me set the scene for you.
Jesus had returned to his hometown—the town he grew up in. It’s the Sabbath day, Saturday—probably in the morning. He goes to the synagogue—which is what Jesus has been doing in other towns. The synagogue is filled with people. The men and their sons are sitting on backless benches, and in the balcony are the wives, daughters and sisters. In the front of the room are a row of elders. One of them, the attendant, gets up. He speaks briefly. He then asks Jesus the son of Joseph, to read the scriptures. Jesus gets up and walks to the middle of the room where there is a raised desk—kind of like a podium. People are excited to hear from him because all sorts of amazing stories have been circulating about this hometown boy. Then the attendant carries a heavy scroll to the podium and hands it to Jesus. It’s a scroll containing the writings of the prophet Isaiah.

Jesus unrolls the large scroll until he finds the passage that has been prescribed for this Sabbath. There are no chapter or verse divisions, but he comes to the passage that we call Isaiah 61:1–2. And then he begins to read in a way that sounds different than the rest—he reads in a way that sounds like a self proclamation. He speaks the first line ...
“1 The Spirit of the Lord is on me ... ”
When he says this, it doesn’t sound like he is just reading something that was written hundreds of years ago. It sounds like he is identifying with it. In fact, look back at verse 14. It says, “Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit.” The Spirit of the Lord is on him. “because ..., ” Jesus continues reading the old words with new meaning. “ ... he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Jesus rolls up the scroll—hands it to the attendant—then sits down. Everyone is staring at Him—their eyes are glued. You can hear a pin drop. He breaks the silence with these words, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
That was a slam-dunk statement. When Jesus said that, it set people buzzing. Because they knew that this passage applied to the Messiah!

Jesus was saying that he was the one Isaiah was writing about. He was the Messiah, and that this passage was his mission statement. What was the Messiah’s mission? Listen carefully, take notes even, because this is our mission too.
1. Jesus’ mission was to preach good news to the poor. People thought that being rich was a sign of God’s favor and being poor was a sign of God’s judgment. Jesus said—absolutely not. Jesus turned the tables and gave the poor good news; they were favored by God. Have you felt out of favor with God? Jesus has good news for you.

2. Jesus’ mission was to proclaim freedom for the prisoner. Whether you are literally imprisoned or imprisoned spiritually, Jesus has come to set you free.

3. Jesus’ mission was to give sight to the blind. The blind were thought to be blind because of some sin they had committed (or their parents committed). The religious leaders figured they deserved to be blind. Jesus came to heal and show mercy to people who were physically handicapped and spiritually condemned.

4. Jesus’ mission was to release the oppressed. Jesus came to set wrongs right. He came to help the helpless. He came to bring justice to those who experienced injustice.

5. Jesus’ mission was to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. This is a reference to the Old Testament year of Jubilee when slaves were freed and all debts cleared. Jesus came to proclaim that if you are enslaved by and in debt to sin, that you are free and all debts are paid, because of what he would do on the cross.

Jesus’ mission was a people-focused mission. It was an outward-focused mission. It was a mercy and compassion-driven mission. Jesus’ mission was the secret to his vision. His mission guided his vision. His mission was the lens that made him see people the way he saw them. People were Jesus mission. His lens was compassion.
What we believe about our mission in the world affects how we see the world. When looking at your world, what do you see? A world in need? A world worth saving? A world worth serving? You will if you are looking at it from Jesus’ point of view, through the lens of Christ. When you see people, ask the kind of question Jesus would ask. “How can I help you?” “How can I show you God’s love?” “How can I make your life better, happier, or a brighter place?”

I look out at you this morning and I am reminded in a powerful way of the many gifts that are present in this congregation, and of the many places where we can serve Christ by serving others, and also cultivate our gift of compassion. How might you look on through the lenses of compassion this morning? What might you do in response? I encourage you to befriend the divorced, or serve at a safe house or be a listening ear to someone facing a difficult life decision. Sponsor a child, serve as a foster parent, or adopt hard-to-place babies. Comfort the dying through hospice, or minister at the prisons.

Ask God to remove your lenses of limited responsibility and fear of action, and replace them with the lenses of compassion. Ask God to help you see others the way Christ did. Ask the Spirit to allow Jesus’ mission to guide your vision. If you can see people through the lens of Christ’s compassion, you will discover practical ways to show them the love of Christ. Here’s the church, here’s the steeple, open the doors and see all the people through the eyes of Christ.
Amen.

Love Takes a Detour

2009-09-13T17:55:00.000-07:00

Scripture: Luke 10:25-37 "The Parable of the Good Samaritan"

This morning we begin our new series and church-wide study called “Faith
in Action.” We are going to try to understand more fully how our faith ought to
affect all that we do as followers of Christ. We hope to come away from
these four weeks with a renewed commitment to truly be the hands of Christ in our
world.

Tell me, how do you feel when you see this sign? You probably aren’t saying to
yourself, “Oh, good! I get to take a detour.” Instead, if you’re anything like me
might feel a little anxious because you’re not sure where this detour will take you.
Or you might feel frustrated because you are pressed for time and this detour will
mess up your schedule.

But imagine, if you were driving down the road and saw instead, two road signs—one said “Detour Ahead” but the other said, “Take Your Usual Route.” It was completely your choice. Which would you take? You would probably take your usual route—especially if you knew that the detour would cost you time, money, and personal frustration.

Today we’re going to talk about detours. Not detours that you might encounter while driving—but we are going to talk about detours when you are traveling the highway of life—life detours. Some detours in life come at you, and you can’t choose to take your normal route—an illness, a layoff from your job, a
spouse that walks out of your marriage. But there are other times in your life when you have a choice to get off your normal path and take a detour—a detour that can help someone. Are you the kind of person who will follow the sign that says “Take Your Usual Route” or “Detour Ahead?”

This morning we are going to look at a person in the Bible who decided to take a
Detour. You’ve probably heard of him. He is known as the “Good Samaritan.”

Jesus told this story in response to an expert in Judean law who was trying to find
some wiggle room with reference to Jesus’ commandment that he love his
neighbor as much as he loved himself. Verse 29 “But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

Much like W.C. Fields who replied when found to be reading the Bible on this
deathbed, “I’m looking for loopholes.” The lawyer was hoping that Jesus would
let him off the hook by narrowly defining his neighbor as someone who was close
to him, someone like him in terms of race, religion and socioeconomic bearing.
But instead, in order to show the man the broad interpretation that God’s love
brings to the idea of neighbor, Jesus told him the now familiar story of a “Good
Samaritan” who took a detour, a man who went out of his way to help not only a
stranger, but an enemy.

Let’s read now Luke 30–33: 30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from
Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of
his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened
to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the
other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by
on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was;
and when he saw him, he took pity on him.

This poor Jewish fellow who been robbed, beaten and stripped naked had every reason to believe that that the Priest and the Levite, two important Jewish holy guys would have taken pity on this poor soul. But they didn’t they simply left him to die.

Then came the surprising hero of the story. To the original audience in Jesus
day, a Samaritan would have been the last person they would have expected to
come to this man’s aid. Samaritans were despised by Jews. They inter-married and
were considered to be half-breeds and heretics by the Jews. The racial and
religious contempt between these two groups was intense and at times even
violent.

By using a Samaritan as the hero, Jesus is pointing out that it doesn’t matter what
you call yourself, what’s important is what you are, as defined by what you do.
It’s the same today. As we’ve said more that once in recent weeks, it’s not one’s
beliefs, but rather one’s actions that make one truly Christian in the most literal
interpretation.

Let’s continue reading, starting again at Luke 10:33: 33 But a Samaritan, as he
traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34
He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put
the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next
day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’
he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may
have.’
36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the
hands of robbers?” 37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on
him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” 37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

In other words, Jesus changed the focus of the question from “Who is my
neighbor?” to “What kind of neighbor are you?” Let me ask you, would you want
yourself as a neighbor? Would you want yourself to show up on the scene? Would
you stay on your normal route or would you take a divine detour because Jesus
says that loving God and others is the path to living a Godly life in this world and
beyond.

The Good Samaritan put himself at risk, became personally involved, and spent his
own time and money in helping this stranger. As followers of Christ, we are called to do the same.

Our Christian faith journey calls us beyond managing our to-do lists and into a faith in action lifestyle that welcomes divine detours—opportunities to demonstrate God’s love to people in need.

This week I challenge you to get off your normal beaten path of life. It doesn’t
have to even be anything big. Visit someone in the hospital. Take a plate of
spaghetti to a widow or widower in your neighborhood. Volunteer to baby-sit for a
single mom. Write a letter to a soldier oversees. Sponsor a child in an
impoverished country.

Decide to take a divine detour. Take action. Love your neighbor. Amen

Tickle: Changing the Church – Like a Giant Rummage Sale

2009-09-01T17:44:00.000-07:00

Tickle: Changing the Church – Like a Giant Rummage Sale
By Cathy Norman Peterson

CHICAGO, IL (August 31, 2009) – Editor’s note: Phyllis Tickle, best known as author of the Divine Hour and founding editor of Publishers Weekly's Religion Department, has spent the last two years speaking about what she says is the changing face of Christianity (she spoke during the Midwinter Pastor’s Conference in February). Tickle calls the current era “the Great Emergence.” She likens the changes we are witnessing throughout both culture and the church to a giant rummage sale in which the church cleans out its attic and starts fresh. Each upheaval, she says, brings about a new and more vital form of Christianity, but it also disrupts the dominant expression of Christianity. In an interview with Covenant Companion features editor Cathy Norman Peterson, Tickle discusses how she envisions this change impacting denominations such as the Evangelical Covenant Church.

How will this rummage sale affect the church in North America?

There are four tributaries that feed into the main river of what we call Christianity. Those tributaries are Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, Anglicanism, and Orthodoxy. As emergence Christianity forms, it is more and more seeking to go back to what Robert Weber called the “ancient future,” to go back to first- through third-century practice.

For emergence Christians, many of whom come out of Pentecostalism, out of Evangelicalism, and out of Roman Catholicism - it’s what we’re still rebelling against to some extent. The attitude is, “Protestantism has failed us or we wouldn’t be in this mess.” In this country there are over 27,600 distinct Protestant denominations recognized by the IRS for tax purposes. Which is divisiveness gone pathologic!

Since its inception, members of the Evangelical Covenant Church have been asking, “Where is it written?” We always go back to the text…

One of the things about the Covenant that I have discovered is that there is very little defensiveness. That doesn’t mean you’re easily persuaded. It just means you’ll hear me out, or you’ll hear someone out. Then if it doesn’t mesh with the word, and doesn’t affect the walk, it will be thrown away. If it does, it will be incorporated.

If emergence Christianity were ever going to be organized - which it probably is not - if it were going to be organized into anything, it would look like the Vineyard Association or the Covenant. There’s enough hierarchy in both of those denominations so that they’re not pure emergence, they’ve still got some cache of denominationalism, but the sensibilities are there. That makes it easier to talk here. It also means that I learn more in talking with these groups, because now we’re talking with practitioners who’ve actually been doing it. In your case, for 125 years to some extent.

You say that emergence Christians aren’t limited to “bricks and mortar” anymore.

Emergence Christians really aren’t. And there’s a certain naïveté or irony in that. Obviously if you’re going to meet physically anywhere outside of the Internet, you have to have a place to do it. A lot of that happens in public space - in public parks and pubs. If you’re going to have a real cohort meeting, you’re going to have to go somewhere. But that’s not like owning property though. It’s a social justice issue because emergence Christians would say, “Well, that building looks to me like five, six million dollars. Do you know there are hungry people in the world?”

How does a denomination like the Covenant move into this new era if we’re not tied to buildings anymore?

Denominations, as we have them established now, are already so heavily invested in bricks and mortar that there’s no way to walk away from it. To whom are you going to sell it? That structure is so specific to what you’re already doing that it doesn’t have a whole lot of turnover, unless you’re going to raze the thing and sell the land.

By their structure, denominations are accustomed to worship in the physical presence of one another. A lot of emergence Christianity can happen on the Internet and in virtual church. So that’s one of the solutions - one of the ways they get away without bricks and mortar. For denominations, I think that more and more there is motivation to begin to use that space in more ways than just on Sunday morning.

The question is how can we have alternative worship? Or how can we have something that’s really emergence? Can we even have emergence off-site? Very often the church or the congregation that’s asking these questions has decreasing numbers. And the deal breaker always is, “Are you willing to unscrew the pews?”

Why do we need to unscrew the pews?

The pews are a gift of the Reformation - or the curse of the Reformation, depending on how you look at it. That’s where we got those pews. Pews are the Reformation way of delivering the gospel. You screw the parishioner down, and you put the priest or the pastor up there in front.

A pure denomination has a hard time not thinking of itself as having a geographic locus. Whereas emergence Christians - or at least those among them who are younger - are not really as tied to space as much as they are to relationships. Now, having said that, nothing bothers me more than the notion that emergence Christianity is generational. That is so far from the truth, it’s just not true. But those emergence Christians who are thirty-five to forty and under have had the Internet experience. It really is entirely relational. You don’t get the tribal loyalty or the locale loyalty that denominations were built on - that the Evangelical Covenant Church was built on to some extent.

How much do we lose, going that direction? Do we lose anything that matters?

Every time it’s happened before, whoever held hegemony of place - five hundred years ago, obviously it was Roman Catholicism - had to drop back and make room for what was emerging. It was Protestantism that time, and it’s emergence Christianity this time.

Christianity has spread demographically and geographically after every one of these things. So it will spread the faith. It may not spread Protestantism, or it may not even spread your particular denomination. But it will spread the faith.

How do you view what is happening online with the virtual church?

That really is scary to a lot of people. Because you’re talking about a worship experience where you can’t really see those who worship with you exactly. It’s a different form of worship. The one that’s easiest to get into now is Second Life. (Evangelical Covenant Church congregation Lifechurch.tv has a presence on Second Life. Tickle next notes that Lifechurch.tv also webcasts its regular service.) That will blow your mind. A common service is going on, but at the same time people all over the world are talking to each other about it. It’s a kind of combination of Twitter and being in church.

There are sticking points. How do you know the confession is right? Can the elements be consecrated electronically? Can you give the Lord’s Supper electronically? In a few places there are “congregations” that are purely virtual. They’re not in Second Life - they’re just communities, almost like a Facebook group. They’ll be ordaining their own pastors before long, I suspect.

The 1950s church was held together primarily by women being on the phone all the time and checking on each other. Then we lost that idea of June Cleaver at home on the telephone. The archbishop of Canterbury says it very well. He says, “Over the last fifty or sixty years, church has become a place to go instead of a people to be.” I think that nails it - it sounds slick, but I think he’s right.

What would you say to people who think that doing church online is the destruction of the church as we understand it?

No, it’s not. Did the church end when we got on a donkey and rode to the next town for the first time? Or crossed the ocean in a boat? It’s technology, and every time it comes, I’m sure there’s anxiety.

The notion that you were going to ride in a Ford to church five miles away, instead of walking down to the village church, was absolutely decimating. Technology is scary every time we’ve gone from our feet to a donkey. But that doesn’t really assuage the anxiety entirely. There’s nothing funny about having to live with change.

What do you think the church will look like in twenty or thirty years?

Anybody who answers it is sticking his finger out the window to test the speed of the wind - and it’s about that accurate. But I think there are some things you can say for sure. Emergence Christianity is already maturing enough so that it’s splintering. Clearly the emphases are going to change.

By its very nature, emergence Christianity is self-organizing. You can’t make it happen - it’s going to organize itself wherever it springs up. That’s in yoga class or a coffee house, or wherever a church comes up. It’s non-hierarchical, which immediately gets rid of bishops and ruling elders and all of that. That means that Protestantism, which is definitely hierarchical, is going to have to drop back and find a way to be church and still watch this other thing spread and grow and become probably about 50 to 60 percent of American Christianity.

Copyright © 2009 The Evangelical Covenant Church.

Why Are You Here At Worship?

2009-09-01T04:36:00.000-07:00

Why are you here? Why did you come to church this morning? What made you choose to spend the last summer Sunday before the too busy, too crowded Labor Day weekend inside a church? Why aren’t you down at the State Park? (Okay, okay maybe you will be later this afternoon!)

Maybe you are here out of habit. Maybe going to church is “what you do” on Sunday morning. Maybe you are here because you are lonely. Maybe you are here because you feel something is wrong or missing in your life. Maybe you are here hoping that something will make you different in here (point to heart). None of these are bad reasons to be at worship on a sunny August Sunday.

But here’s the reason I think we should gather for worship week after week: We gather for worship to wake up. We worship to come alive and take notice of the presence and power of God in the world, in our lives, in everything we see and do and touch and feel.

The Latin “re-ligare” from which we get our word “religion” has the root “lig” — which scholars have traced back partly to meaning “pay attention.” Any religious service, any religious act, should make us sit up, shake our heads, and focus in on the divine. When our lives are mostly about a set schedule of work, when everyday routines can be acted out without even thinking about them, we loose consciousness to the wonders that surround us.

The wonder of God’s creation.
The wonder of love.
The wonder of family.
The wonder of breathing in and out. The wonder of life.

G. K. Chesterton, one of the most important Christian writers of the last century, put it like this: “The world shall perish not for lack of wonders but for lack of wonder.”

This week’s epistle text is from the Letter of James, the letter Martin Luther famously pooh-poohed as “an epistle of straw.” Luther’s words gave a lot of us a “free pass” on James. James was seen as “weak” — not worthy of much attention. But skipping James lets us to miss some of the most real life, faith-in-action admonishments in the New Testament. Could that be the real reason it is so tempting to keep James on the back burner? James won’t let us get away with some things we like getting away with?

James’ first message in today’s text is to remind us that every perfect gift, all good things, come to us from God. We have done nothing to deserve, to “earn,” the gifts God rains down on us. All we do is receive them. God is Giver. You and I are receiver. Already we don’t like this, because all of us are better givers than receivers.

What do you do when someone gives you a gift? Unless you were raised by wolves, you say “Thank you!” One of the first steps in socialization for children is learning the courtesy of saying “thank you.” And after the long-awaited birthday party and Christmas celebration there is the ritual of writing “thank you notes” . . . to the grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, and friends. It is a courteous and expected response, even from the youngest children.

Sunday morning worship is our time to pay attention, take note of the graced presence of God in our lives, and to say “thank you.” But just “showing up” isn’t a true “thank you.” Once we really “pay attention” to what God has done and is doing for us, what transformation has been wrought by the Holy Spirit — a little more response is called for. This is where James’ text gets tough. He calls upon all of us who claim the gift of salvation to be “doers” not just “hearers” of the word. If the truth of the gospel of Christ has been implanted in us, then we “do” certain things.

James’ directives on “what to do” are specific. Are you ready?

1) “Bridle” your tongue. Or as our mothers used to say, “Watch Your Mouth.”

In other words, watch what you say and how you say it. Don’t let the first thing that pops into your head pop out of your mouth. Don’t speak out when anger is the only propellant you’ve got to free your thoughts. Choose your words slowly and carefully. Be your own first and best editor, filtering out hurt and hate, and all other word-weaponry.

But being a “doer” involves more than watching your mouth. It also requires . . . .
2) Watch out for others. Watch out especially for the most fragile, the weak, the helpless. James cites the frequent Old Testament mandate to “care for orphans and widows in their distress” (v.27).

Orphans and widows had no head-of-household to protect them, and no socially recognized status. Employment was unlikely, poverty usual, homelessness standard. That is, unless the community stepped in. You want to say “thank you” for God’s gift of salvation? Then “save” the lives of others, especially these, the most fragile, unprotected, vulnerable brothers and sisters who live in the midst of the community yet are somehow still kept on the outside.

3) Besides watching you mouth, and watching out for others, there is a third “doing” according to our text this morning. “Doers” must engage in actions and activities that demonstrate to the world the greatness of our gratitude. I call this “Watchdog Gratitude.”

Reformed Protestant worship has been dubbed “sit-and-soak” worship. Parishioners are glued to the pew, letting the words, the music, the message from the pulpit, simply wash down over them. How does that posture say “thank you?”

Other worship traditions like Pentecostalism engage body, mind, and spirit more equally whole person into attention and participation. Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Anglican traditions still use “smells, bells, and chants” which punctuate the worship with the sharp scents of incense wafting through the air and wake-up bells announcing the divine presence. Kneeling to pray, making the sign of the cross, dipping fingers into holy water — all are up-and-down body movements that step outside the ordinary and step up our souls to the extraordinary presence of God.

Maybe we’re not quite ready to wave our Bible’s over our heads and dance together in circles. But we need to find a way to show thankfulness, to recognize the giftedness that lives in our midst. Here’s one idea.

For the past couple of years a grass roots movement has promoted what is now known as the “gratitude salute.” In 2007 Scott Truitt, a man whose father and father-in-law both served in the military, decided that all those awkward moments of wanting to say thank you to military personnel returning from Iraq and Afghanistan when they passed you by needed something more than a nod and a smile. So he came up with the “Gratitude Salute.”

The “Gratitude Salute” is very simple. Look the soldier in the eye, putting a hand over the heart, then bringing the hand down and forward, palm open and up. This “gratitude salute” allows citizens to say, “thank you,” personally and profoundly, without ever speaking a word. The gratitude is an action, a gesture, not just a word. Or let me quote the words of Mr. Truitt: "The gesture starts with your hand on your heart as if you’re about to do the Pledge of Allegiance. And then you just bring the hand down and out in front of you. It actually means thank you from the bottom of my heart," he said.

Mr. Truitt hopes that people will use this “sign,” not just for returning military, but to communicate thanksgiving to people who have done something good, true and beautiful.

Christians need to offer God a “Gratitude Salute” — not just with a single gesture, but with our whole body, mind, spirit, with our whole being. A gratitude salute reveals a heart that is open and over-flowing, a heart that flows outward in the direction of others, a heart that is implanted with the Word of God.

The Gratitude Salute is done in silence . . . so we watch our mouths.

The Gratitude Salute is done with an open hand reaching towards others . . . so we watch out for others.

The Gratitude Salute is done in astonishment for God the Gift Giver . . .so we worship with gratitude.

Can we all express our gratitude to God this morning with the Gratitude Salute? Let’s do it in unison.

Where Do We Find Wisdom?

2009-08-17T05:09:00.000-07:00

A summertime memory that many of us share is connected to county and state fairs. Remember the smell of popcorn, cakes, corn dogs, pigs, horses, and cows? Can you recall the lights, the midway rides, the concerts, the displays, and the perfectly-preserved jams and vegetables? And imagine again the sounds: cows mooing; children laughing; friends calling your name; and the folks at the game tables and booths for give-aways.

Those folks at the tables and booths spend hour after hour, calling out for any passerby to “try your luck” at a game table…to sample the newest flavor of soft drink …to invite you into the booth “to see something you’ve never seen before”…to sit on the newest model of tractor for every farmer…to demonstrate an amazing new kitchen knife that can cut through wood…or to sell you a collection of music that every music owner must own. Their voices were usually booming and resounded throughout the aisles of displays and demonstrations, calling us to some action or response. Voices that, row-after-row and summer-after-summer, we had the right to ignore, to obey, to question, to ridicule, or even to mock.

One of the most intriguing elements of the book of Proverbs is the personification of Wisdom, a literary feature in which Wisdom is given human abilities and characteristics. Especially in chapters 8 and 9, the Wisdom of the LORD is not an abstract concept…but a woman. A woman who “stands by the city gate where everyone enters the city, and she shouts ‘I am calling out to each one of you!’” (Proverbs 8:3,4, CEV).

In our reading from Proverbs today, Lady Wisdom is given even more human abilities: she has built her house (9:1); she has prepared the meat and set out the wine (2); and she has sent out her servant women with a task (3). What does this Lady Wisdom want from us, calling as she does to everyone who can hear her voice? The texts from Proverbs are clear: Lady Wisdom wants us to embrace her truth, her honesty, her knowledge, her understanding…and to turn from our foolishness, our ignorance, our shallowness, our lies.

And therein lies our choice, the choice between two options which are clear in the readings from Proverbs, Ephesians, and from John’s Gospel: we can choose God and be granted wisdom, worth, life, contentment. Or, we can ignore God and be left with foolishness, destruction,death, and despair.

In the fifth chapter of Ephesians Paul outlines proper behavior for wise living. In our short passage he cautions his readers to be careful how they live. He is brief and to the point. Paul stresses being wise. We are called to orient our daily lives around being wise. If we allow God’s wisdom to find us it will transform not only our lives but also the lives of our family, friends, church, and neighbors.

Be wise. Paul says, be careful how you live not as unwise but wise, making the most of every opportunity. Wisdom. It is a virtue that has disappeared from our society. Wisdom, to acquire it, takes too much time, too many failures, too much listening, too much being still and watching. You cannot download wisdom from an internet web site, so we prefer to do without. But Paul warns that if we miss opportunities to allow God’s wisdom to find us, we will lose out on so much. Every day we are bomb barded with choices and wisdom is required to make the most of them.

Do you know what wisdom is? It is not the accumulation of facts or even experience; this is simply growing in knowledge. Many people, especially older people, make the mistake of thinking they are wiser simply because they have been around longer and have acquired more knowledge. But listen to Webster's definition: Wisdom is the ability to discern or judge what is true, right, or lasting. The New Bible Commentary defines it this way: "Thinking and living in accordance with how things really are."

In the early 1900's automaker Henry Ford asked electrical genius Charlie Steinmetz to build the generators for his factory. One day the generators ground to a halt, and repairmen couldn't find the problem. So Ford called Steinmetz, who tinkered with the machines for a few hours and then threw the switch. The generators whirred to life. Later that week Ford got a bill for $10,000 from Steinmetz. Flabbergasted, the rather tightfisted carmaker inquired why the bill was so high. Steinmetz's replied: For tinkering with the generators, $10. For knowing where to tinker, $9,990. Ford paid the bill.

Steinmetz had what the repairmen lacked-an understanding of how the machines were put together. They had knowledge; he had wisdom. They knew how to repair generators; he knew how to build them.

As it is in life, so it is with God. In your Christian life we must be wise and make the most of every opportunity. Why? Paul tells us why and it may sound a little archaic and out of touch. He says we must make the most of each opportunity because the days are evil. Evil. That sounds a bit heavy handed doesn't it? Most of us spend our days getting children to school, working at our jobs, preparing meals for the family, and doing our chores. What could possibly be evil in that? Let me ask you. What is your attitude while doing these things? Paul gives us a long list in chapters four and five of do's and don'ts for Christian living. In fact he insists we follow these cautions. Here is an abbreviated version:

Put off your old self.

Put off falsehood.

Do not let the sun go down in your anger.

He who is stealing must steal no longer.

No unwholesome talk.

Get rid of bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, slander, and malice.

There should be no hint of sexual immorality, impurity, or greed.

No obscenity, foolish talk, or coarse jesting.

Now, as a preacher, I have heard it said on many occasions, that the church no longer talks about sin. So let me set the record straight. I'm talking about sin! This is evil behavior in the site of God and it has no place among Christ’s followers. Listen to Paul's rather harsh words: You can be sure of this: no immoral, impure, or greedy person has any inheritance in the kingdom of God.

But let me set the record straight on another matter. I agree that the church should talk about sin more than it does. Lord knows Paul did. But the church should also demand holiness. Lord knows Paul did this as well. In these same two chapters he insisted that the Ephesians:

Speak truthfully to your neighbor.

Share with those who are in need.

Do something useful with your own hands.

Build others up.

Be kind, compassionate, and forgiving.

Be imitators of God.

Paul is right then when he tells the Ephesians in verse 17: do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Wisdom discerns between what is right and what is wrong. Wisdom insists there is good and there is evil. The wise are careful. They make the most of every opportunity. They understand there is evil in the world. And they seek the will of God. That is wisdom.

Have you ever stopped for a moment to ask yourself, "How do I want to live my life . . . really?" Our Lord God offers us an invitation to a different kind of life: a life of wisdom. Who would be so foolish as to refuse His invitation?

A Reminder of Home

2009-08-01T18:06:00.000-07:00

At the foot of a great mountain in China lived a father and his three sons. They were a simple and loving family.

The father noticed that travelers came from all over eager to climb the mountain. But not one of them ever came back down the mountain!

The three sons heard stories about the mountain, how it was made all of gold and silver at the top. Despite their father's warnings, they could not resist climbing up the mountain.

One by one, the sons disappeared up the mountain, the first to a house of consumerism, the second to a house of fine wine, the third to a house of gambling. Each became a slave to his desire and forgot his home. Meanwhile, their father became heartsick. He missed them terribly. "Danger aside," he said, "I must find my sons."

Once he scaled the mountain, the father found that indeed the rocks were gold, the streams silver. But he hardly noticed. He only wanted to reach his sons, to help them remember the life of love they once knew. On the way down, having failed to find them, the father noticed the beggar under the tree and asked for his advice.

"The mountain will give your sons back," said the beggar, "only if you bring something from home to cause them to remember the love of their family."

The father raced home, brought back a bowl full of rice, and gave the beggar some as a thank-you for his suggestion. He then found his sons, one at a time, and carefully placed some of the rice on the tongue of each of them. At that moment, the sons recognized their foolishness/sin. They returned home with their father and as one loving family lived happily ever after.

What reminds you of home? The food you ate there! Certain aromas and tastes bring back memories of your early years. Special dishes, the favorites of our childhood, can bring a gentle smile to our faces, no matter how young or old we are.

Today we gather to receive a reminder of home, a taste of food that will help us remember who we are. Communion is our Heavenly Father's gift to us. This is the food of God's kingdom, and reminds us that this kingdom is our true home.

We need this reminder because we are like the sons in the story. We have left home to climb a captivating mountain. And, once on that mountain, we are unwilling--or unable--to return home. And so our Father grieves for us. Our absence fills his heart with sadness.

What is that mountain we have climbed? It is the mountain of 21st century American culture. We know that many have lost their way there, yet we insist on exploring it. The story mentions three danger spots on the mountain: the house of consumerism, the house of fine wine, and the house of gambling. Each of these dangers is alive and well in contemporary America. Let me now share a word about each of them.

As a society, we are obsessed with consumption of stuff. Increasing numbers of people are controlled and defined by what they have or don’t have. Yes, many of us have climbed the mountain, and through one door or another, disappeared into the house of consumerism. Consumerism promises that if we buy the latest gizmo or the snazziest new fashion, then we will be happy and popular. Of course, that is a lie, and the prized possession is soon forgotten, replaced by something better, faster, cooler, newer, which is soon forgotten itself. Consumerism is a pattern of behavior that helps to destroy our environment, personal financial, health, the common good of individuals and institutions. Jesus knew this and that’s why He told the people of His day and us, “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you’” (John 6:27).

As a society we are also obsessed by drink. The problem is not the stuff in the bottle, but unhealthy attitudes and patterns of misuse. Some people suffer from a disease called alcoholism. Others simply drink irresponsibly. All of us are caught in a culture that tells us it's better to drug ourselves up than to recognize life's problems and work through them. It's no wonder then, that many climb the mountain and disappear into the house of fine wine.

And as a society, we are obsessed with gambling. Gambling readily becomes a lifestyle and a mindset when it is legal and heavily advertised, when lottery tickets are sold at the convenience store, and a casino beckons. Gambling leads to a reliance on luck, on the numbers, on the laws of chance. The turn of a card labels us a loser or a winner. So gambling reduces our reliance on two old reliables: divine grace and human effort. See how many of us climb the mountain and disappear into the house of gambling.

Gambling, drink, consumerism. Perhaps you have chosen one of these houses, or perhaps some other, up there on the mountain. However intense our pain, we will not--or cannot--find our way home. But someone senses our pain even more deeply than we do: our Father.

He finds us where we are, and places on gives us food from home. We recognize our foolishness, how we have left home and come to a lifeless place. At the same time, we remember our true home. Once again we can smell it, taste it, see it.

The bread we receive at communion helps us come to our senses. We recognize both our disorientation and our Father's invitation to return home.

It would seem like a nice ending if we then left the mountain and went to live forever with our heavenly Father. But until Christ comes again or we go to be with Him that is not the case.

No, what happens instead is that we realize our Father is with us right here. Because He is present, we are home already. No longer are we living in a place of darkness and danger. Once we eat what He gives us and opens our eyes, we discover that even this place has the smell of home. Home for those who are in Christ is where the Father is, and since He is with us, we are home already.

May you find your true home as you eat the bread the heaven and drink from the cup of grace.

I have spoken to you in the name of God the ever-blessed Trinity.

Freedom Is Not Free

2009-07-10T13:23:00.000-07:00

This weekend we are celebrating our nation’s birthday. Anyone know how old the United States of America is today? 233 years old yesterday! That’s a long time for a nation to remain free. But, when you look at our history in the context of world history America is very young among the nations. Egypt, China, Japan, Rome, Greece all make America’s history seem so short.

Even though we are so young we do stand tall among these nations. In part this is because of the principles on which we were established: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” Thus begins the Declaration of Independence, which we celebrate this weekend.

We celebrate freedom and yet with freedom comes great responsibility. We are not free to live excessive lives. We are not free to pursue selfish ends. Our freedom does not allow us to do whatever we want. As Paul puts it in Galatians 5:13, “For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters, only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another.”

Freedom and Responsibility. Freedom requires righteous behavior. On this July 4th let’s celebrate Freedom and Responsibility.
First, let’s celebrate freedom.

The framers of our nation were serious about their political and religious freedom. In fact, they made little distinction between them. That is why the Declaration of Independence says that liberty is a right endowed not by nature but by God himself. Patrick Henry said, “I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death.”

We are serious about freedom. Why? Because we are called to be free. Those are Paul’s words and they are the bedrock on which our country is founded. God gives humans freedom. We are made in his image free to live and think and act and he gives us freedom in Christ freedom from the Law, the grace to be free from our sins.

There always has been and always will be those who are opposed to freedom. That opposition to freedom is now being played out than on the streets of Iraq and Afghanistan. This week the people of Iraq were handed a wonderful gift: A chance at a democratic government. You and I will never know whether the blood and money we have spilled in that eastern desert will have been worth it. For, I maintain that it will take 100 years to really see the fruits of this effort. I pray that the calmer heads will prevail in the end and democracy wins.

So let’s celebrate our freedom but, secondly let us not forget to recognize also our responsibility. Freedom and Responsibility. Our freedoms require responsibility, something many of us in our nation seem to have forgotten.

Paul says our freedom is not to be an opportunity to engage in self-indulgence, but to care for and serve our neighbors. Too often in our society freedom has come to mean doing what we want, when we want, and how we want, without much thought to how it might or might not affect others. As long as we are pursuing our own selfish goals, and not doing any “visible” damage to others, then it’s full steam ahead.

There is a great quote from Peter Marshall I want t share with you. He said: "The choice before us is plain: Christ or chaos, conviction or compromise, discipline or disintegration. I am rather tired of hearing about our rights and privileges as American citizens. The time is come – it is now – when we ought to hear about the duties and responsibilities of our citizenship. America’s future depends upon her accepting and demonstrating God’s government."

The message here is clear. Freedom and responsibility are two parts of a whole. Alexander Fraser Tytler lived at the end of the eighteenth century, but his book The Decline and Fall of the Athenian Republic sends a chilling warning today. He wrote: "The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been 200 years. These nations have progressed through the following sequence":
0020
V From bondage to spiritual faith;
from spiritual faith to great courage;
from courage to liberty;
From liberty to abundance;
from abundance to selfishness;
from selfishness to complacency;
from complacency to apathy;
from apathy to dependency;
from dependency back to bondage.

So how are we, who live in a society that encourages rampant consumption and self-gratification, to practice self-control instead of self-indulgence? How do we move thinking only of ourselves to thinking both of ourselves and others (because you see the idea is not to be self-destructive, the command is to love others as we love ourselves).

How do we fight the urge to indulge in our selfish desires? I think the answer comes in watching how Jesus lived and taught his disciples to live. I think it comes from studying the ways of some of our early church folks, like Benedict and St. Francis, who when they heard the call of Jesus, they gave up their privileged lives for a life of simplicity and service to God. How do we choose true freedom?
--Living simply: being mindful of the amount and the kind of things we buy and consume, caring for our earth’s resources so that there will be enough to go around.
--Giving and sharing with others, our time, our resources, our talents. When I make the decision to give money or energy to ministry I fight off the urge to be self-indulgent. It means that when I consider purchases or time off, or vacations that I do so after making sure I have shared my money and time with the church and its ministries. I once heard a preacher say he encouraged his people to think about how much they spent on a week’s vacation and if that was more than they gave to the church that perhaps they ought to rethink their priorities.
--How else do we choose true freedom? By building relationships. We are created for community. Even the most introverted among us need the company of others, perhaps a smaller number yes, but we need each other to remind us that we do not exist only for ourselves. As Mother Teresa put it so beautifully, “if we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.”

We have just celebrated our country’s independence and reflected with gratitude on the incredible freedoms and privileges we have as citizens of this great nation. I pray that we will also remember that that freedom is not an invitation to be self-indulgent. No, self-indulgence is a luxury that we cannot afford if we are to be authentic disciples and teach our children to be authentic disciples of Jesus Christ, disciples who are seeking to build the kingdom of God here on earth.

True freedom comes through shared responsibility. May freedom come to us this day. Amen.

Jesus Isn't Safe, But He Is Good!!

2009-06-23T10:55:00.000-07:00

This is Father’s Day, and we welcome and celebrate fathers.

Dads are different than Moms. They parent differently. They protect differently. They teach differently. Mothers typically want to protect their children from harm. Father’s want to make sure their children know how to deal with harm when it comes. Good fathers do not want their children to get hurt, but they understand that a little pain is unavoidable – in everything from learning to ride a bicycle to yard work. In fact, there is truth to the “no pain-no gain” saying.

I believe that God, in his role of heavenly Father is similar; I have never known anyone who has been shielded from experiencing pain in their lives; I do not believe that God our Father causes our pain – often times we cause our own, and often we are victims of pain-causing external events, from diseases to other people – but God, as a wise Father, helps us learn to handle pain rather than keeping us in pain-free bubbles.

After a long exhausting day Jesus and the disciples get in a boat and start across the Sea of Galilee, heading out into open water. Jesus conked out, contentedly curled up on a cushion in the wind-sheltered stern of the boat. But a storm kicks up, and pretty soon the storm is kicking the boat all over the place.

Yet Jesus sleeps on. Terrified, drenched, despairing, the disciples pounce on Jesus and wake him up, screaming, “Don’t you care that we are drowning. Jesus rebukes the sea for disturbing the peace. Jesus walks to the side of the boat and calmly, confidently, stills the storm.
WOW.

At first this passage from Mark 4 seems easy enough. The message is so obvious you hardly need to spell it out. Wind, waves, storm: these are all symbolic powers of chaos and death and destruction. The storm is symbolic of powers at work in the world and over which we have no control, the raw, basic forces that conspire to rob human beings of life. And doubtless you’ve experienced something of the storm, in greater or lesser degrees. And the fearful thing is that in the midst of the storm God seems often to be asleep. God doesn’t seem to prevent it and God doesn’t seem to subdue it and we wonder why. But the lesson is – have faith! God is there in the midst. God is in control of the storm. Pray to God and you will know peace and calm and reassurance. End of sermon. And what a comfort that is.

Certainly that is a way of looking at this passage. The only trouble is that I don’t believe it is quite the point that Mark is making. It doesn’t really do justice to these verses. That reading of the verses assumes that the disciples are left calm and peaceful at the end of the incident, with all their fear gone – when in fact that is not actually what the passage says. The passage ends with the words, ‘They were awestruck and said to one another, ‘who can this be? Even the winds and waves obey him.’

In other words, the disciples were as probably as terrified after the storm as they were during it. The wind and the waves may be scary, but they are no more scary than Jesus! And that is the real message of these verses. This particular story has done its work in us, the hearers, not when we say, ‘isn’t it wonderful that Jesus is the great comforter who gives us peace in the storms of life?’ The story has done its work in us when we tremble, awe-struck and exclaim, ‘who can this be? Even the winds and the waves obey him!’ And if you find the storm frightening, just wait until you meet Jesus.

Of course that is not a message that we particularly want to hear in our modern therapeutic culture. It’s not a message that gores readily with our obsession with finding peace in a difficult and stressful world. After all, here we are with every conceivable technological appliance at hand. Here we are with every labor-saving, time-saving, effort-reducing gizmo and gadget – and yet we are more stressed out and on edge than ever. And the big yearning, the longing in all this is for something to help us cope with the strain. And every new age gimmick is targeted at helping people to function more effectively in the storm and to give them peace in their stressed-out lives. And we even tailor the Gospel in order to fit this priority and in the process we turn Jesus into a big, kind, uncle figure who is there to soothe us and to help us to manage the storms.

Well, there are three things that need to be said here, and the first is that Jesus is not particularly interested in storm-management. Or at least that is not what he is up to here. One of Mark’s interests in his Gospel is the clash between Jesus and evil in all its many manifestations. Just think for a moment of those disciples in that boat, so very frightened by the storm. That surely is a vivid image of our human predicament. For all our ingenuity and technological know-how, for all our progress, we are still profoundly threatened by powers of death and destruction as we know only too well. We may to some degree manage the storm: that is the job of politicians after all – more effective storm management –and they do what they can. But ultimately the storm is not to be managed. And any hope of final rescue, any hope of ultimate deliverance can only come from one who embodies a power so great – the very power of God - that we can only be left awestruck and trembling before him. And our problem is that just as we have tamed evil and made it into a problem to be managed, so we have tamed Jesus and changed him from victorious Lord to bosom buddy.

But this brings us to the second thing that must be said, and that is that such divine power, such-storm stilling authority is shrouded in mystery. To put it very bluntly, if God is so powerful and if that power has been manifested in Jesus, then why do we still endure the storm? I sympathize with those disciples in the boat and I am encouraged by their nerve: ‘hey! Teacher!’ they cry. ‘Don’t you care that we perishing?’ In other words, what’s wrong with you? And maybe if we are honest we have said similar words “Why, God, why, why, why? Why the storm? Why the chaos? Why the evil? We thought you were powerful! The disciples do not hesitate to shout at God and to accuse God of sleeping. And here all we can really say is that the immensity of the divine power is matched only by the immensity of its mystery.

And that brings us to the last thing that must be said. And it may be hard to say this to those caught in the terror of the storm but it must be said anyway. And that is that God may be mysterious, but God can be trusted. Jesus may be scary but Jesus is never cruel and therefore while we may have cause to fear, we do not have any reason to be afraid of him.

Some of you, I’m sure are familiar with C.S. Lewis’ book The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. There is a conversation in it where some of the children in the story are discussing Aslan, the Lion who is the Christ figure. Having just been told that Aslan is a lion there is this conversation between one of the children, Lucy, and Mrs Beaver:

‘Is he quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.’

‘That you will, dearie, and make no mistake’, said Mrs Beaver, ‘if there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they’re either braver than most or else just silly.’

‘Then, isn’t he safe?’ said Lucy.

‘Safe?’ said Mrs Beaver… ‘who said anything about safe? Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the king I tell you.’

He’s the king, I tell you. He is the storm-calming Lord. And he’s a mystery. But he’s good. And he can be trusted.
Amen.

Being One Together

2009-06-10T06:43:00.000-07:00

Trinity Sunday is the only day on the Church calendar that celebrates a doctrine, rather than an event. It is easy to preach about events; it is not so easy to preach about doctrines.

As a preacher, I have never been able to go back to the files and pull out an old sermon and make it work. Someone asked our preaching professor in seminary if we should save old sermons. “By all means,” he replied, “but save them like you save leaves on a compost heap.” Never reuse them but let them break down, mix around and fertilize new sermons. I have to confess, however, that this week, I was hunting through some old computer files for some sermons I had written a while ago, and came across a file titled, “sermon Trinity Sunday 99.” Out of curiosity, I opened it. It was absolutely blank. I laughed out loud. Can’t use that one!

Lately, the doctrine of the Trinity is back in vogue in church circles. Theologians are rediscovering the Trinity as a way of talking about the church. In the classical age of Trinitarian theology, there was a great emphasis put on concepts like substance and nature and person. All three persons of the Trinity shared the same substance. Disputes raged about what made the distinctions between persons. If you look at the Creed of Athanasius you can find the final result of all that wrangling. The Creed of Athanasius, as it’s called, settles once and for all (sort of) the dispute over substance and person. I suppose it mattered greatly to someone and sometime, but it sure doesn’t fire my imagination.

But the current interest in the Trinity is about relationship. Relationship is at the very heart of the divine being. God is not God in isolation, but in relationship. Now that fires my imagination.

At this moment, you are probably thinking to yourself, “Who cares about the doctrine of the Trinity anyway? We should care because what we say about God helps us figure out what we think about ourselves. I suppose all the language of the Athanasian Creed reflects an intellectual struggle to discover how human beings are defined and saved. Salvation had come down to the individual, and it was a matter of what a person thought. Buried in that creed is the seed that will give rise to Descartes statement, “I think, therefore I am.” Our world is founded on that individualism.

It has brought some good such as the protection of individual rights, freedom to think and speak -- the Declaration of Independence is one of the finest pieces of literature, and rests on that foundation.

But it leaves the individual starkly alone, especially before God. And it’s not a fair contest -- three against one! But if we shift our attention from the definition of the persons of the
Trinity and focus instead on the relationships within the Trinity, a whole new world opens up.

Many theologians today are using the word “communion” to describe the relationships within the Trinity. It’s a great word. It means, broken down, being one together. It’s just as paradoxical as the idea of a Trinity. Being one together -- an oxymoron, almost. But it’s also an idea we encounter all the time. It’s what happens here at this table; we become one together.

If we claim to be a follower of Christ then we are defined, not in isolation as individuals, but in relationship to others. We are saved, not by standing alone before the incomprehensible Trinity, but by entering relationship with God and one another, entering communion.

Communion is a relationship of offering self to the other and receiving the same in return. What makes us human, and holds our lives in life, is the offering and receiving of communion. And here is where the number three comes in. The communion of just two can be a distorted relationship. Just watch two young lovers -- they can only see each other; the world ceases to exist.

There are many ways of thinking of the three aspects of the Trinity in communion. And if we take the idea of communion in Trinity seriously, then we have to rejoice in the relationships of communion between others than ourselves with God. The Trinity reminds us that God’s truth is bigger than our understanding of it. Others can describe their relationship with God differently than we understand ours, and we can rejoice in it as communion.

Past, present and future provides another way of seeing the life of the Trinity. God created this universe, set it in motion, brought it out of nothing. God does not then leave the universe alone, but remains in communion with it, allowing it to go forward, taking all the twists and turns into His divine self, and ultimately drawing all back toward the divine self. As persons, we come into a world that we did not create, language, culture, family, society all existing before us and giving us identity. We are in communion with our past (and it with us). We give ourselves in the present to one another; we are enriched by each other; and in the end, we give ourselves to God’s future, and God gives His self to us, holding us in communion with all times.

Isaiah experiences his vision of God at worship. It’s pretty powerful worship. But it is precisely at worship that we experience the divine ourselves. We offer our lives to God and one another. We receive as gift what others offer and the gift of God’s divine self. We carry that life into the world, where we offer it to others and rejoice in communion between God and the world. Then we bring back our lives lived in the world, and start all over again. God’s very nature is best described as communion, and this becomes true of us as well.

May you live for God, by serving Christ through the guidance of His Spirit, which brings us closer together. Amen.

Pentecostal Power

2009-06-01T15:16:00.000-07:00

If only I had a million dollars then everything would be fine. Then I would have the power and resources to do what I want. Then I would have the power to control and manipulate my present and my future.In this church we may have a long wish list.
If only we had more........... money................. we could.............S. S. teachers...... we could.............young adults....... we could.............children/ teens... .we could.............our new building........we could.............

Imagine what the early church, those 120 gathered in that upper room, must have wished for......... "If only......"

They were an unlikely group. A motley crew, if you will. They must have felt powerless. What can 129 people do against the mighty Roman Empire? How can a handful of people impact the world for Christ? Then, on Pentecost, God sent the Holy Spirit upon these people and everything changed. They did, in fact go out and change the world.

What must exist in us, around us, and through us, if we are to be Holy Spirit filled? These three things:

First, we are to be united, in one accord. When the day of Pentecost came the apostles were all together in one place. It was the day that Christ had promised. Beginning with Easter, He had appeared at various times to the disciples. They knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that He was the eternal living Lord. Now He had ascended to the Father and they waited in expectation. Then the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity descended upon them. The result would be the beginning of the church and Christ followers received God's power.

This power comes on a day when they were in one accord, that's the King James Version. In other words, there was unity and agreement. There was a commonality among them. They shared all things in common; we learn later. There was a common purpose and vision. They were a community of faith and not 120 individuals, each push their own agendas. It is important to note that it would not be that way forever. Later a major split would occur in the church over who should get in. It has been said that Peter and Paul came out fighting and its been going on in the church ever since. But, in the early days, there was one accord. It was to that setting that the Holy Spirit came.

Sometimes people love their ideas more than they love Jesus. Nothing takes the place of community. If we expect great things to happen, then we must be united, of one accord.

Secondly, and for this one I have to dip back into chapter 1, verse 14, we are told: "They all joined together constantly in prayer." Do you know where the church is growing the fastest? Not in the United States, but Korea, Africa, and Latin America. For some years now there have been massive revivals taking place in these southern countries. Ask the Covenant missionaries and they will tell you that the cornerstone of this revival is prayer.

While it is true that churches that are together, in one accord can accomplish much, no church can reach its full Kingdom potential, if it does not pray. And it seems to me that much of the church has lapsed into a weekly routine of Sunday morning worship. We have lost our desire to dedicate ourselves to prayer expecting the Holy Spirit to move in our presence and change lives.

A poem by an unknown author speaks of this:

I got up early one morning and rushed right into the day;
I had so much to accomplish that I didn't take time to pray.
Problems just tumbled about me, and heavier became each task.
"Why doesn't God help me," I wondered. He answered: "You didn't ask."
I wanted to see joy and beauty, but the day toiled on, gray and bleak,
I wondered why God didn't show me, He said: "But you didn't seek."
I tried to come into God's presence; I used all my keys at the lock,
God gently and livingly chided: "My child, you didn't knock."
I woke up early this morning and paused before entering the day.
I had so much to accomplish, that I had to take time to pray.

Too many of us are trying to go it alone. Too many churches are trying to go it alone. If we are to come into God's presence, then we must ask to be in His presence. So we have a need to pray in order for God to order our lives.

Thirdly, if we are to reach our full Kingdom potential as the church of Jesus Christ here in Greenfield we need to repent. If there is sin in the life of a person, he or she must repent. If there is sin in the life of a church, she must repent. Pentecost is possible only where sin is adequately dealt with.

Peter, the churches first leader, understood this. In the very first sermon of the church Peter reminded them of their sin: God was at work through Jesus, Peter proclaimed to them, but you handed him over, put him to death nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead and exalted to the right hand of God. He then repeated the accusation one more time in verse 36: "Let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."When he had finished giving his sermon, which takes up the last half of chapter two, the people ask of him: "What shall we do?" His response: Repent. Jesus tells us “Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand."

But what is repentance? For these first believers it was simply this: Changing their mind. Realizing their error. Accepting the one they once condemned. Becoming what they once ridiculed. Receiving Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins. That my friend is repentance! And it has not changed.

Through unity, prayer, and repentance we to can experience the power of the Spirit. Amen??

What is the Meaning of Life?

2009-05-28T04:48:00.000-07:00

Writers and philosophers since recorded time have tried to answer this question. I don't think any of them have been successful in answering the question to everyone's satisfaction.

The question is: “What is the meaning of life?” It is a genuinely human question and therefore a question that we all ask. It might be a question that is asked in despair or hope, out of cynicism, or out of sincere curiosity and a deep desire to have guidance in life. However we raise the question about the meaning of life, it is our most basic and fundamental question.

And so it comes as no surprise that Jesus deals with this question and answers it. Surprisingly, the answer is not given in the context of an argument with the Jewish leaders or in a discussion with his disciples, and it is not given in the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus deals with so many fundamental issues. It is powerful that Jesus deals with the meaning of life in the context of prayer.

In the context of what has been called, by many scholars, Jesus' High Priestly Prayer. [Pause] The Disciples are in the upper room, now. They have just finished the Passover meal and Jesus is thinking about his crucifixion which will occur within the next 24 hours. He knows he is about to leave his disciples alone in the world and he goes before God as a priest would, to intercede for them, to pray for them.

Listen again to his prayer. I am lifting out a few key verses: "While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe, but I will remain in the world no longer Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name-the name you gave me-so that they may be one as we are one. Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life and this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."

It is in this third verse that Jesus delivers the meaning of eternal life and in essence the meaning of life itself. He says, "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." In essence, Jesus says, "the meaning of life is this: that you have a relationship with God, and me his Son, Jesus Christ." And that's the long and short of it! But, Jesus himself, understood just how difficult it was going to be not only for his disciples but for all of us to come to this very simple realization in life and so he prays for two key things. First, in order that we might understand the meaning of life.

1. He Prays for Our Protection from the World.
We do need protection from the world because the world can steal life from us. Patsy Clairmont, author of the book God Uses Cracked Pots, tells a story about her youngest son Jason. Little Jason has two goals in life. One is to have fun, and the other is to rest. He does both quite well. So it was no surprise when he was sent out to catch the bus one fall day and there was, �a few moments later, a knock on the door. Mom flew to the door, jerked it open, and their stood Jason looking up with his back pack and lunch box dragging the ground. Mom demanded, "What are you doing here?" He bravely said, "I've quit school." Mom said, "Quit school?" As she looked at her child in disbelief she tried to think of some motherly wisdom but all that came to mind at the time was "A stitch in time saves nine" and "Starve a cold, and feed fever." They didn't seem to fit the occasion so she asked, "Why have you quit school?" Without hesitation Jason said, "It's too long, it's too hard, and it's too boring." This time she was equal to the task. She shot back, "you have just described life. Get on the bus!"

The day in and day out tediousness and challenges of life can be overwhelming. Sometimes life can be just too long, too hard, and too boring and we can lose our Christian hope and joy and succumb to despair. It's then that we try to find meaning in life in things other then God. We look for escape through a bottle; we look for happiness in the form of another woman; we look for stability in life through another man; we try to resolve conflict through violence; or we try to solve material desires by stealing.

Jesus understood these trials and temptations and so he prayed, "Holy Father, protect them from the world so they may be one as we are one."I am reminded almost daily that I need protection. We all need someone to keep us safe. Sometimes we even need protection from those closest to us and sometimes we even need protection from ourselves. So why should it surprise us that our souls need to be safeguarded from the corruption of the world. Jesus prayed for his disciples that the Father would protect them and keep them from loosing their way in the world. Jesus knew, only if God protected them, would they be able to discover the ultimate meaning of life.

Jesus understood how difficult it was going to be for us to understand the meaning of life. It's difficult, because there are so many ways to get lost in the world; but God is here to protect us. To give our souls the security that we need in order to hear his call and follow. This brings us to the second part of his prayer. In order that we might understand the meaning of life.

2. He Prays That We Might Know God.Moses, when he brought down the Ten Commandments from Mount Sinai, he gathered all Israel together and he read the commandments before the people. And then he summed up the Ten Commandments in these words, "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all soul, and with all your strength."

When Jesus was asked by an expert in the law, "What is the greatest commandment in all the law?" Jesus replied, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and all your mind."

And on the evening before his crucifixion, Jesus prays. He prays that the disciples will come to know God in a personal way. Actually Jesus is simply echoing those words of Moses. He is restating the lines in a brief phrase: "That they may know you, the only true God."

Jesus isn't talking about knowing God like you know your ABC's. Let's not kid ourselves. Husbands, when your wife tells you that she wants to know you better she doesn't mean your shoe size. She's talking about an intimacy. She wants to know you personally. That's what Jesus is praying for and I want to tell you how hard this is. It's hard enough to let those closet to you in the door of our hearts let alone God. And yet, that is what is being asked of you. I tell you this is the only way to find meaning in life. And it's the only way your children and grandchildren will find meaning in their lives. When Moses read all of Israel the Ten Commandments and summed the up by saying "Love God with all your heart," he added something very important. Teach these commandments to your children.

Of course, the best way to teach your children the meaning of life is to live it yourself in the home. If your kids see you putting other things ahead of God, they will become discouraged and disillusioned, like a young Jewish boy who once lived in Germany.

His father was a successful merchant, and the family practiced their Jewish faith. But then they moved to another German city, and the boy's father announced that they would no longer attend synagogue. They were going to join the Lutheran church.The boy was very surprised and asked his father why the family was joining the Lutheran church. His father's answer was something like, "For business reasons. There are so many Lutherans in this town that I can make good business contacts at the Lutheran church. It will be good for business."

That boy, who had a deep interest in religion, became so disillusioned with his father that something died within him. He said to himself, “My father has no real convictions." The incident helped to turn him against religion with a vengeance.

That young boy later moved to England and began to write. His name was Karl Marx. As the father of communism he wrote the "Communist Manifesto," in which he called religion "the opiate of the masses." In other words, he believed that religion pacified people and made them ineffective for the world.

I wonder if world history would have been different had Karl Marx's father come to know God as Jesus had prayed for disciples to know God.

God gives us protection and he desires that we have a personal relationship with him.

I am not speaking primarily to those who are NOT yet followers of Jesus. I am talking to those of you here who claim to be a follower of Christ. Remember that Jesus' prayer was for his disciples. Those who had already walked with him for three years. We have a need to deepen our relationship with God. Jesus prays that we might do so.

Will you pray that you might come to know God more deeply so that you can be one even as Jesus and the Father are one. "Hear, O People, The LORD our God is one LORD: and you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might."

On Beyond Zebra

2009-05-18T04:59:00.000-07:00

Do you know what the most quoted source in the English language? The Bible. That's right it is still the Bible. What do you think the second most quoted source in the history of English literature is? William Shakespeare. Every day scholars add an average of 9 articles and books to the pile of scholarship related to William Shakespeare and his writing. Now, I don’t know what biblical scholarship adds every day to the pile of biblical knowledge, but I suspect it’s much, much more than that.

William Shakespeare is credited with elevating the English language to new heights, finding words to express truths and emotions in ways no English-speaking writer had ever done before. But there is someone else who stands alone in his command of the English language . . . . . Dr. Seuss.

I admit it. I read Dr. Seuss more than I read Shakespeare. Who can forget the rainy day antics of “The Cat in the Hat,” or the tongue-twisting torture of “Fox In Sox,” or the poetic persistence of “Green Eggs and Ham?” I dare you to read a Dr. Seuss book without a big smile plastering across your face.

One of Dr. Seuss’ classics is “On Beyond Zebra” (1955). As the narrator of the story explains the alphabet to his young friend Conrad Cornelius o’Donald o’Dell,
“most people stop” with the Z . . . . BUT NOT ME!
In the places I go there are things that I see
That I never could spell if I stopped with the Z.
I’m telling you this ‘cause you’re one of my friends,
My alphabet starts where your alphabet ends!"

Dr. Seuss’ story goes on to offer twenty new letters, each one a beautiful, fanciful design. Dr. Seuss’ storyteller needs all these new letters to name all the wonderful, strange unknown creatures he encounters in the world because the reality he’s discovering requires a bigger vocabulary than 26 letters.

Jesus wrote the first “On Beyond Zebra” alphabet, for that is exactly what Jesus did for his disciples in his Farewell Discourse. He gave them new words, and new meanings to old words, because he was ushering them into a new reality. Jesus gave his disciples an identity beyond student, beyond servant, beyond slave they became “friends.” And Jesus promised to be a “friend” to all those who followed and loved even as he loved them.

Do you speak the "on beyond Zebra" language of Christ-love? Here’s one test: How do you see yourself this morning? Are you a friend and a follower of Jesus? Or are you still a fan or a servant of Jesus? Jesus doesn’t call us into servantship, but into friendship.

I want to give you one more test to see whether or not you speak the "on beyond Zebra" love language of Christ: What’s the divine dictionary definition of “love” Jesus is presenting in this Farewell Discourse we read this morning?

Just as some of the profoundest things I’ve learned in life came from Dr. Seuss, some of the profoundest things I’ve learned about faith came from Sunday School. And maybe only second to the song “Jesus Loves Me This I Know” in importance is this shorthand presentation of the mystery of love. It came in the form of an acronym, which was written into a song I can no longer remember. But I shall never forget the acronym: JOY. JOY stood for . . . .”

Some of you went to the same Sunday School: Jesus, Others, You. The divine dictionary definition of love, which goes beyond the human alphabet, is this: God, neighbor, self. God first, then neighbor, then me. Or in the JOY rendition, Jesus, Others, You. The most important thing anyone ever taught me was taught me by my Sunday School: JOY—Jesus, Others, You.

The mystery of Christ is a life lived in that order, and for those reasons: Jesus first, others second, and yourself last.

First, Jesus-first. We are called to love with a Jesus love, a Jesus love where sacrifice is not an afterthought, but a forethought. Jesus’ love is a verb which fulfils its mission in us and through us and among us. This doesn’t mean that our dreams and yearnings have no part in Jesus-first God-love. In the words of Bishop Gerard W. Hughes, “If God’s love for us bears no relationship to our own deepest longings and desires, then God cannot be a God of love, but a God of commands. If God’s will for you and for me did not bear any relationship to our own deepest longings and desires, we should be obliged to ignore the longings of our hearts and to put our trust in some authority external to ourselves.” (God in All Things [London: Hodder & Stoughton, 2003], 113.) But we find the desires of our hearts by laying down our own desires and trading them up for Jesus’ desires, and in so doing we find that Jesus has turned our pigsty dreams into true palace dreams.

Second, others-second. To live the mystery of Christ, to put on the “mind of Christ,” to live according to “things above” not the “things below,” is to live life for the sake of others, not ourselves. The whole language of Christ “in you” is the Bible’s way of talking about JOY: our relationships with God, with our neighbors, with ourselves. When I seek intimacy with others out of my own needs for intimacy, I become lonelier than ever. Intimacy is a gift, it is not a goal. Intimacy is a gift that comes from a relationship that puts others’ needs first, not my own. We are reminded of this every time we set out to pray the prayer Jesus taught us to pray: “Our Father . . .” Listen to Jesus pray: “Our Father.” Even Jesus doesn’t come to his Father by himself; he takes other people with him.

Third, you-third. One of my favorite Latin phrases is this one: dumitria in incognito. It means to know oneself as half of a true pair . . This is why the “you,” the “I” is third behind God and neighbor: we are incomplete in and of ourselves. It is only the whole that encompasses integrity and truth, and we don’t discover the whole in ourselves, but outside ourselves in relationship with God and others.

Are you ready to take your life on-beyond-zebra? Are you ready to live the on-beyond-zebra life Jesus is calling us to live as his final words to us?

In Dr. Seuss’ little classic, my favorite entry, my favorite “letter” is ITCH. Here is Dr. Seuss’ definition of this on-beyond-zebra letter:
And way, way past Z is a letter called ITCH.
And the ITCH is for It ch-a-pods, animals which
Race around back and forth, forth and back, through the air
On a sidewalk between HERE and THERE.
They’re afraid to stay THERE. They’re afraid to stay HERE.
They think THERE is too Far. They think HERE is too NEAR.
And since HERE is too NEAR and out THERE is too FAR
They are too scared to roost where-so-ever they are.

The choice is ours: An ITCH life that never gets off the ground. Or a JOY life, an on-beyond-zebra life which leaves the ground and soars in the Spirit.

It’s your choice. But life is choices and consequences.

I Love My Mother, But . . .

2009-05-10T16:19:00.000-07:00

Want a quick test to know if someone is from the East or the West? Cross cultural researchers use this question to explore the nature of the differences between East and West, and their respective perceptions of life, language, and relationships? Here is the question: “I love my mother, but . . . .”

Ask a person raised in “Western” culture and a person who grew up with an “Eastern” world view to finish this sentence, “I love my mother, but . . .”

Even today, on Mother’s Day, every one of us can immediately come up with a “but.”
“I love my mother, but . . . . she can drive me crazy!”
“I love my mother, but . . . . she absolutely cannot cook.”
“I love my mother, but . . . . my mother’s love is smother love.”

In other words, in Western culture what comes after “I love my mother, but . . .” is usually a negative remark. Our love is tempered by our knowledge of our mother’s human shortcomings and imperfections.

But the Eastern answer is typically quite different.
“I love my mother, but . . . is finished with comments like this:
“I love my mother, but . . . I will never be able to show her how much.”
“I love my mother, but . . . I can never repay what she has done for me.”
“I love my mother, but . . . she has done so much for me all my life I can never thank her enough.”
“I love my mother, but . . . she works so hard for her family.”

The “Eastern” answer does not use “but” to water down the love. The “Eastern” answer does not use “but” as an eraser to what preceded it. Instead, the “but” adds more feeling and flavor to the love.

Why is the Western tendency to dilute expressions of love with some sort of criticism? Why is the Western tendency to diminish our love by putting some distance between us and our mother? After revealing the vulnerability of great love, we seek shelter behind a wall that can keep the loved at a distance.

Wait a minute: Love is not supposed to be safe. Love is not supposed to be easy. Love is not supposed to be a kind of equal partnership.

The ones we love are not supposed to be “perfect.” But it is the choice to love others that matures and perfects each one of us. In this week’s 1 John text, the writer insists on two things about God. First, God is love (1 John 4:8). Not “love is God,” but “God is love.” God’s presence and power are known and revealed through the expression of love.

Second, the 1 John text highlights one specific loving action that God has taken on our behalf. “God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him” (1 John 4:9). This is God’s love as parental love, the God whose love for the Son is so great that it is used to save the whole world.

Knowing these two things about God is the basis for all God’s children to love: “Since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:11). In fact, it is in this expression of love for our brothers and sisters that we bring God’s presence into this world and are “perfected” by that love. Love changes us. Love changes the world. But we can only love if we have first been loved.

Which is why I love “Mother’s Day” so much.

The presence of a parent’s love is a child’s whole world. The absence of that love creates a terrible alternative universe. I’m sure lots of Moms received treasured gifts this Mother’s Day.
Love accepts the love that is offered to it. A child’s expression of love for Mom on Mother’s Day is accepted with an overflowing heart, no matter how imperfect that expression might be.

As children grow up we all continue to test the strength of parental love.
“I love my mother, but . . . I ditched school, and hung out at the mall instead.”
“I love my mother, but . . . I’ve been using drugs and alcohol and now I’m losing control.”
“I love my mother, but . . . I’m dropping out of college.”
“I love my mother, but . . . now I’m in jail.”

How do we respond to expressions of love that are so broken, so limited, so stunted by human weakness? By loving one another.

The love John speaks of here in these verses is “agape’ love. That is the power of “agape”. The power of agape love is in its grace and compassion. The love that bends and extends, the love that reaches out and brings in, that is “agape” love. The love that sent the Son into the world for our redemption was “agape” love. The love that hung on the cross was “agape” love. The love that destroyed the power of death forever was “agape” love. The love that sacrifices and puts others first, the love that will take rejections and betrayals and still come back for more, that kind of agape love is “mother’s love.”

This morning, we need to hear the message of the gospel: “God loves you, and God takes you in His arms and loves you, and bends down to you so far and so much that God will accept whatever love you can muster. And God will bless and bring your love, no matter how pitiful and puny that love may be, to new heights and depths.

I want you all to stand right now: put your fingertips from your right hand up against the fingertips of your left hand. You have just made a bridge. But if you bend your fingertips together, and let your joined thumb tips drop a little downward, your hands create a heart. Let me show you what I mean: . . . [stand in front of them and make a heart with your two hands.]

How you formed this heart with your hands is what “agape” love does—-it joins together and bends a little to meet the other. Heart Love is what our mothers have given us. And Heart Love is what we are to give the world.

Now put this heart up to your face, and look at the world through the heart that your hands have made.

Now, that’s real agape love. Let’s look at the world this week through agape love that others may know that “God is Love.”

‘Good Guy’ Award to Two New Hampshire Churches

2009-05-04T13:01:00.000-07:00

Here is an article about our congregation's mission work at the Children's Home of Cromwell which recenlty appeared on the "Covenant Newswire." The article was written by Roger Turner a member of Concord Covenant Church.

The Children’s Home of Cromwell (CHOC) honored two New Hampshire Evangelical Covenant churches last week for their work to change the lives of students at the home.

“These kids have been shunned by their parents because of addictions, crime and mental illness,” said Garry Mullaney, the CEO and president of the home. “They feel they are a burden rather than a joy.” Greenfield Congregational Covenant Church and Concord Covenant Church have committed themselves to helping students understand they are so much more. Because of their work, CHOC presented them with the David Carlson Good Guy Award.

“This award is given annually to the group that over time has made a commitment to the Children’s Home,” said Mullaney. Previous recipients have included the Carrier Corporation and the Independent Electrical Contractors.

Lead by their pastors, Dan Osgood of Greenfield and Earl Dunbar of Concord, the two churches have teamed up for short-term mission trips for the past several summers. “The churches have come down and taken on big projects like painting or planting a garden and then at night, do something with our kids like laser tag,” Mullaney said. After working on projects during the day, the group from New Hampshire, which included high school and junior high school students, along with residents from CHOC would go out for ice cream, take in a baseball game or gather in the gym for games of soccer, basketball and floor hockey. Through the tasks and the games, the residents of CHOC and the team from New Hampshire made friends, shared laughter, encouragement and their lives.

Through the tasks and the games, the residents of CHOC and the team from New Hampshire made friends, shared laughter, encouragement and their lives. Dunbar and Osgood said the experiences were important to their members because the events were ‘hands-on’ opportunities to reach out to children that society had let fall through the cracks. The pastors added that, through the projects, games and new friendships, the team from New Hampshire was able to leave tangible evidence to the children that they did, indeed, matter.

The award is named in honor of a past director of the home who served for 32 years. CHOC is a full-service Christian treatment center, providing residential treatment, special education, group homes, and outpatient therapy services for struggling children and their families. It is affiliated with Covenant Ministries of Benevolence of the Evangelical Covenant Church.

Thomas, the Doubter--My Story

2009-04-20T04:36:00.000-07:00

Let me introduce myself. My name is Thomas. Better known to the world as Doubting Thomas. And you know why? I’ll tell you for why. Because of one little thing I said. One little doubt I happened to mention. And suddenly I’m known from now to eternity as the Doubter.

I wasn’t the only one. No-one else gets mentioned by name but they had their doubts too. But no, it’s just me goes down in history as a doubter.

Before it all happened I was just one of the guys. Nobody special. I was just one of the twelve disciples. I was with Jesus from the early days, almost right from the start when he started travelling and teaching. I was there through it all. I saw the miracles. I saw the dead brought back to life, the blind man made to see, the paralyzed man made to walk again. I saw him feed thousands of people from just a few fishes and a bit of bread. And there was enough left over to keep us going for days. I was there through all of that. I saw him walk on water, heal lepers, quiet a storm.

And what’s more when he wanted to go where the crowds were out to get him I was the one who said, ‘come on, we’ll have to go and die with him, we can’t let him go alone.’

And I was there when they did come for him. When the soldiers arrested him, I was there. When he was brought before the crowds, I was there; when he was crucified I was there. At the foot of his cross I wept.

It wasn’t just him dying you see. It was everything. Everything I’d hoped was going to happen, the changes, the freedom, the man who was going to change the world was being killed by it. It wasn’t supposed to be like that. How was anything going to change if he was dead? He’d given us such hopes and now they’d come crashing down.

After it was all over, we – the disciples– stuck together. We didn’t know what else to do. We just sat around like dummies, wondering what had gone wrong. In the end I couldn’t stand it any more and I went off by myself for a long walk to try and clear my thoughts. That was really my big mistake. In separating myself from the other disciples I missed Lord Jesus’ resurrection appearance. I missed him the first time because Christ appears most often within the community of believers that you now call the church.

Then when I got back the place was in an uproar. ‘What’s going on?’ I said. I couldn’t get any sense out of them. They just kept saying, ‘He’s alive! He’s alive!’ When I finally got one of them to explain to me what had happened and he told me that Jesus wasn’t dead but had been with them, I laughed. I thought they’d been drinking too much. But they kept insisting, and that’s when I said those words that have got me marked down in history as doubting Thomas, ‘I’ll believe it when I can put my finger in the holes in his hands.’

You know the rest. Jesus came to us again and told me to put my fingers in his wounds. I didn’t need to. I fell to my knees and wept into his robe. I thought he was really mad at me but when I looked up he was smiling. He understood. As far as he was concerned doubting was a part of faith, but try telling the others that. Try telling the others that!

You know I was the one, the only one of the other 12 who bluntly state the Divinity of Christ. It is interesting that I am only remembered as the Doubter and yet I’m also the one who made that earth shattering confession of faith. Look at my confession, “My Lord, and my God.” Not teacher. Not Lord. Not Messiah. But God! I uttered that statement of faith with strong conviction as if I was simply recognizing a fact, just as 2 + 2 = 4. You are my Lord and my God! These are certainly not the words of a doubter. Try telling the others that!

Still it could be worse. I could be Peter. Now he really made a fool of himself. But I’d better let him tell you about that another time.

An Easter Heart

2009-04-13T06:37:00.000-07:00

Easter is all about a four letter word — and Christians are full of it. Or at least we’re supposed to be full of it.

The four letter word is LIFE.

New life. Whole life. Abundant Life. Redeemed life. Resurrected life.

The purpose of life is not death, Easter says. The purpose of life is life . . . a life that triumphs over death forever.

Celebrating Easter is the best thing that the church can do because it is a celebration of all that is good, all that is true, and all that is beautiful. In fact, I would make the case this morning that celebrating Easter is the greatest public service the church can perform for the world. Why? Because it is the reality of Easter that makes everything else we would do possible.

Remember Jesus’ final words on the cross? “It is finished.” When the soldiers taking Jesus’ body down from the cross stabbed him with a spear point, “blood and water came out” (John 19:34). That rush of fluids revealed what was the actual final cause of death for Jesus — a burst aorta. Jesus died of a broken heart. The breaking of Jesus’ heart was what “finished” Jesus’ sacrifice. On Easter morning the great surprise is that sacrifice was not the end of Jesus’ mission. Out of Jesus’ broken heart there emerged a new heart, a resurrected heart, an unbreakable, unstoppable heart.

On Easter “It is finished” becomes “Now it begins.”

Life begins anew with the resurrected beating of that Easter heart. It is an Easter heart that the resurrected Jesus offered to all who believed in him, all who read the signs and symbols of new life God had left at the empty tomb.

The “beloved disciple” looked in at the abandoned grave clothes and “believed” that Jesus had risen. At that instant his Easter heart started beating.

Mary Magdalene heard her name called with her beloved Teacher’s own voice, and she saw and believed that the risen Lord stood before her. It was at that moment Mary’s Easter heart started beating.

When Jesus walked and talked along the Emmaus road with two of his disciples Jesus was practicing heart massage. His disciples later recalled “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road” (Luke 24:32). But only after Jesus blessed and broke the bread did those disciples suddenly see and believe. It was the final jolt that jump-started their Easter hearts.

Is this church full this morning with people whose heart are full of Easter? Do you have an Easter heart? Here are some ways you can tell.

1) An Easter heart is full of new life. An Easter heart is full of a new mission. An Easter heart is full of new possibilities. An Easter church that is filled with Easter hearts continues to offer signs of new life to the world.

2) An Easter heart church throws off the old grave clothes. Have we shred our grave cloths? Grave cloths separate the dead from the living. Grave cloths wrap sinking, stinking corpse in fine linens and sweet spices — but they cannot stop the inner decay.

An Easter heart church lives its faith in everyday, work clothes: clothes that are tough and sturdy and made to get dirty. In fact, work clothes get softer and better the more they are worn and washed.

3) An Easter heart church is full of rock-rollers. Notice I didn’t say rock-and-rollers . . . I did say Rock-Rollers. The first sign of the resurrection, as noted by a distraught Mary Magdalene, was that the rock had been rolled away form the tomb’s entrance. Every body, even Jesus’ resurrected body, needs to be offered a way out.

Rock-rollers offer ways out to all sorts of people, trapped in all kinds of tombs.

Strengthened by an Easter heart we can . . . .

We can roll away despair, and reveal a path to hope.
We can roll away delusions — delusions like “If I was rich I’d be happy;” delusions like “All I need is one more drink, or smoke, or hit . . .;” delusions like “The next promotion will get me everything I want.”
We can roll away fear — and entice tomb-dwellers to step out into the light.

Rock-rolling isn’t a one-person job. It takes a community of Easter hearts to get those rocks rolling the right direction.

Resurrection happens. Miracles happen. Truth happens. Goodness happens. Beauty happens. Jesus happens. If you have an Easter heart, you learn to expect the unexpected. To relish the ridiculous. To savor the sensational.

Do you have an Easter heart? Have you made the commitment to join the journey to becoming fully alive? My prayer for each of us this moring is that we have hearts beating with the risen life of Christ.

Easter Fear

2009-04-13T06:34:00.000-07:00

Easter begins with fear. At least that's the way Mark tells it. It's not that Easter begins with wild panic--no, not that. Easter begins with the kind of fear that feels a lot like heart-break. It begins with the twist in your stomach that comes when the phone rings and you hear the voice of your sister. "Are you sitting down?" she asks--that kind of fear.

Early in the morning, three women approach the tomb carrying herbs and oils to wash the body of the Lord. They have come to anoint the crucified one. Yet, even as they discuss how they will get into the tomb (after all, it is closed by a massive boulder), they find that the stone has been rolled away. The tomb is empty--vacant, except for some young guy who is definitely not Jesus; and suddenly, they are afraid. They fear that their last chance to show a little compassion on the broken body of Jesus has come and gone. First, Jesus' life is stolen, and now, even his body has been taken. And, perhaps, they also fear that death has won. Death has finally, and utterly, swallowed up their beloved friend.

Easter begins with fear. Sensing the distress of the three women, the young man robed in white offers some surprising news as a comfort to them. "Do not be alarmed," he says, "you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you." This is, of course, the Easter proclamation. He has been raised; he is not here. This is the hopeful message that we have been waiting for. The stone is rolled back. The tomb is empty.

So why are the women still afraid? After hearing the young man's statement, Mark tells us that the two Mary's and Salome "fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid." What were they afraid of? Did they fear that the message from the man in white was a lie? Were they afraid that they were being duped by a Roman guard who was having a bit of sick fun at their expense? Or was it something altogether different? Were they afraid that the mind-bending report that they had just heard was true? "He has been raised." Now, how could that news stir up fear?

To answer, we might want to consider our own fears this Easter day. Are we afraid that we will return to life unchanged--untouched? Are we afraid that we will go home to Easter dinner without seeing the Lord? Are we really "afraid" that we will find the tomb empty? Or are we afraid of the possibility, however slim we consider it to be, that God is out there and will meet us this day? Are we afraid that God is waiting for us? Perhaps we should be. After all, if Jesus is waiting on-down-the-road in Galilee, you can bet that he has plans for us. No doubt he will ask things of us, the same way he challenged the disciples. Uh oh. Perhaps this is the day that the living God will grab us by the scruff of our souls to propel us into some wild scheme. Maybe this Jesus is like those people you encounter on sidewalks with clipboards and petitions to sign. You there, yes you, I've got your name on my list, now march out into the world and make some kind of difference. Maybe that's what scares us.

Surely we love Jesus; we go to church, at least once in a while. Yet we really do not want God to mess with us, to make demands on us, to cost us anything. Leave us politely alone--hands off our career plans and our politics--oh, and keep your nose out of our approach to doing business and our way of conducting relationships. We want Jesus to stay where he belongs. We don't want him wandering around the countryside, tapping his foot--impatiently waiting for us to show up. That sort of Jesus is more than enough to make a person afraid. No wonder that Mark tells us that the women "fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them."

An early name for followers of Jesus was the Easter people. We are Easter people. We are called not to fear, but to courage. We are called to be people of hope, of love, of life, of a new birth, of new opportunities to see Christ in each other and to be Christ to each other. The disciples surely thought they were alone and defeated on Good Friday that the cause was lost with the life of him they loved. There was certainly no cause for optimism, but there was hope, and their hope against hope was realized at that first Easter, in the empty tomb. We are called to peer into the open tomb, and laughing, run as fast as we can toward Jesus.

Alleluia, Christ is risen. The Lord is risen indeed, Alleluia.

Thoughts On Palm Sunday 2009

2009-04-06T04:37:00.000-07:00

One of the typical difficulties of days like today--Palm Sunday 2009-- is connecting the ritual and annual stories of Palm Sunday with our lives! Okay, so Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey 2,000 years ago. Hey, that's cool. But, you say, I'm worried about whether or not I’m going to have a job next week.

Okay, so the people were all excited about Jesus and waved palm branches at him. That's a neat image, you say, but I'm more concerned about whether I’m ever going to be able to pay my bills this month.

I believe, in fact, that Palm Sunday, maybe even this Palm Sunday, has a message for us all. In fact, I am hoping that this Palm Sunday may be the one you look back on as having been decisive in your life. You see, Palm Sunday meant one thing for those shouting, "Hosanna!" and something very different for Jesus. The disciples and bystanders were caught up in the excitement and thrill of the beginning of Passover and the potential new leader Jesus, who might free them from Roman rule.

For Jesus, on the other hand, his entry into Jerusalem was the beginning of a go-for-broke divine plan to break the back of an understanding of God which was keeping people from God and keeping them stuck in their sin. It was the first step in his final course of action to reconcile humanity with their Creator. From the time of his childhood when his relationship with God began he had been relentlessly moving toward this day. Palm Sunday. The die was cast. As the Gospel writer Luke put it, "... he set his face to go to Jerusalem" (9:51). It was Palm Sunday. The time had arrived.

Palm Sunday was the day when a vision of obedience began to take its final form. Palm Sunday was the day when a string of events began that would change Jesus' life and the life of the world. Palm Sunday was the day when obedience won out over any hesitation or doubt, though there may well have been lingering, human fear of what obedience might bring in pain or suffering. But it would be worth it, to say the least.

Jesus was unique in his relationship with God and with his sacrifice for all of humanity. However, Jesus also was part of a long line of those who have been obedient to the call of God on their lives.

Abraham heard the call of God (Genesis 12:1 RSV): "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you." Surely he had been feeling nudges and wondering if this was really God. But finally it was Palm Sunday, and obedience was the only way. And he went, not knowing where he was going, totally depending on the Lord.

The prophet Isaiah had an overwhelming experience of the power and majesty and glory of God while worshiping. At the end of that experience he uttered those words which have been said in a variety of ways by countless faithful people of God over the centuries. "And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?' Then I said, 'Here am I! Send me' " (Isaiah 6:8 RSV). And he went. For him, it was Palm Sunday.

We Protestants tend to ignore one of the most faithful persons in our religious history, the mother of Jesus, Mary. After she was told she was going to have a baby, out of wedlock and by the power of the Holy Spirit of God, even with all the questions lingering in her mind, Luke reports: "And Mary said, 'Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word' " (1:38 RSV). It was Palm Sunday for Mary.

Then there were others who were faithful but needed a little more encouragement. Remember Jonah, the reluctant prophet. Called by God to speak words of warning to the sinful city of Nineveh, he instead fled by ship, found himself in the belly of a whale, and was rerouted to -- you guessed it -- Nineveh. It was Palm Sunday, with a watery circuitous route on the way to his obedience.

And there was Paul. Before he became Paul he was Saul, the Christian hater. But to Paul's credit, he really was trying to do the will of God. He thought this Jesus was a blasphemer and his followers heretics. He had a mid-course correction, however, and his Palm Sunday occurred on the way to Damascus, in the northern part of Palestine. It was Palm Sunday for Paul, and he became the first and greatest missionary of the gospel who ever lived.

And then there is you. And there is me. And there is today, Palm Sunday. Anything perking in your life that you feel God has been calling you to do or to be, perhaps for years -- perhaps for a few months, or weeks or days? This could be your Palm Sunday. It could be mine.

Listen to Paul again. The scripture we read today helps to put Jesus' actions on Palm Sunday into context.

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he
was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of
men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto
death, even death on a cross. -- Philippians 2:5-8 (RSV)

The amazing Holy Week equation that we see in Jesus is that, when it comes to doing the will of God, less is more. Jesus, writes Paul, "emptied himself" and thereby became obedient. Jesus did not fill himself up with pride and drive and determination. Rather, Jesus emptied himself, and allowed his spirit and mind to be filled with God.

Here is the meeting place of Palm Sunday, A.D. 33 and Palm Sunday 2009. It is in the emptying of all that would get in the way of God so that it becomes possible to think thoughts that lead us to paths of righteousness and holiness and joy.

So what is it for you today? If we stay in A.D. 33 and wave palm branches, but don't make the connection of our obedience to God today, then this will have been an empty event, a useless diversion.

You've thought about it. You've prayed about it. You intend to do it for God. It's Palm Sunday for you and for me. It could be the most important day of our lives.

For the Times They Are A-Changing

2009-03-30T18:53:00.000-07:00

Come gather 'round people Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters Around you have grown
And accept it that soon You'll be drenched to the bone.
If your time to you Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin' Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'.

Bob Dylan’s memorable lyrics of 1963, although written forty-five years ago, certainly strike a chord with us now. The words call us to open our ears and eyes, to see with greater clarity. We understand all too well that the times, they are indeed changing and our future will not look like today. The economic and political landscapes and national boundaries and global relationships
are reshaped and redrawn, our concepts of races and cultures will shift, and we will look through lenses of technology and information systems that will change our perspective.

For the times they are a-changin'.

Is our world really changing so quickly, are the foundations on which we have built our lives and our faith crumbling down around us, is there anything solid under our feet? The one place where we should be able to come for solace and comfort is here, to the church. Yet here, too, it seems as if the times they are a changin’. Of course, we know of the changes that come with new members, new babies, death. We sing new songs and hymns, members move away, we move out of our 200 + year old building, a new building is planned, budgets increase but never enough. Those are the things of our congregation’s life today.

As Christians we are called to be a people on pilgrimage, a people journeying through life towards God.

What will it be like?
Will we like it?
Will we fit in?
Will this new start mean we have to change too?
Can’t we just stay the same?

I know few people really relish change (whether they are young or old), but change is what being human is all about. As Christians, as a community of faith we can never stand still; it is simply not an option because once we stay in a rut we will eventually find it has become for us a grave.Are we able to understand the opportunities of the future, and see that change is exciting as well as terrifying? Sometimes we feel the fear, but what we need is to rise to the challenge.“The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the houseof Judah. It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors . . . a covenant which they broke . . . I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord.”

God intends to do an entirely new thing here. See, merely rewriting the Law on a new set of
stone tablets isn’t going to work. Posting the Law on the exterior of their bodies isn’t enough.
The people need their interiors changed. They need a change of heart which will allow them to
respond faithfully to the God who has made this covenant with them. Jeremiah says the newness of God’s covenant here is not the creation of additional or different laws, but the re-creation,
the re-formation, of his people’s hearts.

And what can possibly change a person’s heart? A person’s heart is changed by God when they
come to know something about this God. Oh, the people of Israel knew their God—through
the Law they knew he was righteous and just and perfect and mighty. But through the mouth of Jeremiah, the Lord God declares: “I will forgive their iniquity and remember their sin no more.”

No longer is the people’s ability to obey the Law the foundation for the covenant. God’s
capacity to forgive unconditionally becomes the foundation for the covenant. God is willing
to give a second chance to people who have failed and don’t deserve a second chance.
His mercy extends even to those who have rejected him. Jeremiah says this new knowledge
about a merciful God is the thing that will be written on the people’s hearts, and it will change
them and change the way they respond to God.

In Jeremiah, we discover the Lord God chooses to be with his people. And He continues to act for our sake, in spite of the fact we often fail to follow what’s written on the white board. He made a covenantal promise to the people of Israel, and centuries later, we who bear the name of Christ believe that the person of Jesus himself embodies this new covenant: Jesus the Son, whose own heart knows God the Father. Jesus our friend, always present with us, moving us beyond our exile, giving us hope.

Jesus our savior, restoring our relationship with God when it looked to be irreversibly broken.
Jesus our Lord, reforming us from the inside out, changing our hearts by the power of his Spirit.

Our God has set us free from the past and seeks only to love us in the moment. There is not one here, I would dare to suggest, who is not in need of forgiveness or who would love for the woeful weight of guilt to be lifted from their burdened souls. {Pause}

I love the Ernest Hemingway story of the Spanish father who wanted so to be reconciled with his son who ran away from home to the city of Madrid. The father misses the son. Not knowing how to contact him, the father places an ad in the local newspaper El Liberal. The advertisement read, “Paco, meet me at the Hotel Montana the next day at noon on Tuesday. All is forgiven! Love, Papa.” Paco is such a common name in Spain that when the father went to the Hotel Montana the next day at noon there were 800 young men named Paco waiting for their fathers! Hemmingway’s story reminds us of just how desperate we all are for forgiveness.

What a marvelous God we worship. The new thing is that we are made new, not because of our doing, but because of God’s love.

"Make It Plain, Preacher. Make It Plain"

2009-03-23T04:47:00.000-07:00

One day I was preaching at a church. It was one of those churches where the congregation carries on a dialogue with the preacher during the sermon. As I progressed into the sermon people in the congregation started responding with, "Yes" "Uh-huh" and "Amen." As I got further in to the sermon the pace of the responses picked up as people began to catch on to what I was trying to say. Finally I got to a particularly difficult and important point in the sermon and above the "amens" and other responses a woman's voice gently rose over it all and she said, "Make it plain, preacher. Make it plain."

That's what Jesus does here in this passage from John. He makes it plain. Nicodemus a very learned teacher of the law, a Pharisees, a respected religious leader, came to Jesus asking about the Kingdom of God. Jesus told him that he must be born again, but Nicodemus misunderstood. So Jesus explained it to him and made it plain.

John 3:14-21 is part of that explanation. And Jesus makes it so plain that John 3:16 is often quoted as a summary of the Christian faith. Jesus makes it plain, but so often we don't. In our sophisticated attempts to understand the gospel we make it more complicated. In the process we completely lose sight of the original point.

The first point we lose sight of is that "God so loved the world that he sent his only Son." It doesn't say that God kind of liked the world. It certainly doesn't say that God could care less for the world, but some might think that from the church's lack of care for the world. It doesn't say that God felt sorry for the world, yet pity is the deepest emotion some "church people" feel for the world. It doesn't even say that God had a warm fuzzy feeling about the world, even though for some warm fuzzy is their definition of love. It says that he "so loved the world."

If fact he loved it so much that he what? What did he do because he loved the world? He gave his only begotten Son. No, God didn't just send Jesus to the world like you send a child to camp, God sent him to die. Jesus, the Word of God made flesh, came to suffer and die for the world. I have been struggling to come up with a definition of "so loved." And words seem to fail me. How do I express the depth and breadth of God's love.

But Jesus made it plain. He simply said, "My Father loves you this much" then he spread his arms on the cross and died. Yet we lose sight of this fact. We forget that God's love came first. Our whole religion, the church, who we are as God's people, even our salvation is the direct result of God's love.

"For God SO LOVED the world that he GAVE his only begotten Son!"

The second point is that "everyone who believes in him shall have eternal life." No, this is more than accepting certain doctrines about Jesus like he is the Son of God and that he rose from the dead. That is "believing about," this speaks of "believing in." It is a matter of trust. Maybe another way to phrase this is "everyone who trusts in Jesus shall have eternal life."

But that is too plain for most people. Like Nicodemus we wonder if there must be more. So people do more than wonder, they make up more. They come up with tests of doctrine and faith. They ask if you are pro this or anti that and if you answer wrong they decided you are not a “true” believer. They make a list of fundamental doctrines and no matter how much you place your faith in Jesus if you don't ascribe to those fundamentals of the faith, they judge you as unsaved and damned to hell. Sometimes people think that if you don't go through the right rituals you don't have eternal life. They decided that you are unsaved because you church baptizes in the wrong way or serves communion in the wrong way. Or maybe that you must be lost because your church ordains women or doesn't ordain women.

But Jesus made it plain. "Everyone who believes in him shall have eternal life." It's simply a matter of trusting in Jesus. Now don't get me wrong doctrine and rituals and practices are all important. But they are an issue of serving God rightly not of receiving eternal life. The only thing necessary for eternal life is faith in Jesus.

The third point is that "God sent his Son not to condemn the world but that the world might be saved through him." We Christians really do a bad job of remembering this one. We are so busy condemning the world we forget to try to save it. I think it was Charles Finny the famous evangelist who said, "You have to get them lost to get them found." It is true that sometimes people have to be convinced of their sin especially in the "I'm OK, you're OK" society we live in. But frankly sometimes the church is so busy getting people lost we forget that our real goal is to get them found.

Why is it that so many in our society see traditional Christians as the enemy. Of course we oppose sinful and hurtful life styles. But if we were ministering to the world rightly, they would see us as well meaning people who disagreed with them. They see the church as hateful because we are so busy condemning we forget to be about the business of saving. Yes we need to stand for what is right and what is wrong, but not at the expense of failing to offer salvation.

Jesus made it plain, "Those who dwell in darkness are condemned already" so he came to save them. If God sent his only begotten Son to save the world and not condemn it, then we should go forth for the same purpose. We should go into the world to save - to offer hope and love and strength. Yet too often we go forth to condemn.

At this point some of you will be saying, "Make it plain preacher make it plain." Well Jesus already made it very plain! God loved the world so much that he gave his only begotten Son to die on a cross. Out of love he did this so that everyone who believes in him would not perish but have eternal life. He didn't do this to have an excuse to send people to Hell, because we were all headed there anyway. He did it to have a way to bring people to heaven.

Do you believe in him? Have you put your whole trust in him and been born anew? He came for you because he loved you. He came that you might know his love and glory eternally. Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior and let him save you - that is after all why he came.

But perhaps you already believe in Jesus. Then follow his example of love. Go into the world not to condemn but to save. Live your life so that others might see God's love in you and be saved through Christ. If God so loved the world that he sacrificed his life for it, shouldn't we love it enough to make sacrifices too?

“Bringing My World to Christ” is the Covenant’s commitment to friendship evangelism. As Covenanters, we believe that people most often encounter Jesus through first encountering friends who already follow Jesus.

The Covenant way is a simple fourfold process. It contains the aspects of prayer (identifying and praying by name for specific individuals), care (unique acts of kindness for them), share (when the opportunity arises, helping people hear of Christ's love) and “hang in there” (being a good friend over time even in the seeming absence of spiritual interest).

The centerpiece is prayer. And so today I am asking you to specifically list a group of individuals you are willing to be praying for that they might come to a new heart-connected life in Christ. Once you have named the individuals for which you will pray, I ask that during our hymn you bring them forward and place them on the altar. These slips of paper with the names of those for whom you have committed to pray will be collect and brought forward at the East Coast Conference Annual Meeting in York, Pennsylvania on May 1 & 2. They are gathered again from all the East Coast Conference churches and presented at the June Covenant Annual Meeting in Portland, Oregon. More than 300,000 named people are prayed for annually. Nearly 14,000 Covenanters participate in Bringing My World to Christ, praying for people all over the world.

Spiritual Housecleaning

2009-03-17T05:24:00.000-07:00

Stan and Jan Berenstain (Bearstein) have written a series of children's books called the Berenstain Bears. The stories are all wonderful lessons of life for young children as Mama and Papa Berenstain Bear along with Brother Bear and Sister Bear encounter things like a bad dream, trouble at school and going to the dentist.

One of our children’s favorite story is "The Berenstain Bears and the Messy Room." It is a lesson about house cleaning. The introduction warns:
"When small bears forget to pick up, store and stash,Some of their favorite things end up in the trash."

The crisis in the story comes when Mama Bear gets fed up with the mess in Brother and Sister's room. The mess is just too much to take. It goes this way:
"Well, the mess just seemed to build up and build up until one day... maybe it was because Mama's back was a little stiff, or maybe it was stepping on Brother's airplane cement, or maybe she was just fed up with that messy room, but whatever it was... Mama Bear lost her temper!
She stormed into the cub's room with a big box. 'The first thing we need to do is get rid of all this junk!' she said. Brother and Sister were watching in horror as Mama began to throw things into the box."

I think my mother must have been friends with Mama Bear!

It's like that sometimes with our lives, isn't it? Things pile up until it is just too much to take. We have to clean up the mess. Whether it is a messy room or a messy set of circumstances at work or at home or in the church, the time comes when we just want the mess cleaned up. A mess devalues something of worth. It might be a room we want to enjoy or a household where we want some peace and quiet. But, when it's messy, it can't serve its intended purpose.

I have a messy desk. Someday I am going to clean my messy desk, but I never seem to get around to it and I can only imagine how mice it would be to have a whole desk top on which to write my sermons.

There are times when a mess can be so serious, nothing but radical housecleaning will correct the situation.

That's what today's gospel lesson is all about. Jesus finds a horrible mess in the temple and becomes very angry. He actually took a whip and drove the merchants out of the temple courtyard where they were conducting business. He overturned the tables where the accountants were making change and he told the merchants to take their merchandise away.

You have to picture the scene to even begin to appreciate the spiritual bombshell Jesus set off with his actions. The moneychangers scrambling after their coins, the people who came to the temple standing in shock and the officials frozen with rage and indignation would have been something to see. Who in the world does this peasant from Galilee think he is?

This isn't the "Gentle Jesus meek and mild" we are accustomed to. What is it that has created such anger in him?

"The disciples", the gospel says, "Remembered that it was written, 'Zeal for your house will consume me.' " [Ps. 69:9] Jesus says the center of Israel's worship life, the temple, has become a marketplace. They have turned the church into a department store. It is as though, when no one was looking, someone or something robbed the reverence of the people of God and displaced the worship of God with the whims of human desire.

Why was Jesus so enraged?

The scene that confronts Jesus as he goes to the temple is representative of the whole corruption of Israel's religious life. His conflict is with a system and with religious officials who are by their actions, breaking every one of the first four commandments!

We will have to look closely at our text from Exodus to get the connection between the Decalogue (10 commandments) and Jesus' cleansing of the temple.

The first four commandments are all about the holiness and sovereignty of God. Nothing is to take center stage in our living but the Lord God. There is no other god. We must not take the name of the Lord in vain -- or as the text more correctly expands this concept -- "You must not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord..." And, we are to keep the Sabbath -- or worship day -- set apart for God. It's all about reverencing God.

The one basic principle behind the whole Law of Moses and in particular the Ten Commandments is the centrality of God in our lives. Jesus sets it out this way in Mark 12:30, "...you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength." God must come first in all things in all dimensions of our lives.

With all the buying and selling and money changing, the temple system had become corrupt. Instead of contributing to the worship and reverence of God, it missed the point. Oh the idea of money changing began with good intentions -- instead of using pagan money to buy offerings, the pilgrims would exchange their worldly money for temple money. The problem was, the system was a setup for corruption. The price of a pair of turtle doves jacked up a little here... the exchange of money tilted a little in favor of the money changer there... soon the thing that was supposed to facilitate the worship and reverence of God was turned into something that cheated people and made it more difficult to approach a Holy God. It's all about wrongfully using the name of the Lord.

What if, in the name of the Lord, our Church Finance Committee required that your offerings be exchanged for "spiritual" money. We decided that the world's dollars and coins were "unclean" to give to God, so you would have to obtain "spiritual" money. Then suppose we gave you 85 or ninety cents of "spiritual" money for every dollar of your "worldly" money? Jesus just might begin cleaning house again!

It is important to realize that there are different kinds of messes that require different methods of housecleaning. There are physical messes, emotional messes and spiritual messes. It seems to me all of them have a few principles in common.

Messes build up slowly over time. We don't notice a bit of dust here, a pile of papers there until gradually we are oblivious to the mess that is quite evident to others.
The longer we live with a mess, the easier it becomes to live with it.
The longer we live with a mess, the more difficult it is to do the housecleaning.
If we do not clean up our messes, they will finally destroy us in much the same way that the temple system ended up destroying the worship and reverence of God.

What does spiritual housecleaning look like for you and me?

If you compare your spiritual life to the rooms in your house, in which room of your house do you think Jesus might like to overturn the tables—where you need to do some spiritual housecleaning:
1. The kitchen - your appetites and desires
2. The deck - the place you relax and hang out
3. The bedroom closet - your secret hang-ups
4. The study - your reading material
5. The garage - your gifts, skills and talents
6. The living room - your relationships

May God grant us the action of the Holy Spirit in our lives to do the spiritual housecleaning that will bring us closer to Him.

Take Up a Cross

2009-03-09T05:30:00.000-07:00

In the early days of WW2, when Winston Churchill took over the leadership of England, all that he offered his people was "blood, sweat and tears." And that is very much like what Jesus is offering to His followers here, too.

Jesus never calls upon us to do anything that He was not prepared to do Himself. What He asks us to face, He has already faced. And when He calls upon us to take up a cross, He, Himself, has already borne one for us.That goes against the grain of what the world teaches, for the world teaches that success is measured by how much wealth we hold, by how convenient and easy our lives are. And anything that bothers us or becomes difficult, we should avoid.

Sadly, some churches seem to have adopted that attitude. So churches are advertised as places offering all kinds of fringe benefits to their members. And many people go shopping for the church that seems to offer them the most. That’s the way the world has conditioned us to think - everybody ought to cater to us, and all our wants and desires ought to be met. And when that doesn’t happen, we become unhappy. And yet, the words of Jesus are still there, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

"What did He mean? What does it mean to "take up" or "bear a cross”? What does it mean when someone says, "I want to take up my cross and follow Jesus?" What does the Bible teach about "cross-bearing?"

I. CROSS-BEARING IS ALWAYS VOLUNTARY

First of all, the Bible tells us that "taking up a cross" is voluntary. Jesus calls us, and challenges us, but it is our decision. Taking up a cross and following Jesus is voluntary. For example, suppose that after extensive testing the doctor tells me, "I’m sorry, but you have diabetes, and you’ll have to deal with it for the rest of your life." Now that may be a burden that I must bear, but it is not a cross I have taken up for Jesus. So I can’t then tell others, "Well, that’s my cross to bear," because I didn’t volunteer for it.

Or if a loved one dies and I go through the long days of trying to deal with grief and filling the empty spot that is there, that is not a cross. It may be a heavy burden, but it is not a cross that we are bearing for Jesus.

You see, if I talk about bearing a cross that means I am voluntarily taking it up for Jesus. I’m going to enlist, to offer myself in some way to serve Jesus.

II. CROSS-BEARING IS AN ACT OF LOVE

So, cross-bearing is not an accident that happens to us, or something unavoidable that we must face. Cross-bearing is an act of love that we freely choose.

It is a task that we undertake, a price that we pay, out of love.For Jesus it meant going to a cross to die because He loved us so much He could do nothing else. It means reaching out to people who are unlovable and unlovely and who may never return the love. And yet we are to keep on loving because that’s what Jesus did.

It means not just loving people who love you back.

I love my Kathy and she loves me back. She understand my idiosyncrasies and annoying habits and for some reason she keeps on loving me. I love my children and they love me back, too.

But it is hard to love people who don’t love you back. It’s hard to love people who hate us. And yet cross-bearing means that.

Author Dr. Paul Brand father was a missionary to India. For years he saw almost no converts, due primarily to a Hindu priest who warned the people that if they listened to the Christians their cattle would die. The cattle of those who came to the Christian chapel did die, but only because the priest poisoned them!

As a result, almost no one would listen to the gospel. Brand’s father at times doubted his calling.Following the first world war, a terrible flu epidemic took the lives of thousands in India. People lived in isolation and many died from dehydration. Dr. Brand’s parents cooked a huge vat of soup and took it in buckets to the afflicted in their neighborhood. When the wife of the Hindu priest became ill, the Brands compassionately ministered to her, but she also died. When the priest himself became ill, the Brands brought soup and attempted to assist him. Before he died, he asked the Brands to adopt his daughter. He said, “All my life I have served my people, but now that I am hurting no one comes to help me but Christian. I don’t want my daughter to grow up as a Hindu.”

The Brands adopted her and today she is an 81-year-old grandmother with a large family of Christians. Because the Indian people saw the deeds of mercy to people who had persecuted Christians for years, the mission be came a thriving work.

That is what cross-bearing means. It means touching the lives of people who are unlovable. It means denying and sacrificing. It means paying the price regardless of the hardships we must endure.

III. CROSS-BEARING IS HARD

Now it is not hard to understand that people have always had trouble with that. Whenever the message of the cross has been preached people have always objected to it. "Wait a minute. That is hard. I can’t do that."

Jesus talked about His impending death on a cross and His apostles balked at that. They tried to keep Him from going to Jerusalem. They said, "We don’t want you to die." When He did die on the cross they hid behind locked doors, fearful of what might happen next.

A few years later, when Paul wrote about the cross in 1 Corinthians 1:22-24 he said, "Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews & Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God."

So the cross was a stumbling block to the Jews. It wasn’t what they expected. It wasn’t what they wanted to hear. And neither do we.Jesus’ talk about bearing a cross bothers us, too, doesn’t it? As we lean back in our easy chair, hot coffee in our cup, rejoicing in our success, we hear Him say, "Take up your cross and follow me."

He says, "There are some lost sheep and I need a shepherd to find them and bring them home again." But we say, "Lord, I don’t want to bear that kind of a cross. I’ve worked hard and I really need more time for myself."

Over here are all the things that we want. And over there are the needs of a lost world. And the words of Jesus come back to haunt us, "If you’re my disciple, then deny yourself and take up your cross and follow me." The idea of carrying a cross is a stumbling block and we keep falling over it. But I wonder what kind of world it would be if we just had the courage to put into practice what Jesus taught? If we could turn the other cheek and go the second mile and really learn to love our enemies, I wonder what kind of world would be the result?

We’re running around frantically piecing together our lives, trying to build homes and stockpile possessions. But one day, poof, it’s all going to be gone. It’s going to burn up, disappear and count for nothing. And the only thing that’s going to last is the cross that we have borne for Jesus.

This morning I offer you the cross. Not a life of ease, or a church that is perfect with all the solutions to your problems. I can’t guarantee you success on your job. I can’t promise that your marriage won’t fail. I can’t promise that you’ll stop having problems at home. All I really have to offer is Jesus Christ and His cross. And that is all you or anyone else needs.

HOPE IS OUR FIRST STEP AS WE JOURNEY TO THE CROSS

2009-03-02T10:56:00.000-08:00

Scripture Text: 1 Peter3:13-22

Our world is experiencing an uncertain time, a defining moment in the history. That is not an over dramatization of the events of the last few years but rather a prophetic perspective of the years ahead.

The events unfolding around the globe TODAY are another significant step closer to the conclusion of history as described in the scriptures. I am not seeking to sensationalize the political and military actions being taken but to share with you my conviction that we must not overlook their significance to the spiritual climate of the world.

Many people are sensing in a new way a genuine hopelessness. A fear of increasing terrorist attacks, political fanaticism, economic instability and social unrest.

What hope can there possibly be for a better world for our children?
Where can we find new hope for the present, let alone our future?
Where can we ourselves, where can our friends, family& neighbors turn for hope?

Verse 15 of 1 Peter 3 says ‘Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.’

I want us to consider this idea of HOPE being our first step as we journey to the cross.

LIVING IN A HOPE-LESS WORLD
The Lord God fully understands that hope is vital to all living people. How do we know this because the word hope occurs 145 times in 138 verses in the RSV

There are so many ways that our HOPE is shattered.

Broken bodies – sickness, disease, disaster
Broken homes – divorce, violence, debt, death
Broken lives – drugs, alcohol, crime, bereavement, desertion
Broken dreams – ambition, failure, defeat, disappointment

These all seem to be symptoms of our modern society and today are affecting millions of us, depriving so many of peace, happiness and ultimately hope.

Someone once said, “We can live forty days without food, eight days without water, four minutes without air, but only a few seconds without hope”

UNDERSTANDING HOPE IN A HOPE-LESS WORLD
What do we mean by HOPE? What did Peter mean by HOPE in his letter?

The word used in the Greek is Elpis and means ‘a favorable and confident expectation’. It has to do with a positive vision of the unseen and the future.

It’s most frequent use in the NT talks about the ‘happy anticipation of good’

Hope is not wishful thinking, or a vague aspiration. It’s not wanting things to turn out well, while remaining uncertain that they actually will.

Hope is the absolute certainty we have that God is good and that His promises are true.
Hope reveals the truth that God loves you. It’s hopeless to try and be good enough to get God to love you. But the wonderful message of the Bible is that God loves you in spite of the hopeless condition that you are in.

When you’ve given up hope, you think all is lost, and it looks like you’re getting ready to go over the edge, remember: the Father is still on his throne, the Holy Spirit is still in the business of saving souls

Hope reveals the truth that God has a plan for your life. (Jer 29:11 NIV) For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Hope reveals the truth that God will never leave you.

Hope is actually personalized in Jesus and His sacrifice for us on the cross.

POSSESSING HOPE IN A HOPE-LESS WORLD

This world needs people with a confident hope. Not a misplaced hope but a secure hope.

To convince others that there is hope we need ourselves to be convinced. God’s people are not expected to live dictated to by world circumstances but by the principles and promises of God’s kingdom.

We have the greatest hope of all.

We should be the possessors of an undying hope, a favorable and confident expectation that our lives and futures are in the hands of one greater than the worlds strongest and most awful leaders.

“Other men see only a hopeless end, but the Christian rejoices in an endless hope”

Are you heading for a hopeless end or do you have an endless hope?
Without Christ, one has NO HOPE! Without Christ, one is destined for a hopeless end.

With Christ, one has an endless hope.

SHARING HOPE IN A HOPE-LESS WORLD
1 Peter 3:15 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.

The despair, anxiety and fear that we see in people around us is the very opportunity we have to share the good news of Jesus with them.

You may be thinking how we can respond positively to the awful things that have been happening in our world over the past few years. My advice is as follows …..

• PLACE Jesus Christ at the center of your heart…. ‘in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord’
• PERSEVERE in living with a positive heart towards others …. ‘always be prepared to give an answer’
• PASS on your HOPE with the conviction with which you hold on to it…. ‘give the reason for the hope that you have’

Transfiguration Day Or Standing on the Threshold of Lent

2009-02-22T16:12:00.000-08:00

Remember when you were little? When you were too small and young to do certain jobs or chores around the house? How exciting and enticing those tasks appeared. If only you were big enough to run the vacuum cleaner! To push the lawn mower! To wash the dishes! Two-year-olds love to get pint-sized brooms and mops and sweepers--acting out all the work that goes along with them. But somehow the attraction fades fast.

Something like that often happens to our following Jesus. Oh, we begin well. We get all excited. We want to do great things for Jesus. But then we sort of fizzle out. We decided following Jesus isn’t all we thought it was going to be. Then what often happens is that we trade the excitement, the thrill, the enthusiasm of following Jesus for something much tamer—“Christian success.”

What makes for "Christian success"? According to the success model, it must mean reaching huge numbers of people; being able to broadcast the gospel as far and fast as possible; developing church programming that thrives and grows; finding a harmonious, beautiful, forward-looking, upward-thinking church home for worship. Surely these are the marks of a "successful" ministry and mission.

But if they truly are the marks of Christian success, then Jesus himself must necessarily be counted as a colossal failure.

Instead of establishing a "Center for Jesus' Teachings" which could pull students and wisdom seekers from all over to a central location, Jesus chose to wander the countryside--hardly spending the night in the same place twice--the crowds always trying to catch up to him.

Instead of organizing a 500 page manual for training scores and scores of followers, Jesus chose only 12 disciples--and provided them only with strange, "on-the-road" instruction.

Instead of playing up his miraculous strengths, the wonder and power of his true identity, Jesus chose to appear before the world almost anonymously, as a simple, dusty craftsman, rabbi-of-sorts and out-of-sorts leader.

Today's account of the Transfiguration offers a perfect example of Jesus' failure to capitalize on a situation ripe for success. But not Peter. Although stunned and scared, Peter at least recognizes a golden moment when he sees one. If no one else will, he will seize the moment. Even if this vision does not last, at least they can build shelters which will stand on this site after the light fades and the heavenly visitors depart. Here the booths, could stand, monuments to a great success--a place where believers and doubters could come and recapture the experience. Once Peter, James and John spread the word about this transfiguring event, people would flock to the site, a mega-movement would develop, and Jesus' mission would become a great "success."

But Jesus rejects this success scenario completely. Indeed, there really is no such thing as "failure" or "success" for Jesus. "Failure" and "success" are the Devil's inventions and intentions. Jesus was concerned only extending himself forward into God's service. "Successes" are those things that can be calculated, calibrated, and counted-up. Service is never quantified. The point of serving is to offer yourself without counting the cost or tallying the results.

So if its not about success what is it about?

Today is Transfiguration Day, one of those turning points when we move in a new direction. This is the point at which we find out what Jesus really is about, and what following means. We stand on the threshold of Lent in much the same place as the disciples - standing in the shadow of the cross!

The challenge is first and foremost to those of us who are followers of Jesus. Over the next 6 weeks of Lent , as we journey in the Way of the Cross, we must take a close, honest look at our own hearts and responses. We need to have our easy assumptions that we know who Jesus is shattered, as the disciples’ were. We need to face up to the possibility of our own blindness and deafness - particularly to a gospel that is uncomfortable. Lent is not about giving things up - it’s about not giving up on Jesus! And it’s about being prepared to deny ourselves.

The Way of the Cross doesn’t come easily or cheaply - literally! Jesus was taking on the powers that control some human beings for the benefit of others. He was intent on building a new world - the world where the least come first. That is what being his followers should mean, and look at the sort of world we have!

This morning, we stand on the threshold of Lent. Are you prepared to hear the call to the Way of the Cross? To hear it as shocking, new, uncomfortable, divisive and repulsive. We need to commit ourselves to dealing with our blindness and our deafness. But we don’t stop there. We can commit to the Way of the Cross for it’s an account of hope. Where is our hope? Our hope is in the Lord Jesus Christ, because in Him the deaf hear and the blind see - and the disciples on the mountain do deny themselves, take up their crosses, and follow Jesus! That, too is our hope and I pray will be our story.

2009-02-16T10:48:00.000-08:00

Getting sick is so easy. Consider the dreaded winter "flu season," when all you have to do is encounter one school-age child or shake hands with someone in order to suddenly be the new home base for some exotically named virus that has dismally familiar symptoms. When some noxious germ fells us, we may allow it a day or two of ascendancy over our lives, but we are soon out determinedly spreading the illness to friends and coworkers as we struggle to ignore its continued presence and get our busy lives back on track.

In healing, as in the rest of our lives, we want to take control, settle our own accounts and set our own agenda and timetables.But healing is a process over which we have very little control. Physicians continue to be mystified by the fact that patients suffering from the same illness and given the same treatments will respond in a wide variety of ways. The presence of God's healing spirit in us is the variable that makes all healing possible.

The story of Naaman's healing suggests some of the necessary our spirits must go through in order to respond to God's healing touch.

First, Naaman's self-assured, commanding spirit must move towards humility. Naaman, the victorious general of the Aramean troops, must acknowledge that he has no power of command over the leprosy that afflicts him. Throughout this story Naaman must go down, for he finds the cure he seeks only in lowly places. First the word of hope comes to him from the humble slave girl. Next he travels to the land he has only recently pillaged in battle to seek the help of Israel's king and prophet. He "goes down" to Samaria - a dusty one horse town, a far cry from Jerusalem's splendor. Finally, after listening to Elisha and then to his own servants, Naaman must "go down" to the muddy banks of the Jordan to bathe away his sickness.

Second, besides being humbled, going down, Naaman must also experience a sense of "metanoia" or turning around. Verse 14 proclaims that, after bathing in the Jordan, Naaman's flesh was "restored" - that is, returned to a previous condition of youthfulness and health. Furthermore, after this miracle occurs he "returns" to Elisha to pay his respects and give thanks. Restoring and returning carry the biblical baggage of more than a simple physical phenomenon - this experience of metanoia suggests that a spiritual conversion has also taken place. Not only is Naaman's flesh transformed by God's action in Jordan's waters, but Naaman's spirit is likewise changed. When Naaman returns to Elisha's front porch, it is with both a healthy body and a transformed spirit.

When the restored body and spirit of Naaman journeys back to Elisha, there is a third and fourth step he must take in order to demonstrate that lasting healing has indeed set in. Just as a broken bone is not healed until it can once again bear weight, neither can a body and spirit healed by God be completely transformed until the healer is thankfully acknowledged. This means that Naaman returns in a state of "submission" to kneel before Elisha. Naaman assembles himself and all his entourage before Elisha in order to prostrate his pride before this "man of God," as Elisha is now called (verse 15). His submission is complete, as Naaman now identifies himself as a servant to both Elisha and Elisha's God.

Thus Naaman is finally brought to the fourth stage of healing when, after spiritually kneeling before Elisha, he now stands up before God and confesses faith in the Lord of Israel. Having experienced the unmerited grace of God's restorative powers in his own life, Naaman's thankfulness wells up within him, bubbling out in his simple, yet all-consuming, confession of faith. Only at this point is Naaman's healing process completely accomplished.

The experience of healing in our lives is an active, not a passive, process. But the actions required of us, as demonstrated by Naaman, are not the kind of exercises we like to undertake. The progression from humility to metanoia, to submission and confession, translates into a series of spiritually uncomfortable positions for us: We must go down, turn around, kneel before and finally stand up before God's power and grace.

Consider how Naaman must have felt to have a lowly servant girl call attention to his sickness in order that she might prescribe a possible course of treatment. Naaman was a conqueror, her master, the commander of a victorious army - but to this lowly, young, servant girl, he was only a leper who needed to be cleansed and healed.

Do we have the ability to see past our own shallow successes and our cosmetically-concealed shortcomings in order to take that first step and admit that we too are lepers in need of God's healing touch? Naaman could have ignored his condition, covered it up and even could have had the servant girl beaten for making such an impertinent suggestion. Yet that is not what he did, is it? He allowed his spirit to humbly bent down and acknowledge the label of leper and with that he began to seek a cure.

"Turning around," experiencing the effect of metanoia in our life, can also be scary. To be transformed means that we must willingly give up our old familiar self. We do not know how long Naaman had suffered from leprosy, but it was part of his identity. He had obviously enjoyed a professionally successful life despite it - perhaps he even felt his condition added to his military prowess. No matter how failed or frail part of our identity might be, it is still difficult to give up that comfortable image for a transformed and as yet unknown new self.

An alcoholic wonders if he will still be interesting and likeable at social events without a drink in his hand. A drug abuser wonders if her life can ever be as satisfying as that first momentary rush of narcotic into her bloodstream. Turning around takes courage, despite the fact that we need never fear what God has in store for us.

Experiencing God's healing touch in our lives should cause our knees to bend in prayerful thanks. Naaman wastes no time in returning to Elisha and submissively acknowledging the hand of God in his miraculous cure. Yet we often struggle against identifying God's hand in our lives, refusing to submit and kneel before that power. The unswerving loyalty of friends and family during a personal crisis is taken for granted. Life-saving surgery is forgotten, even resented, in the tedium of convalescence. Our disposable society has made us quick to use up and then throw away blessings without considering their source. Taking time to "kneel before" our God and recognize the essential healing nature of the divine presence in our lives must be repeated over and over again to keep us spiritually fit.

The final exercise we learn from the Naaman story requires us to "stand up" and boldly confess our faith in the source of all healing. Naaman is taking considerable risk in voicing this confession. In the summation of this story, not part of this week's lectionary reading, we get some sense of what might be the potential cost of this confession. For Naaman there is the risk of inciting royal displeasure if he fails to accompany the Aramean king to the temple of Rimmon. Naaman begs forgiveness for this action before it even occurs.

On Eagle Wings

2009-02-08T16:19:00.000-08:00

Have you ever seen an eagle in flight? I did a few summers ago while vacationing on Squam Lake, up in Holderness, New Hampshire. I'll never forget how the eagle rose effortlessly, not seeming to move its wings at all, riding the air currents that bore it aloft. I've been told that without at least some level of wind or air current they can barely fly at all – certainly, they're not designed to flap and flutter. I don’t know about you but I love the image that pictures us being lifted on wings like eagles and having strength restored to the weak.

The historical context of Isaiah’s time is less familiar. These words are written to God’s people at a time when they have lost everything. Their homes had been destroyed in war. Many had died and those who remained had been carried off to a foreign land to be placed into slavery.

Try to imagine what that might be like. What if our country was ravaged by war, our homes and cities destroyed and we were separated from family and friends and taken to a foreign land where we live as slaves. Imagine how we might feel after years of such an existence after having lived in the prosperity and freedom that we now have experienced. Would we be equally as excited about following God and believing that he has the power to set us free? I can imagine that it would be very hard to remain hopeful, optimistic, faithful to God. Into this very situation the prophet Isaiah comes to remind the people of who God is and what God does. ‘Don’t you remember - have you forgotten - haven’t you even heard ....... God is an everlasting God who has created all of the earth and stretched out the heavens. Don’t give up hope! God will set you free and lift you up on eagle’s wings!’

Haven't you been paying attention?" Isaiah asks. "Yes, you have gone through a lot. Yes, you're still not where you want to me," Isaiah says, in recognition of their pain. Then God adds, "Yet."Isaiah does not promise that God will do everything for the people. God will empower them to cooperate with God as His covenant people in bringing life and well-being to light. God is not a tool that we may use to meet whatever needs we have.How often do we get so caught up in our own circumstances that we forget that the presence and power of God changes everything? This is the question raised by Isaiah 40:21-31.It is one thing to believe and search after the Lord when you are experiencing the joy of His life giving power. It is another thing altogether when it seems impossible to see anything but slavery. And in fact there are so many that live enslaved and see no hope - no future.

We may not experience the destructive power of war and exile as slaves but many experience similar losses in their lives. We grow older and strength fades, possessions have to be parted with, family members die and it seems as thought there is no hope for the future. People get trapped in negative patterns of living, poverty, or sickness and it seems as though there is no way out - no hope. - - - But we hear the promise . . . . . Don’t you remember — have you not heard? The Lord is an everlasting God who gives power to the faint. He is a creator God who understands His creation and knows that even youth grow weary. And there, even in the most desperate moments God implores us to wait for Him - wait and see how He will renew our strength and lift us up out of our slavery on mighty wings like those of eagles.

Verse 21 asks, "Do you not know who God is?" He is the one sitting enthroned above the circle of the earth (v. 22). He is the one who reduces the rulers of the world to nothing (v. 23). He is the one who has no equal, who created every star in the heaven, who has a name for each of them, and holds them all in place (v. 26).This God, continues Isaiah the prophet, is the one who is our source of strength when our own strength fails. Isaiah closes with the beautiful simile of believers soaring on wings like eagles (v. 31). One of the remarkable capabilities of eagles is the ability to soar over a storm. Eagles sense when a storm is coming, they soar to a high point in the sky, and then when the storm winds come, they use the storm's wind to soar even higher, over the top of the storm itself. What a powerful metaphor for coping with loss, distress, and conflict in our lives. Don't get caught up in the storms of life. Set your wings and let the winds of turmoil cause your soul to soar.

Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;but those who hope in the Lordwill renew their strength.They will soar on wings like eagles;They will run and not grow weary,They will walk and not be faint.Isaiah 40:30-31

Do you remember? Have you not heard? Have you not seen the power of God to heal and
set free?

A Space With a Different Spirit

2009-02-01T18:32:00.000-08:00

Now there was a man in the synagogue possessed of an unclean spirit…’ That is a verse that stops us dead in our tracks, brings us to a halt. That is exactly what happens to Jesus in this passage. Here he is brought up short by the forces that oppose and resist Him, and perhaps we should not be surprised by this confrontation. After all Jesus was a man baptized and anointed by the Spirit of God. The Spirit has descended upon him at his baptism earlier, in chapter 1, and the Spirit has then immediately driven him into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan. And that seems to be the pattern. The one anointed with the Spirit of God inevitably encounters the spirit which is opposed to God, that which resists God and that seeks to crush the Spirit of life.

So, as in the wilderness, now in the synagogue. Jesus enters and teaches with authority and suddenly this one who is has a counter spirit, a spirit of evil and death is provoked. ‘What do you want with me, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are!’ And it is clear at once what this man is seeking to do. In ancient times to know someone’s name meant to hold power over them. It was to have access to their true selves - hence God’s reluctance to disclose His own name. But the evil spirit boasts of his knowledge of Jesus’ name. This evil spirit is seeking to overpower Jesus and to dominate him. But Jesus silences him. He silences the spirit and casts the spirit out. The same authority that had amazed people in Jesus’ teaching is now demonstrated in action. And in this clash of spirits, the Spirit of God that fills Jesus overpowers this false spirit, this unclean spirit, and people are left amazed.

I want to focus more closely on this man with the unclean spirit because it seems to me that he is more significant than might first appear. The question is, what is he doing here in the synagogue? Where did he come from? How did he get here? Interestingly, Mark does not refer to the demoniac entering the synagogue, barging his way in. We do not read of him bursting open the doors, forcing entry. No. In fact this is the sixth time in this first chapter that Mark uses this word ‘immediately’: at once. At once there is a man in their synagogue possessed with a spirit of evil. It’s as if he suddenly just appears from within, provoked and exposed by the presence of Jesus. The evil spirit does not come in from outside, but emerges from inside. He is the spirit of the synagogue, a spirit that manifests itself through this poor man the minute Jesus appears and opens his mouth and teaches. Jesus here is provoking and exposing the spirit that is at work in the synagogue, and he is overcoming it. And we are catching a glimpse of one aim of the whole of Jesus’ ministry.

You see, the synagogue was one exceedingly powerful institution. It was extremely influential, holding sway over the lives of people. It was the seat of the scribes, those learned men entrusted with the Torah, the Law of God. Here people came to receive instruction. Here people came to be directed in the ways of God. This is the space of the religious authorities, the religious establishment, and it is powerful - one of the major powers at work in people’s lives. In the hands of the scribes the Law of God became the source of wise living. Hence the importance of the synagogue. But just look at what is happening. With the arrival of Jesus the synagogue with all its devotion to God’s Law is being exposed as possessed of the power of death rather than the power of life, the power of darkness rather than the power of light. It had become the power of oppression rather than liberation, a power that constrained and the life of ordinary people was diminished as a result.

This is the same story throughout Mark gospel. In Chapter 2 we find the scribes hounding Jesus for the company he keeps, eating with outcasts and with sinners. In Chapter 3 we find Jesus again in the synagogue and the scribes are waiting to pounce if he dares to heal a man with a withered hand. And indeed in that chapter the scribes accuse Jesus of being possessed not just by demons but by the prince of demons. ‘He is possessed by Beelzebul and by the prince of demons he casts out demons’. And what greater testimony could there be that these people are animated by a false, anti-Christ spirit than that they throw that accusation at Jesus? And you may recall another incident in another Gospel where Jesus comes and preaches to his own home synagogue in Nazareth and what is the effect? The people drive him out and expel him from the synagogue and the town and would have thrown him off a cliff if they could. Such was the reaction of the synagogue to Jesus’ preaching. Such was the level of opposition.

What we see here is a vivid illustration of how something good and beautiful, something liberating and life-giving, can so easily turn and become ugly and deeply oppressive. That was the story of the synagogue, and is it not all too often the story of religion generally? Believers are under something of an onslaught at the moment by those who portray religion as harmful - ‘religion poisons everything’, as Christopher Hitchins puts it. And indeed enough horrors have been perpetuated by religion and continue to be. It so easily becomes harmful and oppressive. But is that not just the problem? When the things of God become the instruments of the devil. No wonder the mythology of Lucifer portrays him as a fallen angel, cast down from the very heights to the very depths. C.S. Lewis used to say that demons are not made from fleas but from angels. The higher they are the lower they fall. And there is always that ambiguity about religion. It’s always two-edged, capable of the highest and the lowest.

But Jesus expels the demon and just look at what Jesus is doing here. Just look at his confrontation of this institution which cast such a shadow over people’s lives. Here we see disclosed Jesus’ mission, which is to create space for a different spirit: the Spirit of life. Here we see Jesus’ mission, which is to create a space where God’s Word, could be taught once again. Here we see Jesus mission: to create a space, an arena, where false, destructive spirits that blight and overshadow life are resisted and dethroned and where a different Spirit operates.
And is that not exactly what the church is all about - to be such a space? Is that not a vision for the church? We are not to act on the basis of our rights but on the basis of consideration of others and their well-being. In the world we might act according to our rights, our entitlements, our narcissistic desires, but here, in this space, a different spirit is at work. Here we defer to one another. Here the spirit of love and graciousness operates and these other spirits are banished. That is what the church is all about.

And does that not make you feel just a little bit excited about belonging to the church, to this community of faith? The church is the place where powers and spirits that are at work in the world and that diminish life are named and challenged and resisted. And we all know those forces. We are all too familiar with them. There is the spirit of materialism and consumption that creates such abject poverty and disproportionate wealth and that ravages the planet. There is the spirit of misused and distorted sex that bursts its bounds and that pervades everything. There is the spirit of the survival of the strongest by which the weak are excluded and crushed. There is the spirit of violence and fanaticism… and we could go on and on. And in the face of these spirits of the 21st century world, despite all our staggering technology and know-how, we are every bit as powerless as that poor man in that synagogue all those years ago. And God’s gift to the world is this space where such spirits are exposed and confronted and resisted in the name of the One who overcomes them. Is that a description of the church as we know it? Is it recognizable in our church?

The world needs such a place as much as ever it did. The unclean spirits have not gone away. They are as violent and life-destroying as ever - and as vocal as ever. And Jesus says, ‘Be silent! Come out!’ And he entrusts us here in this place with a different spirit to live by.
Amen.

"Follow Me": The Call to Discipleship

2009-01-26T17:52:00.000-08:00

In a pulling contest at a state fair, the first-place horse won the pulling contest by pulling a sled with 4,500 pounds. The second- place horse could manage 4,000 pounds. The two owners decided to see what both horses could do pulling together. They pulled 12,000 pounds. The pulling together of the two horses resulting in a much greater weight being pulled than their individual efforts. Teamwork added 3,500 pounds.

Jesus — Son of the living God, God of God — believed in teamwork. We’d better believe it, too. In this week’s gospel lesson, we see that Jesus is beginning an earthly ministry. He’s not starting a “business,” and he’s not just some businessman trying to make a buck. Jesus is not going to be your CEO to help you get rich. He’s actually doing something a little bit more ambitious, like PROCLAIMING THE ARRIVAL OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD (1:15).

Jesus surrounded himself with a team. Sure, part of the idea of choosing 12 disciples was to provide a metaphor for a reconstituted and renewed 12 tribes of Israel, but the practical side of Jesus’ mission required the help and participation of others. He doesn’t wait for them to come to him but at the outset of his ministry spends time going after candidates, most of whom are nothing like himself.

If the call of the first disciples is any indication, Jesus wasn’t looking for experts in theology, role models of high moral character and religious piety or techies versed in communication theory and practice. He doesn’t go headhunting at the local synagogue or collect resumes from Jerusalem. Instead, he goes to the lakeshore reeking with the stink of fish, and begins by inviting some fishermen to be on his team. While the text gives us no indication of the specific roles Jesus was looking for in Simon, Andrew, James and John, we can get a clue at least about the basic character of the disciples he was calling and, indeed, still calls today.

Before we go there, though, we have to remember that any venture worth its salt begins with a solid mission statement. Here it is: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news” (1:15). The time is now, God is here, change your ways and believe the good news.

The announcement of the kingdom would have sounded both exciting and dangerous to those hearing Jesus by the Galilean lake. It was exciting because it meant that God was going to act decisively on Israel’s behalf, but dangerous because that meant a challenge to the prevailing Roman authority. In fact, for many first-century Jews, “kingdom of God” was a revolutionary slogan that signified violent revolt against Roman power. Jesus, however, would use that slogan quite differently. Indeed, for Jesus, the coming kingdom was a sign that God was going to do something on behalf of all of creation, redeeming God’s people from sin, making outsiders to be insiders and decisively defeating evil and death. That was the “good news” that required a response.

A response seems to be what Jesus was looking for as he came to the lakeshore. He was doing his own “fishing” for people when he came upon Simon and Andrew, and invited them to join him in his work. James and John were next, leaving their undoubtedly astounded father by the boats with the hired help as they, too, set out after Jesus.

Traditionally, many readers of the gospels assume that these fishermen were poor, destitute individuals with nothing to lose who follow Jesus to try and break the monotony of their everyday lives. A close reading of Mark reveals quite a different scene. The truth is that these four fishermen were likely quite prosperous. We learn later that Simon and Andrew had a house and an extended family (Mark 1:29-31) and that James and John, along with their father Zebedee, were wealthy enough to be able to hire additional help for their fishing business. Chances are that with this kind of background these men may have had some education. These weren’t desperate drifters with nothing to lose, but well-established businessmen in a culture where prosperity and family were everything. Following Jesus, then, was no small disruption of their lives but a complete change of course. Throwing in with Jesus meant throwing out their security, their reputations and their livelihoods.

Jesus wanted people with just one primary qualification for discipleship: a willingness to follow, regardless of cost.

Sure, the disciples would take on different roles within the group as it formed around Jesus. Simon Peter would become the leader, spokesman and conscience of the group, John would be the “beloved” disciple and closest friend of Jesus, Andrew may have been the hospitality coordinator, and so forth. Regardless of his role, however, each disciple shared a common trait: They said “Yes” to Jesus’ invitation, gambling their futures on his vision for a new world. Mind you, they didn’t exactly understand the ramifications at first. Mark is pretty hard on the disciples, who seem to be a bit slow at times when trying to grasp what Jesus was teaching them. The courage that they displayed that day on the lakeshore would dissolve into panic in the Garden of Gethsemane, yet they would be recovered by the resurrection and would move the kingdom message out into the world, a move that would cost most of them their lives.

Imagine Jesus walking into an office building, a factory or a grocery store and tapping a secretary, a welder or a checkout clerk on the shoulder saying, “Follow me.” Imagine the looks on the faces of his coworkers when the employee walks out, leaving the file open, the steel beams of a building dangling in mid air and the groceries un-bagged. We have a hard time fathoming that kind of response and would probably chalk it up to some kind of cultlike mind control on the part of the spiritual guru making the call. Most of us like the idea of devotion to Christ, but only insofar as it doesn’t get in the way of our “normal” lives.

But we miss that fact that Jesus is all about disrupting our normal lives. The announcement of the kingdom was a proclamation that everything was changing. Later, these same disciples would be accused of “turning the world upside down” through their preaching and activity in the name of Jesus (Acts 17:6). Being a disciple means being willing to drop our own agendas for life and get on board with the kingdom agenda of Jesus. We’re not called to simply be advisers and supporters of Jesus, but true “friends” and investors who stake our lives and livelihoods on his vision for the world (John 15:14).

Confession Is Good For the Soul

2009-01-23T11:18:00.000-08:00

Confession is the beginning point of dealing with sin. The most commonly used Greek word for sin means to "miss the mark." When we sin, we "miss the mark" of God's standard for our lives. As long as we refuse to face up to the fact that we have missed God's mark, we remain in our sin. This is where confession comes in. The word translated as "confess" is made up of two Greek words: homo (meaning "the same") and logeo (meaning "word"). So confession literally means "to speak the same words." When we confess we "speak the same words" or we agree with God that we have missed His standard for our lives. We call sin what it really is: lust, envy, hatred, bitterness and so forth. It is only when we've reached the point where we're finally dealing honestly with God and ourselves, that God can begin His work of healing and restoration.

Based on God's faithfulness and justice, He responds to confession by the two things we need most, forgiveness and cleansing. Sin causes guilt, regret, shame and even despair. Forgiveness, however, removes the guilt. Christ paid for our iniquities with His blood on the cross. God will never hold those sins against us. But we need more--we need cleansing. While we will never be proud of our sinful lifestyle, God washes away the sting of shame and transforms despair into hope. What we once hid from sight we can now point to as evidence of God's grace and mercy.

Sin not only breaks our relationship with God, it also breaks our relationship with others. We can see this consequence of sin at its inception. When God confronted Adam with his sin, Adam pointed the accusing finger at Eve and said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate" (Genesis 3:12). This undoubtedly caused a fracture in that relationship. Later we find that the sin of jealousy led Cain to slay his brother Able--a further indication that sin separates.

But what works in mending our relationship with God is also effective in dealing with others. While humans do not have the depth of love and forgiveness found in God, the majority of times confession (and if appropriate, restitution) can go a long way toward mending those relationships as well. James 5:16 says, "Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed." Among those to whom we need to confess our trespasses are the ones we've sinned against.

The old adage that "confession is good for the soul" is definitely a truism. The Bible shows us that confession is an essential ingredient in restoring and maintaining our relationship with God. Furthermore it can frequently be the catalyst to mend relationships between people. So if God has brought to mind a sin that you need to deal with, begin by admitting that He's right. Then move on to experience His forgiveness and cleansing.

Do You Have Storm Assurance?

2009-01-23T11:04:00.000-08:00

Jesus was a carpenter. He knew a lot about building. One day as He spoke to the people, He put two houses in a parable, for he knew the tendency in human nature: He knew how easy it is to hear things, listen to them, agree with them and then go out and do not one thing about them. And so He told the story to show the necessity of doing as well as hearing. It is not enough to know; it is not enough to agree. Every word is given that we may use it, put it into action and make it a part of the structure as we build a life.

The truth is every one of us is building a house. It's a life-time job. Everything we do, every word we speak, every thought goes into the structure and becomes part of the life we build. We may think our deeds, actions and experiences are scattered and unrelated but they are uniquely fitted, nailed, cemented together.

We are all building a life, and in the parable, Jesus said that some are building wisely and some foolishly. Foolishly wrecking our lives with habits that burn up our bodies and befuddle our minds with alcohol, narcotics and psychedelic drugs; foolishly living a life of moral uncleanness, allowing sexual passions to control and dominate your life, exposing yourself to the deadly ravages of a devastating disease; foolishly bringing unhappiness to those you love and a great burden of guilt upon yourself.

There is a further fact that this parable makes clear. Not only does everyone build his own house, everyone must live in the house he builds.

Simple enough. How often we hear it said this way, that every person must live with himself. That's certainly true. He can never get away from himself.

All of us are builders. You live in the house you build. And every house will some day be tested by the storm.

The storm of life, of which Jesus speaks, will miss none. Every house, no exceptions—no life will be immune from the storm. This is something that cannot be said too often because many believe, as in Jesus' day, the storm breaks only on the unrighteous.

"Not so," said Jesus. Look at that storm coming up. See the thunderclouds shaping the shadowed scowl of the skies, hear the rumbling roar of the thunder, see the flashing intimidation of the lightening. The storm beats on every house. It beats on the house built on the sand. It beats on the house built upon the rock. The same storm that beats on one house beats also on the other. Every house gets tested by the storm. The passage is dramatically clear in its warning, but also in its assurance.

The final truth is the difference in the foundation.

The difference between standing and falling is not in the houses, not in the storm, but in the foundation. Jesus presents two different foundations, two classes who have been blessed with an understanding of divine truth. One class not only hears his sayings, but also does them, and another class hears, but does them not.

There is a storm coming which will test our life-house to the utmost. We need to watch with the greatest care how we build. We should dig deep and lay our foundation sure, making sure that our foundation is solid rock, Jesus being that rock. For while it is

true, this passage carries an admonition about building on sand. The greater truth is, it conveys an assurance about building on the rock.

Yes, the Master tells us the storm is coming, and He gives us the storm warning of a Divine Doppler. But more than that, He gives us storm assurance.

The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. (Matthew 7:25)

The State of Florida said it was ready for winds of 130 MPH, but panic set in when winds reached 160 MPH. Now some say winds reached gusts of 200 MPH. We have divine assurance whatever the life-storm category, 5 or 10. No matter how swiftly, suddenly, unexpectedly it comes up, we have his assurance that if we will build on the rock— if we will hear His words, if we will do them— the life house will not fall. Building on the rock does not prevent the storm. The rains fell, the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that house. Building on the rock does not prevent the storm. It prepares for it.

Everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built on the rock—and it did not fall.

Father, by Thy grace it will be so.

Christmas Eve

2008-12-26T18:14:00.000-08:00

So here we are. Finally, after weeks of preparation we are here at
Christmas Eve. Some of your preparation I hope have been prayerfully and
some I'm sure have been stress fully. However, we stand tonight at the
threshold...ready or not...of another Christmas.

I don’t mean to sound rude but, why are you here? What do you hope...
to find...
to experience...
to remember... this evening?

Are you here because of tradition? Christmas Eve being one of those times
you find yourself drawn to church? You come to hear the story again, to sing the
familiar carols, to light a candle in a darkened sanctuary. Being here somehow
helping you to connect past to present to some distant future. Being here is
that which helps you to keep memories alive.

Or, maybe your being here has more to do with families and friends. These
days of gift giving and the exchange of greetings back and forth across the
country and around the world remind us again of the relationships that make up
the fabric of our lives without which we would be less...much less. So we
gather here tonight in space set aside for worship and prayer to take a moment
in whatever way we might.
To remember...
To celebrate...
To give
thanks for...
those who gather with us this day, and for those whom we
remember, who for whatever reason, are not able to be here with us.

But, maybe there is even something more. Something that you can’t quite
put your finger one.
Something that inches closer to the surface of your
consciousness in those moments when you find yourself singing along with the
carols that you hear in the stores, when you find ourselves longing...even
aching...for something more, something deeper that would bring into a sharper
focus the purpose and meaning, not only of your life, but of your daily
living. Something that we don’t often take or make or have the time to
think about in the midst of the busyness and responsibilities of each day, but
in moments like this; in places like this we find ourselves wondering about some
hope... some dream... some meaning... some depth of spirit.

Christmas is a season for dreaming...
Dreaming of the best for our
children and grandchildren...
Dreaming of the best for who we are and who we
might be or become...
Dreaming bold dreams of peace and prosperity for the
world in which we live.

As I was reflecting on the my Christmas dreams I can across the term "thin places" in an article I was reading on Celtic Christian spirituality. As I investigated more of what this term means, I read the following which I would like to share with you:

Thin Places are ports in the storm of life, where the pilgrims can move closer
to the God they seek, where one leaves that which is familiar and journeys into
the Divine Presence. They are stopping places where men and women are given
pause to wonder about what lies beyond the mundane rituals, the grief, trials
and boredom of our day-to-day life. They probe to the core of the human heart
and open the pathway that leads to satisfying the familiar hungers and yearnings
common to all people on earth, the hunger to be connected, to be a part of
something greater, to be loved, to find peace.

Thank God for the opportunity to expereince "thin places" where we can dream again the dreams of Christmas. But, as wonderful and as touching and as comforting as those dreams are if we stop there we may go home feeling good that we have sung the carols and lit our candles, and feeling content that we have been in church on Christmas Eve. But, we will have missed the point of Christmas. And, missed the opportunity to dream into being the bravest and the boldest dreams of God.
A good friend’s Christmas greeting included these words:

So successful is God in becoming a person that, ever after, men and women
find it hard to believe that there is a unique, one-of-a-kind revelation of
God in a carpenter Jew, Jesus of Nazareth. God, afar off, out there,
somewhere is one thing. God close at hand, here with us, in the mud and
blood, dirt and death – life as we live it – is something else again. Do you
believe it? Do you believe it?

Indeed. Who would believe it? Would you? For to believe that God did it then in and with the carpenter Jew, Jesus of Nazareth means that you must also consider that God might do it again. Here. Now. You. Me. In this place. In this time. Mixing it up in the mud and blood, dirt and death – life that is yours and mine!

The dream of Christmas, while maybe many other things as well, is in the end the dream of the Incarnation. The dream of God with us. And of God waiting for us to realize it and to say Yes to it...
Like Jesus said Yes...
Like Mary and Joseph said Yes...
Like the shepherds and wise men said Yes...
So that lives are changed. So that your life is changed. So that history is changed.

In the end, Christmas is not just about Jesus. It would be easier if it was. Now,
it is about you and me. Today... Tonight... Tomorrow... Are you willing to do
more than just unwrap gifts and celebrate the day? Are you willing to dream the
dream that God dreams in Christmas.

IN-BETWEEN TIMES

2008-12-10T05:57:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 40:1-11
Preached on the Second Sunday of Advent
December 7, 2008

Advent is an in-between time and it is so difficult for me and for most of us to live in the in-between times. Yet, we live out much of our lives in the in-between times, don’t we?

In-between time could be the week between when they took the biopsy and the visit to the doctor to tell you about the results. And you don't sleep very well during the entire week.

The in-between time can be the weeks/months you spent looking for a new job after the lay-offs. You may have had the severance package, and you may be in demand because of your skills, but after that first week, it really didn't feel like a vacation at all. There were some days when you really didn't know what to do with yourself.

The in-between time can be waiting for the grades of that all important exam that tells you whether you'll get into the college of your choice.

The in-between time might be sitting in the hospital waiting room while the surgeon operates on your spouse or your child.

The in-between time can be tough. The in-between time is always unsettled and unsettling. It is when you have left the tried and true, but have not yet been able to replace it with anything else. It is when you are between your old comfort zone and any possible new answer. The in-between time is always about waiting. Advent is an in-between time and it is about waiting.

In Advent we live faith’s in-between. The season of Advent looks in two directions. It looks back on the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem and looks forward to his second coming when he will return to set up his kingdom on earth. This season places us squarely in the in-between time. As we celebrate this season, we discover ourselves in the time between the incarnation and the eschaton - the coming of Christ as a human child, and the return of Christ in glory. In the in-between times one of the most important disciplines to develop is waiting.

But, waiting is not something we're very good at in this world. Everything from fast food and cell phones, credit cards and the internet, have taught us that we can have whatever we want instantly.

I cannot help but wonder if many of the crises we face today don't stem, at least in part, from our obsession with the quick reward. Companies are measured quarterly, effectively keeping us from making decisions that bring short term loss in favor of long term gain. In our quest for a quick buck, we have failed to measure the consequences adequately. In our desire to create comfort and expediency for ourselves we have failed to count the cost to poor communities and to our planet. Speed has become both a revered value and the curse of our age. As Carl Jung is reported to have said: "Hurry is not of the devil. It is the devil."

But Advent calls us to a different response. It draws us into a place of stillness and waiting - Mary waiting as the Christ child was formed in her womb; Simeon waiting to see the Messiah in the temple courts; Israel waiting for prophecy to be fulfilled; and our waiting for God's plan of salvation to be brought to fullness and for Christ's consummation of all things. There can be no impatience in Advent, no rushing, no way to speed up the process. All we can do is submit ourselves to the time-frame of eternity and wait. We desperately need to learn how to do this.

So, where is your impatience hurting you or others right now? How comfortable are you with the discipline of waiting? Can you submit yourself to the Advent journey, to living easily in the in-between time? Perhaps you can take just a few moments each day to slow down and reflect on the coming of Christ and allow this to still your soul and release the tension that comes from a focus on speed and constant activity.

This is Advent: And we wait in the in-between time; yearning for the gentle coming of the shepherd who is already here feeding, gathering, carrying, and leading. And we learn patience in our waiting from a God who is patient with us.

Waiting in the in-between time. Waiting together, waiting in prayer, waiting in song, waiting in grief and in joy.

Patient waiting is the gift that the Advent season seeks to give, if we will only receive it.