Where Are We Going?

Ordinary 25A - Where Are We Going? - (off lectionary sermon series on the body of Christ based upon Isaiah 43:18-21 & Matthew 9:9-17)

Good morning.  It’s great to be with you today as we wrap up the 3^rd in this sermon series about being the body of Christ alive in the world.  If you missed the others, you can pick up printed copies just outside the back door or listen to them online.  You could also just use your imagination from the recaps I’m about to offer.  See, 2 weeks ago, we talked about Christ being the only true authority in the church.  The rest of us are faithfully trying to live out Christ’s calling but do not stand over or under one another. We are faithful together.  Last week we tried to zero in on the diversity of calls within the church and uplift all forms of service as holy.  We are all called to be ministers in different ways.  So whether it’s inside or outside the church doors, but most especially outside the doors, using our gifts and the fruits of the spirit honors God and builds up the body of Christ. This week, we’re going to look at where our lives in the body of Christ might lead us when we’re open to where God is taking us and we’re doing so by examining scripture from Isaiah 43.

The Isaiah passage shows God as both guide and comforter.  In this monologue, God is telling the people of Israel that they need to let go of old ways so that they can be open to what God is doing.  They need to trust that God is not going to burden them with things they can’t do right now.  Rather, the call of the Holy is to lay our burdens and sins to rest with God so that they may be healed.

All this relates to being the body of Christ alive in the world because we need to figure out what God is calling us to in our lives and we need this for two main reasons.  The first is that to see where God is doing something new like Isaiah says, we need to let go of and grieve those things, places, times, and people.  The second reason is so we can open ourselves up to being instruments of that unfolding… and unfolding of something God wants for us and others that maybe we’ve never even imagined before.

Let’s reread parts of this Isaiah passage. 

¹⁸Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old.¹⁹I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.²⁰The wild animals will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches; for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people,²¹the people whom I formed for myself so that they might declare my praise. ²²Yet you did not call upon me… ²³You have not brought me your sheep for burnt offerings, or honored me with your sacrifices. I have not burdened you with offerings, or wearied you… But you have burdened me with your sins; you have wearied me with your iniquities.²⁵I, I am He who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.

Now first, let’s tease through some of the language here and get some stumbling blocks out of the way.  When God says, “¹⁸Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old” this does not mean that we should not have memories.  The Hebrew word we translate as “remember” is a much deeper word than that.  This word implies intimacy and deep connection.  When God says, “Do not remember” our understanding should be do not be bound to or let our minds be so deeply attached. 

The second translation issue we need to understand more deeply is the idea of God being burdened or wearied.  Does this passage does not mean that when we heap upon God our concerns that God is crumbling under the weight of it.  The linguistic piece that is lost here is that of transference.  We are burdened by sin and wearied by iniquities.  We transfer that to God and God blots out sin and does not “remember” our sins.  There’s that word remember again.

So what is it that we need to not be bound to so tightly so that we can be open to where God is going?  Well, we really could spend days unearthing all kinds of things that we each need to be let go so that we can be part of God’s always unfolding reality.  But for time’s sake and for from what might be very pertinent to this grouping of the body of Christ, let’s get very specific here for a few minutes.  Then if we do this well, the model can be used for dealing with other areas of our lives.

What if God stepped right here and said to us, “Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way.”  What do you think God might be talking about?  Well, a few things come to mind but the search for a new pastor seems to loom large.  And I believe God truly is saying to this grouping of the body of Christ that very thing.  God is saying, “grieve what you need and open up for something new.” 

Now before you think I’m just pulling a scripture passage and making it say what I want it to say, first of all I want you to hear that I’ve been hearing this message for a long time from God about this body.  I’ve even been addressing it in worship at different times.  But more importantly, you can judge for yourself.  Is that what God is saying?

Let’s look at the evidence.  This congregation has gone through some tough ups and downs and turns.  Even in good times, transition is hard and this church has stayed in transition for a long time.  But when you look around at each other, the quality of the faith and the earnestness of the love for one another is extraordinary. 

I recently told someone that by all accounts, most churches that have gone through all this church has gone through would have closed their doors.  Yet, this one is thriving.  It may have lost some members and it’s had it’s financial concerns but from what I can tell, the faith here is outstanding.  So, if you just look on the surface at the faces and numbers, the church is definitely different from 10 or 20 years ago.  But when you look into the hearts, the body of Christ is most definitely alive and well here. 

And, how did all this happen?  All I can surmise is that God has been here every step of the way making a way.  And I think the very best thing we can do is figure out how to be open to that.

So, did I convince you I’m not just making this up?  I hope so.  Because here comes the hard part… actually letting go of the things, places, times, and people of the past in a way that still honors the meaning they still hold but not being bound to them as if they rule where God is going. 

So often we long for the way things were or at least the idea.  It seems simpler and more comfortable.  And sometimes it really was a simpler and more comfortable time though often that’s a trick our mind plays.  But regardless, we are called to live as God’s people in a living, moving, every changing, body of Christ so we can’t go back in time no matter how badly we might like to and we can’t recreate the past because God has already taught us those lessons so it’s time for something else.

See, just like the Pharisees and the followers of John the Baptist in today’s gospel message, we are often our own stumbling blocks.  Many times it is the existing people of faith who struggle most by holding fast to our own notions, pride, memories, wounds, and other things that keep us from seeing where God is leading us today.

When we think of this church being without a pastor or calling a new pastor, what notions about old pastors gone by or old times in the church do we need to honor and let go of?  Where do we need to honor the things we’ve learned or the people we’ve encountered so that we can cherish what is good and move forward?  What are the old wounds, doubts, grudges, and struggles that we need to place in God’s hands so that God can heal and transform them into some new thing?  I trust that God has already placed something on your hearts even now.

So, what does grieving the things gone by like?  How do we do this?  Letting go and grief is a process but, let’s keep it simple.  Earlier, you were given slips of paper to write on.  In a moment we’re going to pray to hear what God wants each of us to cherish yet move forward from when we think about this church’s past.  We’re also going to pray for God’s support to grieve and mourn the things of the past that we feel bound to or that still have a hold on us. 

Next we’re each going to write just 1 thing on this paper that God said to us.  Later, when the offering plates go around, please place it in the plate.  I’m going to collect them and burn them.  On October 2^nd, in 2 weeks, you can join me as I take the ashes and till in the old memories into the flower bed outside where the things we let go of will always be a part of the beauty of this church but don’t have to bind up where it is going.

Sisters and brothers, being the body of Christ alive is about being here and now and participating in what unfolds.  When we unburden ourselves from wounds, sin, and the past by turning to God, we become fertile ground for God’s plans.  Pray with me now that we may be a full participant in that plan.

Holy God, thank you for the way you have guided us.  Please help us cherish the meaning of the past and honor what you’ve taught us.  Also, speak to us what we need to let go of so that we can be a part of your plans as this church calls a new pastor.  God we trust in you and your work.  Relieve our fear and anxiety during this time without concrete answers and help us to stay focused on faithful living today.  Amen.

What happens next?  Does this mean that God is going to turn everything upside down?  Well, it could happen.  But more likely we’re going to feel the anxiety of the emptiness from trying to let things go.  Yet, we have each other to see it through.  And where there is emptiness, God offers us hope: hope that God’s workings in and around us are healing, hope that life in the body of Christ is faithful, hope that with God’s help we can grow in deeper love of creation, and hope that First Presbyterian Church is on the edge of something even more remarkable and beautiful than it is right now. 

Now I invite you to write on the paper what God has told you and give it to God in the offering plate.  And trust that God will take it and heal or transform it into something even more extraordinary.  Amen.

Serving Together

Serving Together (off lectionary sermon series on the body of Christ based upon Matthew 28:16-20, Galatians 5:16-6:2, & G-2.0101)

Good morning. If you were here last week, you know that this is week 2 of a 3 week sermon series on being the church alive in the world. But as I said last week, don’t worry if you’re not here for all of them. They stand alone nicely so even if you missed it, you won’t be lost today. But just to recap, we looked at scripture and at a passage from the book of order and talked about how Christ is the only true authority in the church. Our job is to faithfully live out Christ’s calling. So we do not stand over or under one another in our workings and callings. No one calling is more special than another. Whether it’s my calling to be a pastor or someone else’s calling to put out donuts, we are faithful together… side by side.

So this week, we are taking the next step trying to unearth what those callings might be for each of us and as a church and our scripture for the day gives us a great place to start. But much like last week, I want to weave in another nugget of wisdom from the Book of Order that we might use as an outline for our thinking today. It comes from G-2.0101 and is entitled "Christ’s Ministry." It reads:

The Church’s ministry is a gift from Jesus Christ to the whole Church. Christ alone rules, calls, teaches, and uses the Church as he wills, exercising his authority by the ministry of women and men for the establishment and extension of God’s new creation. Christ’s ministry is the foundation and standard for all ministry, the pattern of the one who came "not to be served but to serve" (Matt. 20:28). The basic form of ministry is the ministry of the whole people of God, from whose midst some are called to ordered ministries, to fulfill particular functions. Members and those in ordered ministries serve together under the mandate of Christ.

Well, given what I just read, you might be thinking "isn’t that the recap of last week’s sermon?" Well, sort of. But we are going to go deeper in to 2 of these ideas and think about "Christ’s ministry is the foundation and standard for all ministry" and "The basic form of ministry is the ministry of the whole people of God." And I think today’s scripture lessons have some guidance for our thinking.

Our scripture passages are The Great Commissioning found in Matthew where Jesus calls on his followers to go out into the world and baptize, teach, and fellowship with others while all along knowing that Christ is always with us. The second passage is about the fruits of the spirit and reminds us what living by the spirit looks like. It also calls on us to be healers of one another as we struggle to claim who and whose we are.

So we have these very big ideas and as a big picture kind of person, these are the things that ignite in me curiosity and wonder about how it will all unfold. But I realize that for more detail oriented people, these open ended visions are somewhat anxiety producing. So, we’re going deeper today to look for the practical ways of ministry and our callings within it. We are doing so because some of us are curious. Some of us find comfort in details. Others of us need reassurance.

I raise this issue of what we are each getting by our study together because it has bearing on what we will uncover. See, if it is that "Christ’s ministry is the foundation and standard for all ministry" then a great thing to recognize about the life and teachings of Jesus is that he lived and taught in ways that spoke to people the way they each needed to experience it.

We are all very different from one another. Different gifts, different personalities, different interests, different struggles, different experiences… all of which come together to make us unique and yet somehow only made whole in the body of Christ. So to reach out to such diverse groupings, Jesus used stories so that people would zero in on the parts they each needed to hear. He also shared a lot of meals and living room time where people have their guards down and true relationships are built. He used symbols and metaphors so that people would have to think and stretch themselves to understand. And no matter where he was or what was going on, his starting place was that of love for God’s special creation… people.

Over and over again, he astounded people by loving them instead of judging them because he knew that judgment is God’s and the path to true healing is that of love. He didn’t walk up to the woman at the well and call her wretched names or think judgmental thoughts about her. His starting place was that of love for who she was: a child of God with gifts and struggles that was living a life of suffering. Harsh words would have just alienated her more but love heals and transforms.

And while we’re looking at Jesus as the foundation and standard for all ministry, let’s not forget his humility. He is the one who came "not to be served but to serve." Ministry that models Christ is that of service rather than status. Born in a barn, murdered for his faith… those are extraordinary bookends to a life. But in some ways, even more extraordinary are the pages between the bookends that tell of a life of reaching out in search of God as a young child and extending the love of God as an adult. What would our lives look like if we each had such love?

And that’s the question of the day. Christ modeled what ministry looks like and we are called to minister to the "whole people of God." So what would our lives look like if we each had such love? What does ministering to the "whole people of God" look like?

Last week we read scripture that talks about the body of Christ and the different callings. This week we see in Galatians different gifts that we are given by the Spirit. And all along we have Christ telling us to go out and do something with these callings and gifts.

So what does it look like? Well, it starts by taking the time to find out who God made us to be. Jesus invited us to look into ourselves to know and honor this special creation of God. Searching ourselves is critical to knowing how we can serve. God asked Moses to live beyond his skills and God still asks the same of us today but we can’t go farther if we don’t know where to start.

So we each need to consider what our personality is, what our interests are, and what we have to offer as we look to see how we each may minister in the body of Christ. For example, you wouldn’t want me to sing in the choir but thanks be for those that can and we welcome them back this year. And I would be pretty bad at serving on the budget committee because I get overwhelmed with all the numbers. But you know what? I love the bible and I love people so one thing I can do is weave those two together into sermons and worship leadership.

See, it’s pretty much as simple as that. We start with who we are and what God has given us and ask "where can God use me?" Lend a Hand Day, teaching Sunday School, greeting, serving on committees, and all those other forms of stewardship are servant ministry. And even talking and sharing with one another is servant ministry because we are building up the body of Christ as we extend ourselves to one another in fellowship. 

But ministry is about far more than what happens inside these walls. The real work of Christ is out there in the world. So again, let’s ask the question, what would our lives look like if we each had such love as Christ? What is our ministry in the world? When we look at our gifts and skills, how do we serve in the body of Christ beyond these walls?

The answer to those questions are as varied as can be. But I think our scripture can guide us. Galatians 6:1 reads, "My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness." What does that have to do with our servant ministry? Well, most of our work both inside these walls and beyond is about healing. Almost everything we experience boils down to the brokenness we encounter within ourselves and around us. So much of our ministry and ministering is about being conduits of peace, healing, and reconciliation through the love of Christ.

Our charge is to heal with a spirit of gentleness. When we see wrong doings, we’re not called to judge, we’re called to restore. Sisters and brothers, each and every one of us struggle. When we think about the things we do wrong, we see a chain of events where we didn’t set out to hurt anyone but it all made sense at the time. As Paul said, "why is it I do what I don’t what to do?" As parents, as teachers, as ministers, as friends, as business people… we all struggle because we all have broken places in us and all need the grace of God and the love of Christ. The surest path to healing is not by wagging a finger at ourselves or others. Changing our behavior out of guilt isn’t really living in the Spirit. Healing comes by modeling Christ and loving the wounds away.

So if our lives are at the intersection of brokenness and love, who are we each called to be in the world? For the person who’s a little shy but always watching, maybe part of their calling is to be the one who always extends a kind smile. For the one gifted with leadership skills, maybe servant ministry looks like being a business person of respect who looks out for how employees are treated. For the ones with a mind for numbers, maybe it’s being a beacon of integrity so that wealth is not used to corrupt or squash others. For those who cook well, maybe it’s offering a meal to someone struggling or bringing the cookies to a meeting that reminds us of what’s important. Perhaps for those of us with old wounds that have been healed, it’s about sharing our path with those in need. If one of our blessings is extra time, maybe servant ministry is about volunteering.

And when the big stuff like 9/11 happens we still see the same things. Firefighters being firefighters and caring about people, even at the risk of losing their lives. Everyday folks dropping everything to clear debris because it serves and restores hope. People far away donating money, blood, and other resources because they love enough to want to be a part of the healing.

See, we get caught up in thinking of our daily lives as work, chores, and strife but if we look deeper we’ll see the way we are functioning as the body of Christ and honor that. And when we look deeper, we might even see new and different ways of sharing our gifts and callings. And that’s what we’ll talk about next week.

But for now, Christ invites us to see who God made us to be and offer that back to creation. As we go from here this week, may we look more deeply at who we are and what we can be in the body of Christ. And most importantly, may we live that calling each and every day. Amen.

A Community Of…

Off lectionary sermon series on the body of Christ based upon Colossians 1:15-23a, 1 Corinthians 12:27-28, & F-1.0301

Good morning.  Today starts a three part sermon series on being the Church Alive.  You may or may not have noticed that for this sermon series, we’re going to be off the lectionary path.  And what you’re also about to find out is that I’m going to be weaving in pieces from the Presbyterian Church (USA)’s constitution.  But the hope is that all of this, the sermon, our worship time, and the weavings of the Holy Spirit, bring us to a place of looking with fresh eyes and renewed hope at how we can be the body of Christ and the church alive in the world.

So, today is just the beginning.  We’re going to focus on Christ as the head of the church.  But come back the next 2 weeks and we’ll be considering our various callings within the body and how we can be open to and participate in what God is calling us to right now… or if we’re already open to it, how we might make it even better.

Well, I said I’d be drawing from the constitution and I am.  I don’t know if you’ve ever taken the time to read some of this book but you should.  Sadly, what most Presbyterians know of this book is how to spew an alphabet soup of rules that work for or against an idea.  But there is some truly beautiful and amazing theology in here.  Given the history of this document, it makes it even more impressive just how clearly the love of Christ flows through its pages. 

So, hold our scripture readings from Colossians and 1 Corinthians together in your mind and let’s see what the foundations section has to say about how to understand it.  Section F-1.0301 “The Church Is the Body of Christ”:

The Church is the body of Christ. Christ gives to the Church all the gifts necessary to be his body. The Church strives to demonstrate these gifts in its life as a community in the world (1 Cor. 12:27–28):

·         The Church is to be a community of faith, entrusting itself to God alone, even at the risk of losing its life.

·         The Church is to be a community of hope, rejoicing in the sure and certain knowledge that, in Christ, God is making a new creation. This new creation is a new beginning for human life and for all things. The Church lives in the present on the strength of that promised new creation.

·         The Church is to be a community of love, where sin is forgiven, reconciliation is accomplished, and the dividing walls of hostility are torn down.

·         The Church is to be a community of witness, pointing beyond itself through word and work to the good news of God’s transforming grace in Christ Jesus its Lord.

This brief passage is really quite amazing.  I couldn’t preach a better sermon or hold out a better vision than that.  It’s a whole statement of faith… no really a statement of calling… no more like a statement of having been called and truly heard the word of God. 

So, tipping my hat to the years of history, tradition, and faithfulness that goes into this (F-1.0301), I’d like to use it as the outline for our thinking today.  See, this statement reminds us of just how deeply relational God and creation are.  God doesn’t stand in the distance like a puppet master and we are not islands unto ourselves.  The church is a community of:

·         faith - entrusting itself to God

·         hope - rejoicing in the prospect that God is making a new creation

·         love - forgiveness, reconciliation, restoration

·         witness - pointing beyond itself to the transforming work of God

So let’s start with the first marker of the church.  We are “a community of faith, entrusting itself to God alone, even at the risk of losing its life.”  That’s a pretty powerful statement.  Does it mean that we’re called to go out and be martyrs for the faith?  No, this statement is about the church as an institution verses the church as the body of Christ.  We, meaning all believers, are called to live as the body of Christ, no matter where that leads us, even if it means losing the institution we call the Presbyterian Church (USA) or it’s buildings or it’s holdings. 

We, the body of Christ, are not the stored up treasures of an institution and we should not be bound by them either.  So long as the organization of the PC(USA) is a wonderful and beneficial thing, it can support us, help us join together our resources in more useful ways, and be a true conduit for making Christ’s reign known in the world.  But the faithful wisdom built in these pages (The Book of Order), is that we are to live as if the institution doesn’t matter.

We do this because we are not only a community of faith but we are “a community of hope, rejoicing in the sure and certain knowledge that, in Christ, God is making a new creation.”  Our hope is not in our own ingenuity or cleverness.  It is not in politicians or even religious leaders.  No, our hope is in the way God works around and through us to transform life after life after life.

It is God who pours out gifts on us and then calls us to organize as a body so that they will be used in even more amazing ways.  We “strive to demonstrate these gifts” in the way we are together and in our workings in the world.  But it is because Christ is the only true head of the church, calling, guiding, proclaiming, that we have seen and felt the vision of something bigger when we join together in service. 

Now, take a look here at the statement “The Church lives in the present on the strength of that promised new creation.”  This is a pretty power packed sentence.  It does not say the church only lives in the present because we know that it has been, is, and ever will be alive.  Rather this is about how we can find our way to stay living in the present.  It is in the strength that hope provides us.  We can keep our work focused here because we are emboldened by our hope in the way Christ is timelessly working to make creation new.

And with experiences like that, we know that we are also “a community of love, where sin is forgiven, reconciliation is accomplished, and the dividing walls of hostility are torn down.”  Our lives individually, as families, as congregants, as coworkers, as sisters and brothers are bound in the quality of love we share… a love that we learned from the first lover of creation, God. 

When we are living as the true body of Christ, our work is that of building up each other, healing wounds, soothing anxieties, and even the big stuff of dismantling the walls that divide us from one another and the rest of creation.  The work of love in community is beautiful but it is demanding.  Yet, when we are living the love of God together, moments and lives and communities are forever made different… holy.

And that’s why we are “a community of witness, pointing beyond itself through word and work to the good news of God’s transforming grace in Christ Jesus its Lord.”  Our time together is for the cultivation of and fellowship in the love of God.  But our calling is not to come into the church walls and hang out.  Our lives together should be pointing to something bigger, to God, all along the way.  Our words and works should not be pointing to us to say, “look what I’ve done.”  They point to God to say, “look at the never ending, always faith inspiring works of God.”

See, the point of all of this is that we are living in a body of faith, hope, and love… and a body with a calling to share those and other gifts with the world.  We are all called to be nurtured by and serve in the body of Christ.  We don’t have to worry about the future of it or how it will sustain itself because Christ, as the head, is in charge of that.  But we are called to be the living body of Christ.

The reformed tradition has a way of talking about that called the Priesthood of Believers and Baptismal Calling.  See, we are called to honor all works in the body because they all serve as witness in different ways.  All believers are ministers, just of different callings.  The words “lay leader” or “clergy” and “teaching elder” or “ruling elder” are words of the institution for how it orders itself.  But our work transcends such language, no matter our title or calling.

The person who unlocks the doors and scrubs the toilets is as deeply honored in the body of Christ as the person who leads worship.  Does that offend me?  That I compared the work of a sexton with the work of a pastor?  No, and it shouldn’t offend you either.  Membership and witness in the body of Christ is about commitment in covenant, not status.  And ministry and ministering is about service, not privilege.  My ordination is about my function, not my rank or prestige. 

The things that should offend us are when we stand in the way of that witness and become stumbling blocks to one another’s callings.  The things we should feel anxious about are when we stop loving and working together or become indifferent to the needs around us.  Our real work is to hear and respond to the cries of those in need of the body of Christ.  Our focus need not be on solving every problem but it should be on the call of Christ in each one of us and living that each and every day.  Everything else is in God’s hands.  And thanks be to God for that.  Amen.

A Brief Encounter

Ordinary 22A – A sermon based upon Exodus 3:1-15

Good morning.  It is a true blessing to be back with you and I’ll be here for the next few weeks.  I’ve missed you but you’ve remained in my prayers.  And you’re never far from my heart, either.

Well, today’s scripture from Exodus is another one of those treasure troves of God’s wisdom.  I have chewed on it all week and kept hearing more revelation from God even though I knew I needed to narrow the focus.  So who knows, maybe I’ll preach this text again in a few weeks with a different focus.  But for now, we’ve got enough to chew on.

It’s that amazing story of Moses and the burning bush.  Moses was on his way to work and worried that he would be late but he turned to see what was happening up the hillside.  What was this fire that burned but did not consume the bush?  It turns out it was a message from God and a calling to do something remarkable.  God had heard the cry of the Israelites and wanted Moses to help in the work of spreading God’s liberation and justice.  Moses insisted that he would be too afraid to do this task.  He protested and told of reasons he could not do it but God’s call was still the same.   He wanted to know how this could be done.  And you know what?  God was not explicit on how this would happen even when asked.  God never offered a detailed roadmap of how to overthrow an empire.  But God’s promise to be with Moses through it all was loud and clear.

It’s a great story isn’t it?  It has all these amazing ways of thinking about it.  For example, we could ask what can we learn about God through this story.  What about what we can learn about Moses or human nature?  We could even ask about what we can learn about the life of people 3500 years ago.  But for this day, I think we might be well served by asking what we can learn about our lives today through this story.

What is it that we need to know so that we to can experience a life changing moment with God?  For Moses, this was just a brief encounter but it definitely changed the whole direction of his life.  So what are a few of the take-a-ways for our lives?

Well, for today, we’re going to focus in on three… how very three point sermon of me.  First, there are all kinds of burning bushes.  Second, we just might be missing some burning bushes around us already.  And third, following God’s call on our lives is not about having all the answers or always being fearless.

First, are there all kinds of burning bushes?  I know we read the stories of the bible and often wonder why doesn’t God light up a bush and talk to us sometime?  It would be much easier to have faith if God just spoke more loudly and clearly.  But even though we might like a burning bush or at least a nice email from God, God has already filled our lives with life changing messages that came in all kinds of forms.

For those of you who have felt the call to be involved in some sort of ministry or cause, how did you know that was the right thing to do?  Or when you were looking for a church home, how did you know this was the one?  And when you were struggling to find meaning, direction, or vocation, what led you down the path the fulfillment? 

See, I doubt it was a burning bush.  The answers to any one of those questions are going to be so varied among us.  It could have been a series of seemingly unrelated events that collided that made you see a certain direction… providence, if you will.  It might have been a still small voice that kept whispering the same thing to you over and over.  Perhaps it was a large event that happened long ago that changed you in a way that has altered your decision making ever since.  Regardless of what it looked like, if it was the right decision, it was God. 

God speaks to us in all kinds of ways.  God used Moses to speak to the Israelites and encourage them to believe that they would not always have to suffer.  God used passersby to tend to the wounds of an injured person.  God speaks through moments and whispers and people and God speaks to us in this time and place. 

It may not be a burning bush but unlocked, this bible has set lives on fire.  Social time between services may consume more donuts than a non-consuming flame but lives are transformed and the face of God is seen.  Vacation bible school, reaching out to one another as neighbors, community events, meals with loved ones, and ALL the countless ways we “hear” and “are” God’s voice in the world… oh yes, there are all kinds of burning bushes in our lives that set us on a path and guide us all the way.


Second, are there already burning bushes around us that we may have missed?  Well, let’s see.  There is a tale told by rabbis about why the bush was burning but not consumed.  I mean, for the purposes of delivering a message, does it really matter if the bush is left in ashes or not?  Well, as the story goes, the rabbis argued about this until one of them said, “The bush was burning but not consumed so that one day when Moses passed by he would finally notice it!”

If we re-read this passage, stopping to think that Moses might have missed it before, suddenly some of the language makes sense.  God put out this sign waiting for Moses to turn away from what he was doing long enough to notice it.  So, this bush needed to not be burned up by the flame.  It needed to last.

Now, whether or not the bush had been burning for years or just that afternoon doesn’t really matter. The point is that God did not put it right in front of Moses but rather it was off to the side and took some intentionality on Moses’ part to go to it.  The scripture says he had to turn aside from what he was doing to go over to the bush.

So, coming back to the idea that there are already burning bushes in our midst, how often are our lives like this? (walk past communion table in a hurry) Or this? (walk past communion table reading) Or this? (walk past communion table meandering) Or this? (walk past communion table on phone) Or this? (walk past communion table with a hurt back) Or this? (walk past communion table laughing) (Turn and finally notice the communion table)

The joys, the tears, and everything in between are always going on in our lives.  How often do we walk past the same thing and then finally one day see it?  I venture to guess, quite a bit.  And God knows that too.  Sometimes we probably do miss out on a message.  But for the big stuff, God keeps a bush lit for us.  That bush may have to be moved from place to place or time to time to keep up with us but it stays lit.

What do I mean by this?  Well, what would happen if we all took a bit to talk about the direction of this church?  I bet that conversation would end with some pretty amazing ideas about invigorating existing relationships or maybe starting new ministries.  It’s not that these are new ideas.  It’s just that we didn’t stop to notice them before now.

It only takes pausing for a bit and being willing to see something new or different to realize that God has set fire to a bush near each of us.  Maybe the message we’ve been missing is that of embracing something we weren’t sure we could handle.  It could be a message to forgive someone.  It might even be a calling to do something entirely different in our lives.  But the point is that when we are intentional to pause, look, and change course even a little, we always find a place God is speaking to us that we didn’t recognize before. 


So, to the final point, following God’s call on our lives is not about having all the answers or always being fearless.  If we know anything about Moses’ story, we know that he was plagued by repeated doubts, fears, and was nearly always asking God to “Prove it.”  And repeatedly God addressed the doubts, fears, and pleas to prove it with the reply “I will be with you.”

God’s greatest gift to Moses and to us is that we are never alone.  We are going to have fears and we are most definitely going to have doubts.  We are even going to be dissatisfied with the unclear plan we have in front of us and ask God to show us more of the road map.  But God’s constant answer is “I am with you.”  And then in due time, more is revealed.

So what does that mean in practical terms for us?  We need to keep our focus on what God has called us to do today and not let our anxiety and fear about the how all this is going to work out distract us.  And how does that happen?  We keep living as the body of Christ, watching and responding to burning bushes as they appear. 

Consider what the Pastor Nominating Committee does.  They join together seeking the voice of God each week.  Now I am positive they might prefer an obvious burning bush but the fact of the matter is that their ongoing relationship with one another makes them more and more aware of God’s presence and work in this place.  Their work is hard and produces a lot of fear and anxiety. I bet every one of them worry “what if we get it wrong?”  Have they missed a few burning bushes?  In this case, I doubt it.  But I am absolutely sure that God is with them.  They need only keep on the path before them until a new burning bush illuminates God’s way.  And we need to support them by offering encouragement and reminding them that God’s guidance will be present in this church, no matter what.

But the practical part of knowing God is with us even though we fear doesn’t end there.  When John Karins died last month, the presence of God was felt by his family because this congregation responded with love and support.  When the church needs juice boxes for vacation bible school, we bring them in.  When a hurricane strikes the east coast, we donate to the Red Cross.  When there is a new birth in our midst, we celebrate with one another. 

All of these things we do as the body of Christ, Emmanuel… God with us, are a constant reminder that we are not alone.  Our fears will find comfort in God and one another.  The path we should take will be made known if we hold together as a body.  Even the future of this church, it’s members, and it’s leadership are secure in the workings of God.  Our job is to keep moving forward as a body and being ever watchful for that next burning bush.  Amen.

Fearlessness

Ordinary 16A – Sermon based upon Isaiah 44:1-8

Good morning. Today’s scriptures from Isaiah and Romans are an interesting complement to one another. On the one hand, we have God speaking in Isaiah about being the One true God so there is no need to fear. The core of those verses are 6-8 which read, “Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I'm first, I'm last, and everything in between. I'm the only God there is. Who compares with me? Speak up. See if you measure up. From the beginning, who else has always announced what's coming? So what is coming next? Anybody want to venture a try? Don't be afraid, and don't worry: Haven't I always kept you informed, told you what was going on? You're my eyewitnesses: Have you ever come across a God, a real God, other than me? There's no Rock like me.’”

From the reverse perspective, we have Paul in Romans telling us to not fear because God’s resurrection and release from bondage live boldly within us. The core of those verses, 15-16, read, “This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike ‘What's next, Papa?’ God's Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children.”

So we have this message to live without fear and to live boldly at that. But is that how we experience our lives? Is it possible to be fearless? Are there things we should fear? Does the repeated counsel of the bible to “fear not” mean that fear is bad? Well, we can’t possibly begin to unravel those questions during this time, but I think God has a message for us nonetheless.

First of all, we do fear, whether or not we want to. There are all kinds of biblical stories of fear and the way that fear either did them in or helped them out. We still have the same stories today. In my job as a chaplain, I meet families who receive unspeakable news of their child’s illness and an uncertain future. There is no way for them in that moment to not feel fear because in that moment, they are keenly aware of all they can’t control and the depth of what they could lose. And what about when we are at risk of losing or actually lose our job? Fear is a natural response that reinforces our understanding of how vulnerable we are. And when we are walking down a stretch of street that is dark and unfamiliar, can we get rid of that fear that wells up in us? No, we cannot. That fear heightens our ability to engage our most primal instincts by becoming ultra-aware of our surroundings and also the resources within and around us that we may tap into should something dangerous happen.

So I would never stand here and say that fear is a bad thing nor do I think God is saying such a thing. Fear can be a true gift that brings out the very best in us by reminding us what is important to us and connecting us to resources that we wouldn’t have recognized before. So maybe that is the point. Fear is a response that God pretty much hardwired into us for our own good. But the trick is to take that moment of fear and move forward with new hope rather than being mired in it.

See, I think these passages are about just that. Of course we are going to fear otherwise God, Jesus, and so many prophets and disciples would not have addressed it. Just as the examples from earlier speak to how fear can help us, fear can also hurt us if we are in bondage to it. Just this week, I met a patient’s mom who was so locked up by the fear of what might happen that it kept her from experiencing all the love around her and the child. That love could have been so healing for all of them. Or what about when someone loses their job or is walking down that dark road and becomes too paralyzed by fear to make any decision? They become a victim of their circumstances rather than empowered by the learning fear gave them and the hope of such strength. But what do we do to keep from getting mired in it and becoming a slave to fear?

Well, I think we all know from experience that letting go of fear is easier said than done. So what do we do? I think this is a place where scripture has much to offer us. These passages tell us something that we can keep with us to help us move from fear to fear-usefullness and maybe even fearlessness.

The Isaiah passage reassures us that God is true and with us so we are never alone no matter what happens or is to come. Romans tells us that when we keep our focus on what is Holy by listening to that inner calling, we will always find meaning and direction. Both of these passages tell us that fear need not bind us if we receive the reassurance found in scripture and live by it’s guidance.

But still, this is easier said than done. So, I want us to pause for a few minutes and think in some really practical ways about how we already do use this guidance and how we might use it better and more fully to let go of the fears that bind us.

First, what ways to we use trust in God and focus on the Holy to help us move past fear? Well, prayer is a common one. Prayer is a ritual that creates comfort because we believe in its power or find it familiar. Another way we let go of fear is by seeking the refuge of our holy community. Fear also often dissolves when we engage in actions which we know will produce goodness and love. By working for love, we forget the fear and feel stronger. What else works? Reading scripture or other texts that cultivate the Holy, opening ourselves to the body of Christ as it reaches out to us, immersing ourselves in creation whether it is a sunset or our families… all these things are practical ways we seek to let go of fear and move forward with hope.

What ways might we adopt that we aren’t already doing to help us shed the chains of fear? Maybe it’s watching out for others who are struggling and reaching out to them. We’ve mentioned rituals that are familiar but perhaps sometimes letting go of an old fear is about trying something new. What might that be in each of our lives? What if letting go of a fear is about redoubling our efforts? Maybe it’s a matter of focus. Could it be about listening to the yearnings God implanted in us as Romans suggests? The important thing is that we find what will help us take the fear that wells up in us, use what it has to teach us, and move forward without being caught in its bondage.

Now, what fears bind us? Think about what specific fears make your chest tighten and pulse rise when you think of them? Most of us have many fears but for now, let’s just trust that what comes to each of us is what God wants us to look at in this moment. Some of us are afraid of losing people close to us. For others it is being left. Still others of us fear being out of control while some of us fear pain and suffering. No matter what is coming to our minds, God wants us to find a way from fear to hope.

So, how can we use God’s calling and find release from these fears? Where is our comfort? What steps do we need to take to find release and healing from the things that bind us now and the fears that will come along later? It’s hard work and takes intentionality on our part. How will we find stamina to do this? Our desire alone for release and healing from fear just isn’t enough. What steps will we take to live the life of expectancy and hope that God is calling us to?

Sisters and brothers, these few minutes of looking at our fears and our resources are just a beginning and we can’t begin to answer these questions but the questions are worthy and need to be challenged. Nevertheless, one thing is for certain. The bible would not address fear so frequently if God didn’t know we would need extra support to find a path through it.

But we are not helpless. We have the body of Christ to help us along the way, God’s Spirit with us to give us stamina and hope, and God’s promises to guide and hold us along the way. May God guide our path, heal our wounds, and lead us in a more excellent way each and every day. Amen.

Living Forward

An entanglement of grief, hope, & wonder marks my day so far. Relationships are so wildly complex with abundant mixed blessings.

It all started so innocently when I began pulpit supply as a "side gig" to make some extra money. But as God would have it, I became the defacto interim minister for a congregation and over the past year I've married, buried, baptized, held, nurtured, loved, and been loved by this church. Over this time, God has also whispered into my heart about new callings and possibilities of someday being a parish minister. I’ve listened and opened myself up to the day when this may come.

But for now, I love these people and I know that my time is drawing to a close with them because they will soon call a new pastor. My duty as their defacto interim has been to nurture them along the way and I feel like I have. But they will never know fully how they have been part my healing and part of God’s larger plan for me.

As I sit to reflect today, I pray to be a good steward of what they have given me. I pray also that the meaning and the relationships we have shared will live on in ways that reflect the quality of our love. But no matter what, I know that I am forever made better by what they have shared with me.

Of Patriots and Prophets

Ordinary 14A - A sermon based upon Matthew 5:38-48

Good morning. When I left here last week I was aware that we would have patriotic music and a flag pole dedication today. I was also aware that tomorrow is Independence Day so I wanted to work the sermon into the theme.

But when looking at the bible, that’s harder to do than you might think. You see, God, Jesus, and the prophets of the bible spend more time speaking against governments than nearly any other single thing in all of scripture. Yet, governments throughout history have prayed for and claimed God’s favor in the name of their nation.

Truly, the history of humanity has all kinds of governments claiming God’s support and provision. They range from governments like ours which uphold virtues of justice, equality, and liberty to dictatorships and tyrants like Hitler and Nazi Germany. So, how do we know that we’re being patriotic in a way that has honor and integrity?

See, I think we live in a time that it’s easy to be cynical or overzealous about patriotism. Our cultural climate and the events of the world almost make us go to one extreme of excessive skepticism or the other of unencumbered dedication. But national allegiance, like faith is not that easy. Being an engaged citizen of a nation, state, city, community, or even a congregation takes work that can’t be boiled down to either / or kinds of stances.

So, where can we find guidance on what patriotism looks like? Well, I think there are several biblical passages we could look to for guidance on this but for today, we’re looking at part of Matthew chapter 5. As Christians, I think Jesus would tell us that our patriotism should look pretty much like our faith.

The hallmarks of our faith are about glorifying God and living our salvation and freedom from sin in a way that works for the healing and betterment of others. That hymn lyric, “They’ll know we are Christians by our love” comes to mind.

In today’s scripture reading, we get a very straightforward message from Jesus about how to live in community and even in the world. The message is that we love. We love our neighbor. We find ways of loving our enemy. We go the extra mile to care for those in need. We don’t lash out at others. And we humbly acknowledge that God is already working in others and for others in ways we don’t always recognize or understand.

Now that last one may seem like it doesn’t fit in that list but it does. Jesus says, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.” God’s provision is being poured out on all, not just the good people or the right nations or a certain kind of people. And we are responsible for being bearers of love in all people’s lives with the hope that we all cultivate greater awareness of the One from whom all blessings flow.

Now that’s a tall order for sure and it leaves some questions that I think we should at least pause to think about even if we can’t answer them with fullness and certainty. The first question we might should think about that comes from applying this biblical passage to our lives as nation citizens is, do we put the names of God and Christ on everything and do we spend time trying to prove God’s involvement in events of the world? I don’t raise that question to sound antagonistic. Given the deeply divided debates in this nation about displaying the ten commandments and prayer in schools, it seems to be a worthy question. Do we spend our time proving that God has a hand in Government and world affairs?

First, I want to suggest that much of what comes up in this sermon looks very different for each and every one of us because we each have different gifts and responsibilities. So what our civic actions look like are different much like we each have different functions in the body of Christ. But to start to answer this question I think we can go back to the question of does it look like our faith? If the hallmarks of our faith are, as was said earlier, to glorify God and to uplift others, does spending so much arguing really do either of those?

It seems that repeatedly the biblical message is about getting out there and doing the work of love rather than arguing whose ideas are better. Perhaps a better use of time for most of us… keep in mind I’ve left the door open to the idea that some of us are called to do that kind of work… but for most of us our time would be better spent being beacons of love, justice, and mercy rather than pouring so much energy into arguing for who’s faith gets the credit.

This leads to the question can a nation claim God? Well, I think nations, groups, and people should claim when they recognize something as being a gift from God but we must be careful to not claim God’s preference for one nation over another. Just like the Matthew text says that God pours out provision on all, we must first hear that God’s preference is for humanity, not a particular nation. It may be that the United States can trace ideals of justice, freedom, and liberty to Christian beliefs but we by no means have a monopoly on God’s desire for all to experience justice and freedom from that which binds us. So, when we claim God’s presence and work in this nation, we must first claim God’s overarching love and work for all humanity.

Now I think we should pause here for a moment and lift up calling in the body of Christ that can really help us here. When asking the question of what nations should be doing and how we as Christians should be participating I left the door open to the idea that some are called to be civically engaged in different ways. And I think no discussion of patriotism is complete without honoring the calling of the prophet.

In biblical times, the prophet did the same as today. This is the person who stands up and says what goes against the flow but brings us back to the ideals of honoring God and making God’s creation a better place. Prophets are the ones who make us see differently and wonder more deeply. They are the ones that often make our blood boil and step on our toes. They are clarifiers and proclaimers of God’s voice in the world and if we are to be both faithful Christians and patriots, we would do well to listen to them.

Take for example, Martin Luther King, Jr. In his Nobel Peace Prize speech, he said, “Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.” Dr. King was a voice that repeatedly called us back to passages such as the one from Matthew. He was saying that we have to find peaceful and loving ways of dealing with conflict. Lashing out is not an option. Embracing our enemies with love is the only way.

And don’t think that there are no living prophets right now. There are plenty. Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Susan Burton, and Robin Blakeman come to my mind and if you don’t know who the last two are, don’t worry. They work on local levels and will never gain national attention but they are prophets of God nonetheless.

So what does all this mean for us? What do we need to be doing to cultivate love and glorify God on this Independence day and all days? Well, I think we do get involved. Our Christian calling tells us that we are to act for and on behalf of the poor and the ones without support. We do this within our faith community through all kinds of outreach programs but we can also do it through civic action. What about helping out with after school reading programs or letter writing to politicians for education funding? Some of us even hear God’s call to protect others and go into military or public service. The list of things that our faith might compel us to do when we act as a citizen of the United States is endless.

And that’s a real gift of our faith in this nation. We do have the freedom to grow in our faith out in the light of the world. And because of that freedom to engage our religion so openly, we can do even more to help bring about justice in the world.

Sisters and brothers, it is right and good that we celebrate fellowship with our family, friends, and community this weekend. Celebration is holy and a gift from God. But as we move past the festivities and cook-outs, the invitation of Matthew 5 is to ask what more can we do to bring about an experience of God’s love in the world and then go and do it. And that is patriotism we can live into. Amen.

Pathways and Promises

Ordinary 13A – A sermon based upon Genesis 22:1-14

Good morning. To be honest, I’ve struggled with this sermon all week because when I sat down to look at the lectionary texts, the one God kept whispering to me was the Genesis 22 story of God testing Abraham by telling him to offer his son as a sacrifice. I kept saying, “No, that one is too hard. We’re kicking off Vacation Bible School so let’s do something more inspiring.” But God being the never ending nudger and caller to growth wouldn’t let me get away with picking another text.

So here we are, looking at a story that has horrified people for thousands of years and continues to distress us with what it might mean that God would ask such a thing of us. Maybe kick off day for VBS is the right day to dig into a biblical story so complicated that we usually want to ignore it or explain it away.

So, what can we do to make sense of this story? I’ve read tons of commentaries and scholarly material this week and learned more about how many different opinions and views there are than any one thing. But let me give you a brief rundown of some of what theologians and scholars think about this.

Verse 14 reads, “So Abraham called that place ‘The Lord will provide’; as it is said to this day, ‘On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.’” So, some think the whole thing is just a myth because the passage ends with telling us how a mountain got its name and how a saying came into being. They say it never happened and it’s just a story to tell us a lesson. Well, whether or not it happened, the tougher part is figuring out what the lesson or lessons are.

Some scholars believe this is a symbolic story where the ancient Israelites living in exile would have understood themselves to be the “firstborn” that God would provide for and also Abraham who God was testing. This is also an interesting thought but what does that really mean to us today? So I kept digging.

Some say Abraham was willing to follow God’s command so unquestionably because he knew that God would intervene and not allow Isaac to be hurt since the boy was part of bigger promises already made by God. Well, maybe Abraham did hope for that but I doubt he truly knew for certain what would happen when they set out. Also, if he already knew, then the moral of the story would be, “if you already know what God’s doing in your life, just play along” rather than “God will provide.”

Many theologians are deeply concerned with misinterpretations of this passage as justification of child abuse. Seeing this text in too flat a way can lead to justifying the use of children as pawns in adult disputes such as divorces. Taking it too far can even lead to a complete perversion of the text and of God’s true will by proclaiming that God condones the use, abuse, and murder of children. However, this passage never says anything like that. In fact, 16 biblical passages firmly forbid human sacrifice and countless passages condemn the injury of children.

So, here we are… lots of opinions but we’re still mortified by the thought of God asking such a thing of Abraham. But I don’t think it’s just us in this time and place. It’s not that we’re reading with a New Testament orientation of a loving God and people of old weren’t. I suspect all people in all times and places have found this story horrific and maybe that’s part of the point.

Biblical stories come to us with a richness and a history that teach us things about human nature and divine covenant in action. So when we see a story that doesn’t match our understanding of those, it catches our attention. See, lots of folks want to know how Abraham could do this without even asking God why? There’s nothing in this passage or the bible in general that calls for us to not ask God questions so we can understand more. So how did a father choose to do this without asking? And when we look at our own faith, we don’t understand how someone could have that kind of faith in the first place. Abraham’s actions stand out to us because they are inconsistent with what we know of human nature so it jars us. And to go a little further, we’re also jarred by the idea that if God would ask this of Abraham, what might we be asked to do? Would we rise to the occasion or go running the other way? And if God is testing Abraham does that mean that God doesn’t know the outcome of human free will?

There are just so many questions that make this passage stand out for further scrutiny. So, what do we make of all this?

Well, the first thing is to figure out what we do know for sure from the passage. One of the first things is to recognize that the biblical reader and God are the ones who know this is a test. Abraham, Isaac, and the people of the story do not know this is only a test. If they had known, they would have interacted very differently.

We also know that since this is only a test, God never intends to hurt Isaac. Keep in mind that Abraham has struggled with faith his whole life. God only wants to know about Abraham’s faithfulness and once that is established the next passage is where God promises Abraham descendants as numerous as the stars.

Another thing we know is that Abraham has come to a new level in his faith. He possesses a deep trust in God. Even when Isaac sees that something is obviously not right about the situation and asks about it, Abraham responds faithfully that God will provide. Again, I want to point out that this passage does not say that passivity and unquestioning are good. It’s just that Abraham didn’t question.

And another thing we know about this passage is from a literary device. Hebrew scripture, was arranged in ballad like songs. So, repeating words, sounds, and other emphasis are always there for a reason but we miss those in translation.

When we read this, we see some form of the verb “to see” 5 times. But when read in Hebrew, the arrangement is in such a way that we learn that sight and a kind of progress of “seeing” are deeply important to unraveling this passage. Abraham is shown to taking in more information through his sight. Revelation in this story is not as much about the words being said but about seeing something new or with greater clarity.

Okay, we’ve done all this biblical digging because we’re looking for what it’s going to mean in our lives. So from what we know, what can we extract as lessons for our lives? Well, I’d like to suggest two lessons we can take away. The first is the obvious one. God provides.

God’s provision for us and our lives is that of incredible abundance. In last week’s scripture message, we explored the ways we experience God’s refuge and strength within the church. But it’s not always easy to see and experience God’s provision. I mean we experience lost jobs, crime, disasters, oppressive sins like racism and classism, and we each carry deep sorrows for the way we’ve been hurt by the brokenness of the world. The way we experience the world, it’s hard to imagine how Abraham could have trusted God so much.

But we need to be clear to understand the sufferings brought about by human brokenness and free will are not the will or work of God. God’s work of giving is in the places that we heal those sorrows and pains. God’s provision is in relationship and community. And God does provide in ways that we could never have arranged for on our own.

Does it mean we can just go along hoping all will be well? No. All was well because Abraham continued to act in good faith and do what God had asked. Just like Abraham was walking the journey of action, so must we. God’s provision in most people’s lives is directly linked to our kindness, love, and compassion for one another. As partners of God in the body of Christ, we always hope but that hope is bound together with action.

This brings me to the second and less obvious point I think this passage has for us today. Earlier I said that one of the things we know about this passage is it’s evolving use of the verb “to see.” This progressive seeing and revelation points to something very important in our lives. I think the second point is that we are often led down paths based upon our current understanding but we are always responsible for keeping our eyes open to new revelation and paths as God opens them up to us.

Abraham was given a command by God and started down that pathway. See, Abraham lived around other cultures where child sacrifice was a common practice even though it wasn’t for his culture. Nevertheless, he could make sense of it at the time. Yet, he kept looking and therefore seeing more and more as time passed. By the moment when the angel intervened, Abraham may likely have understood that this was all a test. But regardless of what he believed, the point remains that he kept his eyes open to what God was continuing to reveal. This made him both faithful in his actions but flexible to adapt to a new path when it came along.

This is a huge lesson. God expects us to keep growing and to be open to new paths as something different is revealed. God leads us but may change what information we have as we are more and more ready to receive it. So, we must be willing to let God change what our understanding of faithfulness means.

And this is a tough one because we’re not always good with change, especially in the religious world. We cling to our comfortable beliefs and ministries. But that’s not what we are always called to do. The idea that “we’ve always done it this way” isn’t necessarily God’s will and guidance. What we’ve always done must be constantly under scrutiny for new revelation.

Now what that new revelation may mean, we’re going to have to explore another time. And from this passage, it seems like something we should always be exploring. But as we leave here today, maybe the questions can get us going. What is it in our personal lives that God might be opening a different door for us? What about our professional lives? What new thing or things is God opening this congregation to? How can that openness be a gift? And how can we support one another in the discomfort of transitions as we adapt to what God has in store for us?

Sisters and brothers, this is our charge: to be watchful, willing to grow, and live in the work of God’s provision. As we go from here, may God bless our seeing and understanding of the pathways that lay ahead of us. Amen

Our Refuge and Strength

Trinity A – a sermon based upon Psalm 46

Good morning. It is a true joy to be with you today on this Trinity Sunday where we celebrate that Christians are bad mathematicians or have a different kind of math… a math that says that 1 Father + 1 Son + 1 Holy Spirit = One Big God.

Okay, I figured that joke would either reveal that you were asleep or that I am a geek but I couldn’t help myself. The fact that we set aside a day to consider the Triune God, Trinity Sunday is an interesting thing to me. We definitely spend time talking about God, Jesus, and the Spirit. And we give a gentle nod to the fact that they are intertwined. But do we really stop to stand in awe of how amazingly God’s love, Christ’s redemption, and the Spirit’s creative energy works in and around us and with each other?

Today is probably a good day to do that because last week we talked about a pretty tough calling to keep reaching out even when we don’t understand other parts of the Body of Christ. And this week I said we’d look into our refuge, nurture, and growth together within a community of faith. And that’s what we’re going to do.

Today’s Psalm starts with a phrase familiar to many of us: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” This Psalm shows a great deal of trust and hope on our part in a God that is ever present and truly helpful in our daily lives. But is it just trust and hope? Could it be the Psalmist’s experience that first brought these words to song and then to paper? Could it be that for all our struggles to feel God’s presence, we still have a powerful experiences of and a deep knowledge of God?

I suspect so and on this day, the day of the church picnic where we share in the joy of fellowship, there is no better time to look at our experiences of each other and God in our midst. So, let’s look deeper at this Psalm and more closely at this community.

The 46th Psalm is broken into 3 different sections. The first looks at the turbulence of the earth. The second considers the unrest of people and nations. Finally the third upholds experience of God in being still and recognizing God’s works.

On first look you may think, now what does that have to do with our refuge, nurture, and growth together within a community of faith? Well, there are lots of ways to look at this Psalm. If we were soldiers in Iraq or Afghanistan, we may be looking at it for what it says about God’s dealings in political matters. And if we lived in earthquake ravaged Haiti or tornado torn Joplin, MO, we might center in on God’s work of creation in spite of the ebb and flow of nature and destruction. But for today, let’s look at it from right here… from this community of faith.

See, we know what it’s like for the “waters roar” and the land to tremble. The recent floods and storms have reminded us just how fragile our things of human design are. And if we look back in time, we need not go too far to see the damage wrought by nature. We also know what it’s like for the nations to roar and put our sisters, brothers, daughters, sons, grandchildren, parents and loved ones in harm’s way. But in the big times, the everyday times, and all the in between times, how do we know that God is our refuge and our strength?

Well, if you’ll indulge me, I think I have a unique prespective on this question. I’ve been helping in worship at First Pres consistently for over a year now and a few times before that over 2 years. But I’ve not been here for worship only. I’ve talked with many of you during coffee hour. I’ve sat in some of your homes to grieve. We’ve run into one another at local festivals or stores. Even as recently as last week, we’ve shared in the joy of baptisms and new members. You’ve reached out to me and to one another and much much more. And all along I’ve been watching. I’m a people watcher and you’ve given me plenty to take in.

See, during times of looking for a new pastor, some churches spend thousands of dollars on a consultant that comes in and studies a congregation to then give them a report telling them what was observed. But as someone who loves and cares about you, I’m going to tell you for free what I’ve seen.

In you, I have seen that there are more ways for the waters and nations to roar than just literal ones. The very foundations of many of your lives have been rocked by things that happened in your life or the lives of those around you. Unthinkable deaths, illnesses too scary to talk about with more than a few people, losses that leave you questioning how to cope and how to support one another have swept through in the past year just as they do in all years.

But I listened to your words to one another. I heard you say things like, “I don’t know what to say to make it better but I am here for you” or “I am grateful I have you around me to help us through this.” I also watched your actions. You sent cards, shared rides, offered meals, and shared with one another. You have been that beautiful interplay of God’s love, Christ’s healing, and the Sprit’s binding that one another need. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

However, I’ve been watching during more than just the crisis moments. I’ve watched the everyday times and if you ask me, the true measure of a community is not only in how well they rise to the occasion of crisis but what they do day in and day out. I see that you love to learn and grow.

You have church school, Sunday night conversations, Tuesday evening studies, VBS, and other special events. And those events are not just about growing intellectually or spiritually but they are also about the time spent with one another in seeking and learning together.

I also have watched you in stewardship. I’ve overheard conversations of concern about how to deal with financial issues with integrity. I’ve witnessed the birth and development of new gifts and callings such as when I overheard one of you talk about something that needed to be fixed and then you realized that maybe it was your calling to fix it. And the coffee hour helpers, greeters, ushers, flower arrangers, table setters, dish washers, meal cookers, baked good donators (and eaters), liturgy helpers, prayers, and so much more can’t even begin to be calculated when you start to look at stewardship. This congregation loves to do things for one another and for each other and it’s awe inspiring to stand back and see. “The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.”

But all that I’ve named has been about the “doing” not about the “being.” The most meaningful things I can name about First Presbyterian as a congregation are about “being.” For example, everyone is interested in the search for a new pastor. And whether it’s the conversations I know are taking place in the PNC or the ones in the pews, those conversations are ongoing. Debate, vision, disagreement, and hope get tangled with practical concerns. And you know what? They should be messy or we’re not faithfully and fully seeking God’s guidance. But at the core of all the outward swirling and energy is a deep seeded desire to be together.

And this “being” goes further than just looking for a new pastor. In the past year, I’ve come up with a theory about this church that I’ve shared with many of you. The theory comes from why I think it is that you have a history of being so vibrant in times without a pastor when many congregations collapse. My belief is that your liveliness and growth comes from your deep knowledge that YOU are the Church, not some person standing here. You know that WE are the body of Christ using all kinds of different gifts and I suspect that some of those gifts come out even more during times without consistent pastoral leadership.

Faith like that can’t be bottled and it can’t be taught. But it can be cultivated by relationships of people being with each other and being one another’s refuge and nurture. “Be still, and know that I am God!”

“Be still, and know that I am God” is an utterance that invites being not doing. On a day like today where we celebrate fellowship with one another the thing I’ve learned most strongly about this community is that whether it’s in committee or in the pews, there is a yearning for God. Some of you describe it as that feeling you get that keeps you coming back. Others identify it through what you do. But no matter how you think about it, that desire and longing for God finds some sort of voice here.

Sisters and brothers, our calling is into community… a community that holds and nurtures. As we spend time together and in the days and years to come, God invites us to be still and consider how that yearning for God has been fulfilled. We’re invited to step into the wonder of the trinity as God’s partners in creation. If it has been lacking, we’re invited to question what can we do to let down our own walls or to help reach through the barriers of fear that others have.

Now, I’m not naive enough to think that we live in a culture where all our spiritual and emotional needs can be taken care of by one group of people. The fact of the matter is that God’s refuge and strength enter our lives from many places and often our closest supports are outside this community. And that’s okay. But while we’re here and when we’re considering what we want here to be like, God’s invitation is for us to pause in gratitude for what this faith community has been in our lives. God’s invitation is to know that no matter what comes along, we are not alone. “God is our refuge and strength.” Amen.

Of Body and Spirit

Pentecost A – sermon based upon 1 Corinthians 12: 3-13

Good morning. It is so good to be with you on this day of Pentecost. I’ve missed you over the past month but I’ve kept up with some of the happenings and you’ve always been close to my heart and in my prayers. I wanted to make a joke about how long it’s been by how quickly my hair is growing back but I couldn’t really think of anything witty to say so let’s just jump into this scripture.

Today’s scripture passage around the gifts and the body of Christ offers us a familiar image and calling. But like most scripture, we are blessed with a new hearing each and every time we encounter it. So, on this day where we celebrate the birth of the church, Pentecost, what does God want us to hear with newness?

Well, the passage is pretty straightforward and there isn’t much in the way of controversy in its meaning. The passage is very clear that there is one Spirit, one Christ, and one God and that all gifts, services, and activities flow from the one triune God. God is the breather of life, author, & initiator of all gifts and services. Verse 7 tells us, “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” Verse 11 says, “All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.”

All of our gifts and callings, every last one of them, come from God and are activated by the Spirit to work in the body of Christ. When we survey our lives, it can be so easy to pat ourselves on the backs for what we’ve done or achieved. But when we use our intuition or wisdom or compassionate heart, we must know that those things flow from God for the glory of God. Actually, the scripture said specifically they are “for the common good.”

This brings us to another point of this passage that reminders us that there are many different kinds of gifts and callings in the body of Christ. Verses 8 through 10 give us a litany of gifts and fruits of the spirit. But why is it that there are all these amazing gifts from God… compassion, healing, empathy, wisdom, leadership, faith, insight, tongues, hope, prophetic voice, and so many more… yet, we each only get a handful?

Well, most of us struggle to master even one or two of the gifts and callings in our lives let alone a bunch of them. As friends and neighbors, it takes hard work to use our particular gifts… the listening ear, perfect timing for distraction, asking intuitive questions, bravely challenging problems. Whatever our deepest gifts are in our friendships, it takes lots of effort on our part to use them well.

And what about our other relationships and roles like work, family, and even our faith community? Pure and simple, it’s just hard to develop a few of our gifts well and get them on the path God is calling us to. And even more difficult than that, when we do master a few, it becomes especially challenging to stay humble and remember from whom these gifts came.

But there’s more than the obvious “human” limitations going on here. We are not called to be individual gods, possessing all gifts and wholeness of the one God. Scripture says, “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” The common good... we are called to be joined together for the betterment of all. When we join all our gifts together, we become Christ’s presence in the world… God’s love reaching out.

If we each had all gifts and roamed about as our own mini-gods, we would become increasingly self-centered because we lacked the need to open ourselves to what others can teach and give us. Instead, God wisely gave us each differing gifts in various combinations. That would mean that we could each have some special function but that function is only made whole in the presence of other parts. It is for the common good, the greater good that we have these gifts. And if they are truly made whole by joining together, we will be compelled to reach outside of ourselves.

So what do I mean by this? Take for example the gift of compassion. It is an amazing gift that can produce healing, connection, and fill voids in people’s lives. But how do we have it? Well, a seed of it is planted in us. But to grow that seed, we must water it with the experiences of others. We grow compassion by extending ourselves to others and growing in our ability to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes. What about leadership? Leadership is usually a combination of gifts that come together. Some do it through honing their gifts of good planning and charm. Others lead by being able to articulate big visions and ideas. Regardless, the point is that no one ever became a great leader overnight. It was by extending one’s self to others that the experience was gained to develop that gift.

And the church should be a safe proving ground for such gift cultivation. When we volunteer to set up tables, we’re practicing gifts of stewardship and mutual support and we’re deepening relationships. When we participate in worship, we are doing so in a community that is founded upon grace so we don’t have to get it perfect. We just need to be faithful and the gifts will grow. And when there’s a loss or other crisis here, we can respond knowing that we are part of a community where don’t have to fix anything by ourselves because it can only be healed together.

This brings me to the last point I want to share from this passage. Gifts of the spirit are just like the many members of the body of Christ. It indeed does take all the parts to truly fix or heal or change anything for the better. The scripture 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. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body… and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.”

We are completely and utterly bound together. Not just us inside these walls, but all followers. And as awe inspiring as that can sound, it’s also a tough one to swallow sometimes. Think about it. As people of faith, we have spent a great deal of time, energy, and money fighting with one another. For complicated reasons, we get more riled up with one another than we often do with people of no faith. Christians from other backgrounds, people that use different gifts like speaking in tongues, or even other Presbyterians become the object of our frustration and scorn. We think to ourselves, “how can they believe that?” or “they are just sinners.” We try to cut off parts of the body of Christ.

But verse 3 began by telling us “Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says ‘Let Jesus be cursed!’ and no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit.” So our utterances of wanting to dismiss or even push away those we don’t understand in the body of Christ do not come from the Holy Spirit. The Spirit calls us together, even when we don’t understand all the parts… even when we can only see one another’s flaws… even when we are tired of listening… even when our beliefs stand in outright conflict with one another.

But we are not called to belief. We are called to faith. Faith that is bound together by the Spirit because we were baptized into one body and drink of one cup. We, all people who have faith in Jesus, are the body of Christ. When we want to dismiss any part of the body, our job is to seek more understanding rather than getting defensive or closing off. When we can’t figure out how someone can call themselves Christian, our calling is to spend time listening. When we’re frustrated with people we don’t understand, a better use of our time would be helping develop our gifts and theirs by working together on what we do agree on… things like poverty and being with the lonely and suffering. When someone tries to cut us off from the body, our calling is to keep living the mission and reaching out.

These acts of reaching out to one another to understand and connect as I said before are the proving grounds for our faith. If we can’t figure out how to work together as a living body of Christ then our witness to the world is also diminished because we’re not working as the whole body. But when we do join together, history shows us over and over again what amazing things can be done. Consider the Civil Rights Movement, the works of the Red Cross, and even close to home think of the amazing ministries of this congregation. Living out our callings together always leads to bigger things than we could have ever done on our own.


Sisters and brothers, This is a huge calling both inside and outside these walls. But lest we get too burdened by this, come back next week and we’ll be talking about our refuge, strength, and nurture inside these walls. But for now, we wear red on Pentecost to symbolize the flames of the Spirit so this quote from St. Catherine of Sienna is fitting. She said, “Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.”

On this day where we celebrate the birth of the church, our calling is to develop the gifts that are given to us and to work hard to support the gifts of the Spirit given to others. When we do this, we become a full and vibrant living body of Christ. When we do this, we set the world on fire. Amen.