sermon archive 11

I think Paul meant exactly what he said. He used the strongest terms to define his own personal relationship with Christ. Paul believed with every faithful fiber of his Christian-converted life that by being baptized into Christ’s death, he was also baptized into His resurrection. Paul believed that by Christ’s death and resurrection, and God’s grace, his and our chains of death are removed forever and we take on new restraints—chains of righteousness that really become chains of freedom, linking us forever to Christ as slaves to life ever-lasting.

Paul truly believed that if we accept Christ in our lives, Christ is our master and by God’s grace, God does own us. But, here’s the good news. When we accept Christ in our lives, only God owns us and only Christ is the master of our lives—no one and nothing else. If we accept the love of Christ and God in our hearts, nobody else in our lives owns us, and nobody else in our lives is our master. Not our boss at work ... not the leaders we elect to govern us … not the religious leaders who used to claim only they could speak to God. We are free to have our own personal relationship with God and Christ.

There’s the freedom. There’s the liberation. If we believe in God and Christ, nothing else in this world can lay claim to us, but Christ and God—not money, not sin—not even death.

And here’s the other really good news. Unlike the rest of the world, God will never sell us out. He will never demean us or make us feel worthless. By God’s grace, we will enjoy the bounty of a full earthly life and the promise of an ever-lasting heavenly life—even though we don’t deserve it. That’s liberation. That is God’s grace!

I’m troubled—and you may be also—by the lack of grace in our world. The personal attacks between the political right and left in this political year. The personal attacks from religious extremists who want to politicize faith. They all appeal to hysteria and engage in character assassination, rather than a truthful discussion of issues. Where is the grace in today’s world?

In his book, What’s So Amazing about Grace?, author Philip Yancey recalls the example of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., assassinated 40 years ago. Dr. King believed we should even love those who hate us, and we should do battle with Christian weapons and Christian love. Attack the false idea, but not the person who holds that idea. Dr. King believed we can only persuade on the basis of truth alone, not by half truths, exaggerations and lies.

Every volunteer in Dr. King’s organization pledged to follow eight principles, including meditation daily on the teachings and life of Jesus, walk and talk in the manner of love, and observe with both friend and foe the ordinary rules of courtesy. Dr. King believed that every word he said and every action he took should reflect God’s grace.

I like to think of God’s grace as the Lord’s loving smile upon us. Dale Carnegie had a wonderful thought about the simple smile. He said, "It creates happiness in the home, fosters goodwill in a business, and is the countersign of friends. It is rest to the weary, daylight to the discouraged, sunshine to the sad, and nature’s best antidote for trouble.

"Yet it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed or stolen, for it is something that is of no earthly good to anyone until it is given away.” And he suggests, “If in the hurly-burly bustle of today's world, some of the people you meet should be too tired to give you a smile, may we ask you to leave one of yours? For nobody needs a smile so much, as those who have none left to give."

In today’s gospel, Jesus sent His disciples out into the world with his instructions on how the world should receive them.

Jesus is telling us when we extend the Christian smile and welcome to others, we are also welcoming God and Christ into our lives.

He is telling us that we will meet God in fellowship, community and service.

We will meet Christ in each other. When we console the grieving, comfort the ill, or correct an injustice, we are also receiving Christ in our lives.

He is telling us the benefits of Christian community are to be shared by all participants.

He is inviting each of us to fill each small moment with some small act of Christian service.

And He is telling us: Each small kindness will reap large rewards.

This concept of kindness was played out in a recent women’s softball game between two conference rivals, Western Oregon and Central Washington Universities. A Western Oregon player hit a three-run home run but wrenched her knee rounding first base. The first base coach said she would be called out if her teammates tried to help her round the bases. The umpire said a pinch runner could be inserted, but the home run would then only count as a single.

Two members of the opposing team shocked spectators by asking the umpire if they could help her. They carried the injured player around the bases, setting her down to touch second, third and home. This act of sportsmanship, this act of kindness by the Central Washington players resulted in their own elimination from the conference race in a 4 to 2 loss. “In the end, it is not about winning and losing so much,” said one of the Central Washington players who carried her winning opponent around the bases. “It was about this girl. She hit it over the fence and was in pain, and she deserved a home run.”

God’s love is unconditional and kindness is its own reward, but I have to feel that acts of kindness like this one will somehow, some day, be rewarded.

Servant or slave? Lord or Master? However we choose to characterize our relationship with God and Christ, think about what God does for us and what Christ did for us—His suffering, His passion, His sacrifice to all of us so that we might receive the forgiveness of our sins and, by God’s grace and mercy, the free gift of eternal life.

We are imperfect people. Though we may strive for perfection, we fall short and make many mistakes in life, but God still pursues us through His love. If God is keeping a tally of our infractions, how do any of us stand a chance when we stand before Him? Our only humble hope rests with accepting our imperfections and the acceptance of a gracious, loving, forgiving God, by His grace alone.

Centuries ago, Martin Luther wrote a great hymn called, By Grace Alone. Close your eyes and feel the words:

“Out of the depths I cry to You,
Lord, hear my voice of pleading;
Bend down Your gracious ear, I pray,
Your humble servant heeding.
If You remember each misdeed,
And of each thought and word take heed,
Who can remain before You?
Only by grace, by grace alone.”

Surely, we would serve Christ, a master who also was willing to be a slave to mankind. Surely, we would serve God, our master whose unbridled, loving grace surrounds us and saves us each and every day.

Our loving and gracious Lord, we are humbled in your presence and we are saved by your grace alone.

We thank you for the richness of our lives you have given us and the promise of the next life you so generously and freely offer us for believing in You and your beloved son, Jesus.

Lord, thank you for giving us the gift of Pastor Beverly for so many years. We pray that You will be with this church next week as we embark on our future with our new shepherd, Pastor Lori.

There’s another beautiful version of Grace Alone. Let’s sing it now, number 2162 in the Faith We Sing.

Fear is a great force on everybody’s life. Fear of heights, spiders,
the dark, rabbits. Whatever it is that you’re afraid of. It affects your
life in some way. What about your fear of God? Does that affect you?
We just heard in Matthew 10 verse 28 "Do not be afraid of those who
kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One
who can destroy both soul and body in hell." All around the world
people make their choices of if they are more afraid of God or of
other people and society.

Think of David, who was told to not to pray to God, but only to the
Darius, the king of Babylonia. He still went and prayed to God three
times a day. This got him thrown in the lions den. He didn't even fear
the lions while in the lions den. What is there to fear more than God.
He flooded the world once because of all the nonbelievers, and saved
only the small group of people who believed in him.

Think of Job whom the devil tested. Satan tried to make Job turn from
God. Every thing was taken away from Job, and yet he still feared God,
and put all of his trust into him. Isn't this an example we should
follow. Many bad things happen in your life. Death of a loved one,
sickness, or plain trouble in your life. No matter what it is you
cannot blame God and curse him for what happened. You must be able to
stand strong through it all, and praise God. Think of how God treated
Job after all of the tests. His life was better then before. What do
you think would have happened if he had not placed his trust in God.
God might have left him in disparity, and loss. Afterward Job would
have been sent to reside in Hell for eternity. I know of no person who
wishes to reside with devil for eternity.

A family moves to a new town totally different from their old one. No
one there is a Christian. Most of the people there are nonbelievers of
God whatsoever. When the parents start meeting and socializing with
their neighbors they find out their views, and beliefs. They'll feel
awkward about their beliefs since it's not shared by those around
them. So they don't express their own beliefs They let their fears of
not fitting in out way their fear of God. That is not what God is
looking for. He wants us to have the courage to proudly say we belief
in him to all peoples no matter what they put their faith in. Making
sure your children understand the need to put their faith in God as
well. If the parents are having a hard time adjusting to this town,
just imagine what it would be like for the kids. They won't fully
understand why believing in God would bring ridicule, and sneering
from other children just because of their religion. It is your
responsibility to help teach them and show them the right way to live.

There have been stories of people being held at gunpoint and
questioned about their religion. They are told to say they don't
believe in God. If they say that they are a Christian they will be
shot. Stop and think about this. What would you do in a situation like
this? The right answer is obvious. However the fear is very tangible
and right in front of you. Do you think you can put aside your fear of
the gun, and state your faith. How do you think God would look at you
after this act of betrayal on your part.

The past two examples have been the extremes. Most likely, the things
and people in your life are going to be more subtle. Do you have the
faith and trust in God, that will help you get past the social fears.
The only one that truly needs to be feared is him. God didn't force
the fear of himself on Lot, which confused Satan. The fear was there,
in the form of dedication to God. We just need to live our lives in
his name. Our fear of the Father will translate into the love and
trust in him. He knows that it is hard because we don't see the
effects of not fearing him right away. But remember He controls where
our body and soul go after our death. Whether we go to his side or go to
hell will be based on our actions and interactions.

The scriptures today give us strong messages of hope and faith and how to live, by linking us to those who have come before us and those whom will come after us…our faith ancestors.

Before we look at the messages from these scriptures I want to share a little story. Sometimes, many times life does not make sense to us, there seems to be senseless suffering and we cannot see beyond that at the time. This was the case in this story of a shipwreck…

When your hut's on fire

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him. Every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions. The little hut gave him just enough shelter to make him feel like he could continue surviving. One day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, with smoke rolling up to the sky. He felt the worst had happened, and everything was lost. He was stunned with disbelief, grief, and anger. He cried out, "God! Haven’t I suffered enough, how could you do this to me?" Early the next day, he was awakened by the sound of a ship miraculously approaching the land! It had come to rescue him! "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied.

The Moral of This Story:

It's easy to get discouraged when things are going bad, but we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of our pain and suffering. Remember that the next time your little hut seems to be burning to the ground; it just may be a smoke signal that summons the Grace of God.

Let us look at today’s scriptures and God’s grace, blessings and messages of hope…

God calls to Abraham to bring him blessings. In his meeting with the Lord, Abraham jumps to his feet to serve. Abraham invites the visitors to stay so that he can serve them. Abraham offers to wash the traveler’s feet because that is the hospitable thing to do for a traveler in his time. He offers food and rest under the shade of the scared trees. When the Lord who is one of the travelers tells Abraham that this time next year Sarah will have a son, Sarah laughs at overhearing this. The Lord confronts Abraham and Sarah, do you not think that I the Lord can do anything? This is His challenge. Sarah quickly denies her laughing, her momentary laps of faith in the Lord’s plan. Sarah does not believe the blessing that is before her. The Lord confronts her saying, you did laugh. Sarah is human, an old woman beyond the child bearing years, so her response is a human response, what is the Lord going to do with me now, in my late years? This is absurd for us but nothing is absurd for God. God works in His time, not our time. The Lord does bless Sarah and Abraham with a son and ancestors as many as the stars in the sky. There is nothing the Lord cannot do. Abraham responded to the Lord with a steadfast faith, always believing the Lord would bless him. The Lord calls on us to keep the faith no matter how absurd or impossible our lives seem at the time.

The Lord gives us Abraham as our great faith father and servant who shows us how to invite God’s blessings by being a faithful servant. This gives us hope to live by in the good times and the impossible times.

The Psalmist builds on the message of Faith and all the good the Lord brings us. In this psalm the author is thanking God for saving him from death. There are different categories of death, yes; the one we usually think of is the death of the body, the physical death. But there is also mental death when people give up thinking about the Lord and there is spiritual death when someone gives up faith in the Lord. The Psalmist exclaims in joy and praise saying, “I Love You Lord!” You answered my prayers. You paid attention to me, and so I will pray to you as long as I live.” There will be no giving up of faith for this person. Then the psalmist searches… now, what must I give the Lord? I will give a wine offering, I will pray in the Lord’s name, I will worship you, I will offer a sacrifice to show how grateful I am, I will shout praises to the Lord and I will keep my promise to you when your people meet, when your people gather in your temple, I will keep my promise to you. What promise is the psalmist referring to?

Perhaps it is the big promise, the promise God asks of all of us for all times…to love one God, to worship one God, to know one God, to lift up the one God in praise and thanksgiving. By doing this we demonstrate our faith in God and are connected to Abraham and David and all of our faith ancestors who kept this promise when the people meet. When we meet, we continue to make good on this promise for the people yet to come by worshiping, praying and lifting praise in His name we pay our faith heritage forward when we help others, do things for the Lord and in the Lord’s name.

In his letter to the Romans, Paul expands our concept of faith. Paul states that it is by faith that we are acceptable to God. It was by faith that Abraham served the Lord and responded to all that the Lord asked, over and over again, whether it made sense to Abraham or not, he followed and served in faith, never faltering and always open to God’s blessings. (Yes, sometimes a burning hut is a blessing in disguise and Abraham would never have questioned a burning hut).

Paul adds in how the Lord sent Jesus to us and what that means in terms of faith, hope and every day living. The Amplified Bible translates Paul’s message with the following words:

1 Therefore, since we are justified, meaning given a right standing with God, through faith, let us grasp the fact that we have the peace of reconciliation to hold and to enjoy peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One.

2 Through Him also we have our access, our introduction by faith into this grace, which is a state of God’s favor, in which we firmly and safely stand. And let us rejoice and exult in our hope of experiencing and enjoying the glory of God.

3 Moreover, let us also be full of joy now! Let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance.

4 And endurance or fortitude develops maturity of character defined as approved faith and tried integrity. And character of this sort produces the habit of joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation.

5 Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us, for God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us.

Paul is stating that because of Jesus we live at peace with God. That Christ introduced us to God’s undeserved kindness on which we take our stand. What does this mean, to take our stand? Well Paul goes on to say that we are happy to share in the glory of God and that’s not all, we are happy to suffer. Now, this sounds like a bad twist in the story of faith

One commentary on this passage explains that a true believer, someone who has faith has peace with God and that it is through Jesus Christ the great Peace maker, the Mediator between God and man that we are in this happy state of grace. In this happy state of God’s grace we stand, firm and safe even through trials and tribulations.

So, we are not happy in the emotional sense to suffer but in a happy state of God’s grace because He sent Jesus to us. Jesus reconciles our relationship with God and the covenant of everlasting life is fulfilled.

Surely Abraham and Sarah suffered greatly when they grew old without any children. Without any children, without any ancestors, how was Abraham to fulfill God’s work? This must have weighed very heavily on Abraham, but he continued, in faith, persevered with great patience. He endured this dismal time in his life. Abraham stood on God’s undeserved kindness. Paul goes on to explain this dimension of faith and stand…we gladly suffer because suffering helps us endure and endurance builds character…some of us may feel like we have enough character, so enough with the suffering. But it is through our suffering that we endure because we stand in God’s grace, God fulfills His promise, just like with Abraham, just like with David. This enduring and character building is the thing that hope is made of and because this hope is made of and comes from God, it is a hope that never disappoints. Paul tells us that all of this happens because God has given us the Holy Spirit, who fills our hearts with his love. So, what are we called to do with our hearts filled with love, with the Holy Spirit? What does Christ, our Mediator between God and ourselves ask of us?

We learn what we must do from the instructions Jesus gives to his disciples in Matthew’s Gospel. Jesus had gone out to every village and town to preach and teach and to heal and he felt sorry for the masses; he described them as confused as a flock of sheep without a shepherd and he had great compassion for them. He saw a large crop with only a few workers and asks God who is in charge of the harvest of faith followers to send out workers to bring them in. Jesus tells his disciples to go out and to force out evil spirits, to heal every kind of disease and sickness to announce that the kingdom of heaven will soon be here; and to not take any payment. After all they received freely so they must give freely. God gives the gift of faith and we witness to that faith by following the instructions of the Holy Spirit who fills our hearts with love. With faith and love we go out to heal those who are sick of mind, body or spirit, and we do this willingly and freely. Following the instructions by Jesus connects us both to the faith ancestors who came before, those who are our faith brothers and sisters living with us right now and those who will come after us. This is our faith legacy. Something you do today, may serve and heal someone whom you will never meet, maybe change the life of someone who isn’t even born yet.

As I was thinking about contemporary illustrations for the messages from these scriptures I remembered an assignment I give my college students in a class called Optimal Human Functioning. The texts in this class explore how to make meaning and purpose for lasting and authentic happiness in life. The assignment is for students to bring in something that inspires them and to share it with the class. I thought about the examples and realized that many of the students in class were experiencing suffering; one woman’s mother was being treated for breast cancer, another student was healing from a 4 year relationship that ended in a violent break up another had been chronically ill and the list goes on. The life of a college student is not carefree and they know firsthand, suffering. I was struck by the examples of inspiration and hope that they shared in this class amidst their suffering. Student after student shared examples of great works for the good of people to alleviate suffering, healing for people, just like when Jesus went out into the crowds. One student shared her participation in the Bread Life Walk for Hunger that raises money for MA food banks; another student had participated in Habitat for Humanity building houses in Appalachia over her spring break; another student shared how one person, Tom Hansen had started a project where for every pair of shoes you buy from his company he sends a brand new pair of shoes to children in Africa. Three students shared that over their winter break they traveled to Africa to work at an orphanage that Salve students who graduated 2 years ago started and how inspired they were by the love and laughter of the children they were helping. Working with these children gave them great hope. There were many more examples. I am touched by the inspiration and hope that comes out of these examples of extreme suffering and that there are so many people with compassion for the crowds and so many taking action to heal God’s people.

This congregation fulfills Jesus’ instructions every time we participate in local and global mission work; our hearts are filled with compassion for the suffering in Sierra Leone so we act by sending medical supplies and school supplies and buying items from the Sierra Leone boutique and yes being a praying and loving presence to Safiatu Bah Dallas. This congregation fulfills Jesus’ instructions when we support Habitat for Humanity, Washington Park Outreach, Blanket Sunday, Heiffer Projects, World Vision Famine Projects, the garden for the food pantry, the food pantry, being a site for AA meetings, the Pastor’s discretionary fund, and the list goes on. No action is too small to serve and heal others. When you invite someone to church, give someone a ride to church, pray for someone, welcome someone who is new to this church, when you send a card to someone who is sick in body or spirit, when you sit quietly with someone you know is suffering, you are being a disciple for Jesus.

God calls us, as he called Abraham, into covenant with Him to live as a faithful servant, inviting and accepting God’s blessings. God calls us to live with hope, faith, mercy, endurance, healing, compassion and love. Jesus calls us as disciples to have compassion and to go out into the world with this compassion to heal and Paul calls us to experience the joy of everlasting life in both the troubling times and the good times.

As I have been thinking about today, I wanted to say something profound, something memorable, something important, but didn’t really know what that should be, or how to say it, or whether or not I would even be able to say it. I knew that what I said needed to be grounded in Scripture because that’s what we are about here in the church, so I started looking at Paul’s letters. I figured that he was the model of an itinerant preacher and he frequently left the places that he had preached. Of course, I was quickly reminded that in many instances when Paul left a place, it wasn’t always by his choice. Frequently he was driven out of town by a riot. His message was not always well received. Generally, however, even when there were riots, or in places where he was thrown in prison, there were others there who listened to him; people who believed and many people who cared a great deal about what he was saying and wanted to keep him safe. There were people who longed for him to come back to visit and to teach more. His letters to the churches in the various cities and towns are filled with guidance and advice. What I didn’t find in my search was a passage that both showed how Paul felt about leaving a place and saying good-bye and that also resonated with me.

I looked on the internet to find what scripture passages other pastors had used in their final sermons, and there I found the best of both worlds. A sermon on the internet directed me to Acts 20:17-38. There Paul is traveling to Jerusalem and wants to get there in time for the Feast of Pentecost if at all possible. On his journey, he stopped in Troas and the night before he was supposed to leave he met with the congregation there and planned to celebrate the Lord’s Supper with them. The plan was to leave first thing in the morning, but Paul talked on way past midnight. I’ve heard of people falling asleep in church – and I’ve seen it, but in Troas that night, a man fell asleep and fell out of a third story window. When they picked him up, he was dead.

Eugene Peterson, in The Message, tells us that “Paul went down, stretched himself on him, and hugged him hard. `No more crying,’ he said. `There’s life in him yet.’ Then Paul got up and served the Master’s Supper. And went on telling stories of the faith until dawn!”[i] I’ve heard of long sermons but that seems a little extreme, even for Paul. Breathe easy. I won’t do that to you.

Paul and his companions continued their journey and he sent word to the leaders of the congregation in Ephesus to come and meet him in Miletus. It was there that I found the text that I wanted to share with you today. In it, Paul says good-bye to people he has worked with and cared for. Using Eugene Peterson’s The Message let me share that passage with you. Acts 20:17-38:

When they arrived, he said, “You know that from day one of my arrival in Asia I was with you totally – laying my life on the line, serving the Master no matter what, putting up with no end of scheming by Jews who wanted to do me in. I didn’t skimp or trim in any way. Every truth and encouragement that could have made a difference to you, you got. I taught you out in public and I taught you in your homes, urging Jews and Greeks alike to a radical life-change before God and an equally radical trust in our Master Jesus.

“But there is another urgency before me now. I feel compelled to go to Jerusalem. I’m completely in the dark about what will happen when I get there. I do know that it won’t be any picnic, for the Holy Spirit has let me know repeatedly and clearly that there are hard times and imprisonment ahead. But that matters little. What matters most to me is to finish what God started: the job that Master Jesus gave me of letting everyone I meet know all about this incredibly extravagant generosity of God.

“And so this is good-bye. You’re not going to see me again, nor I you, you whom I have gone among for so long proclaiming the news of God’s inaugurated kingdom. I’ve done my best for you, given you my all, held back nothing of God’s will for you.

“Now it’s up to you. Be on your toes – both for yourselves and your congregation of sheep. The Holy Spirit has put you in charge of these people – God’s people they are – to guard and protect them. God himself thought they were worth dying for.

“I know that as soon as I’m gone, vicious wolves are going to show up and rip into this flock, men from our very own ranks twisting words so as to seduce disciples into following them instead of Jesus. So stay awake and keep up your guard. Remember those three years I kept at it with you, never letting up, pouring my heart out with you, one after another.

“Now I’m turning you over to God, our marvelous God whose gracious Word can make you into what he wants you to be and give you everything you could possibly need in this community of holy friends.

“I’ve never, as you so well know, had any taste for wealth or fashion. With these bare hands I took care of my own basic needs and those who worked with me. In everything I’ve done, I have demonstrated to you how necessary it is to work on behalf of the weak and not exploit them. You’ll not likely go wrong here if you keep remembering that our Master said, `You’re far happier giving than getting.’”

Then Paul went down on his knees, all of them kneeling with him, and prayed. And then a river of tears. Much clinging to Paul, not wanting to let him go. They knew they would never see him again – he had told them quite plainly. The pain cut deep. Then, bravely, they walked him down to the ship.

Somehow in all of my study of Scripture, I had never really discovered this passage but I believe that God gave me this passage for today and you can probably see why. In this passage Paul gives us a good model for saying “good-bye”. First he shows us that saying good-bye means appreciating our past relationship, and secondly he shows us that saying good-bye means that we accept God’s leading above our own desires. Finally, he shows us that all of this is grounded in and continues to be held in prayer.

Paul shows us that saying good-bye means appreciating our past relationship. He talks about the time that they were together, and how during that relationship he served Jesus no matter what. His life was in danger. There were people plotting against him but he didn’t shrink from the ministry to which he was called. He taught in public places as well as in their homes.

If I had time I could recall and share experiences that I’ve had with almost all of you. There have been times when we’ve laughed together and cried together. We have been together through celebrations, births, graduations, marriages, new jobs, exciting new ministries, and many other times of joy. While I’ve been here I’ve also had the opportunity to officiate at the weddings of both of my sons and baptize my only grandchild. We’ve prayed together during times of illness and after deaths. We’ve waited with baited breath as we prayed about the outcome of surgeries and medical tests. We’ve prayed about job interviews, elections, people who were traveling, health issues, social issues like domestic violence, homelessness, hunger, employment, war and many others. While I’ve been here, you have walked with me through the death of both my brother and my father and my mother’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis.

We were together on 9/11 when our heads couldn’t understand what had happened and our hearts were breaking. We rejoiced as we received word that those who were close to us were safe. We gathered for prayer, worship and conversation that night. Following the shootings at Columbine adults and youth gathered in a circle in this sanctuary to pray for our children and youth and to talk about how they could feel safe in their schools. Following the Station Nightclub Fire you supported me and prayed for me while I was ministering to the families, and you held all of them in prayer. We shared together many stories of narrow escapes and grief for those who died that tragic night. Following Hurricane Katrina you encouraged me to take time to be in Newport and work with some of the evacuees. You responded to hurricanes, earthquakes, and a tsunami.

We have talked together about domestic violence and how churches can be safe places for people. We have put together a safe sanctuary policy to protect our children. I could go on and on, but then I’d be like Paul talking until midnight and hopefully, you’d all be wise enough to get up and leave before you fell asleep. We have been part of each other’s lives for longer or shorter periods of time. Our faith journeys have woven together and, I pray, that we have all grown in our faith and in our lives as disciples of Jesus Christ.

Because that is the second lesson that Paul teaches us in this passage and it is the most important. It was our faith journey that brought us together. It was God who sent me here and God who brought you here. It has been Jesus walking beside us for the last eleven years and the Holy Spirit empowering us for ministry together.

Years ago I remember reading a book that I think was called “Seasons of Friendships” or something like that. The gist of the book was that friendships and other relationships may be part of our lives for a specific season of our lives. There are some all season friendships that last forever, but they are few and far between. Many of our daily friendships and relationships are for a time or a season. There are people who come into our lives during a difficult time and are companions for that part of our journey. They may always remain special to us even though they move out of our lives after the season. This congregation and each of you will always hold a special place in my heart even though we will not be part of each other’s lives on a regular basis.

Paul told the leaders from Ephesus, “But there is another urgency before me now. I feel compelled to go to Jerusalem. I’m completely in the dark about what will happen when I get there…. What matters most to me is to finish what God started: the job the Master Jesus gave me of letting everyone I meet know all about this incredible extravagant generosity of God.” Like Paul, I feel compelled to go where God is calling me and for me that is Maine. I believe that sometimes God works through other people in the call and in this case that would be our Bishop and the cabinet. Unlike Paul, I’m not completely in the dark about what will happen when I get there. I know a little bit about it but most of it is still unknown. For all of us the future is a journey that is mostly unknown. I hope that I am unlike Paul in another respect and that is that I hope that there is no imprisonment ahead for me. However, like Paul, what matters most is doing the work that God calls me to do.

I have said to some of you that I never sought and didn’t want the position of a District Superintendent and that is true. As I look back, however, I can also see that God has been working in various ways and preparing me for this new adventure in ministry. When I came to this church I came with an open heart and excitement, while at the same time there was sadness about leaving a congregation of people I had known and loved for the previous seven years. I am open to the call to this new form of ministry. I am excited and at the same time sad about leaving brothers and sisters in the faith whom I have known and loved. However, what matters most is going the work that God has planned.

That is, I hope, what matters most for this congregation as well; that you do the work that God is calling you to do. I don’t know what God’s vision is for you for the next eleven years or the next 30 or 40 or more but I pray that you and all those who come to be part of this congregation will seek that vision and continue to be faithful disciples. I do know from experience and most of you do as well, that when God calls us to do something, God also empowers us for whatever that is. God provides the people, ideas, and resources that are needed. Let there be no mistake we have to work at it, but God guides us and leads us. Our Scripture witnesses to this over and over again. “The Lord is my shepherd…. He leads me … I shall fear no evil, for you are with me ….” In today’s reading from Genesis, God calls Abram, “Leave your country, your family, and your father’s home for a land that I will show you... So Abram left just as God said.” (Genesis 12:1-4)

In the Gospel, “As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, `Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him.” (Matt 9:9)

The call to Matthew is a good indication, by the way, that God calls any and all of us. Matthew was a tax collector and in Jesus’ day that meant that he was an outsider, almost considered a traitor. But God had work for Matthew to do, and he responded to the call and got up and followed Jesus. God calls each of us to some form of ministry and discipleship. For some that is ordained ministry, for most it is something else. In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians we read, “God’s various gifts are handed out everywhere, but they all originate in God’s Spirit. … Each person is given something to do that shows who God is … All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people! The variety is wonderful … the way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part … You are Christ’s body – that’s who you are! … You’re familiar with some of the parts that God has formed in his church…. Apostles, prophets, teachers, miracle workers, healers, helpers, organizers, those who pray in tongues.”[ii] This was the kind of message that Paul wanted people to hear – God had a plan for them. God had work for them to do and it was important for them to work together as one body to accomplish God’s work. The gifts, the abilities that each of them had were different and important.

So as Paul was saying good-bye he remembered and celebrated the relationship that they had had together. He proclaimed that saying good-bye means that we accept God’s leading instead of thinking only about what we want.

As Paul said, “And so this is good-bye. You’re not going to see me again, nor I you, … I’ve done my best for you, given you my all, held back nothing of God’s will for you.” For most of us, today will be good-bye. I will not see most of you after today, and you will not see me. I may come back at some time for a visit but that will not be in the near future. I will not be the pastor you call when you need pastoral care. I may see some of you at a conference event or something like that, and there may be a few of you who will connect with me when you come to Maine sometime in the future. But for most of us today really will be good-bye.

So, again using Peterson’s rendering of Paul’s words, “Now I’m turning you over to God, our marvelous God whose gracious Word can make you into what he wants you to be and give you everything you could possibly need in this community of holy friends.” That is my prayer for this congregation, for all of you, that God will grant you peace and give you everything you could possibly need in this community of holy friends so that you may continue to be faithful disciples, stepping out in faith in a new chapter of your lives together.

Let me be clear about time frame here. For all practical intents and purposes, today is my last day here with you. Officially, I will still be the pastor of record until June 30^th, and on July 1, Pastor Lori will assume that position. However, I will be attending Annual Conference for much of the upcoming week, and a cabinet meeting the following week. The moving van will empty the house and I will leave here on Wednesday, June 25^th.

Let us in prayer continue to release each other to God’s care as our time together here comes to an end. Know that you will continue to be in my heart and my prayers, but our journeys will take us on different roads. Paul’s companions prayed with him and then bravely walked him down to the ship. For me it is a moving van and my car. Our litany together will be our prayer together and then afterwards we will do what Methodists do well – gather for food and fellowship.

[i] Peterson, Eugene The Message, Luke 20:7-11

[ii] Peterson, Various verses from 1 Corinthians 12

“When the Empire State building was being planned, there were cynics who said that you can't build a building out of concrete and steel 102 stories high. It is impossible. The whole thing will come crashing down! However, engineers said that there is virtually no limit to how high you can build, providing the foundation is deep enough and strong enough.”[ii]

In today’s gospel reading, Jesus concludes his teaching for the day by telling the story of two men building their houses. One of the houses was built with great ease because it was built upon the sand. When the heavy rains came, the streams rose, and the heavy winds battered the house, the sand shifted and the house fell down with a great crash. The other builder built his house upon a rock foundation. When the rains came down, the streams rose and the winds battered the house, it stood firm. In building a house or any building the foundation makes all the difference in the world.

“In the 1990's the "Leaning Tower of Pisa" was finally reopened to the public, after having been closed for several years. During that time, engineers completed a 25 million dollar renovation project designed to stabilize the tower. They removed 110 tons of dirt, and reduced its famous lean by about sixteen inches. Why was this necessary? Because the tower has been tilting further and further away from vertical for hundreds of years, to the point that the top of the 185-foot tower was seventeen feet further south than the bottom, and Italian authorities were concerned that if nothing was done, it would soon collapse. What was the problem? Bad design? Poor workmanship? An inferior grade of marble? No. The problem was what was underneath.” It’s rather complicated but at least part of the problem is that the tower was built on soil that is not stable enough to support a monument of this size. The tower lacks a firm foundation.

“You may not know this but the Tower is simply the bell tower of the local church cathedral. A fitting reminder for that cathedral that building on sand will incur great cost.”[iii]

Jesus wasn’t really trying to teach people how to build strong houses, but rather how to build lives of strong faith. According to Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus says that the people who hear his teaching and put it into practice are like the person who built the house on the rock foundation. Preparing ourselves to face the storms and difficulties of life begins by starting with a good foundation.

In building a house, when the forms are poured for the foundation, they must be allowed to cure for a time before the rest of the house is built on top of it. That doesn’t mean that a person can’t come to know God and gain strength from God in the middle of a crisis, but it is simply a fact that a foundation is stronger if built before the doctor says the word “cancer” or the officer shows up at your door to say, “I’m sorry but ….”

Most of the great people of faith that we think about are people who built the life of faith upon a strong foundation. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the noted German theologian, executed in a Nazi prison camp in 1945 is a good example. He had been captured and imprisoned by the Gestapo because of his commitment to God, his resistance to Hitler, and his opposition to the Nazi movement. While in prison, his main concern was to be a pastor to his fellow prisoners. For Dietrich Bonhoeffer everyday was an opportunity to serve God.

From this same period of history came a woman, Corrie ten Boom, who grew up in Holland. Because of the faith she had learned from her father, Corrie and her family risked their own lives to hide their Jewish neighbors. Her family eventually was arrested and she and her sister Betsey ended up in Ravensbruck in Germany where Betsey died. After the war Corrie fulfilled a vision of her sister’s – a home where people affected by the war could be safe and have a place to heal.

We might think of Mother Teresa whose work in Calcutta was a constant and inspired witness to her faith. After her death, we also learned that much of her life had been a struggle – that she had not always felt close to God and that she spent much time in the desert of faith. Yet, the foundation of her faith, carried her through these difficult times, and she continued to take care of those who needed her most and to proclaim that this was a result of God’s love and care.

We could think of many others, people we know who have not gained the spotlight of the world, but who have been faithful and who have shown that faithfulness in the actions of their lives.

I have been here long enough to know some of the storms that you have had to deal with in your lives. I have watched some of you deal with incredible illness that has threatened the life of someone you love. I have seen you deal with the death of loved ones. Some of you have gone through periods of unemployment or difficult family situations. Words tend to make these things sound less painful than they were at the time or continue to be today. However, what I have also seen is the result of strong foundations that have helped you have the strength and the courage to face each new day. I have seen you reach out to each other – both seeking and offering strength and comfort. The foundation of the house of faith that we have built does make a difference.

Richard J. Foster quoted Mother Teresa, “Pray for me that I do not loosen my grip on the hands of Jesus, even under the guise of ministering to the poor.” Foster concluded, “That is our first task: to grip the hand of Jesus with such tenacity that we are obliged to follow his lead, to seek first his Kingdom.[iv] At the beginning of our reading for today, Jesus is warns us and the disciples to be careful that the works we do in his name are truly for Jesus, and not for ourselves. The question that is being raised is about the foundation of our house – is it built upon the rock of Jesus, or the shifting sands of seeking approval, recognition. Talking about their faith – or our faith – is not enough. What really matters is how we live out that faith on a daily basis.

Just as we try in many areas of our lives to prepare for the future, we also need to prepare in advance for the troubled waters. If we haven’t already encountered it, somewhere down the road, there is a storm waiting for us, and if we haven’t prepared, if we haven’t built up inner resources, it may well bring us crashing down.

We must occupy this house we are building. The story is told of a contractor who wanted to reward a carpenter for the good work he had been doing for him. He sent for the carpenter and placed in his hands the blueprint for a nice home. He ordered that the house be made beautiful and sturdy and that only the best materials be used, regardless of the price. He explained that he would be going on an extended trip and wanted the house completed when he returned.

Seeing the chance to make a huge profit, the carpenter skimped on materials, hired inexperienced workers at low wages, and covered mistakes with paint. When the rich man returned the carpenter handed him the keys to the house and told him that his instructions had been carried out to the letter. Good, replied the rich man as he returned the keys to him. This is your new house. I’m glad you built a house that you deserve to live in.

The real test in life comes when the storms are upon us. Who or what do we turn to when the flash-floods of life come crashing down? Do we go running for the sandbags desperately hoping to keep the waters from destroying us, thinking that if we keep busy and do what we can to protect ourselves then we will be safe? Do we run as fast as we can in the opposite direction believing that we can outrun any problem and keep it from getting to us? Do we sit quietly in our living room, watching television, and saying, “what flood?” believing that denial will keep us safe? The Psalm which we read this morning proclaims, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea.”

While grace is a free gift, a strong spiritual foundation still requires maintenance, spiritual disciplines, the encouragement of a faith community, and action based on faithful convictions. All of these strengthen our foundations. Past neglect of the life of the spirit can be retrofitted and repaired through present attention.

Our spiritual bedrock is the steadfast love of God. Psalm 46 offers fabulous images of God, our refuge and strength. Having our trust in God as the foundation of our spiritual house is the right place to begin and the sunshine is the right time to begin. Building walls that involve our hands firmly gripping the hand of Christ will strengthen our house. When the winds blow and the floods come, trusting in God and staying near to the heart and hand and will of God will see us through the storm.

[i] This sermon is a composite of new material and a sermon from 2005.

[ii] McCormack, James. Selected sermons. www.sermons.com

[iii] Blair, Brett www.eSermons.com. Adapted from a sermon by Alan Perkins.

[iv] Mosser, David N. editor The Abingdon Preaching Annual 2005, Abingdon Press, Nashville, 2004, p.196, citing Foster, Freedom of Simplicity: Finding Harmony in a Complex World, Harper – San Francisco, 1989.

I love this time of year. There is something incredible about green leaves starting to grow again on trees. When I came out of the house the other day there was an absolutely beautiful Iris in bloom and others ready to burst into bloom. What is amazing to me is that they have bloomed every year that I’ve been here and I have done absolutely nothing to cause or help that process. In fact they have bloomed in spite of my lack of involvement and attention. The beauty of the flowers, trees and all of creation is a gift – a marvelous incredible gift from a God of love.

Last year when I flew to California, I sat at my window seat just mesmerized by what I was seeing. I watched the terrain change below me. There were vast areas of flat ground where the only thing that broke the view were the well organized grid of roads that divided the area into squares like a checkerboard. Then there were mountains and mesas. The areas where it looked as if humans rarely or never entered were the most amazing to me because they reminded me of the vastness and majesty of God’s creation and how small and insignificant I felt in comparison.

Lately I’ve been reading the ongoing travelogue and seeing the pictures of the majestic areas in New Mexico and other places being visited by Cibby and Gary. Again I am in awe of the majesty of this country – and there is so much more of this world that I can’t even begin to imagine. As I was writing this sermon the early morning birds were singing their songs outside the window.

“Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? … Consider the lilies of the field, (or the irises in the parsonage yard), how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you – you of little faith?”

Yet, there is a caution or a danger, I believe in the hearing of these words if we take them out of the context of the rest of the Bible. They are words of great comfort, but they must also be heard in the context of the rest of the Biblical message that reminds us that we also have a responsibility. There can be a danger in hearing only these words – of thinking that it is a promise that God will take care of all our needs without us having to do anything. That is not the message of Jesus’ teaching here. The flowers and the grass are not able to do anything to take care of themselves. One of the ways that God provides for us and takes care of us is that we have been gifted with the ability to do many things for ourselves. We are expected to do what we are able to do, and during large portions of the lives of many of us that also includes taking care of or providing for others in some way.

I think that this passage not only assures us that God values us and that God provides for us, but it also creates a model for us of how we should respond toward others. In recognizing and celebrating that we are of great value to the God who values even the irises in my yard then we should also recognize that God values each and every person in this world. Our response should be like God’s – to care for those who cannot care for themselves.

Yesterday was a wonderful day. I have to tell you that I really do not like yard sales. I don’t shop at them and I generally don’t work at them. But yesterday we had a yard sale here that was to support the Nothing But Nets program. People who didn’t even buy anything made a donation to help protect children from malaria – a leading cause of death among children in some regions of Africa. A total of $822 was raised – enough to purchase 82 nets to cover the beds of children who might otherwise die of malaria that is currently killing over 1 million children a year. We are called to realize that every child is precious to God and we who have the opportunity and the resources need to be helping those who cannot do this for themselves.

This passage begins with the warning, “No one can serve two masters, for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” At first glance these two sections might not seem to be connected, but they are. Since we cannot serve both God and wealth, then “do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? …Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? … indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given as well.”

Yes, we need to work. Yes, we need to provide for our families. Yes, we need to put some money away for the future. But, we are also warned that there is a danger to watch for. As we work, as we provide for our families, as we save for the future, there is a danger of these things becoming our god. How much is enough for us to have? For all too many, we think that enough is a little bit more than we have now. When we have enough then we can slow down. When we have enough to provide for ourselves and our families then we can help others. When we have enough – but we never have enough, because enough is just a little bit more than what we have now.

Now I realize that this is not true for everyone and there are many in this congregation who are very generous with what they have. But the warning comes to all of us, we cannot serve two masters. We cannot have two things that are of top importance. The very concept of top means that there can be only one thing at the top and everything else is at least a little bit lower and finds its importance in light of what is at the top.

I heard about a book that is designed to help men and women be better able to communicate with each other and understand how the other functions. The image that is used is that some of us are like waffles and others are like spaghetti. To avoid any charges of causing a gender war, I won’t say which is which. You can figure that one out for yourself. According to the premise of the book, one gender operates like waffles. Waffles have little cells or compartments with walls between them separating them from each other. By that way of functioning there isn’t a lot of connection or interaction between the different areas of our lives. Family is separate from work. Work is separate from hobbies. Religion is separate from any of these. The general focus is on one area at a time without a lot of realization of how they connect to each other. The other gender functions more like a plate of cooked spaghetti. When you look at a plate of spaghetti you can’t tell where one strand ends and another begins. If you try to follow one strand through the plate you are likely to suddenly find yourself on a different strand. While thinking about work, family issues are also on the mind. Connections are made between hobbies and family and leisure. Faith connects with all of the above.

Now this is not a perfect image but I think it can be helpful in thinking about how we serve or try to serve multiple masters, or where God is in our lives. Is God one of many little cells or compartments in our life? Is God separated by little walls from all of the other things in our lives? Or is God like the strand of spaghetti intimately connected with every other strand of our lives, touching everything else in our lives and influencing everything else in our lives? I think that is an important, indeed a crucial question, for us to be asking ourselves – not just on Sunday morning but also on Monday morning, Friday or Saturday night, while we are at work or at play, on holidays and vacations. Where is God in our lives?

If God is like one of the cells in our lives then what we say and do here may not have much of an effect on our daily lives. But if God is like a strand of spaghetti then its all connected. This is the approach that causes us to look at ecology as an extension or practice of faith. This is the viewpoint that connects faith with the position that we take on political issues. This is the understanding that helps us to see our checkbook as a theological document proclaiming where God is in our lives.

We all juggle many demands in our lives – demands upon our time and energy, demands upon our financial resources, demands upon our emotions. What this passage tells us is that while all or many of the things in our lives are important and many of them are good – there is only one that can be of first importance. There is only one that can be the top priority. I believe that that number one priority is God. Everything else falls into place when God is number one.

When God is number one then we know that spending time with our children, grandchildren, friends partners or other people who are important in our lives is important to God also. God enjoys our company and wants us to enjoy the company of those who matter to us.

When God is number one then handling difficult situations at work can be sorted out a little easier. We can see the people we deal with as people who are also precious to God and worthy of our attention and our respect. We can see our work through the eyes of ethics and life giving rather than life taking.

When God is number one we realize that we are precious to God and we need to take care of ourselves. We should pay attention to what our body is telling us because that is also God speaking to us. When God is number one all of the other wonderful things in our lives fall into the appropriate place and we learn how to juggle the demands on our lives by looking at them through the eyes of the One who loves us and cares for us.

When God is number one then our money, our time, our energy, all of our resources are resources not goals in and of themselves. When God is number one we know that no matter what happens in our lives, we will not be left to face it alone – we have a companion who walks the path with us and guides us, sustains us, and helps us face the yesterdays, todays and tomorrows confident of the presence of God with us.

“You can’t worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you’ll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. You can’t worship God and Money both.

“If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.

“Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion – do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.

“If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers – most of which are never even seen – don’t you think (God will) attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What’ I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way (God) works fuss over these things, but you know God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.”

On April 6^th of this year, Jerry Remy the newly elected president of the Red Sox Nation released the five point plan that would guide his administration for 2008. He wasn’t the first – and won’t be the last to release a five point plan. James Baker, Secretary of State, in 1989 released a five point plan that was designed to build upon negotiations taking place between Israel and Egypt. The goal was that the plan would help bring about dialogue and peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Even that wasn’t the first Five Point Plan. It’s not unusual for governments, or organizations to develop plans that if implemented will produce the results desired by the organization.

In today’s Gospel we discover Jesus’ five point plan presented to his followers:

We have called this Five Point Plan the Great Commission. It’s relatively simple and straightforward but like many plans it hasn’t always been implemented well or understood well by those who are to put it into action.

As part of the reading for the Disciple Bible Study this week, we read about an experience that happened when the Jewish people returned to Jerusalem after many years of living in exile in a foreign land under a foreign government. Despite opposition they worked hard to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem and then all the men, women and children old enough to understand listened attentively while the Law of God was read to them. In the reading they discovered many things that they had not known; Things that had been forgotten and lost during their years of bounty when they settled in the Promised Land and during the years of exile. They rejoiced in the hearing and the understanding, and resolved to live by the covenant that God had established with them. Today, we look at Jesus’ Five Point Plan – the Great Commission - with the hope of being reminded or remembering what was so important for Jesus to share with his followers before he left them.

First, a little prelude: The author of the gospel of Matthew describes the situation. The eleven disciples gathered on the mountain where Jesus had told them to meet. He makes the observation that “they worshiped him; but some doubted.” It may be hard for us to imagine or believe that after all they had been through, after Jesus’ death and resurrection and his appearances to them, that some still doubted. However, I’m glad that those words are there because they are a reminder to us today, that even when we doubt we have a place among the believers and followers of Jesus. We don’t have to have all of our beliefs in perfect order; we don’t need to have all the answers. That’s really good because most of us are probably still coming up with the questions.

It is possible to worship and to doubt. It is possible to believe and to doubt. It is not only possible but it is okay. Before Jesus’ death he had many things to say to his disciples including a wonderful piece in John’s gospel, “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear.” Jesus, himself, recognized and wanted his disciples to know that it was okay for them not to know everything. Indeed there were many things they were not yet able to understand. Let me share with you the way Eugene Peterson puts it in The Message, “The moment they saw him they worshiped him. Some, though, held back, not sure about worship, about risking themselves totally.” That’s easy to understand, isn’t it? Sometimes we just aren’t sure about risking ourselves totally.

That didn’t stop Jesus from proceeding with the announcement of his Five Point Plan. First: They, and we, are to Go. It is tempting within the church to stay within the church. It is tempting to open the doors and sit back and wait for people to come and put the responsibility on others. However, Jesus doesn’t give us that option. We are to go. Last week, on Pentecost, we heard that we are to go into Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth. We are to go to our families, our schools, our workplaces, the grocery store, the mall, the places where people are hungry, homeless, and afraid or in danger. The Christian message is not a secret reserved for whispers when believers gather for worship. The Christian message is good news meant to be shared with others through our actions, our lives and sometimes even our words.

And when we Go, what are we to do? Point 2: We are to Make Disciples of all nations. Points 3 and 4 are really an elaboration on point 2 – a way to help us understand what is involved in making disciples. Making disciples is not just about adding numbers to church membership roles. It is much much more than that. Making disciples is about helping people learn how to really be followers of Jesus Christ. This is accomplished as part of a two step process: baptizing and teaching.

In churches that practice only adult or believer baptism, baptism is understood as it was in Jesus’ day – as a symbol of death and identification. It is a symbol of death to the old way of life and identification with Christ and immersion in his teachings and way of living. In churches like ours and many others where infant baptism is practiced we take seriously the responsibility to teach and to grow disciples. In the baptisms in both of our services today, parents and sponsors are asked, “Will you nurture these children in Christ’s holy church, that by your teaching and example, they may be guided to accept God’s grace for themselves, to profess their faith openly, and to lead a Christian life?” That means that baptism isn’t just a today event, but that it involves a commitment and ongoing responsibility. By becoming parents a commitment is made to teach a child the things that are necessary and helpful for life. In baptism we intentionally proclaim that faith in God and all that is part of living a Christian life is an important part of what we will be teaching our children.

However, we recognize that this is an awesome responsibility for parents and good parents recognize that they need the support and help of others. So in the congregation’s response we express the expectation that both the children and parents “may grow in their trust of God” and we pledge to “pray for them that they may be true disciples who walk in the way that leads to life.”

Jesus makes it clear that making disciples involves more than baptizing them; it entails “teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.” This points to all the teachings found in the Gospels beginning with the Sermon on the Mount and continuing through the parables, and Jesus’ final words to his disciples. Prior to this time Jesus has done all the teaching, now it was up to his disciples – both the ones on the mountain with him that day and all of us today.

In very practical terms this means that Christian Education for children, youth and adults is a vital part of the Great Commission. Making disciples is a lifelong process. While there comes a time in most of our lives where our formal education ends, our education as Christians should never come to an end. There is always more to learn, more to understand, more questions, more life experiences to incorporate, more wisdom, compassion and experience to be gained.

So we are to Go, Make disciples of all nations, Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey all that Jesus has commanded us. And then the fifth and final point of the plan: “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” There are many things to remember and they aren’t all the kinds of things you’d find on a test. There is a connection between faith and memory. When we gather for Holy Communion that is a means of remembering. When we baptize a child, a youth, or an adult there is a connection that calls us to remember our own baptism and be thankful, and to remember and renew our membership vows.

We are to remember the stand that Christians have taken for centuries that reminds us that faith is not just a private matter. A pastor of a church in the New Bedford area shared something with me not long ago. We were discussing the on-going crises and debate about immigration. She mentioned one of the radio hosts who is known for being very vocal about the need for immigration control and supporting raids on places of employment. Someone made a comment to him expressing anger about the churches that were speaking up against the raids and speaking out on behalf of the immigrants. His comment was telling. He said, “It doesn’t bother me when the churches speak out because they are only doing what the church is supposed to do.” He understood and expected the church to speak out and take a stand. Sometimes we, in the church, need to remember that we are called to take a stand.

We are to remember that each one of us is a precious child of God. Today a baptism at each of our worship services is a visual reminder that no matter how young we may be, each of us is a precious child of God. We are loved by God and sent out by Christ to be those who implement the Five Point Plan called the Great Commission – the plan that will change the world.

Hear the plan once again. This time from Eugene Peterson’s, The Message, “Meanwhile, the eleven disciples were on their way to Galilee, headed for the mountain, Jesus had set for their reunion. The moment they saw him they worshiped him. Some, though held back, not sure about worship, about risking themselves totally.

“Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: `God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day, right up to the end of the age.’”[i]

James Moore, the author of many Christian inspirational books tells the story of a distinguished professor at the University of Chicago who would often be visited by his preschool granddaughter. She loved to walk around the campus with her grandfather. “One day, the man was carrying his granddaughter around on his shoulders. They met a friend who had seen the little girl just the week before. The friend looked up at the little girl riding on her grandfather’s shoulders and, with a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eyes, said to her, `My goodness! Look at you! Look at how much you’ve grown since I saw you last week!’

“Of course, what she meant was, `I’m not really this tall. I’m not really this big. I’m riding on somebody else’s shoulders.’”[i]

This is a wonderful story, because it reminds us that throughout our lives we are riding on the shoulders of those who have gone before us, who have taught us, and all the great people of faith who have preceded us. We are carried through life on the shoulders of God and the Holy Spirit.

If we could go back in time to the day of Pentecost, we would marvel at what happened to Simon Peter. We would marvel that a man who had so recently denied even to a servant girl that he knew Jesus, would suddenly speak with such passion and conviction to a crowd of thousands. If we were to compliment Peter on his boldness and eloquence, he would, no doubt, respond, “Not all of this is me. Very little of it is me. It’s the work of God. I was merely the instrument of God’s Holy Spirit. I was riding on the shoulders of God’s Holy Spirit.”[ii]

This is the story of Pentecost; of the disciples being empowered and emboldened by the Holy Spirit. Pentecost is frequently called the birthday of the church. Following Peter’s impassioned speech, the Scripture tells us that more than 3,000 people came forward to be followers of Christ.

We are the church, empowered by the Holy Spirit, carried on the shoulders of the Holy Spirit. Whatever it is that we do as the church, or through the church, “not all of this is us.” Only the Holy Spirit can build a church. Only the Holy Spirit can empower the church. Only the Holy Spirit can sustain the church. A church without the Holy Spirit is no church at all.

Mr. Holland’s Opus is a movie about a dedicated music teacher named Glenn Holland. He became a teacher purely as a practical way to earn a living, while he waited to fulfill his dream of becoming a famous composer. Instead, he spends his entire career teaching music in a high school. He works tenderly with a red-haired girl with pigtails, who wants to play the clarinet. No one believes in her, no one helps her or encourages her except Mr. Holland. He works tirelessly with a student who wants to play the drums but can’t find the beat. He helps hundreds of students through the years acquire a love of music.

At the conclusion of the film, Mr. Holland retires. As he cleans out his music room, he tells his wife and son that he feels like a failure. He never accomplished his dream. With slumped shoulders he heads out of the school but hears a noise in the auditorium. When he opens the door he sees the auditorium filled with his former students. They give him a long, thunderous standing ovation. They have come back to express their love and appreciation to this wonderful man who gave so much of his life to them.

“Then the little girl with the red pigtails goes to the microphone. She’s all grown up now and is, in fact, the governor of the state. She says, ‘Mr Holland, we know that you never got to become the famous composer you dreamed of being, but don’t you see? You greatest composition is what you did with us, your students. Mr Holland, look around you. We are your great opus! Mr. Holland, we are the music of your life!’”[iv]

Our calling as a church is to be God’s music to the world, singing the song of the church’s great faith. But we can’t do that alone. The good news of the Christian faith is that we don’t have to do it alone; God is with us. The Holy Spirit is our strength, our guide, our inspiration, our comfort, our teacher. The Holy Spirit empowers us to build the church, liberates us to be the church.

When I think of Pentecost, I think of the story of the little boy on vacation with his family at the Grand Canyon. He stood for a long time looking out over the vista and the color and the sheer magnitude of it all. Finally he said quietly, “Something happened here.”[v]

Something happened there – something amazing. Men who had previously been in hiding because they were afraid of the Roman authorities, were suddenly standing on the street corner boldly proclaiming the story of Jesus the Christ. Rather than stepping backwards in awe or confusion, trying to figure out what happened we can step forward in faith and embrace the new and exciting thing that happened that day and that continues to happen today, a new and exciting thing that sets us free, liberates us to be the church of Jesus Christ in the world today.

On that Pentecost morning, Peter and the other disciples were anything but radiant believers faithfully singing God’s praises and proclaiming God’s word. The believers numbered about 120 men and women half-heartedly clinging to each other. Surely they were still scared and frightened and grieving. Good Friday and Easter and even all the post-Resurrection appearances had happened too fast. And then Pentecost came to them in Jerusalem.

The old betrayer Simon (Peter) would stand and preach with such a power that 3,000 would come to believe. Something happened here. At Pentecost it seems as Peter and the other believers have undergone an Extreme Makeover of the Holy Spirit variety that altered and changed their lives forever. Something happened at Pentecost that was God’s plan. Timid men became bold speakers. People from all parts of the world heard and understood the message. Three thousand believers were baptized that day.

The disciples, filled with the Holy Spirit, take the resurrection to the streets; they go public. On earlier occasions they had seen Christ, but now they experienced the concrete and practical freedom of the resurrection. No political authority any place or any time can shut them down. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, they could speak the truth regardless of the intimidation of the powers that be. Through the years, bold speaking followers of Christ have continued to do the same thing – sometimes supporting the governments of their countries, other times challenging them, and always remembering that our allegiance to God comes first.

Pentecost reminds us that our plans are not always God’s plans – but they could be and should be. Pentecost is our story – personally and as a community. It is about God’s plans and being willing to make our plans the same as God’s plans. This is a constant challenge in our lives. As individuals and as congregations, there is a temptation to go along making our own plans and then asking God to bless our plans, to help us succeed at what we want to do. Rather, Pentecost teaches us that God has a vision, a plan, a hope, a dream and when we are seeking to do what God blesses, rather than asking God to bless what we do, we will find ourselves empowered by the Holy Spirit. We will find ourselves able to do the things we never imagined we could do.

Peter would never have believed that he could have stood before so many people and spoken so clearly in witness to Jesus – but filled with the Holy Spirit he did it. Those with Peter on that day, certainly would have preferred staying inside whispering the good news, but they found themselves moved , filled, and empowered by the Holy Spirit and took the resurrection power and freedom to the streets. There are many among us who have found themselves surprised to discover that the Holy Spirit would empower them to teach a class, lead a Bible study, chair a committee, speak up for those who are oppressed, challenge an injustice, or do something else they wouldn’t have chosen by themselves.

As a congregation, you are facing a new and exciting day. During the last eleven years we have done some wonderful and exciting things together when we have been open to the leading and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. The question now is what does the Holy Spirit have in mind for this congregation for the next eleven years? Are there people or groups of people in this town that God is calling this congregation to reach out to? Are there needs that we have not identified but which God wants this congregation to discover and then do something about?

One of the things that has always excited me about this congregation is that there have always been new people coming into the mix here. We have been gifted by the diverse talents and experiences that people have brought with them when they came here. People who were new to this congregation brought us the Advent and Lenten Devotional booklets that have become an important part of our spiritual formation. People who were new to this congregation introduced us to a clinic in Sierra Leone and the needs of that area and have led us in directions we never imagined we would be going. People who were new to this congregation have championed the shopping card program that is full of possibilities. People who were new to this congregation have brought us the energy and creativity that has blossomed into the spiritual formation workshops that have been held over the last two years. People who were new to this congregation have joined with people who have been here for longer periods to build a vital community of faith witnessing to the good news of Jesus Christ.

Soon there will be another new person – a new pastor, who will bring her the gifts and talents that God has given her. Combined with the wonderful talents and gifts already present in this congregation, the Holy Spirit should have a lot of fun calling you into places and ministries that you hadn’t thought about and responding to needs you haven’t yet recognized.

Pentecost is our story. Soon I will be leaving you, but my prayer is that you will continue to be open to the breathing of the Holy Spirit in your lives leading you in new and exciting ways, challenging you to step out of your comfort zone, uniting you with your brothers and sisters, calling you to make God’s plans your plans. May you live and worship and work together so that those who see you will observe in awe and wonder, “Something happened here.”

[i] Moore, James W. Attitude is Your Paintbrush, Dimensions for Living, Nashville, TN, 1998, pp. 53-54.

[ii] Moore, p.54

[iii] Weems, Ann Reaching for Rainbows, “The Church Year”, Westminster Press, Philadelphia, PA 1980, p.81

[iv] Moore, p.59

[v] Lovette, Roger in “The Immediate Word for May 30, 2004” www.csspub.com

When one of my sons was about 5 we were driving through New York City. He looked at the tall skyscrapers and asked, “Mommy, are we in Heaven?” For a five year old, the tall buildings of New York City fit with the image that he had of heaven as somewhere up there. We may chuckle at that perception but for many of us there is still somewhere deep within us the idea that heaven is “somewhere up there.”

That concept is probably reinforced by scriptures like today’s that gives us the image of Jesus being “taken up into heaven.” Is heaven a physical space somewhere up there out in space? I don’t have the answer to that question and it is, indeed, a stumbling block for many people. But the reality is that the disciples experienced something that day so profound that they knew it was important to share with others. It was an amazing mountaintop experience.

What strikes me about this passage the most is the response that comes after they see Jesus being taken up into the heaven. A common family practice is to wave from the door or window and watch as someone drives away and then stand there for a few seconds longer just watching where they went. The disciples do the same thing. They stand and look into the heavens until two men in white robes ask, “Why do you stand looking up toward heaven?” Luke’s gospel tells us that “they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; and they were continually in the temple blessing God.”

They, and we, cannot spend our time looking to heaven. Jesus had given them instructions about what to do after he left – important instructions. In Luke’s gospel, he says, “it is written; that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.” In Acts we read, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” The good news in both cases is that before they are expected to be witnesses they will receive the Holy Spirit. Next week is Pentecost and we will hear the Scripture account of that experience. But for today, we think about the difference between looking up into the heavens looking for Jesus and being witnesses in “Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Some of you might remember a song by Johnny Cash called “No Earthly good.” It proclaimed , “You’re so heavenly minded you’re no earthly good.” Part of the song said, “You could give someone a cool drink if you would, you’re so heavenly minded and you’re no earthly good. … If you’re holdin’ heaven then spread it around. There are hungry hands reaching up here from the ground. Move over and share the high ground where you stood, So, heavenly minded and you’re no earthly good.”

He has captured an important part of the gospel message in the few words of a song. Don’t stand around looking to heaven, get out there and do what needs to be done. You may remember that in Matthew’s gospel Jesus talks with his disciples about the time of judgment and says to them clearly that feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, caring for those in need is evidence of putting our faith into action, it is the way we serve Jesus. We are called and sent not only to preach repentance and forgiveness but also to live this out by caring for those in need.

Robert Morgan in his book, Who’s Coming to Dinner? tells about being a guest preacher in a United Methodist Church in North Carolina. He said that when he arrived the first thing he noticed was a beautiful stained glass window over the front entrance. “The window depicted Jesus standing with his arms outstretched inviting all to come.” Later as stood inside greeting people who were leaving he discovered another feature of the window. “There was an open ceiling in the narthex and the widow was visible from the inside. Now Jesus seemed to be bidding the worshiper to go. Coming in from the outside the invitation was to come, and leaving the sanctuary the command was to go.” He discovered that the people of the church aptly called the window their “come and go window.” He notes, “I was reminded that Jesus never called anyone to come to him that he did not bid them to go.”[i]

It seems that Jesus is quite clear that while coming to him is important – it is only the beginning. The going is equally as important. His disciples – and that includes us – are expected to then go out and be witnesses of all that we have seen. That is the mission of the church. The Latin root for the word “mission” means “to go.”

Sometimes that part is scary. We might be willing to come. We may long for the time of coming to Jesus, of being intentional about spending time focusing on Jesus. Certainly Jesus is glad to have us come and welcomes us warmly. But we are also told to go. Now the really neat thing about “going” is that it doesn’t mean that we actually are walking away from Jesus. It doesn’t mean that we are leaving God behind. It means that we are going out into the world – the place we live, rather than standing as the disciples initially were doing staring into heaven looking for Jesus to come back.

The key is that standing looking up toward heaven is good for a time, but then it’s time to do something. In the spiritual life we move back and forth between moments of inspiration and our daily routine. Both the uplifting mountaintop and the hard work of faithful living are spiritual. The key is to channel the energy from one into the other. It’s important to recognize the temptation to continue gazing heavenward when there is work to be done. It is equally as important to recognize the danger in constant work without time to gaze into heaven.

The main work of Christian discipleship is about witnessing. Now before you think that I’m suggesting that we all go and stand out on the street corners preaching about Jesus, let’s think about how we are to witness. We are to witness to what we know and have experienced. We are to witness in the way that Jesus did. Yes, certainly Jesus preached and taught and for some of us we may be called to witness in that way, but that is only a part of witnessing. Everything in Jesus’ life pointed toward loving and caring for those who were broken, down trodden, or hurting. Even when Jesus encountered people who had done things that were wrong, there is no record of Jesus condemning them or ridiculing them, but rather his invitation was always to bring their brokenness to the table of reconciliation; his invitation was to change what needed to be changed and to move on.

There is so much brokenness in our world. Sadly, often within the church we give such mixed messages that too many people don’t see their community church as a place to go when they are facing difficulties or feeling broken. Too often people are afraid that they will be judged rather than loved, condemned rather than cared for; so they put on a smiling face when, or if, they walk through the doors of a church. A wise preacher once told me that you can be pretty sure that in almost every pew there is at least one broken heart. If your heart is not broken, you might be sitting next to someone whose heart is broken.

Jesus calls us to be witnesses to his love and compassion by opening our hearts to those who are hurting, by listening to the words behind the words, seeing the tears behind the smile and being a safe presence for those who need to have a safe place to be themselves. We can choose to ignore the needs around us or we can choose to engage those needs in the name of the love of Christ.

Remember that Jesus love was modeled in servant hood, in meeting the needs of others. On the night he was betrayed, when he gathered with his disciples for the last meal, he took on the role of servant and washed their feet. It is in giving to others that we receive. It is in sharing with others that we find ourselves fulfilled. It is in loving others that we experience love.

I read about an aqueduct built in Spain by the Roman soldiers in 109 AD. “In was a magnificent piece of engineering. It continued in use for eighteen hundred years, serving the people of that city. Some years ago, however, the Spaniards decided that the ancient structure should be preserved for posterity and relieved of its centuries-old labor. So they laid modern pipelines, and the water ceased to gush through the old aqueduct. Soon it began to fall apart. The hot sun dried the mortar. The aqueduct crumbled and lay in ruins. As long as it served (humanity), it was preserved, but when it ceased to be useful, it crumbled.”[ii]

That happens to people too. It happens to Christians. When we become so focused on ourselves that we don’t have time for the people around us then our relationships start to fall apart. When we stand and look only at heaven then we miss the world and the people that Jesus loved, the people he came to heal and teach. When we focus only on heaven we are as Johnny Cash reminds us, “no earthly good.”

Jesus sends us out to be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth. For his disciples, those were real places. For us, they are more symbolic. Jerusalem for us is like our family, our neighborhood, those closest to us. Judea is more like our spheres of influence – our schools, our workplaces, the grocery store, the streets we drive. Samaria is the place where those “other people live” the people we don’t like or don’t want to be around. Samaria may be half way around the world or it might be next door. Samaria is different for each of us. The key is that we are called to be witnesses everywhere – both in the places where it is easy and in the places where it is difficult. Out witnessing is to be comprehensive and inclusive. There is no place that we go where we are not expected to be witnesses to Christ’s love, compassion, justice, grace and mercy.

We are not perfect. We bring our history and our personal experiences that to some extent influence the way we hear or respond to what takes place around us. However, we are also called to examine our lives in honest ways seeking God’s guidance so that we may identify, understand, and when appropriate change the ways that we respond. We are not perfect witnesses for Christ but we are still called to be witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth. We look to God and then we walk with God into the world as witnesses.

[i] Morgan, Robert C. Who’s Coming to Dinner? Jesus made known in the breaking of the bread., Abingdon Press, Nashville, 1992, pp.149-150

[ii] Morgan, p.157

When I was in Junior or Senior High, my church was preparing to build a new building. They were intentional about including as many people as possible in the planning stages. I was on a committee to help research and plan for the Sunday School class spaces. We visited other churches. We reviewed literature. I could tell you how many square feet were recommended per person for preschoolers, elementary age, teenagers, or adults. We worked hard and took our work seriously because we were building a church – and we wanted it to be a really nice church. Some of you have been involved in the building of a church or an addition to a church – and some have been involved in the building or this particular church or one of its additions. Do you remember what your focus was during that time? I don’t know about the adults, but I know that my focus was on the building – the best building we could build; a building that would make us proud; a building that would reach out to the community.

I realize now that I was missing something – the focus on the building was just that – a building. At that point in my life I wasn’t focused on what was required to help build the people involved into a spiritual house. I wasn’t focused on how to bring people from three or four different churches together and help them to truly be the Body of Christ – one body – in that location. Fortunately other people were paying attention to that.

Years later when I was appointed to serve a church as pastor it was in the process of building an addition for their Sunday School. The outside of the construction was finished by the time I arrived and all that was left was the finishing touches of the internal work. Shortly after the building was consecrated it was time for us to plan Vacation Bible School. As we prepared to decorate the various rooms according to the theme involved I watched in amazement as the chair of the building committee used tacks to hang a blue sheet from the ceiling of one of the new rooms to create a sky. Then I helped spread a tarpaulin on the floor to cover the carpet and the next thing I knew sand was being poured on the tarpaulin to create a beach. I was really glad that the person doing this was the chair of the building committee because otherwise I would have expected to find myself in the midst of a church war. The congregation was clear about why they had built this addition and new carpets and new paint didn’t distract them from their mission. I thought of another church where a room dedicated to the memory of a teenager who had died, was off limits to teenagesr who might make a mess or spill food.

Our Epistle reading for today speaks about building a spiritual house but this house is built of strange material. The material to be used is the people themselves. It suggests that we are the stones that are part of the building. We are not the planners or the designers, but we are the very stones that are part of the construction. The cornerstone is none other than Jesus the Christ. Today a cornerstone – when it exists – is more of a time capsule or an honorary stone indicating the date of construction or something like that. But in Jesus’ day, and in early masonry construction, the cornerstone was the first stone laid and it was in the northeast corner of the building. It was a crucially important stone because all other stones would be set in reference to this one so it determined the position of the entire edifice.[i]

So the cornerstone is none other than Jesus the Christ. It is based upon Jesus that everything else is to be constructed. It is based on Jesus, himself, that we are to be laid as additional stones in the building. Eugene Peterson’s The Message puts it this way, “Welcome to the living Stone, the source of life. The workmen took one look and threw it out; God set it in the place of honor. Present yourselves as building stones for the construction of a sanctuary vibrant with life, in which you’ll serve as holy priests offering Christ-approved lives up to God.”[ii]

This is an important call issued to everyone. Yes, that means you. Just as the adults in my church were wise enough to know that the youth needed to be involved in the planning of the new church, so God’s call here comes to every person to be part of the building of a sanctuary that is vibrant with life. There is no distinction here between church leaders and other Christians. There is no distinction here between those who are priests or pastors and other Christians. In fact this tells us that in our baptism we all become priests not for ourselves, but for each other. Priests are simply people who are mediators or advocates between God and others, people who help to represent, share, show God’s grace to others – and who then need others to represent God’s grace to us.

Whenever you pray for another person you are acting as a priest, a mediator, an advocate praying to God on behalf of another. When you teach a Sunday School class you are representing to others the grace of God, teaching them, showing, advocating.

Within most of our churches we tend to formalize certain forms of ministry and so we set aside some for special training in theology, biblical studies, church administration and call them pastors or priests. That is one form of a specialized ministry. It does not make a pastor or priest different or better than other Christians. All of us are sinners in need of God’s grace. All of us are dependent upon the cornerstone of our faith – Jesus the Christ. If we are willing then each of us is being built into a “sanctuary vibrant with life, offering Christ approved lives up to God.” Yes, that means you.

In the United Methodist Church of which we are a part, a pastor is appointed to each church and charged with the responsibilities of preaching and teaching the word, administering the order of the church, and celebrating the sacraments of the Body of Christ. Because of that, through the years, people have sometimes tended to think of pastors as being separate from everyone else. Churches that are anticipating a pastoral change tend to draw upon their ideas of what a perfect pastor – or at least ideal pastor – would be like. Since Pastor Lori is here with us today, and since I will be leaving in a couple of months I thought I might share with you the composite description of an ideal pastor.

“The ideal pastor is 28 years old and has been preaching for 35 years. She has one brown eye and one blue. He parts his hair in the middle: blond and wavy on the left side, brown and straight on the right. She has a burning desire to be with teenagers and spends all her time with older folk. He makes sixteen calls a day upon church members and is always in the office to counsel or just to visit. She challenges and inspires, but never disturbs the status quo. He condemns sin but never embarrasses anyone.”[iii]

I can tell you that this “ideal” pastor is not a member of this Annual Conference and so wasn’t available for appointment to this congregation – or any other now or at any time, past, present or future. That is good, because the “ideal” pastor wouldn’t leave room for all of the other Christians in this place who are to be part of the building of this sanctuary. In other words for all of you.

There are many different kinds of churches, and the people who study them have developed some categories to help us understand how churches of different sizes tend to function. A very small church, generally less than 50 people in worship is sometimes given the title “family centered church”. Usually, there are people who have been around for a very long time and whatever happens in the church needs to have the approval of those people. Churches larger than that – about 50 to 150 in worship attendance – are sometimes called “pastor centered churches”. Essentially it means that everyone knows the pastor and the pastor knows everyone. The pastor knows most everything that is going on in the church and is probably present for almost every activity. For many years, this has been about where this church has been.

As churches grow larger and take seriously the great commission to “make disciples of all nations” to go out into the neighborhood and the world, it becomes more difficult for one pastor to know everyone quite as well. It becomes more difficult for one pastor to be aware of and involved in everything that is happening within the church. We tend to call these churches “program-centered churches”. Frequently people will come to the church because of a community program. There will be more people involved in the leadership of programs, Bible Studies or group studies, educational programs, mission programs, evangelism efforts, administration, building maintenance and so forth. One of the exciting things about churches of this size is that it there really is room and opportunity for every person to be involved in the development and growth of the ways that they are church together. It is possible for people to really use the gifts that God has given them and develop ministries that will benefit from those gifts. It becomes possible for a group of people who have a similar need or concern to find others with whom to be in ministry. The church continues to become that “sanctuary vibrant with life, offering Christ-approved lives up to God.”

I have seen that happening more and more within this congregation. A 12 year old really started the ball rolling to bring Safiatu here to be with us. An 8 year old helped raise a significant amount of money to help that happen. Last week a goat showed up at church to help illustrate the importance of the Heifer Project mission. The enthusiasm of one person is helping others connect with Habitat for Humanity. A small group but growing group has helped bring us the spiritual formation mini workshops that have focused on so many different areas of our faith. A compassionate group of people provide a time of gathering and refreshments for families following a memorial service. A group of senior women enjoy special time together each week and also are intentional about reaching out to new widows in our congregation. A vibrant youth group includes youth not only from our church but from the community. Lay Speakers provide important worship leadership during the absence of the pastor. Shepherds are intentional about praying for the needs of others. The food pantry is a life-line for many in our community.

“The Christian Communications Laboratory relates the story of a small Midwestern weekly paper which ran a story saying, `We are pleased to announce that the cyclone which blew away the Methodist church last Friday did no real damage to the town.’ Kind of scary!”[iv] It might be an interesting reflection to ponder. If this church were destroyed, would it matter to people in our town?

Generally, when we get to this week in the church calendar, I tend to focus on the passage from John and the promises of peace that Jesus brings. In a world and a community where people are increasingly separated from church involvement it is even more important that there be people who are able to bring that word of peace and hope to others. That is the joyful responsibility of every Christian, to be the hands and feet that help others come to know the Risen Christ in our midst.

That’s really why I decided to talk about the church today. This congregation is going through a time of transition and it is important that each person really understand that you are part of that process. You are the living stones that God is using to help built a sanctuary of people in this location. Yes, you. You are a crucial part of God’s work here in this place.

Let me share with you the end of this passage from The Message, “But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you – from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.”[v]

Let me just share with you one more image. Many years ago, it is told, that a chapel was designed and built in a town. When the people arrived to see the finished product they discovered that there were no lights. Enraged they let the designer know of their displeasure. The designer calmer said to them, “Each of you is to bring a light with you when you come. When you are here, your light will shine to provide light for others and to witness to your presence and your faith. When you are missing, your light will be missing as well, and there will be darkness where there should be light.”[vi]

The church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord. We are the stones that God uses to build that church as a “sanctuary vibrant with life offering Christ-approved lives up to God.” We are the church – each and every one of us. “We are God’s people, … born of the spirit, established by the Word. Our cornerstone is Christ alone and strong in Christ we stand… We are a temple, the Spirit’s dwelling place, formed in great weakness, a cup to hold God’s grace. We die alone, for on its own each ember loses fire, yet joined in one the flame burns on to give warmth and light and to inspire.”[vii]

[i] Wikipedia

[ii] Peterson, The Message, 1 Peter 2:4-5

[iii] Bales, David O. et al, Sermons on the Second Readings, Series II, Cycle A, CSS Publishing, Lima OH, 2007, p.241

[iv] Hewett, James S. editor, Illustrations Unlimited, Tyndale House, Wheaton, Ill 1988, p.448

[v] Peterson, The Message, 1 Peter 2:9-10

[vi] I don’t remember the source for this story. It is told to the best of my recollection.

[vii] Leech, Bryan Jeffrey. “We are God’s People” The Faith We Sing, #2220

"On the gray morning of January 25, 1949," writes Catherine Marshall, "my world caved in. At 8:15 a.m., my husband's tired and damaged heart stopped beating. Five minutes later, the doctor called. The measured words coming through the telephone receiver were like physical blows from which I instinctively recoiled... 'Oh, no! Not that!' And then a deep breath, like that of a drowning person gulping for air... 'How? Why? Please tell me what happened!' "

This is how Catherine Marshall describes the death of her husband, Peter -- the famous preacher of Washington's New York Avenue Presbyterian Church. It is easy to imagine how, in the cold, gray shock of the doctor's announcement, she felt utterly and completely alone. "Nobody knows the trouble I've seen...."

Yet, there is somebody who knows. The spiritual goes on: "Nobody knows the trouble I've seen; nobody knows but Jesus." We may feel we are alone, that, in our worst moments, no one truly cares, but there is one who cares. His name is Jesus. He is the good shepherd.[i]

The 4^th Sunday of Easter is traditionally known as Good Shepherd Sunday. On that day we hear the familiar 23^rd Psalm and a section of John’s Gospel where Jesus talks about being the Good Shepherd. It is an image that would have been very familiar to the people to whom Jesus spoke, but it is increasingly an unfamiliar image for us today. One of the resources I read this week suggested that we might call Jesus our personal trainer. The Inuit people of Alaska – the ones often called Eskimos – use the term the “Good Hunter”. Regardless of the image that is used, there are some important truths being declared here – and despite its unfamiliarity the image of good shepherd is still an exceptionally good image for our relationship with God.

In today’s passage from John, Jesus talks about two shepherds – one is a false shepherd and the other is the true shepherd. The sheep will run away from the stranger or the false shepherd and will go only with the true shepherd. Despite their reputation for not being particularly bright, sheep do know the voice of their shepherd and will only follow the one whose voice they recognize.

The other day I picked up my granddaughter at Day Care. I’ve noticed that when I pick her up, she has a strange reaction. She looks at me and then looks hard at the day care provider almost as if asking if she should go with me. While she was with me her mother called on the phone and at the sound of her mother’s voice, she whipped her head around and started looking, and making sounds. Even though she knows me, the sound of her mother’s voice is the voice she instinctively turns toward. I suspect that when I pick her up at day care, she knows that I’m not the one who normally comes. Something is not as it should be and on some level I’m glad that she knows that. Even at her young age she knows who her mother and father are and they are the ones she immediately focuses upon.

Where do we instinctively focus? Do we turn at the sound of the voice of the Good Shepherd or are we distracted by other voices? One way to identify this is to look at the way we make decisions. When you need to make a quick decision or an important decision – where do you focus?

Some of us have the instincts of business men or women; we think about gain or profit, or how to save money. Others have the instincts of a reformer. The status quo must be challenged. The system is not working. Whatever promotes freedom and liberation from oppressive existing structures is good, and we must get behind such movements.

Others have the instincts of a conservative: we have always done it that way here at church and here in our community, so why change the system? Still others are pragmatists or politicians. We should do whatever it takes to keep everybody happy; don’t rock the boat. [ii]

Do you perhaps recognize a little of yourself in one or more of these approaches? I know that I recognize myself in some of those ways of focusing. There’s one thing that they all have in common. All of these ways of approaching a decision or a problem focus at some deep level on what is best for me, what do I feel most comfortable doing?

We might be surprised to realize that our instincts are not always the best guide to making decisions. Mark Ellingson in a reflection upon today’s Gospel poses the probing question, “To the degree that our decisions are made with reference to our personal preference, are any of us really making Christian decisions in the way we are living our lives? Are we just throwing our faith aside most of the time, even if we are here Sunday mornings? Have we lost our way? Have we been throwing away the "abundant life" that Jesus promises us in our gospel lesson (John 1O:1Ob)? How can we get it back?”[iii]

You know, that’s a good question for us to ponder. Jesus says, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” And the way to have this abundant life is by following the True Shepherd, not the one who would lead us astray. One of the reasons that the image of the Good Shepherd is so important is that it reminds us that a good shepherd, the owner of the flock would defend the sheep against enemies even if it put his own life in danger. The true shepherd cares for his flock. Jesus, the true shepherd cares about us.

That is why although initially Catherine Marshall felt utterly alone when her husband died, she came to realize that she was not alone – that she was surrounded not only by the love of Christ but by the love of Christ’s followers. That is an experience that is very common when someone we love dies. We may feel utterly alone, but soon discover that the Good Shepherd is right there with us and so are the other sheep.

The true shepherd is the one who stands by us no matter what happens. This is not only good news – it is great news! This is God’s word of grace to us. Jesus is saying that no matter what happens to us, he will never leave us. No matter how much difficulty comes Jesus is with us. No matter how hopeless, frazzled, disappointed, discouraged, or tired you may feel, the good shepherd is right by your side. He will not desert you because the True Shepherd will lay down his life for his sheep.

But as I indicated that’s not all. The True Shepherd knows his sheep and his sheep know him. It is not uncommon for flocks of sheep to get intermingled out in the pasture or at a watering spot. But when it is time to move on, the sheep hear the voice of their shepherd and follow. This is not at all unlike a mother or father immediately hearing their child’s voice on a crowded playground, or a child recognizing a parent’s voice above all others.

Of course, those of us who have parented teenagers may wonder what happens to that ability when it sometimes seems as if our children hear every voice except ours. Do not despair, your voice is still heard but sometimes we do not know that for many years. When our children seem to pay more attention to voices other than ours, we can begin to understand on some level how God feels when we listen to the many other voices calling to us, instead of listening to the voice of the True Shepherd.

As I indicated we instinctively listen to different voices; voices that try to govern our actions by causing us to act instinctively rather than really thinking about the best course of action. When we react out of our instincts, or our personal preferences, we are in danger of not making the best Christian decisions.

As John’s gospel continues with this theme of the True Shepherd, we hear again, that the sheep know the voice of the shepherd but there is a second part to that. “I know my sheep and my sheep know me.” (John 10:14) As comforting as it is to know that Jesus knows us and does not ever leave us, there is more to it. The sheep also know the shepherd and follow the shepherd.

That may mean making decisions that may be somewhat uncomfortable for us personally but are best for all of God’s people. We need the shepherd’s guidance to help us make the decisions that might cost us a little more money but will provide the necessities of life to those who cannot provide them for themselves. We may need the shepherd’s voice to remind us that we have a responsibility to take care of the earth and to preserve the resources of the earth for future generations. If we have been listening to our own instincts or to false shepherds rather than the voice of the True Shepherd, then we are missing out on the abundant life that Jesus promises. The abundant life is not recognized by possessions, power, status, or any other human measurement. The abundant life is one lived in harmony with the One who calls us by name and will lead us only in the paths of righteousness. Enter through the gate of the One who offers us abundant and eternal life. We need to train ourselves to hear the voice of the True Shepherd first until that voice is the one that we hear instinctively and follow.

[i] Marshall, Catherine, To Live Again, (Reading, UK: Spire Books, 1957) cited in “The Immediate Word” www.sermonsuite.com

[ii] Ellingson, Mark, Preparation and Manifestation, Sermons for Lent and Easter Year A, featured on www.sermonsuite.com

[iii] Ellingson, Mark www.sermonsuite.com

“In the middle of their talk and questions, Jesus came up and walked along with them. But they were not able to recognize who he was.”[i] In the middle of our conversations and our questions, Jesus comes up and walks along with us. Sometimes we recognize him but I think often we do not.

Cleopas and his companion did not recognize Jesus. They were focused on their despair – the hope that they had for the future was gone. The One they had believed would deliver Israel was dead. Hear from The Message what they said to the one who had joined them on their walk: “But now some of our women have completely confused us. Early this morning they were at the tomb and couldn’t find his body. They came back with the story that they had seen a vision of angels who said he was alive. Some of our friends went off to the tomb to check and found it empty just as the women said, but they didn’t see Jesus.”

Why didn’t they recognize Jesus when he walked with them? There are many possible explanations for this, but I think the most obvious is that they didn’t expect to see him. They didn’t expect the One who was dead to be alive. And even if they had somehow believed that he was alive, they would not have expected Jesus to appear to them. We don’t know anything about Cleopas except this story. His name doesn’t appear anyplace else in the Bible, but clearly he had believed and hoped that Jesus was the Messiah for whom Israel was waiting. We know even less about his companion who is not identified at all. By the way the lack of a name here has led some to speculate that his companion might have been “Mrs. Cleopas”.

On some level I’m actually glad that his companion is not identified, because that allows me to imagine and to believe that I am that companion and that you are that companion. It invites us into the story and to believe that the risen Christ appears to each of us in one way or another.

The risen Christ has came alongside and walked with me daily, but there are times when I have not always been aware of my companion and there are times when I have had a heightened awareness of his presence. I remember one time in particular. Years ago, I was driving to the church I was serving at that time. I had received word that morning that a 14 year old in our church was probably not going to live through the day. A baptism required that I be in worship.

As I drove to church, I prayed, I thought, and I said, “I guess we are out of miracles.” Immediately, I heard the response, “There is one miracle left, and you know what it is.” Of course, I knew. It was the miracle of resurrection. It was the promise of eternal life. I was comforted and continued my journey. Immediately following worship I drove to the Boston hospital. I entered his room just after Jared had died. A Catholic priest was beginning to pray. At the time I remember feeling both that I had let them down because I had not been there and great relief because I, too, was in tears. I had no words. When the prayer was ended the priest disappeared – almost literally. I do not remember seeing him at all after the prayer. I had received a gift, another visit from the risen Christ in the person of this priest allowing me to become centered before I began again to provide the pastoral care that was needed.

George Walters-Sleyon is a legal immigrant from Liberia. He has been studying to be a United Methodist Pastor and for one year was part of a pastoral team serving one of our urban churches. This week he was traveling to New York to talk with denomination officials there about a new ministry. I do not know all the details but he was detained by Homeland Security and sent to the detention center in Buffalo. George has a valid Visa. He is here legally, and as I understand it is in process to become a citizen. None of this made any difference. George was more fortunate than many. He has known the presence of the risen Christ alongside him. I learned of this at a cabinet meeting. His superintendent was working to try to raise the $2500 bail needed to get him released until a hearing.

The body of Christ mobilized. The money was made available. Bishop Weaver has given me permission to share the rest of the story with you. He made some phone calls and located the pastor who serves the United Methodist Church in Batavia, New York close to the Buffalo Regional Detention Center. Pastor Sherry Schaus responded immediately and made contact with the Detention Center. Twenty four hours later, George was released Pastor Sherry was there waiting for him. The plan was for her congregation to provide a place for him to stay and for them to meet whatever other needs he had.

The primary need was to know that he was not alone – and that was met overwhelmingly. Not only did his strong faith sustain him, but he was surrounded by the Risen Christ in the persons of people here, his superintendent, our Bishop, a pastor and congregation in New York who don’t know him but are serving the Risen Christ in that area. In the middle of all of the talk and all of the questions, Jesus came up and walked along with them. Unlike the two on the Road to Emmaus, in this case, Jesus was recognized.

I wonder sometimes how we recognize Christ. The experience with George – whom I will probably never meet – helped make me more aware of where and how we see Christ. I thought especially of what it must be like to know that you can be questioned and detained for no reason other than the way you look. Some of you know what it is like to have people make assumptions about you based on the way you look, the clothes you wear, or the color of your skin. I have been mostly fortunate not to have experienced that although I have some experience with having people make assumptions about whether or not I am fit to be a pastor because I am a woman.

In Matthew’s gospel, in the 25^th chapter, we have the wonderful and disturbing image of the coming judgment. Jesus’ words to those who were following him were, “Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me – you did it to me. …. Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me – you failed to do it to me.”[ii]

This week has marked the 40^th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. While we were waiting to hear about George, I was aware that although we like to believe that much has been accomplished in these 40 years, too much still remains the same. Let me share with you a few words from a couple of his sermons. In “Pilgrimage to nonviolence”, he wrote, “A religion that professes a concern for the souls of men (and women) and is not equally concerned about the slums that damn them, the economic conditions that strangle them, and the social situations that cripple them, is a spiritually moribund religion.”[iii] Moribund by the way means at the point of dying or at the point of extinction. If our faith is to be alive then we have to care. We have to be part of the body of the Risen Christ walking alongside our brothers and sisters in all areas of life.

If we want to believe and claim that Christ walks with us and helps and sustains us in our times of trial and difficulty then we must also be willing to walk with Christ into the lives of others who need to know his presence.

God is able to give us the resources – both interior and exterior – that we need to confront the trials and difficulties of life. Martin Luther King Jr, describes one of his experiences of encountering the risen Christ, of knowing that God is able, and that we do not walk alone. There came a time when he realized that the threats were serious not just idle words from hotheads. He found himself faltering and growing in fear. One night he received a phone call with yet another hate-filled threat. He writes, “I hung up, but I could not sleep. It seemed that all of my fears had come down on me at once. I had reached the saturation point. …. In this state of exhaustion, when my courage had almost gone, I determined to take my problem to God. My head in my hands, I bowed over the kitchen table and prayed aloud. The words that I spoke to God that midnight are still vivid in my memory. `I am here taking a stand for what I believe is right. But now I am afraid. The people are looking to me for leadership and if I stand before them without strength and courage, they too will falter. I am at the end of my powers. I have nothing left. I’ve come to the point where I can’t face it alone.’

“At that moment I experienced the presence of the Divine as I had never before experienced him. It seemed as though I could hear the quiet assurance of an inner voice saying, `Stand up for righteousness, stand up for truth. God will be at your side forever.’ Almost at once my fears began to pass from me. My uncertainty disappeared. I was ready to face anything. The outer situation remained the same, but God had given me inner calm.

“My experience with God had given me a new strength and trust. I knew now that God is able to give us the inner resource to face the storms and problems of life.”[iv]

The risen Christ comes alongside us and walks with us. Let me close by sharing a few more words from King’s sermon “Our God is able.” “Only God is able. It is faith in him that we must rediscover. With this faith we can transform bleak and desolate valleys into sunlit paths of joy and bring new light into the dark caverns of pessimism. Is someone here moving toward the twilight of life and fearful of that which we call death? Why be afraid? God is able. Is someone here on the brink of despair because of the death of a loved one, the breaking of a marriage, or the waywardness of a child? Why despair? God is able to give you the power to endure that which cannot be changed. Is someone here anxious because of bad health? Why be anxious? Come what may, God is able.”[v]

Christ came to the two on the road, and Christ comes to us. They recognized him in the breaking of the bread. When our eyes are open, we meet him in the breaking of the bread and in our daily walk.

[i] The Message, Luke 24:15-16

[ii] The Message, Matthew 25

[iii] King, Martin Luther, Jr. Strength to Love “Pilgrimage to nonviolence” Fortress Press, Philadelphia, PA, 1963, 1981, p.149

[iv] King, “God is Able” p.114

[v] King, “God is able” p.113

Have you ever been so frightened that you locked the doors and cowered afraid that someone would show up at the door? It may not be an experience that you’ve had but it is still an all too common experience. I remember sticking a chair under the doorknob once to prevent access without my being aware of it. It’s a horrible feeling, not feeling safe. That’s kind of what the disciples were experiencing on that Sunday night when Jesus appeared to them.

There were rumors. Peter and John had been to the tomb and it was empty. Mary Magdalene had come to them and proclaimed, “I have seen the Lord!” Who could make sense of this? But in the midst of all of this confusion, was a greater fear – the fear that the knock would come on the door, or the door would burst open and Jewish authorities would be there – and they would be the next ones taken off for trial. In the middle of their fear, and their confusion, Jesus came and stood among them.

The locked doors didn’t mean anything to Jesus. While some of us grew up on the painting of Jesus standing at the door and knocking, that wasn’t the case here. This was one time when Jesus didn’t wait to be invited in. He just showed up, stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”

There are two important messages there – the first “Peace be with you.” The second, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” These are two almost impossible messages; Impossible from the perspective of the disciples, but definite realities when God shows up. Peace: even in the midst of fear. Peace: even in the middle of sorrow. Peace: even in the throes of confusion and turmoil. “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” These men huddled together behind locked doors would soon be proclaiming the message in the crowds. They would be willing to be imprisoned and even killed for the reality that they had come to know as the truth.

By the way, this is for me one of the greatest proofs – if we need such – of the reality of the resurrection. I remember a time when it was popular to assert that the resurrection was a scam pulled off by the disciples. I simply cannot imagine that these men, confused and scared, locked behind closed doors could have pulled off a scam that has survived for 2,000 years. Whatever else we choose to believe, there was a definite and real change in these men and women and I can only believe that it came because of their real encounter with the resurrected Christ. It is the kind of encounter that continues to change the lives of people today and helps us experience a peace that the world cannot give, and sends us out into the real world to share what we have experienced. But back to the disciples.

Absent at the time of Jesus’ appearance was Thomas. Thomas has gotten a bad rap for what happened next. When he returned and was told what had happened, his response was, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.” For this, Thomas has been saddled with the moniker, “Doubting Thomas”. Isn’t it amazing how the actions of a moment can be used to define who you are? I was watching a movie the other night. I think it was set in the 60’s or 70’s. In the movie a woman was challenged for allowing her young teen daughter to associate with a young woman who was described as having gone off to New York and gotten pregnant. The rest of the details including a husband who had abandoned her were considered irrelevant. The mother of the teenage girl said, “She is one of the hardest working women that I have ever met. She is a devoted mother and I’m pleased that my daughter can be with her when I’m at work.” She challenged the description of this young woman based on only a piece of her story.

I would challenge the moniker “Doubting Thomas” given to the disciple who was not with the others when Jesus appeared to them. I wonder where Thomas was. While the others were hiding behind locked doors, Thomas was out somewhere. He might have been off alone because he couldn’t stand to be around others or he might have been the only one with enough courage to go out and purchase food from the market.

Thomas had shown before that he was a man devoted to Jesus and not afraid to face danger. The first time that Thomas appears is in the story of Lazarus (John 11:1-16). When Jesus announced that he was going to Bethany most of the disciples saw this as something close to a suicidal act on Jesus' part. They came very close to abandoning him; but the normally silent Thomas spoke up. "Let us also go, that we may die with him." Thomas saw only danger and disaster ahead of them, but he was determined to be faithful to Jesus, even if it meant death. Thomas was a man of courage.

Thomas was also a man who was not afraid to ask questions. Near the end of Jesus' life, when Jesus was trying to explain the Cross to his disciples, Thomas was the one who piped up with the question, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way? (John 14:1-6) It was to Thomas, that Jesus replied, "I am the way, the truth and the life."

Thomas could not live with an unasked question, and he had the courage to ask the questions. In Jesus' reply to him, Jesus was saying to Thomas, to the disciples, and to us, "I know you don't understand. No one does. But no matter what happens, you have me." In this world, the bottom line is that in order to believe, we don't need an analysis, or an argument, but rather a presence. Arguments seldom convince anyone. What Jesus offers is not an argument, but himself.

William Barclay in his book The Master’s Men says that the story of Thomas tells us two very important truths. The first is that Jesus doesn't blame anyone for wanting to be sure. Jesus never says, "You shouldn't have doubts." Instead Jesus says, "Don't profess a faith of which you are not absolutely sure, and you must fight your battle until you are certain." But please notice that Thomas didn't become convinced because of an intellectual argument but through firsthand experience of the power and the presence of Jesus Christ. Thomas didn't become sure of things about Jesus; he became sure of Jesus himself.

I’ve been preaching for a few years now, and I realized something new about this story. This is one of the few Gospel readings that appears in the Lectionary every year. The story of Thomas is always the Gospel reading for the first Sunday after Easter. I think that’s significant. I think it says that there are important things that we need to hear about this every year.

It is important to hear that even in the times when we are behind locked doors – literally or figuratively – we are not alone. Christ comes to us in those times and offers us the peace that passes all human understanding. At the same time, Christ reminds us that what we know is not a big secret to be kept for ourselves but something to be shared with others.

This story also tells us that it is okay to have doubts. It is okay for us to ask questions. One of the things that I hope our children and youth and adults hear is that it is okay to have doubts. It is okay to debate, to wonder, to speculate. Like Thomas, we don't become convinced of things about Jesus. We become sure of Jesus himself, and this certainty is most likely to come in the fellowship of believers. "When Thomas was alone, he was doubly alone." When he cut himself off from the fellowship of his friends, he also cut himself off from fellowship with Jesus. "It was when he came back into that fellowship that he met Christ again."

This doesn't mean that we can never find Christ in solitude and silence, but it means that we are most likely to find Christ when we are in the company of others who love Christ. Perhaps that is one of the reasons why we come together week after week - to help us remember and to see Christ in our worship and in each other. When we surround ourselves only by skeptics we are less likely to be open to see the ways that God's love is shown to us.

We meet Thomas one more time. Thomas was with the disciples when Jesus met them beside the Sea of Galilee after they had been fishing. (John 21:2) From now on he was one with the fellowship of believers, and he was there when Jesus" appeared to them.

There’s one more piece of this story that always demands my attention. It is striking to me that the proof that Thomas thought he needed in order to believe involved the nail marks and the spear wound in Jesus' side. But what is even more surprising is that the resurrected Jesus had those marks in his hand and the wound in his side. If this were only a psychic ecstasy as some claim, wouldn't it make more sense for Jesus' resurrected body to be perfect, completely healed, showing no scars and no sign of the wounds?

Those nail marks and the wounds became part of Jesus' resurrected body, the body that showed new life. They were not just part of his past. They are the signs of his great love for us. Thomas, in some way, must have recognized that. These wounds were proof that the glorified resurrected one was identical with the one who was crucified.

I think the nail marks say something to us about the places in our lives where we have been wounded. The recovery from our wounds is like a little resurrection. It is part of the same power that erupted in its purest form on Easter. Yet, like Jesus, we carry with us the scars from our wounds; they become part of who we are.

If substance abuse is part of your past, you carry that with you no matter how many years you remain substance free. It gives you an understanding of addiction and its power that can never be completely grasped by someone who has not walked that path. If you have been physically, sexually, or emotionally abused that is part of who you are. Regardless of the amount of healing of memories and emotions that you may have experienced, you also carry with you a sensitivity to others who have been abused that can be a real gift in ministering to others.

If someone you have loved greatly has died, you may still carry the pain of that loss. But that same pain and understanding is what makes it possible for one widow to help another, or for one mother to help another through the grief. If you have experienced the pain of a marriage that failed and the heartbreak of divorce the scars may become life giving to someone else as you listen in a special way. If you have suffered from a chronic illness, from poverty, unemployment, or any other pain or sorrow, you carry the scars that with Christ's help can make you a stronger or wiser, or more compassionate person than you were previously.

Easter tell us that on the other side of pain is resurrection and new hope. The question for us often is, can we go through the pain, can we face it? Jesus faced the pain, the death, the humiliation, and came out of the tomb with a new life and the wounds in his hands and side. We can come out of the pain in our lives with new life and with the signs of the wound that led us to the new life.

Our wounds may also be a witness or a way for someone else to come to see and believe. It was the very fact that Thomas believed with such difficulty that convinced him to believe with a fierce intensity once he was convinced. It is our willingness to persevere in the face of doubts and questions that can lead us to a stronger faith. Thomas again and again made the discovery that every Christian has to make - that by (ourselves) everything is impossible, but with God nothing is impossible."

Thomas, the doubter, turned confessor at the sight of the wounds in the body of the resurrected one as he proclaimed, "My Lord and My God." Jesus then pronounced a blessing not only upon Thomas, but upon all of those who believe without benefit of the signs and sights demanded by Thomas.

We cannot see the nail marks in Jesus' hands or place our hand in the wound in his side, but we can believe. God still provides the signs for those of us who need them. We have the witness of the disciples who locked themselves in the room because they were afraid, and then became outspoken courageous witnesses because of their encounter with the risen Christ.

We can experience the love of Christ for us in the companionship and love and support of others who have come to know the reality of the risen Christ in their lives. And we can go out as witnesses to the love we have found, and to the reality that it's okay to ask questions and to be honest about our struggles to believe. Jesus came to Thomas in his doubt, and will come to us in ours, not in exactly the same way, but just as surely. Jesus told Thomas, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."

Easter is one of those days that reaches deeply into the very core of our being. Like Christmas it is a time when the attendance at worship services swell; when more people than usual make the effort to participate in worship and celebration. There is something about the Easter and Christmas story that call to us, make us want to be in community and fill us with a yearning to reach out and be part of something greater than we are – something that offers hope and promise for our lives and the lives of those we love.

Last week when I was talking to the children about Palm Sunday and Holy Week and Easter, one of the children said that “Jesus was magic”. We adults might point out that magic is really an illusion, a slight of hand, a trick, but you know that’s not a bad way of putting it. In the church we use the word “miracle” but we are still talking about something that we can’t really understand but somehow believe happened.

The story is told of a young boy “who came home from Sunday school and showed his mother a picture. When she asked, `What is it?’ he replied proudly, `It's Easter!’ Pleased that her son was learning about the resurrection but having difficulty with the details of the drawing, she asked, `What did your teacher say about it?’

"`Well,’ he slowly began, `after they nailed Jesus to the cross, he was hurt real bad, so when the Special Forces finally rescued him from the cross, they rushed him to the trauma center at St. Luke's. They worked on him for hours in the ER but couldn't get a heartbeat and gave up. They moved Jesus' body to another room, heavily guarded by soldiers with a German accent. Just then, when no one was around, there was a blip on the heart monitor and Jesus woke up. He radioed for help and his buddies came with plastic explosives, wiped out the soldiers, blew open the door, and carried their buddy, Jesus, fireman style, across enemy lines to an awaiting helicopter where they would evac Jesus back to his dad.’

“The mother put her hands on her hips and said, `Is that what your teacher taught you?’ Sheepishly the boy confessed, `Well, no. But if I told you what she said, you'd never believe it.’ He has a point, you know. Who would have believed it?”[i]

Easter is about a miracle, about something that our rational minds have trouble believing – and yet, I believe that it is about something that is true. Our age is sometimes called a time of cynicism, but we don’t have a corner on that market. Remember that even though Jesus had told his disciples and his followers what would happen, that possibility, that reality couldn’t penetrate their being. Instead of waiting outside the tomb for Jesus to come back to life, the disciples were in hiding. The women who came to the tomb that morning came in sadness to pay their respects to the corpse of their friend and teacher not in anticipation of meeting a living Jesus.

This past year for many of us has been a time of both sorrow and joy. Many of us have experienced the death of someone we love. Our congregation was shaken by two such deaths within the last few weeks. At the same time, we have also experienced times of great joy. I don’t often talk about my personal life, but sometimes the specifics of our experience point to the greater human experience. In the past nine months my father died, my first grandchild was born, one of my sons married, I accepted a new appointment that will take me away from here and yesterday my mother celebrated her 90^th birthday but because of her Alzheimer’s didn’t really understand all that was happening. Each of those events was impacted by all of the rest. Each of them contained a mixture of joy and sorrow, celebration and sadness, excitement and frustration, confusion and understanding – all those things that are part of life.

In the midst of that, we hold onto the Easter event. In that event – in that miracle – is a light that shines the way for us during this conglomeration of events that we call life. When I picture Mary Magdalene coming to the tomb that morning I picture her head down, her shoulders slumped, and her feet dragging. I imagine that it was an effort to put one foot in front of the other. We know what that’s like, don’t we? We know how hard it can be to keep going sometimes.

Something unexpected happened that morning; something that changed her life forever; something that changes our lives. There is something powerful in remembering the story – and in reenacting it in some way. Some of us choose to do that by participating in Sunrise services. That was one of my father’s favorite things and it became one of mine. I was probably 7 or 8 years old when he and I started attending Easter sunrise services. Even today that is one of the few things that motivates me to get out of bed and go stand outside in the cold and dark knowing that something magical – something miraculous is about to happen.

When we gather to worship we remember the story and we experience it again in ways that touch our souls. Songs that proclaim the wonder and majesty move our spirits and touch us on a level that connects with all that is true. Hearing the gospel story affirms a “yes” within us that gives hope and meaning to our lives. Easter lilies and the presence of others remind us that we are not alone. God enters into each of our lives and speaks our name.

When Mary found the stone rolled away from the tomb, she tried to make sense of it in the only way she knew how. Someone had come and stolen Jesus’ body. Even when she saw Jesus she did not recognize him. It was not until he spoke her name that she knew who he was. In the midst of the most horrible times in our lives, God speaks our names and we discover that we are not alone. In God’s presence there can be found a peace that passes all understanding – a peace that the world cannot give – a peace that comes only from the presence of God – a peace that could be promised only by the One who was about to enter into the valley of the shadow of death – the One who was about to die but whose resurrection would change us and the world.

I have spent much time thinking about Jesus’ words to Mary that morning. “Do not hold onto me.” We often try to hold on, don’t we? We hold on to relationships. We hold on to our children when we know we need to let go. We hold on because we are afraid of letting go. I remember a wonderful poster with a picture of a bird being released from someone’s hands. The words said, “If you love something let it go. If it comes back to you, it is yours. If it doesn’t, it never was.”

Instead of holding on, Jesus told Mary to “go and tell” the disciples. Go and tell. And she did. She went to the disciples who were still in hiding and she told them, “I have seen the Lord.” In the midst of the sorrow of life, we can see the Lord. In the midst of the pain of life, we can see the Lord. In the midst of the death of someone we love, we can see the Lord. In the birth of new life, we can see the Lord.

The message of Easter is one that cannot be squashed. It cannot be destroyed. It is a message of hope and promise. It is a message of peace and comfort. It is a message of strength and courage. It is a message of life.

You probably do not remember the name Nikolai Ivanovich Bukharin. During his day he was as powerful a man as there was on earth. A Russian Communist leader he took part in the Bolshevik Revolution 1917, was editor of the Soviet newspaper Pravda (which by the way means truth), and was a full member of the Politburo. His works on economics and political science are still read today. There is a story told about a journey he took from Moscow to Kiev in 1930 to address a huge assembly on the subject of atheism.

Addressing the crowd he aimed his heavy artillery at Christianity hurling insult, argument, and proof against it. An hour later he was finished. He looked out at what seemed to be the smoldering ashes of men's faith. "Are there any questions?" Bukharin demanded. Deafening silence filled the auditorium but then one man approached the platform and mounted the lectern standing near the communist leader. He surveyed the crowd first to the left then to the right. Finally he shouted the ancient greeting known well in the Russian Orthodox Church: "CHRIST IS RISEN!" En masse the crowd arose as one man and the response came crashing like the sound of thunder: "HE IS RISEN INDEED!"[ii]

I say to you this morning: CHRIST IS RISEN! (congregational response should be: HE IS RISEN INDEED!). Alleluia! Amen!

[i] Suscovik, Scott “You Wouldn’t Believe It!” in The Immediate Word, sermonsuite.com

[ii] www.esermons.com

We do love a parade. We love the excitement, the pageantry. We would love to go from the joy of Palm Sunday to the magnificent glory of Easter, but you can’t get there from here. Not without going through Holy Week. We can’t get to Easter without the drama of the Last Supper, the confusion of the disciples, the praying in the garden, the devastation of crucifixion, the sorrow of death. We can’t get to the magnificent glory of Easter without going through the passion and pathos of Holy Week.

The crowd that gathered on that day to welcome Jesus into Jerusalem was a mixed lot. In our character reflections we heard several different questions and concerns being raised – ones that were probably reflected that day – ones that are often part of our lives.

There were those who were threatened by Jesus. His words and his actions challenged the status quo. They reacted as people of power often react when they are afraid of losing their power. They planned a way to get rid of him. He was a dangerous person in their eyes because he saw things the way they really were and others might begin to see things the same way. In all fairness to the Pharisees and temple authorities, I don’t think that they believed they were doing anything wrong. They thought that Jesus was the one who was wrong. I suspect that they weren’t really trying to silence the voice of honesty, but rather what they perceived to be a dangerous voice that they believed was wrong. This might alert us to the need to pay attention to those who would challenge the way we perceive things. They just might be right – and they just might be speaking the word of God. Pay attention.

There were some who recognized that Jesus was bringing good news of peace; people who were grateful for what Jesus had done in their lives, in their families, and their communities. There were some who praised God for Jesus but perhaps also realized that what they saw was not all there was. There were underlying sinister forces, whispering voices and suspicious glances. There were people who were wary of him, people who did not understand.

There were others expressed by Martha and Lazarus who were very perceptive, people who could pick up on the subtleties; who could realize that even though this seemed like a time of great celebration, something was wrong. There were people who knew Jesus well enough to recognize that he carried the burdens of all the people upon his shoulders. There were people who worried or wondered what was going to happen. People who truly believed that they would do anything they could to help Jesus.

There were people with the attitude we heard expressed by Mary – an attitude of great hope and optimism. People who believed that peace would be restored to the nation and to the people and that at last they would be the people whom God had called out of bondage in Egypt, people who lived in the light, people who lived in a place and a way where oppression was a distant memory. There were people who believed that with Jesus nothing could go wrong and everything would be worked out for the good.

Where would you have been if you had been in Jerusalem that day? Would you have been waving your palm branches and shouting words of praise and honor? Would you have been celebrating, but at the same time being cautiously aware that something was not right? Would you have followed Jesus wherever the road took him?

We can be spectators standing by and watching the parade. We can worship, put our offering in the plate, feel good about ourselves and go home unaffected by anything we see, hear or experience. We can cheer for Jesus as he passes by and then walk away or we can step out and follow him, become part of the parade.

The Palm Sunday parade and all that follows declares that we cannot be neutral. We must make a decision. The thing is that following is not always as easy as walking in a parade during the time of celebration. Following Jesus means following him when the going is tough. It means paying attention to what he says to us even when we may not like what he says. While our culture tells us to gather all the possessions we can get in order to be happy, successful and fulfilled, Jesus tells us that the road to fulfillment is not filled with possessions, but with service, with sacrificial love, with reaching out to others rather than ourselves.

The invitation is to do more than cheer. This is a parade that offers us something much greater. This is a parade that offers us the opportunity to be involved in the work of God – and that is a great privilege. The parade of Palm Sunday leads through Jerusalem to the garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed fervently seeking to be faithful to God’s will. The parade leads to a trial, and another parade – a parade where Jesus beaten, cut and bruised, was made to carry his own cross. The parade leads to the Road of salvation, a tomb in a garden, a tomb where the hope of the world was buried and where the hope of the world came to life bringing light and promise to all of us.

Praise be to you, O God, who boldly asks us to march into the Jerusalems that confront us each day. We would like to think that we will be loved and cherished wherever we go; our witness of faith will be gladly received. But it will not necessarily be so. For there are those who fear faith; who question the reality of your love and healing power. With each step we take, guide our lives in your paths of peace and hope. Give us courage and strength to witness to your love. Help us feel the powerful presence of Jesus Christ in our lives, calling us to come with him to truth and salvation. We offer this prayer in the name of Jesus the Christ. AMEN.

WOULD YOU SEE THE GLORY OF GOD?
John 11:1-45
Fifth Sunday in Lent
March 9, 2008

The story of Jesus and the raising of Lazarus from death is perhaps one of the most difficult in all of scripture. It confounds human experience: it did then and it does now. There is a finality about death that makes this story seem unbelievable. Most modern commentators look at it in one of two ways. It either happened exactly as described or it is an allegory to explain what Jesus meant when he said, "I am the resurrection and the life." In either case one is left with at least three options: accept on faith what has been said, or attempt to figure out how it might have been done, or to find some meaning in the mystery of the event.

We need to pay attention to the setting of the story. The little village of Bethany, the home of Jesus’ friends Mary, Martha and Lazarus is located just two miles east of Jerusalem. To get there, one has to walk across the deep Kidron Valley that separates Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. But don’t picture a nice little suburb of the city. Bethany is a place for the poor, out of view of the great city, on a shoulder of the Mount of Olives, beyond which is the desert and the dangerous road to Jericho. It was here that Jesus often relaxed with his friends, telling stories, sometimes teasing them. Remember Mary sitting and listening to Jesus, and Martha complaining: “Tell her to come help in the kitchen.” “O, Martha, quit fussing! Don’t be so distracted with your work that you miss the good things of life.” It was from here that Jesus began his walk into Jerusalem and was greeted with palms and welcomed with the words, “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” It was here that later, while Martha prepared a meal, Mary broke an alabaster flask of costly nard, as if to anoint Jesus for his coming burial - an extravagant and holy waste for with she is remembered even to this day.

Martha and Mary have sent a message to Jesus: “Lord, the one whom you love is ill.” It is a plea for the healing touch of the Master’s hand upon their brother Lazarus. Jesus’ response is curious - he doesn't go to them right away. He says: “This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God's glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” The disciples are most likely relieved - they know that to go back to Jerusalem is dangerous now. In the back of their minds they realize that another miracle, done so close to Jerusalem, is bound to cause trouble.

When Jesus does come to Bethany, he is told: “It's too late.” Martha expresses the sadness, tinged perhaps by a bit of frustration, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” It is one thing to keep a man from dying - it is quite another to bring him back from death. For Jesus there is another issue: “Did I not tell you that if you would believe, you would see the glory of God?” For Jesus the mystery of life and death is not bound by human mortality - it is measured by the glory of God. Soon, in a simple act of faith, rooted in trust that Jesus does not promise what he cannot deliver, we see in this story a witness to the Glory of God.

“Where have you laid him.” “Lord, come and see.” And Jesus began to weep. When he came to the tomb, a cave with a stone lying against it, all the tomb a poor family could afford, Jesus was deeply distressed - the Greek word means “agitated” - so deep is his love. “Take away the stone.” “Lord, there is already a stench.” “Take away the stone!” “Lazarus, come out!” Eternity still gasps at what it saw. “Unbind him, and let him go.” A beloved friend had been released from the bondage of death, and the glory of the Lord is revealed

In biblical accounts the term “Glory of God” refers to the nature of God who is active in creation and history. To give God glory is not to bestow on God something that God does not already have. Rather, it is to acknowledge the honor that belongs to God. Fundamental to our understanding of the ministry of Jesus is the recognition that Jesus always points to God in what he does. The importance of this for us cannot be understated. To God alone belongs wisdom and power and glory. The purpose of our faith in Christ is to show who God has been, who God is, and who God will become. To believe in Christ is to be shown the Glory of God. Whether that glory is seen in the raising of Lazarus from the dead, or in a healing of our grief, or in a new relationship with Christ matters little. Glory is the nature of God. To acknowledge God is to see that Glory. But how?

Sometime we get bogged down in our attempts to understand matters of faith. We get tangled up in theologies and scientific possibilities, and in the process we miss great insights and eternal truths. Looking for rational explanations for the matters of spirit is an interesting discipline, but ultimately it is fruitless. For every question of “Why?” there is an equally valid question: “Why not?” For every wondering “How can this be?” there is a brush with mystery that gives us a glimpse of something beyond our knowledge. “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives believes in me will never die.” In the midst of all that happened that day, the real miracle was the way Jesus expanded the understanding and the scope of the meaning of life.

To grasp this doesn't require an exercise of great theological depth. All that is required is a simple childlike trust that opens the heart to the possibility of seeing God and letting it make a difference in our lives. Let me tell you the story of Walter. He was a childlike man if I ever knew one. When you saw him, he seemed out of place in our sophisticated urban church. I don't think he was retarded, but he was, well, slow. He would be more likely than not to show up in clothes badly soiled from picking over rubbish, but he was there every Sunday, more regular than any other person in the congregation. He always had a smile, even when occasionally he needed to ask for food from our food pantry. I'm not sure how much he understood of our services, designed as they were for professors and professionals, but almost every Sunday after church he would tell me. “I talked with my Mother last night and she told me that I should go to the Church today.” Walter had a rich relationship with the Spirit world, where he was confident that she now lived. Many people smiled at that, but one Sunday I saw it in a way that left me in sheer awe.

We had designed a Service of Renewal of the Baptismal Vow. One of our members had collected hundreds of scallop shells from a beach on Nantucket. They had been placed in a large bowl on a table in front of the Communion Table. As a part of the Service, the bowl was filled with water covering the shells. Even those of who had planned the Service were startled at the sound of the water being poured over the shells. The was a sound of rattling as the shells were stirred by the moving water. For me it recalled the image from Ezekiel - the noise of bones coming together, waiting for the breath of life. We went on with the Service, but I don’t think that anyone ever forgot the sound. The waters of life had stirred something.

When the time came for the renewal of the baptismal vow, each person was invited to come forward and use the water and a shell (an ancient symbol of baptism) to make a sign of renewal of their baptismal vow. Walter came forward near the end of the procession and approached the chancel tentatively. I wasn't sure that he had understood what was expected. He stepped up to the bowl and paused and looked at it for what seemed like the longest time. Then with a hand bent with age he reached down and touched the water, gently, reverently, as though he expected something. When his hand touched the water, he was startled and he looked up and he raised his other hand as if to shield his eyes. And there came over his face a countenance of peace. Then, with hand still up lifted, he dipped his other hand into the bowl, and then he touched his forehead with the water. He paused, then bowed, then his face glistening with the water and what he had seen, Walter returned to his seat. To this day I believe that he had seen the glory of God - a witness of the life giving presence of the Lord.

Can you imagine the look on the faces of those who saw Lazarus come forth. Transfixed in awe, they must have uttered a wordless gasp, “My God!” Which, of course, is precisely the point. The name Lazarus means, “God is my help.” Long ago the Prophet Isaiah offered hope to those who longed for restoration: “Say to those who are of a fearful heart, ‘Be strong, fear not! Behold, your God will come and save you.’” It is a promise that endures. Jesus, who is the resurrection and the life, has come that we might have life in all of its abundance. In him the Glory of God still dwells. For those who believe it is never too late to see the Glory of God.

Would you see the Glory of God? Then approach life with a simple and childlike trust. Welcome, with reverent gentleness, and gentle reverence, the Spirit which breaths life into dry bones. Lay aside all that which keeps you from God and you will be blessed. Accept the bread of life as one who has been nourished for eternity. Receive the cup of salvation as a life-giving fountain of mercy. Remember with gladness those whose faith was real. They are part of a great of a cloud of witnesses which surrounds us with goodness and mercy that will follow us all the days of our lives. We are touched by sacred memory and in the grace of God it is a healing touch, and in the remembrance there is life. In the mystery of life there is revealed the Glory of God and its reach is beyond death. Let this be a day of new beginnings as we are renewed in the family of faith. Let us be strengthened in Christ who shows to us again and again the vision of God, and reveals to us the knowledge that the kingdom, the power and the glory are God's, now and forever.

“There is a story of a beggar who was sitting across the street from an artist's studio. The artist saw him and thought he would make an interesting portrait study so from a distance he painted the defeated man whose shoulders drooped, and whose eyes were downcast and sad. When he was finished, he took the portrait over to the beggar so he could look at it.

"`Who is that?’ the beggar questioned. The painting bore a slight resemblance to himself, but in the painting before him he saw a person of dignity, with squared shoulders and bright uplifted eyes, almost handsome! He asked the artist, `Is that me? I don't look like that.’ But the artist replied, `but that is the person I see in you.’"[i]

Isn’t it amazing how much our perceptions can differ from those of others! It often amazes me that we are able to communicate as well as we generally do. We all have a history that impacts how we see things, how we perceive what is happening around us. We rely on body language and tone of voice to help us interpret what someone is saying to us. When one of those are missing, as in a telephone call, or even more so in an e-mail we simply do not have all the clues we need to be able to always get an accurate reading of what is being conveyed. Oftentimes our personal experiences affect how we hear something and how we respond, or even how we ask a question or say something to another person.

This is true also for churches. Each church has a history and a culture or climate that affects how we interact with each other. For example: Some churches have a climate that says we want to share the gospel with everyone and gets excited about welcoming new people, others welcome new people thinking that they will be the answer to financial concerns, while others want a private chapel to care for their own needs and visitors are tolerated as long as they are only visitors and don’t try to hang around too long. It’s not a new problem. What we believe about ourselves and about the gospel affects how we see things and how we react.

In today’s gospel the disciples came from a set of beliefs that held that people suffered hardships because they or someone else had sinned. Seeing a man who had been born blind, they wanted to know who had sinned, the man or his parents. In Eugene Peterson’s The Message, Jesus’ response is like this. “You’re asking the wrong question. You’re looking for someone to blame. There is no such cause-effect here. Look instead for what God can do.”

How like Jesus and how like us! So often we look for someone or something to blame – as if that will somehow make us feel better, as if our grief can be lessened if we can divert it into anger against someone else. Jesus takes a radically different viewpoint. Rather than who can we blame, he asks what can be done about it – or rather, what should be done about it?

In this case, Jesus heals the man, gives him physical sight. However, this man is not the only one who is blind in the story. There are many more – people with the physical ability to see but who are nevertheless blind in other important ways. There are the disciples who see in the man only an object lesson for a theological discussion. There are people in the area who have seen only a blind beggar and now that he can see, they are not even sure whether or not it is the same man. They have allowed a blind beggar to become part of their ambience, but have not bothered to really look at him, to see him as a person of worth and of dignity. There are the Pharisees who see only the breaking of a Sabbath law against working and who insist that Jesus cannot be from God if he doesn’t keep such a simple rule. They cannot see the greater good that has been done in healing a man.

The healed man now becomes the one who can see – not only physically but in every other way – he becomes the teacher for those who will not see. He becomes a man who understands who Jesus is and worships him. This is what could be done in this situation. Like the artist in my story at the beginning, Jesus saw a man who was not an object lesson, or a piece of background, but a man who could see the truth despite his physical blindness.

What God sees is often different than what we see. We did not read the assigned scripture from 1^st Samuel where Samuel is sent to anoint the successor to King Saul. It is God who has sent Samuel to the family of Jesse – an unlikely family to begin with. Jesse presents each of his sons to Samuel, in the acceptable manner, eldest first. With the first son, Samuel is sure this is the one that God has chosen, but he is told no. “Looks aren’t everything. Don’t be impressed with his looks and stature. … God judges persons differently than humans do. Men and women look at the face’ God looks into the heart.”

The one who is chosen is the youngest of the family – the least likely, one considered dispensable enough to not even have been present for the presentation and worship. And yet, David, the one chosen by God became the king by whom all the other kings would be measured. David used his experience as a shepherd to explain and understand the relationship that God has or desires to have with us. David wasn’t perfect. Whenever he took his eyes off God and thought first about his own desires, he made some really big mistakes. But David was eager to follow God and his heart was in the right place, so that he could be called back to account, he could see what he had done wrong, and he repented in true sincerity. David did have to suffer the consequences of his decisions, but God didn’t throw him away, or reject him. God continued to offer grace to David and it was an important piece of prophecy that the Messiah would be from the lineage of David. Thank heaven that Samuel trusted what God saw rather than what he saw.

Throughout the biblical story, people are called to take an action that they did not choose for themselves. Moses pleaded with God not to send him, and he had the arguments all prepared for why he was the wrong person. Have you ever done that? I have. Jonah argued with God; as did Isaiah and Jeremiah. God saw something that they didn’t see.

When God sees, God calls. When God calls, God empowers. When God empowers, and we respond, God is with us and will not leave us alone. As with Samuel, God will be with us, guiding us, urging us to move forward, and at the same time slowing us down when we want to run ahead.

During this Lenten season, the words of an Amy Grant song come to my mind as a prayer for each of us. “as long as I can have one wish I pray, When people look inside my life, I want to hear them say ...
"She's got her father's eyes ... her father's eyes ...
Eyes that find the good in things when good is not around,
Eyes that find the source of help, when help just can't be found.
Eyes full of compassion ... seeing every pain ...
Knowing what you're going through and feeling it the same.
Just like her father's eyes."

My prayer for each of us, is that during this season and going forward, we will be intentional about being open to and trusting what God sees; that as time goes on this will become easier because God’s vision will be within us, so that we may see the world and the people around us not as object lessons, or part of the background, but as God sees them. We will start to see ourselves as God truly sees us, not as other people have told us we are. I pray that we may have eyes that find the good when good doesn’t seem to be around, eyes that find hope when hope can’t be found, and eyes full of compassion, just like God’s eyes.

[i] Blair, Brett www.eSermons.com, Feb 2005. Adapted from "New Vision in Christ," by Rev. Michael J. Fish

He came by night approaching Jesus cautiously. He had an idea what it would cost him to find out more about Jesus. At the end of their conversation, we still don’t know what Nicodemus is thinking. We met him last week – just as we have been meeting many people in John’s gospel – people with whom Jesus has some encounter. Later in John’s gospel, we meet Nicodemus twice more. On one occasion he is defending Jesus on a point of law – later he is helping to prepare Jesus’ body for burial. He is accompanied by Joseph of Arimathea who is described as a follower of Jesus’ but secretly for fear of the authorities.

At the opposite end of the spectrum is the woman at the well in Samaria. While Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night, Jesus is the one who makes the trip to Samaria. He meets the woman in the middle of the day – around noontime, when the sun is bright. But in both cases they are the only two around. This, at least, begins as a private conversation. We know Nicodemus’ name, and his status as a ruler, a religious authority, but the woman is anonymous. We call her the “Samaritan Woman” as if there were only one Samaritan woman in the whole world. We call her the “woman at the well” which is really not much different than saying, “the woman at Dave’s or Stop & Shop”. Jesus and Nicodemus really do share a cultural and social world. They are both observant Jews, learned in their religious tradition. But Jesus and the woman represent cultures that deeply mistrust each other and share a mutual hostility.

Although Samaria lay directly between Galilee to the north and Judea to the south, Jews traveling between the two areas would go far out of their way. They would cross the Jordan River and go around Samaria to avoid traveling through the area. But Jesus and his disciples have traveled directly through Samaria. It seems that it is intentional that Jesus should be in Samaria.

When we encounter these stories we are still quite near the beginning of John’s gospel. Nicodemus shows up in chapter 3 and the woman in chapter 4. The fourth gospel tends to give us more one-on-one conversations than the other gospels. This conversation between Jesus and the woman is longer than any other in the Bible. I think that’s John’s way of telling us that this encounter is particularly significant. Through these two stories – and especially the contrast between them – the writer of the fourth Gospel begins to reveal the enormous consequences of being confronted with the presence of Jesus.

The story started with the Jews but in the encounter with Nicodemus we hear the very familiar verse that, “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” In the meeting with the Samaritan woman at the well, we start to encounter the Son interacting with the world beyond the Jewish community. An important part of the discussion focuses around the proper place to worship and we hear that the “hour is coming, and now is, when true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth.” Eugene Peterson’s The Message puts it this way, “The time is coming – it has, in fact, come – when what you’re called will not matter and where you go to worship will not matter. It’s who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That’s the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship.” W we quickly learn that what was said in the third chapter about God’s love was not just a nice saying, but that it is absolutely true. God’s love is not simply for the Jews, but for the entire world.

In John’s gospel, Jesus frequently talks in metaphors and typically he is misunderstood. Both Nicodemus and the woman at the well were sidetracked by this kind of conversation. They both immediately focused on the practical, the literal interpretation of what Jesus was saying. We, too, do not always understand what it is that Christ offers to us. Like both Nicodemus and the woman we may think in terms of our physical needs or our convenience. Nicodemus was confused by the idea of being born from above. For women in Jesus time, going to the well at least twice a day to get water was a big deal. The water jugs were heavy and the idea of not having to be thirsty again would certainly be appealing to this woman, especially since she is at the well in the middle of the day.

Most of the women in the village would come in the early morning or early evening when it was cooler. They would gather at the well for a time of socializing while they carried out their important daily chores. This was the time to find out who was sick, or who was having a baby, or what marriage plans were being made. This was the time when information was shared and relationships nurtured. Our commentators assume that because this woman was at the well in the middle of the day, when the sun was the hottest, that she was quite likely an outcast and didn’t participate in the intimate social life of the community.

Nicodemus, by contrast, was a highly respected member of the community, and of the religious establishment. If we were to set these stories in today’s culture, it would be more like our District Superintendent or Bishop seeking out Jesus in the middle of the night for a private meeting being contrasted with Jesus going into the streets of Providence or Boston to the bridges or alleys where the homeless seek shelter from the weather. Jesus might be offering a coat that never wears out, or a cup of soup that never gets cold or runs out, or a shelter that is always warm and safe. Surely, a homeless person would want what Jesus was offering and would hear the offer in very concrete specific terms.

The water, coat, soup or shelter that he might be offering is not literal water, coat, soup or shelter. A few weeks ago we focused on the temptation story of Jesus in the wilderness. One of the temptations was to turn rocks into bread and satisfy his great hunger. At the time I suggested that this was more than simply a temptation to physically feed himself; it was also a temptation to feed the world, to gain popularity and following by satisfying the physical needs of the people. While meeting the physical needs is really important – what Jesus has to offer is far more than that.

He knew that meeting the physical needs would not be enough – that people would want more. Remember that Adam and Eve surrounded by wonderful trees offering marvelous food, were not satisfied; they wanted the tree that they were not supposed to eat. In our reading from Exodus, this morning, we heard about the people grumbling and complaining because they did not have water. Yes, of course, water is absolutely crucial for life – but the story is even bigger than that. This passage is one in a series of passages where the people are grumbling. The grumbling generally focuses on water or food. However, we discover that this occasion takes place just after God has provided both a grain type substance and meat and promised that they will have these every day. Their grumbling is more about their lack of trust in God to take care of them than it is about their actual physical need.

The water – the living water that Jesus offers the Samaritan woman – is more than water that satisfies the physical thirst. We, humans, spend much of our lives looking for meaning and purpose. We look for satisfaction and fulfillment – and we look in many different places. We look to possessions, and relationships, status, power, you name it. We think that a little more of whatever it is we have identified, will satisfy our thirst and we will be happy, fulfilled, satisfied. Jesus is telling the woman at the well, that the living water, that which will really satisfy her thirst – her spiritual thirst – is a relationship with him. She will still need physical water from the well. A homeless person would still need a warm coat, soup or shelter. We will still need to satisfy our physical needs.

The living water that Jesus offers is the water that touches our very being – it is that which makes it possible for us to get out of bed in the morning even after someone we love has died. It is that which makes it possible for us to go through the dark times of our lives knowing that we are not alone. In the midst of our daily struggles it is easy to get sidetracked like the woman did and focus on the practical needs and miss the real presence of Christ with us.

When the woman asked Jesus for the water, he told her to go get her husband and come back. I suspect that at least part of what Jesus is doing here is recognizing that a conversion, a change in someone’s life cannot happen in isolation. When a person discovers and receives the living water – it cannot be a secret. A relationship with Christ that grows and makes a difference in our lives will make a difference in our relationships as well. We will start thinking differently, acting differently, looking at social and ethical issues in a different way – and we will find that we need to share that with those who are important to us.

That’s where another important contrast between Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman arises. Remember that we don’t know what Nicodemus did after he spoke with Jesus. By all indications, he became a follower of Jesus but he was very low key about it – pretty much to the point of keeping it mostly a secret. The Samaritan woman, on the other hand, had a very different reaction. After talking with Jesus she went running back to the village to tell everyone about Jesus and what he had said to her.

The woman left her water jug behind, just as Peter and John had left their fishing boats behind. She had found something that propelled her forward to share with others the exciting news. Can you think of a time in your life when you have been touched by the hand of God in such a way that it takes you out of yourself and fills you with a desire to share the good news?

Sometimes we make excuses about witnessing to others because we claim that they are not ready to hear or believe. Jesus makes it clear that there are always people who are ready – and eager to hear good news in their lives. This is true for every generation of Christians. None of us starts at square one of the Christian pilgrimage through history, but we enter into the previous life and mission of the church that brought the faith to us and then it becomes our own story and mission. Many came to believe in Jesus because of the word that the woman brought to them. We come, too, because of the stories of others, but soon the story must become our own.

Jesus met her one-on-one. That’s the single best way to approach anyone about spiritual matters. Classroom teaching, Bible Studies are important, but when Christ speaks to our hearts, it is often when we are alone with Christ. When we allow ourselves to be so busy that we cannot or will not be alone with Christ, we cut ourselves off from the real communion of the heart – the opportunity for Christ to speak with us one-on-one. Jesus knew everything about the woman, just as he knows everything about us, but he desires one-on-one time with us. Do you think it was an accident that Jesus arrived at the well at noon-time, to find a woman alone, a woman who was thirsty? It is no accident that Jesus tries to get our attention – one-on-one, alone, to fill our thirst.

Jesus refused to accept a division of people – for him there was only one group, children of God and anyone who worshipped God in spirit and truth could drink of the living water. What are we to do with this story? First, we should realize that Jesus offers a consistent call to new life, to come to drink of the living water, to worship God in spirit and in truth, regardless of who you are. After drinking of the water, we are to extend that invitation to all, regardless of who they are.

He came at night. Cautiously slipping through the streets trying not to draw attention to himself. It would not do for anyone to see him. He was, after all, a well respected religious figure and the man he was going to see was of questionable reputation. Controversy surrounded him wherever he went. There were some who believed that he was a heretic. Others thought he might be politically dangerous, potentially plotting an overthrow of the government. It would be easy to dismiss him as a harmless misguided man, but the crowds that followed him and listened intently to what he said, made it impossible to ignore him. It was important to the man to go and talk to him directly, to learn the truth for himself.

Nicodemus came by night hoping to have a private conversation with Jesus. He even had his opening line figured out, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” That should soften him up a little; let Jesus know that he meant no harm. Nicodemus looked forward to the conversation, the opportunity to discuss theology with this strange teacher, even if it was risky for him to directly approach Jesus. He knew that the other Pharisees would poke fun at him or criticize him, perhaps even ostracize him, but he had to take the chance.

What he found was not what he expected. Jesus refused to be drawn into Nicodemus’ compliment. Nicodemus was not going to be in control of this conversation. Jesus seemed to acknowledge that he had indeed come from God, and that what he did was connected with the presence of God because Jesus immediately started to talk about the Kingdom of God. But in such a strange way! “Very truly, I tell you.” In the King James Version, this would be, “Verily, verily, I tell you.” That’s John’s code phrase for listen up, this is very important. And Jesus will use this phrase three times in the conversation.

“Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” To Nicodemus this sounds like a riddle. Unsure of what “born from above” means, or perhaps mishearing what Jesus said, Nicodemus wants to know how one can be born after having grown old? “Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus and Nicodemus then get into a discussion about being born of water and the spirit, but let’s leave Nicodemus for a minute.

This is not the first time, nor will it be the last, when someone in the Bible is told to do something that seems if not impossible then at the very least unreasonable. In our reading from Genesis, Abram is told to leave his country and his father’s tribe and home to go to a new land that God will show him. According to the Bible, Abram was about 75 years old at the time and his wife Sarai was about 65. As if being asked to leave your land and all that was familiar was not enough for a man of his age, he was also told that God would make of him a great nation and that all the families of the earth would be blessed through him. In other places in the book of Genesis we will hear Abram and Sarai questioning how they can have a child at their advanced age. At other places we’ll hear them debating various aspects of God’s promises and taking things into their own hands, but here there is no record of a discussion – we hear only that “Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot (his nephew) went with him.”

What we discover in these stories – Abram’s and Nicodemus’ is that our God is a God who brings life out of places that are as good as dead. If we look, we’ll find that in several places in the Bible. We hear about the prophet Elijah’s vision of a valley filled with dry bones – very dry bones that are brought together and given skin and sinew and finally the breath of life. (Ezekiel 37) We hear the prophet Isaiah talking about a time when “the eyes of the blind (will) be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.” (Isaiah 35:5-7 NIV) We’ll find Jesus performing miracles in many places. We’ll even find him bringing dead people to life. Eventually we encounter the greatest miracle of all – Jesus, himself, being raised from the dead to life. But then that miracle opens the way for other miracles – the reality, the promise, that we, too, may experience eternal life.

In Paul’s letter to the Romans – in a passage that may seem confusing – we discover that Paul is talking about a God who is “generous beyond measure, faithful beyond steadfastness, and so desirous of being in relationship with us that any unworthiness on our part is not an obstacle. Furthermore, Paul describes a God who miraculously gives life to the dead. The first audience to hear these words would have heard a double entendre. Through the birth of offspring, God gave life to Abraham when he was as good as dead; and God raised Jesus Christ from the dead.”[i]

In the Psalm we heard about the majesty of the mountains – but that as majestic as the mountains may be, our help and our strength comes not from the mountains but from the God who made the mountains – the God who watches over us – watches our coming and going. How incredibly marvelous this is – to imagine that the God who is the maker of the hills and mountains is the one who is the keeper of our pilgrimage through life!

When we think about all of this, we can go back to Nicodemus – a man in pursuit of the truth – a man who wants answers – a man who is searching and willing to take some risks in his search. Nicodemus knows all about Abram and his journey of faith. He knows all about God’s promises to Abraham and how they were fulfilled. He knows about the prophet Ezekiel’s vision and the words of the prophet Isaiah and Jeremiah and others. He knows the psalms and the witness of scripture. He does not yet know a lot about Jesus – that’s why he is here, to learn more.

Essentially Jesus says to him, “Come on in, Nicodemus. The water is fine. I know you don’t understand all of this right now, and that’s okay, but come on in. You’ve taken one step, you’ve come here at night. You’re starting to ask the questions.” I hear Jesus speaking to Nicodemus on his own level – a theologian, someone who can understand and discuss. This is one occasion when Jesus doesn’t tell stories. He speaks as plainly as he can – but even so, what he is telling Nicodemus cannot yet be understood by him and that’s okay.

I believe that Jesus offers that same message to us. “Come on in, the water is fine. I know you don’t understand all of this right now, and that’s okay.” During Lent, as we examine our lives, we might ask, “How much faith does it take to follow? How much risk are we willing to take?” That’s really an important question in our faith journey. Abram had to answer that question before he set off with his wife and animals and possessions. Nicodemus has to answer that question – are you willing to take the risk of being born from above. Are you willing to let go of your old life and trust God for new birth?

I read a definition of risk this week that made sense to me. It said, “Risk is simply the ability to reach beyond the usual limits in reaching for a goal.”[ii] The author went on to say, “The same can be said for living a life of faith. It’s when we face our fears and take a risk that we experience the thrill of following Jesus. For faith and risk are intertwined. It is only when we stretch the horizons of our lives, it is only when we venture away from the comfortable to follow Christ that faith takes on its true dimension. That’s what Jesus was trying to tell Nicodemus. You must be born again. You must risk a new beginning. You must trust yourself to a new birth in God to truly be part of the kingdom of God.”[iii]

This risk, this journey is an amazing adventure with exciting twists and turns. It is an opportunity to live in a way that we might never know otherwise. It is an opportunity to experience life in a new way. The adventure is all around us.

“When we follow God’s teachings on honesty despite the fear of the price it may cost us, that’s spiritual adventure. When we ask God to open doors for us to make a difference of others around us despite our fear of where that may lead us, that’s spiritual adventure. When we talk to someone about our faith, in spite of the fear of what they may think of us because of it, that’s spiritual adventure. When we think about God enough to want to be in worship in spite of the inconvenience it may cause us, that’s spiritual adventure.

“There are times when we leave the smooth paved road, when we abandon the boring residential streets for the adventure of unmarked trails – that’s when faith becomes real and that’s the new birth that Jesus is promising us. Faith means being born again as a new person, leaving the comfortable behind to adventure with God.”[iv]

A journey in faith is risky – and the risks are different for each person. For some it may mean a radical change in life style or in career. For others it may mean starting a new plan of Bible Study or other spiritual discipline. For others it may mean some basic training – beginning to study the Bible or beginning to ask God to lead you in the paths of your life. For still others it may mean believing and claiming that the God who brought life into the almost dead life of Abraham is the same God who can and will enter into the dead and frightening places in your life and bring life and healing.

For all of us it means believing that God is God – we are not. God will walk with us in every area of our lives and invite us to participate in some grand adventures. Does that seem hard to do? Are you afraid you don’t have enough faith? Don’t worry. The Bible tells us that we only need faith the size of a mustard seed and that’s really tiny. The quantity of our faith is not what matters; it’s using the faith we have that counts.

As a church it will mean having the faith and willingness to work with a new pastor – to learn from and with each other, to be open to what God has in mind for this amazing congregation.

Jesus says, “The water is fine. Come on in.” Whether you are a person who plunges in, or steps in carefully, the water is fine and you are invited to a great journey. If you are already on the journey, then take this opportunity to move in a little deeper, take another step and see what God has in store for you. If you are still standing on the shore trying to get up the nerve – remember that Nicodemus came by night and took that first step.

By the way, did you notice that we don’t hear what Nicodemus did after this discussion. However, a few chapters later we will find Nicodemus taking a risk and standing up to the court of law to demand that Jesus have the right to defend himself. Later we find Nicodemus with Joseph of Arimathea, carrying 100 pounds of spices and oils to prepare Jesus body for burial. Nicodemus took that first step and then went further into the water. Enter the water with the Blessed Assurance that Jesus is with you.

[i][i] Kincannon, Karla M. writing in Upper Room Disciplines 2008, The Upper Room, Nashville, TN 2007, p.58.

[ii] Aaron, Charles L. Jr. editor Sermons on the Gospel Readings, Series II, Cycle A CSS Publishing, Lima, OH 2007, p.127

[iii] Aaron, p.128

[iv] Aaron, p.128

Our theme for Lenten worship services this year is “Close Encounters at the Cross” and we will be looking at people that Jesus encountered during a ministry that led eventually to the cross. Lent always begins at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry with the story of temptation or for our purposes, a close encounter with Satan.

Sometimes in our culture we have tended to go to one of two extremes in our concept of Satan – which by the way, simply means “tempter or tester”. There are those who picture Satan quite literally as a being that hovers around Christians and tries to distract us from Christ, puts obstacles in our way and causes bad things to happen so that we will become frustrated and turn away from God. One of the bases for this comes from the story of Job in the Bible. The other approach is to minimize and fantasize this character as the guy in the red pajamas with horns and a pitchfork. I think it was Flip Wilson who helped make this image popular with his refrain, “The devil made me do it.” Sometimes we’ll see that on children’s bibs or shirts, and we smile and think it’s cute.

No matter how we approach the idea of Satan – the reality is that temptation does exist and we have all encountered it in many forms and with great frequency. Today we look at two specific encounters with temptation.

The first is the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden. All of the discussion and debate about creation has caused this story to become a point of division between creationists and those who believe in evolution or intelligent design. Regardless of what you believe about how the actual creation of the world happened, regardless of whether or not you believe that there was literally a Garden of Eden and two people named Adam and Eve, this is still a true story. The truths are important whether the story is historically factual or not.

This is a story about human nature and our relationship with God. This is a story about the way we are tempted to want something other than what God has provided for us. Most importantly, it is a story about how we try to put ourselves at the center of our lives and our universe and push God off to the side. It begins with Adam and Eve having everything that they could possibly need for an idyllic life. They have an intimate and trusting relationship with God and they have received a fantastic gift - a place to live and the opportunity and responsibility to take care of that place and all the amazing plants and animals living there with them. There’s one catch, however. All of this belongs to God and they are to take care of it for the owner. The owner has one rule – one simple rule. Leave one of the trees alone.

That’s not really much to ask. Now we could debate why the tree is there at all if they aren’t supposed to eat the fruit from the tree. It might even seem like entrapment. But I think it’s a lot more basic than that. I believe that the tree represents simply the distinction between God and creation. Adam and Eve are not God. From the very beginning, humanity has a choice. We can follow God and do what God tells us to do, or we can rebel and choose our own way. That’s where temptation comes in – the temptation to think that we know what is best for ourselves, to be in complete control of our lives – to refuse to be limited by the guidelines or the rules of another – even when that other is God.

Temptations can begin in very subtle ways. In Eve’s case it begins by cracking the shell of obedience and trust just a little. “Did God really say that you cannot eat from any of the trees in the garden?” I read this week that the wedge is one of the most powerful tools that exist. The very thin edge of the wedge can be driven into almost any place to begin to create a gap or an opening and then the more you drive it in the bigger the opening becomes until finally the resistance is shattered. This can happen in relationships as well – a wedge of doubt, suspicion can ultimately destroy a relationship.

That’s what happened here. A tiny wedge driven into the relationship of trust and intimacy. “Did God really say?” Now there is room for debate, discussion, rethinking, rationalizing. “What did God say?” “Why did God put that restriction on us?” “Why can’t we have that tree as well?” No matter how much we have many of us think it will take only a little more for us to be really happy. – Guess what? It doesn’t work! I stumbled onto a television show Friday night called “Top that Party”. I watched a wealthy woman working on a New Year’s Eve party that was going to cost ¾ of a million dollars. Let me tell you that what I saw and heard was a spoiled self-centered woman who by her own description, wants what she wants, when she wants it and doesn’t deny herself anything at all. For me the show was absurd in its excessiveness, but the seed of wanting more – the temptation of wanting more – is real whether we are talking a $750,000 party or another new pair of shoes or the newest computer, television or ipod.

The temptation goes beyond just wanting more – as if that were not enough. The wedge that drives in is about thinking that we are god. Whatever we want, we deserve. Whatever we can buy we should have. For some it grows beyond material possessions to possessing other persons, controlling what others can say or do, how they can behave without risking our wrath. Quite simply the temptation is to become our own god.

When that happens everything else gets thrown out off kilter. The ends begin to justify the means. And when God tries to get our attention to warn us, or redirect us we rebel because we think we know better than God and God is interfering in the way we want to live our lives.

This has been a problem throughout the biblical narrative. We find Moses being presented with the Ten Commandments and what is the first one? “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, You shall have no other gods before me.” And then, “You shall not make any graven images.” Hear this – God first, everything else second. When God comes first then all of the other good things in our lives fall into the right and healthy perspective.

The Gospel story of Jesus’ temptation is the corrective to the Garden of Eden. Here we see how we are supposed to live in relationship with God. In this temptation, Jesus restores to humanity what God intended from the very beginning. We see Jesus in a trusting, intimate relationship with God. Of course, you might say, that’s what we would expect from the Son of God.

However, Jesus’ life and ministry took place in the world in which we live – in a world where temptation abounds, where sin is rampant and for Jesus’ life to have any meaning and relevance for us, he had to wrestle with the tension and the questions raised by living in a world of free will, choices, and temptations.

The temptations presented to Jesus are real – and they are foundational to who he would be in his life and ministry. After forty days in the wilderness without food – he was hungry. Now that’s an understatement if I ever heard one. Most of us are hungry after several hours, famished if we go much longer. Jesus was hungry. The temptation of turn rocks into bread was a real one that would have met his immediate physical needs. However, it was also more than that, I think.

It was also an economic temptation. There were many people who were hungry in Jesus’ day. He certainly could have gotten their attention and their loyalty if he had simply fed them all. Or could he? The Biblical record tells us that God fed the Hebrew people when they were wandering in the desert – and then they complained that the food was boring. They wanted more. They wanted something different. Jesus was strong in God’s word – he knew his history. He responded by quoting scripture, “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” Jesus knew that meeting one’s physical needs while important was not what it was all about.

Then came the second temptation – a temptation that was particularly insidious. The tempter here employed a method used all too frequently and one to which followers of God are particularly vulnerable. Scripture from Psalm 91 was pulled out of context and dangled in front of Jesus as an enticement. Scripture is often used inappropriately, verses taken out of context in an attempt to try to make us accept a particular viewpoint or action.

The specific temptation here was for Jesus to call upon God for special protection. Later Jesus would face this same temptation again. In the Garden of Gethsemane when the soldiers came to arrest him, one of his followers drew a sword to protect Jesus. He replied, “Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?”[i] Jesus did not seek special protection from God.

The temptation is to expect that God will protect us from the dangers and realities of life, rather than to celebrate that God will never leave us to face the problems of life alone but will empower and strengthen us through God’s constant presence with us.

Think of the instant popularity Jesus would have gained in a spectacular leap from the top of the temple and a miraculous catch in mid-air by God’s hands. Popularity is a real lure – we all want to be liked. Sometimes we find it hard to make tough choices because we are afraid that someone won’t like us. We may be afraid to challenge inappropriate behavior because we don’t want someone to be upset with us for doing so.

Finally, Matthew tells us of the temptation offered to Jesus to gain power and influence by worshipping someone other than God. Yet again, Jesus draws upon the history of God’s people and the warning that when they settled in a new land where there were fine houses and many possessions, they must be very careful not to forget the Lord, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. “Do not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who are all around you.”[ii] “Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.”

We have seen all too often the temptation to worship other gods. The woman on the show I watched the other night was worshiping her popularity and her party. There’s a temptation to worship popularity, power, possessions. This is the temptation I spoke about earlier with Adam and Eve.

When faced with the tough questions and temptations of life, we need to ask ourselves, "does this fit with what I have understood and experienced of the way that God works?" The two great commandments are to love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind and strength and to love your neighbor as yourself. We need to ask, "Do my actions reflect my love for God and God's love for me and for all of God's children? Will my attitude bring me closer to God or separate me from God? And equally as important, we must ask whether our behavior will strengthen and nourish the faith of those who are aware of what we say and do - or will our deeds cause others to doubt their faith or to turn away from Christ because of what they see in us.

In the story of Adam and Eve a relationship with God was broken. Through Christ that relationship was healed. Adam and Eve were tempted to define themselves and displace God. Jesus faced those temptations but showed us how to live a life that is defined by God. The temptations before us always involve treating God as less than God. They tempt us to mistrust God’s readiness to empower us to face the trials of life.

The key to facing temptation is not found in ourselves. The key to facing the temptations that threaten to separate us from God is to be grounded and solid in God’s word. The key to facing temptation is found in calling upon God and being strong in God’s name. As we make our way through this Lenten season, let us remember we are never alone – and the greatest temptation is to believe that we are.

My usual practice in preparing a sermon is to spend time with the scriptures and let them percolate during the week. Since Kathy and I select music several weeks in advance and I also determine a general focus for the sermon there is significant time for what I call putting them on the back burner and letting them simmer for awhile before moving them to the front burner for more intensive cooking. This week I spent three days in a cabinet meeting (one of the many that District Superintendents attend at this time of the year – and part of the transitioning and learning process for me.) Most of the worship meditations during that time focused on today’s Gospel, so this week I was enriched by the opportunity to hear the thoughts of others and the Holy Spirit has called some of those thoughts to percolate to the top of my preparation.

Several times we heard the Gospel read from Eugene Peterson’s The Message, and I found some specific phrases catching my attention. Let me read the gospel to you from that version.

There has been a lot going on for the disciples recently, according to Matthew’s Gospel. There have been discussions and questions from Jesus about who people think he is and who the disciples think he is. Jesus has made it clear to the disciples that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, “submit to an ordeal of suffering at the hands of the religious leaders, be killed, and then on the third day be raised up alive.” But they didn’t really get it. Peter tried to dissuade Jesus but Jesus in almost stinging words admonished Peter “get out of my way. Satan, get lost. You have no idea how God works.” In Peterson’s rendering, Jesus tells them that “you’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. … Follow me, and I’ll show you how…. Don’t be in such a hurry to go into business for yourself. Before you know it the Son of Man will arrive with all the splendor of his Father, … Some of you standing here are going to see it take place, see the Son of Man in kingdom glory.”

Then Peterson continues with today’s reading, “Six days later, three of them saw that glory. Jesus took Peter and the brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain. His appearance changed from the inside out, right before their eyes. Sunlight poured from his face. His clothes were filled with light.” Can you see the picture? Sunlight poured from his face.

“Then they realized that Moses and Elijah were also there in deep conversation with him. Peter broke in, `Master, this is a great moment! What would you think if I built three memorials here on the mountain – one for you, one for Moses, one for Elijah?’

“While he was going on like this, babbling, a light-radiant cloud enveloped them, and sounding from deep in the cloud a voice: `This is my Son, marked by my love, focus of my delight. Listen to him.’

“When the disciples heard it, they fell flat on their faces, scared to death. But Jesus came over and touched them. `Don’t be afraid.’ When they opened their eyes and looked around all they saw was Jesus, only Jesus.

“Coming down the mountain, Jesus swore them to secrecy. `Don’t breathe a word of what you’ve seen. After the Son of Man is raised from the dead, you are free to talk.”[i]

I love the way Peterson paints this picture because it really gets my attention. Peter was a no nonsense person. He was a hard working fisherman. During his travels with Jesus he had seen many things that were startling but he never lost the impulsiveness and rough edges that often caused him to bumble his way into something. He was real – always ready to help, but like many of us often caught up in the doing. Those who remember the story of the sisters Mary and Martha and how Mary sat and listened to Jesus while Martha rushed around preparing a meal for everyone might recognize that Peter and Martha were alike in many ways. Here they are on the top of a mountain. Jesus’ very physical appearance has been transformed. As Peterson described it “sunlight poured from his face.” Moses and Elijah – the long dead law giver and prophet – were standing there talking to Jesus, not just talking but in deep conversation, and Peter did what he did best – he started trying to organize, to manage the situation, to take charge, to do something – anything.

One of the Superintendents shared that he attended a spiritual retreat and at the end of one of the sessions focused on being rather than doing, he asked, “How do you DO being?” Many of us are comfortable with the doing. We aren’t too sure how to be; we want directions on how to “do being”. Peter was like that. “While he was going on like this, babbling,” Babbling. He doesn’t need to be making any real sense. He’s trying to make sense of this in the only way he knows how – to be busy, to do something, to go on and on.

It’s a frequent human situation isn’t it? Presented with circumstances we don’t really understand, often the urge is to run in and do something without really thinking abut the consequences. Years ago when I was in college, I remember one of our food and nutrition professors telling us about how a major company had rushed into an African village to provide wonderful nutrition and vitamin supplements etc for pregnant women in an attempt to produce healthier babies. Their hearts may have been in the right place, but what they failed to anticipate was that these healthier and much larger babies were now too big for the women to deliver in the normal way. Suddenly there was a great need for doctors to perform Caesarians and without the doctors being readily available many women and babies died.

In the midst of Peter’s babbling, “a light-radiant cloud enveloped them, and sounding from deep in the cloud a voice. `This is my Son, marked by my love, focus of my delight. Listen to him.’” Okay, Peter, stop the doing, and listen. The voice of God heard when Jesus was baptized proclaiming and claiming him as his own son, now again, speaking, proclaiming, and claiming. No babbling here. And the simple and profound command, “Listen to him.”

That’s what we’ve been hearing in the passages leading up to this one. The question of Jesus’ identity, who people thought he was, who the disciples thought he was, and now the proclamation from God. The warning later from Jesus “Follow me, don’t try to do this on your own.”

It’s a good and important word for us, “Listen to him.” When we are tempted to rush in, we need to remember to listen to him. Listen to the one who knows the whole picture. Listen to the one who’s way is not our always our way. Listen to the one who came to show us the way.

The voice from heaven was enough to stop Peter’s babbling. It was enough to really get his attention – actually it was enough to bring him and the other disciples down to the ground, flat on their faces, and scared to death. That may have been why Peter had been so busy trying to do, why he’d been so busy babbling on, he was probably in awe and somewhat frightened by what was taking place and Peter’s response was to ignore the fear and try to do something, try to manage it. But now, that option has been taken from him. It is abundantly clear that he is not in charge.

Face down on the ground, scared to death; Jesus did what Jesus always does when we are scared to death. Jesus came to them and touched them, “Don’t be afraid.” When we realize that we can’t control what’s going on around us, and fear sets in, Jesus comes and reminds us that we are not alone, “Don’t be afraid.”

“When they opened their eyes and looked around all they saw was Jesus, only Jesus.” I’m so glad that Peterson put it that way. In case we missed it, he drives the point home. “all they saw was Jesus, only Jesus.” Whether on the mountaintop or in the valley, our focus needs to be on seeing Jesus, “only Jesus”. When we see Jesus, and only Jesus, our vision changes. We then see Jesus in the face of those around us who most need our attention. We can then see Jesus in the midst of the chemo treatments, in the midst of the phone calls and visits, in the face of the friend who comes to walk with us reminding us “don’t be afraid.” When we see Jesus, and only Jesus, we see the child whose behavior irritates us as a child who is in need of our attention; we see Jesus’ face in the hungry person on the street, the unemployed and homeless, the mother scared because she doesn’t know where she will find the food to feed her children.

When we see Jesus, only Jesus, when we listen to him, we discover that we cannot stay on the mountaintop and we leave the mountaintop to enter the season of self-examination, the season of repentance, the season of Lent that begins with the importance of Ash Wednesday. When Peter, James and John came down the mountain they were changed, but, like us, they were still in need of a lot of transformation.

It would not be long before Peter and the disciples would be with Jesus when he was arrested. Then Peter who babbles on the mountaintop can’t find any words to affirm Jesus when challenged in the courtyard of the priest. He denies even knowing who Jesus is.

Carlos Wilton writing in The Immediate Word, an on-line reflection on the scriptures wrote, “How is it that a man who's witnessed firsthand the wondrous power of the transfiguration can't save himself from fear? Why is it that, after the revelation on the mountain, God still allows the whole gruesome story to play itself out? Isn't the disclosure of Jesus as God's beloved Son enough to satisfy the most skeptical mind?

“These are question[ii]s whose answers we may never know. The simple truth is, we need more than just a theological understanding of who Jesus is if we are to gain power for living. We need to enter into relationship with him, participate in that great drama of cross and resurrection, and come to know, deep inside, that the whole passion play is for us. We need to feel that when Jesus spreads out his arms and dies, those outstretched arms form the most dear and tender embrace, enfolding us in forgiving love.”

[i] Peterson, Eugene The Message, Matthew 17:1-9

[ii] Wilton, Carlos “The Immediate Word” SermonSuite.com for 2/3/08

January 27, 2008 – Matthew 4 12-23 Casting Nets, Repairing Nets, Letting Go of Nets

In a remarkable archeological find one summer not too many years ago a boat was discovered sticking out of the mud when the level of the Sea of Galilee dropped dramatically during a period of dry weather. It was carefully removed, painstakingly preserved and carbon dated to exactly the time period of Jesus. Today in a special climate controlled room it is possible to see that boat. While no one claims that it is the boat that Andrew, Simon, James or John used, it is like the boat that they would have used.

It was seeing things like this that touched my very core when I went to Israel. I wasn’t impressed much by the elaborate cathedrals that claim to be built on Biblically significant locations. I was impressed by actually being out on a boat on the Sea of Galilee or looking at the hills surrounding Bethlehem where shepherds take care of their sheep. To see a boat that was actually used by fishermen during the time of Jesus helps to remind me that when we read these stories in the Bible, we are talking about real people; people who had real jobs and worked hard at them; people who had families and loved them; people who took care of their houses and watched their children grow – people like you and I.

It was real men who were working hard at their jobs when Jesus showed up that day. Andrew and his brother Simon – whom we know better as Peter – were casting their nets into the sea to catch fish. James and his brother John were mending nets with their father Zebedee.

Jesus has come to each one of us at some point in our lives. Maybe it wasn’t as dramatic as the encounter with the men in today’s gospel, but nevertheless he has come and invited us to follow him. For most of us he has come more than once. When we read Matthew’s account it sounds as if Jesus just showed up on the scene, issued his call, and immediately they left everything to follow him. Now it could have happened exactly that way but there are other possibilities as well.

Last week we heard in John’s Gospel how Andrew had been with John the Baptist when Jesus came by. Andrew followed Jesus and also went to find his brother Simon and told him “We have found the Messiah.” It may be that after that encounter Andrew and Simon went back to their fishing. Matthew tells us that after Jesus heard that John had been arrested he went to live in Capernaum, which we also know is where Andrew and Simon lived. So Andrew, Simon, James and John may have already known Jesus before the eventful day described by Matthew. The seed of what Jesus was teaching may have already been planted within their hearts and minds and their decision to leave their nets and follow Jesus might have come after considerable thought and even discussion with family members.

When Jesus’ invitation comes to us, most of us take some time to respond. Most of us need to have the seed planted within us watered and nurtured so that we are able to respond. But at some point, and often at many points, the call comes to us also to leave our nets behind and follow Jesus. Those nets may represent many things. For some people the call to follow Jesus really does mean leaving a career or a job behind and entering into a new chapter, a new adventure of following Christ in some way. But there are many other nets as well.

When I think about these men as being real people I think about their families. In this account we don’t hear about Peter’s family but later we hear about how Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law. So we may assume that Peter also had a wife and probably children. We know that James and John were working with their father Zebedee and left him to follow Jesus. Unfortunately, I have known people who have essentially abandoned or ignored their families to follow Jesus and there are times when God calls people to places that take them far away from their families. It’s interesting to me that we often get upset when we think that God might be calling someone in a way that would take them away from family, but we seem to understand when a corporation does the same thing.

However, the greater reality is that many or most people find a way to do both the work of Christ and at the same time to continue healthy family relationships. Indeed, I might argue that when we put God first, we will quickly discover that doing the work of God includes very large doses of taking care of our families and other relationships. For some, taking care of their families is exactly the ministry to which God calls them. Andrew and Simon didn’t stop being brothers when they followed Jesus – their brotherhood simply took on another meaningful and fulfilling dimension and their families increased by the inclusion of many other brothers and sisters in the faith.

For some leaving their nets might mean leaving behind feelings of inadequacy. The Bible has many stories of people who protested that they didn’t know how to do what they were being called to do. Within the church it is not uncommon to hear that “I wouldn’t know how to teach a Sunday School class” or “I don’t know how to chair a committee or serve on a committee.” While it is true that God will generally take the strengths we already have and use them in areas of ministry and mission, it is also true that sometimes God calls us to something brand new. There is one thing you can be sure of, when God calls you to something brand new, God also empowers you for whatever it is you will face. I was recently given a small card that now resides in my wallet. It says “The task ahead of you is never as great as the Power behind you.” Then it quotes from Matthew’s Gospel, “… if you have faith as small as a mustard seed…. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20) On the back the person who gave it to me wrote, “Beverly. This ALWAYS is true!” It is a reality that when God calls us, God empowers us.

So, when we leave our nets behind, like Andrew, Simon, James and John we discover that we are called to cast new nets in ways that help us fish for people.

Sometimes we hold onto the net of bad experiences. Churches especially can be really good at this. It has been said that the seven last words of the church are “We never did it that way before.” I suspect that an equally fatal saying is, “We did it once and it didn’t work.” The reality is that the Bible also tells us about the times when the disciples tried to do something and failed at it. They learned from that and tried again. When used wisely, our failures can be building blocks to future successes and this is true of any ministry in the church as well.

If I had been advising Jesus on whom to call as disciples, I probably wouldn’t have thought of Andrew, Simon, James and John. But then I would have been forgetting that we don’t need any special skills in order to do God’s work and that God uses whatever skills we have. Think about what is involved in being a fisherman. First of all a fisherman at work is patient. He may cast nets all night and not catch anything. As disciples, we too need to learn to be patient. Generally we will not know the results of what we have done for God. We know that a warm coat will keep a person’s body warm. But we may never know that the warm coat also warmed a person’s soul and spirit so that the word of God could be planted and grown. We don’t know the results of a conversation or smile or other action. But it’s not about us – it is about God and doing God’s will.

People who fish are perseverant. They will cast the line again and again even when the fish keep stealing the worms, or the line keeps getting caught in the weeds. If you invite someone to come to church with you and they say no, don’t be discouraged, try again, or invite someone else.

Those who fish out on the sea must have courage. The stories in the Bible show us that a storm could come up very suddenly on the Sea of Galilee. When we speak the truth or try to be faithful to the Gospel we may be met with stormy opposition. It takes courage to speak or take a stand when you know it will be unpopular. It takes courage to walk the difficult paths with another person. When someone has experienced a death, lost a job, or received a scary medical diagnosis, it takes courage to be a companion on the journey.

A good fishing person has an eye for the right moment. He or she knows when to cast a net and when there is no point in it. We, too, must often choose the moment. There are times to speak and times to be silent. Sometimes the response that is most helpful is just to be there. No words. No advice. Having an eye for the right moment, means being ready to try something when it seems appropriate. A program that didn’t work 10 years ago, may work great today. The tried and true methods are good, but there are times when something new might be better. Society changes. The challenges we face in ministry change. Sometimes new and creative ideas are needed to meet new challenges. Sometimes a different approach can work in a surprising way.

Which brings us to the next important quality for fishing: Fitting the bait to the fish. Different kinds of bait are used for deep sea fishing than for fresh water fishing and for different kinds of fish. The same approach will not be effective with all people. Some people may find a small discussion group a great way to explore their faith. Others may cringe at the thought of participating in a small group, but will be responsive to a personal visit. Some people like to read books, others watch videos or listen to music as a way of deepening their faith.

One last quality that a good fisherman learns, and that is essential for us as Christians, is to keep ourselves out of sight. The shadow of a person on the water will keep the fish from biting. In our witness, we need to be presenting Jesus Christ, not ourselves. It may be helpful sometimes to share some of our experiences, but we do so, as an example of God’s work, not as a way of building up ourselves.

Like Andrew, Peter, James and John, we are people who have been called to fish for others so that they too will know about God’s love. We are the ones who are called as Isaiah tells us, to be a light to the nations. We are the people who have been given the responsibility to continue to carry out Jesus’ work, and it is an awesome responsibility, as well as a great adventure.

This week and next week we hear Gospel readings that tell us about how some of the first disciples came to be with Jesus. Next week’s reading is a little more dramatic or perhaps familiar, with the often told story of Jesus calling disciples away from their fishing and inviting them to instead fish for people and we often think of that in terms of describing God’s call.

In today’s gospel, however, we have something just as dramatic but in more of a “slow moving in depth” kind of way. It begins with John who had baptized Jesus. John was clearly focused on the purpose of what he was doing. John was preaching baptism for the repentance of sins and he was very clear that he was pointing the way toward another one who was yet to come. In Jesus, he had seen and recognized the one he was waiting for. Although John comes across as loud and confident, as a fire and brimstone preacher, it was never about him; for John it was never an ego trip. So when he was standing with two of his disciples and saw Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!”. The gospel of John tells us that “The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.” I can’t help but admire John and his willingness to let his disciples go and follow the other – the one for whom John had come to prepare the way.

One of the two who followed Jesus was Andrew. Andrew immediately went and found his brother Simon (whom we know better as Peter) and told him, “We have found the Messiah.” Like John, Andrew pointed to another. Andrew’s brother Peter was the one who would be universally recognized as one of Jesus’ disciples, not Andrew. Andrew didn’t need to be in first place or even second – he was happy to be close to Jesus and to do what he had the gift to do – to introduce others to Jesus.

Andrew really only appears three times in the New Testament and all of those appearances are in the gospel of John. In each case, Andrew is introducing someone to Jesus. First it was his brother Peter. Later it was the young boy who had the five loaves and two fish that were used to feed a huge crowd. (John 6:8-9) Andrew was eager to bring anyone to Jesus who might be of use, even if he himself was doubtful that there was much that could be done. And still, later, Andrew was asked by Philip what to do with some Greeks who had come with a request to see Jesus. (John 12:20-22). Andrew knew exactly what to do, he understood that there wasn’t anyone whom Jesus did not wish to see, and that there was no time when Jesus was too busy to meet those who were seeking.[i]

Andrew’s example may be a valuable one to remember when we catch ourselves thinking that we can’t do anything for Christ – we can always be the one who introduces another to Christ. There have been Andrews in our lives – people who have introduced us to Jesus. When we have been introduced to Jesus then we have also been included in the call to “Come and see.” Andrew’s example may be a valuable one to remember when we find ourselves focusing on own egos, seeking recognition, credit, or praise for the work we have done rather than focusing only on Christ and on what God wants.

The apostle Paul had to deal with that early on. In Eugene Peterson’s rendering of the Scripture called The Message, he describes in the introduction of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians the situation that existed in that city. Peterson wrote, “When people become Christians, they don’t at the same moment become nice. This always comes as something of a surprise. Conversion to Christ and his ways doesn’t automatically furnish a person with impeccable manners and suitable morals.” It’s true, isn’t it, that it always takes us by surprise when people within a church are not automatically nice to each other – we expect better – and should, but we might also learn from Paul.

The Corinthians had a reputation as an unruly, hard-drinking, sexually promiscuous bunch of people. When many of them became believers in Jesus, they brought their reputations with them right into the church. Just as we do.

“Paul spent a year and a half with them as their pastor, going over the Message of the `good news’ in detail, showing them how to live out this new life of salvation and holiness as a community of believers.” It’s always a learning and growing process. Then Paul went on his way to other towns and churches.

Sometime later Paul heard that things had more or less fallen apart. “Factions had developed, morals were in disrepair, worship had degenerated… It was the kind of thing that might have been expected from Corinthians!

“Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians is a classic of pastoral response: affectionate, firm, clear, and unswerving in the conviction that God among them, revealed in Jesus and present in his Holy Spirit, continued to be the central issue in their lives, regardless of how much of a mess they had made of things. Paul doesn’t disown them as brother and sister Christians, doesn’t throw them out because of their bad behavior, and doesn’t fly into a tirade over their irresponsible ways. He takes it more or less in stride, but also takes them by the hand and goes over all the old ground again, directing them in how to work all the glorious details of God’s saving love into their love for one another.”

We can be grateful that this was Paul’s response because we now have a wonderful guide for those times when we, like the Corinthians, lose our focus.

In the opening paragraphs of his letter, Paul speaks words that we all need to hear over and over again. He says that they are called to be saints, or called to be God’s holy people along with those who in every place call on the name of Jesus. You see, part of the problem was that they had become focused on themselves. We know how easy it is to do that, don’t we? It’s human nature to focus on our needs and the needs of our families or those close to us.

Today is Human Relations Day within the United Methodist Church and it is a day that helps to make it clear that the calling of the Church is to be the people of God. It is a day that reminds us to do deeds that are expressive of our commitment as Christians. It is a day that reminds us that it is not about us but about pointing to the one we worship, who calls us to be in relationship with brothers and sisters everywhere.

Paul continues by telling the Corinthians that they are not lacking in any spiritual gift. That too, is a message we always need to hear. We need to be reminded that the gospel is a theology of abundance, not a theology of scarcity. The Corinthians passage reminds us that we, too, have all the gifts we need, all the abilities we need, but now it is up to us to use them.

Jim Wallis is the editor-in-chief of Sojourner’s Magazine and a public voice for proclaiming and practicing the biblical call to integrate spiritual renewal and social justice. In an excerpt from his book, God’s Politics, he writes that there are “two ways that religion has been brought into public life in American history.” The first way is to claim that God is on our side. Then he describes where this usually leads … The second way is asking if we are on God’s side and this leads to …. “penitence and even repentance, humility, reflection and accountability.”[ii]

He goes on to say, “Martin Luther King Jr. did it best. With his Bible in one hand and the Constitution in the other, King persuaded, not just pronounced. He reminded us all of God’s purposes for justice, for peace, and for the `beloved community’ where those who have been left out and left behind get a front-row seat. And he brought religion into public life in a way that was always welcoming, inclusive, and inviting to all who cared about moral, spiritual, or religious values. Nobody felt left out of the conversation.”[iii]

Human Relations Day is about more than Martin Luther King, Jr. It points us just as John and Andrew and Paul did to the one we worship, the one who calls us, gifts us, and sends us out in mission and ministry as God’s holy people each and every day of our lives, not just on certain designated days.

Prophecy in the Bible is not fortune telling, but it is articulating moral truth – diagnosing the present and pointing the way to a just solution. That is what Martin Luther King Jr. did in the area of segregation and human rights. That is what Abraham Lincoln did with slavery. Lincoln rightly thought that we should not be concerned about whether God is on our side, but rather we should worry earnestly about whether we are on God’s side.

This is the message from many today; from people like Jim Wallis who remind us that “the best contribution of religion is precisely not to be ideologically predictable nor loyally partisan. … Faith must be free to challenge both the Right and the Left from a consistent moral ground.”

Throughout Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, he reminds them that the gifts they have been given by God are to be used to build up the people of God. They are not for our exclusive and selfish use. That is one of the reminders of Human Relations Day. We can never predict exactly where and how God will ask us to use those gifts.

The servant in the passage we heard from Isaiah hears this message: “And now,” God says,… “I’m setting you up as a light for the nations so that my salvation becomes global!” (Isaiah 49:5-6 The Message)

The word is to be open to hear and see what it is that God plans for the people of God. Surely, Peter an everyday hard-working fisherman did not expect that he would be one of the members of the executive council for the long awaited Messiah. He never anticipated that he would one day be visiting in the homes of Gentiles and arguing for their inclusion.

Think of your own life. Did you ever expect to be doing some of the things you find yourself doing today in response to God’s call? Everyday I see people in this congregation doing things for the church to enable our ministry, or doing things in the community to respond to the needs of others, or devoting time to preparing lessons to teach our children or adults, or doing any number of things that are part of their response to God’s call. Truly we are not lacking in any spiritual gifts.

The challenge is to use our gifts for the will of God, to be open to God’s call and to keep ourselves focused both as individuals and as a congregation that is part of the body of Christ.

Let me share with you the way Eugene Peterson, presents part of Paul’s message. “Just think – you don’t need a thing, you’ve got it all! All God’s gifts are right in front of you as you wait expectantly for our Master Jesus to arrive on the scene for the Finale. And not only that, but God himself is right alongside to keep you steady and on track until things are all wrapped up by Jesus. God, who got you started in this spiritual adventure shares with us the life of his Son and our Master Jesus. He will never give up on you. Never forget that.” (I Cor. 1:7-9)

[i] Thank you to William Barclay The Master’s Men, for these insights into Andrew. Abingdon Press, Nashville, 1959, p.42

[ii] Wallis, Jim “A Better Option” Sojourner’s Magazine, February 2005, p16.

[iii] Wallis, p.16

About six years ago when I stood on the banks of the Jordan River I thought, “Why would anyone want to go into that dirty river to be baptized?” The water was greenish and murky and certainly not the wide beautiful river that I had always pictured in my mind. I remembered the story of powerful Naaman the leper who came to be healed by the prophet Elisha. When told to go bathe 7 times in the Jordan River he objected complaining that there were better rivers in his homeland. To bathe in the dirty Jordan was beneath his dignity. Now I understood what he meant. There were people preparing to go into the river to be baptized or renew their baptismal vows but I was definitely not going to be one of them.

Nevertheless I did what most tourists do. I paid for the privilege of filling a small bottle with water from the Jordan River and I have often added a few drops to the water we use for baptism here in this church.

Baptism wasn’t something new introduced by John the Baptizer. It was practiced as a ritual cleansing for Gentile converts to Judaism long before he came on the scene. Then John showed up proclaiming that all God’s people – not just Gentiles, but Jews also – needed baptism for repentance of sins.

But why was Jesus baptized by John? Surely Jesus didn’t need to be baptized to wash away sin – at least not his own.

Matthew says that Jesus came to be baptized to “fulfill all righteousness”. That means in order to be able to accomplish God’s mission. In being baptized, Jesus was confessing sin on behalf of the nation as Nehemiah, Ezra, Moses and Daniel had all done before him. He was identifying with the penitent people of God, not with the critical Pharisees who stood by watching.

As Jesus came out of the water, heaven was opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting upon him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” This is the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. Baptism for him was not a private act, but rather, a public one affirming immersion in the historical family of God.

In this passage, we hear shades of the prophet Isaiah. This sounds remarkably like the 42^nd chapter that we read earlier, “Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring justice to the nations.” This passage known as one of four “suffering servant” songs in Isaiah describes clearly the life and ministry of Jesus.

While many of the Jews were waiting for a messiah who would be a ruler, who would free them from political oppression, Jesus model is quite different. His model is much more like the suffering servant, the one who will bring justice to the nations.

If we look back through Jesus life, we quickly start to get the message that Jesus is here not only for the Jews but also for the Gentiles. When taken to the temple as an infant, Simeon took the child in his arms and recited words from the prophet Isaiah, “my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” (Is 52:10)

Our reading from the Acts of the Apostles today, follows a vision that the apostle Peter had in which it was strongly demonstrated to him that God cared for all people – that Jesus came not just for the Jews. Our reading today finds him in the home of a gentile, proclaiming “I truly understand that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.” We gentiles can thank God for that revelation! It should remind us that if we are accepted by Christ, then we can not put up barriers to exclude others. Indeed, our God is a God of radical inclusion.

In Luke’s gospel, Jesus first preaches in the synagogue in Nazareth and reads from the prophet Isaiah, the 61^st chapter: 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 his prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Then he sat down and said, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” These words also sound a great deal like the passage we heard from Isaiah earlier.

In our baptism, we also join with Christ. We find our identity as God’s child, beloved, called, claimed, commissioned and sent. In the midst of a world that is constantly changing if is well for us to step back and reflect upon who we are and ask “Are we becoming more who God wants us to become, or less?”[i]

Our Wednesday morning study group has been studying a book called UnChristian that explores that essential question. The author says that the title of the book, “unchristian, reflects outsiders’ most common reaction to the faith: they think Christians no longer represent what Jesus had in mind, that Christianity in our society is not what it was meant to be.”[ii]

When we take our baptism and the promises we made then, or in confirmation, seriously, it influences our thoughts and actions in all areas of our lives. Our baptismal vows challenge us to become more like Jesus. “While it is true that our God is a personal God, and we each can have a personal, intimate relationship with Jesus, the personal nature of this relationship does not mean that our response to the world can be a private matter.”[iii] Not when Jesus’ preaching, teaching, and living was about proclaiming the good news to the poor and freedom to the oppressed. When John the Baptist, later sent his disciples to ask Jesus if he were the Messiah the one they had been waiting for, Jesus response was, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, … the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.” All of these, again, from the prophet Isaiah.

These are the marks of the ministry of the Messiah, not military or political power, but bringing forth justice. When Jesus called his disciples to participate with him, when he sent them out to minister, when the Holy Spirit came upon them and the crowd at Pentecost, they and we became part of this ministry by which we are marked at baptism.

“The body of Christ, the church, is the life and mission of Christ the Savior in the world today. To look at the mission of the church is to look at the mission of Christ. … The definition of any community of God’s people, local or otherwise, needs to be based on this suffering servant image the image of Christ.”[iv]

In the book I cited early, David Kinnaman says that one of the challenges for Christ’s followers “lies in how we envision our role among outsiders. … to look more like Christ followers, we must cultivate deep concern and sensitivity to outsiders. This is what Jesus did.”[v]

There are many in our community who come to the churches looking for assistance with utility bills or rent, and I am always grateful that you have provided me with a discretionary fund that allows me to help those who truly need assistance. In the past we have collected generous sums of money for tsunami or hurricane assistance and combined with other churches have contributed greatly to relief efforts. It is easy for us to respond when the need is urgent and placed directly in front of us by the news reports. But, it is also easy to forget and to move on to the next crisis. I just saw an article about UMCOR – the United Methodist Committee on Relief being in its fourth year of response to the tsunami. For most of us, the tragedy is a distant memory, but the needs continue. The needs in our own state and community continue every day.

Most of these activities are acts of mercy: actions that help to alleviate someone’s suffering today or tomorrow. Jesus calls us to acts of mercy, but also to acts of justice – actions that will make a difference in the long haul – a recognition that justice does not exist when people are hungry or cold or homeless. It requires a commitment to get at the causes of these conditions and do something about them.

In his book, Kinnaman devotes an entire chapter to the perception that Christians are “too political”. In his survey of busters and mosaics – people between the ages of 16 and 29, he found the common perception that “Christians are primarily motivated by a political agenda and promote right-wing politics.”[vi] I can understand that perception. As we move into the national election I expect we will see even more of that. I have already received several emails and mailings trying to get me to purchase a study for Christians about why Mitt Romney is a dangerous candidate simply because he is a Mormon. I cringe whenever that kind of judgmental and critical activity becomes associated with Christianity.

The IRS insists that churches not promote specific candidates in any election. There are too many times when religion becomes misused when it enters the political realm. However, “we are pledged in our baptismal covenant to advocacy as a fundamental Christian calling. While it is good and right that we reach into the river of despair and rescue people who are drowning, we must also move upstream and see who is throwing them in.”[vii] Kinnaman’s suggestion is that we need to strive for a new perception that “Christians are characterized by respecting people, thinking biblically, and finding solutions to complex issues.”[viii] He explains, “Though Christians have won votes and shaped legislation, this does not ultimately define the success of a Christ follower. We are representatives of Jesus to every person in our culture, regardless of whether we agree politically. Our lives should reflect Jesus, which includes not just how we vote, but every element of our political engagement – our conversations about politics as well as our attitudes about ideological opponents. This may seem obvious, but based on our research on this subject, we must realize that our political activism, if expressed in an unchristian manner, prevents a new generation from seeing Christ.”[ix] And that is really what we should be doing, isn’t it: Living our lives in such a way that our lives reflect Christ, and point others toward Christ.

I know we are all very busy and I know that I often use that as an excuse about why I don’t get more involved in many of the efforts around us. We are not able to do all of it by ourselves, but we are a community of the faithful, the body of Christ. Because we cannot do it all, does not mean we should not do something. We cannot all be legislators but perhaps we can contact one legislator when important legislation is being enacted. We cannot all be experts on the root causes of unemployment or grasp all the concepts of economics, but we can make some effort to be informed and to respond in appropriate ways.

You know that one of my major concerns has involved issues of domestic violence – I do not expect everyone to focus on that area, and I do not do anywhere near as much as I would like. However, if I do a little with domestic violence and you do a little with affordable housing, and someone else does something about vocational training, and someone else focuses on drug awareness and we talk to each other, we will be able to do together more than any of us could do on our own. That’s the Christian way, I believe.

As part of our Baptismal covenant, we are the body of Christ, working together. If we are intent on doing the will of God that we become instruments for the fulfillment of the suffering servant prophecies so that justice may be brought forth. We may be used to become a light to the nations, helping to open the eyes of those who will not see, bringing people out of the prisons that have confined them and prevented them from living the life which God offers to them – the life that God wants for each and every one of God’s children.

[i] Browning, Edmond L. Marked by Baptism, Sojourners Magazine, August –September 1991

[ii] Kinnaman, David, & Lyons, Gabe, unchristian, What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity … and Why it Matters. Baker Books, Grand Rapid MI, 2007 p.15

[iii] Browning

[iv] Pulkingham, Graham “The Spirit, Justice, and Community” Sojourners Magazine, May 1977

[v] Kinnaman, p.212

[vi] Kinnaman, p.17

[vii] Browning

[viii] Kinnaman, p.153

[ix] Kinnaman, p.155

The story of the Wise Men or Magi searching for Jesus is a wonderfully rich story with many facets to it. Recently I read something that reminded me about the things that they did not know when they set out on their journey. When they decided to follow the star that appeared in the East, they did not know how long the trip would be. They did not know how they would be received in the faraway foreign land. They did not even know what the new king they were searching for would look like. They did not know when, or perhaps if, they would return home. Yet they chose to make the journey.

“Following the light of God is a journey of similar faith. We often feel like we don’t know where our journey will lead us, and we certainly never know what we will find along the way. We do, however, know that God goes before us, and with us, and that the journey is not in vain.”[i]

The Magi followed the light of the star and traveled a great distance. After seeing the infant Jesus and worshiping him they were warned by an angel not to return to Herod. Once again they showed their willingness to follow the ultimate source of the light that had led them to Bethlehem and they returned home by another path. Not only was that path different physically, but, I’m sure it was different emotionally, spiritually, and mentally. They were different after their encounter with Jesus just as we are always different after our encounter with Jesus and with Jesus’ people. Whether we recognize it or not we are changed and we always go in a different way. Many times it may seem like a small change – the slight adjustment of a rudder on a boat, or the steering wheel of a car – adjusting to a wind, a current or a curve in the road.

At other times it is a sharp turn; perhaps a roadblock preventing us from doing something like the angel warning the magi not to go back the same way, or a sign offering us a great opportunity, or sometimes a yearning that encourages us to wander and explore a new road.

There have been many of those new roads or different paths in the history of this church and they have affected all of us. The decision to explore having a Methodist church in North Kingstown was a new opportunity that began with people visiting in this area to determine the viability and the need for a new church. One of those visitors was my father who would never have foreseen that his daughter would someday be a pastor in this church. Another of the visitors was Rev. Garland who, I suspect, didn’t think that he would one day be a part of this congregation. The visitors, mostly unknown to us, gave us a future and an exciting place to be in ministry for more than 40 years.

Sometimes the new road or different direction is caused by road blocks. The young congregation gathered here soon faced the roadblock caused by the navy moving out of Quonset. About 60% of the congregation was forced to move within one year. Those remaining managed to hold on to the knowledge and promise that they were not alone; that God walked with them and still had a vision for ministry and mission in this town.

Sometimes the new roads have come about through signs pointing to new opportunities; new ways to be in ministry and mission. Through the years there have been many of those new and exciting opportunities including, but not limited to, the Food Pantry, a vibrant Sunday School and the opportunity to provide hospitality to many community groups. There have been exciting opportunities to respond to the needs of the wider community through Project Outreach and Habitat for Humanity among others. There have been numerous opportunities to be active globally through the wider church in responding to needs following earthquakes, a tsunami, and hurricanes including Katrina. Through a simple conversation with Daniel and Dorcas Kamanda, we became involved in ministry in Sierra Leone in ways that have changed many lives.

A new road – or a turn in the road is presented to us today. This turn in the road will be greeted with multiple and mixed reactions. I asked for and planned one service today so that I could share this with everyone at the same time.

Within the United Methodist Church, pastors are always appointed for one year at a time, renewable for one year. Ten and a half years ago, I was appointed by Bishop Susan Hassinger to serve God in this particular location. We have known for several years that each year there was an increased likelihood that I would be asked to move to another location. That time has come.

The week before Christmas, Bishop Peter Weaver called me and asked me to enter into dialogue with him about exploring a new form of ministry and whether God might be calling me in that direction. When he told me what he had in mind, my almost immediate response was panic and tears. I agreed to be in prayer about whether or not I could even be open to the discussion. I learned once again that when God is calling, God is also preparing. After my meeting with the Bishop he asked me to accept an appointment as the District Superintendent to the Mid Maine District of our conference. After a time of prayerful discernment to be open to God’s call, I have agreed to accept that appointment. On Thursday of this week I met with the District Committee on Superintendency of the Mid-Maine District and the Bishop has authorized me to announce the appointment this morning. Although there will be some transitioning, as with all appointments in our conference, the official start date of that appointment will be July 1^st.

To the children here, let me say that I know that for some of you I may be the only pastor you have ever known. But having a pastor is sort of like having a teacher in school except that usually you get a new teacher every year. Usually, you don’t get a new pastor every year, but sometimes pastors leave and new ones come. We are talking about this today, but all of this won’t really happen until about the end of the school year. So, when you get to the end of the school year and are getting ready to start your summer vacation that is when I will be moving. That is when a new pastor will be coming here.

For some who may not be familiar with the appointment process of the United Methodist Church this may come as a complete surprise. For others the details and timing will be a surprise; but many of you have enough experience within the United Methodist Church to know that as I’ve explained to the children, pastors come and go. By the grace of God, by the time I leave here, we will have been together in ministry for eleven years.

During that time we have had the privilege and sacred opportunity to build upon the dreams and visions that God had given to those who did the initial visitations in this area. We have had opportunities to dream dreams, develop new ministries and respond to the needs God has placed before us. Between now and summer, we will continue to be in ministry together. We do not know what new and exciting things God may yet have in store for us.

In the coming months, as we continue in ministry together, let us remember that shared ministry is not about the appointed pastor. It is not even about the congregation. It is about the living breathing body of Christ and how we respond to God's call every day.

In this congregation, more than in many, we know that people come and go. Shortly after I arrived here, I discovered that half of the people who were members of this congregation had been members for 8 years or less. Now, more than ten years later, that statistic is about the same. This is an active vital church in the midst of a community and culture where people move frequently. In the months to come we will be talking more about the details of what this move will mean, and how you will prepare to welcome a new pastor, but until that time we are still in ministry together.

In July there will be a different pastor here and together you will seek to continue the important ministries that God has planted here. You will also have the opportunity to explore new areas of ministry because your new pastor will likely bring some different abilities and gifts for ministry that God will use in exciting ways.

It has been a privilege to be your pastor for such a long period of time and I seek your prayers as I begin to move toward a new form of ministry. Serving God as a District Superintendent will be very different. As I look back though, I am beginning to see that God has been preparing me for this new road. I will be taking that turn with a mixture of excitement, and sadness, and also with the confidence that the God who came among us as Emmanuel is with us and will continue to be with each of us on this new path.

I will be holding the Staff Parish Relations Committee of this church in prayer as they interpret the needs of this congregation to our District Superintendent. I will also be praying for the District Superintendents and Bishop Weaver as they discern who will be appointed as the new pastor of this congregation. I seek your prayers for all of them also during this time of transition and discernment. During the weeks ahead I will be glad to talk with any of you about the appointment process and also about the many different feelings and reactions that this will raise in many of us. Please also feel free to talk with any of the members of the Staff Parish Relations Committee. Pete Pellegrino is the new chair of that committee and the members are listed in the newsletter that arrived in your homes this week.

It will be important for all of us to realize that just as the Magi followed the star that led them to a new place, we will also be following the light of Christ and our journeys will be guided by that light. As the Magi followed a different path to return home, we will also be walking on some different paths. However, each of those paths will be illuminated by the light of Christ; God will walk the paths with us, and lead us in new and exciting ways of ministry to the people whom God loves.

O God of light and wonder, we are often most comfortable with the paths that are familiar to us. Yet, throughout all of history, you have gently called and encouraged your people to be willing to walk in new paths, to walk into the unknown with the confident assurance that you are always with us. In the months to come, we pray for your continued guidance for each of us as we seek to be faithful to our call to ministry and mission. Help us to be gentle with each other as we each respond to changes in our own way. We pray for our Staff Parish Relations Committee, our District Superintendents and our Bishop as they pray and seek your guidance about whom you are calling to pastor in this place. Guide us to those people in Biblical history who can serve as reminders of the new opportunities you offer to your people when we faithfully follow your light. Be with us now as we prepare to come to the table you have prepared for us. We pray in the name of the One who came as Light to the world and continues to shine today because the darkness has never been able to overcome the light. Amen.

June 29, 2008

By God’s Grace

By Larry Price

lay speaker

North Kingstown UMC

Romans 6:12-23 | Genesis 22:1-14 | Matthew 10:40-42

For Abraham, a shocking command from God that leaves us puzzled. For the believers in Rome, a message from Paul explaining that sin will no longer control them.

How often have we asked God to provide for our needs and wondered whether He is listening to us? How often have we asked God for something only to find out what we really needed was something quite different, and only God knew the difference?

It’s interesting that when God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son, he said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love.” Words very similar to what the heavens proclaimed at Jesus’ baptizing, “This is my son, whom I love.”

Some Biblical scholars suggest the sacrifice of Isaac may have been a foreshadowing of events to come later in the New Testament when God would carry out what he did not ultimately ask of Abraham—the sacrifice of a beloved son, not Abraham’s, but God’s own beloved son, Jesus on the cross.

In the light of the New Testament, perhaps we more clearly unravel the mystery, understand it, and accept it by God’s loving grace.

GRACE. What a beautiful word, and a beautiful name if you’ve been blessed with it. Grace. Just the sound of it rolling from our lips seems to inspire blessed assurance.

Grace is not only a beautiful word. It’s also a great Biblical truth. In fact, it is a word and concept without which our very salvation would not be possible.

Paul explains that by God’s grace, sin will not control us. In our scripture from Romans, he warns his followers about selling out to sin—becoming a slave to a master called wickedness. He proclaims, “For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.”

We often hear grace and mercy mentioned together.

This is the best description of grace and mercy I have ever heard: “Grace is what God gives us when we don't deserve it and mercy is when God doesn't give us what we do deserve.”

Simply, mercy is God withholding the judgment or punishment we deserve, and grace is God giving us the goodness and fullness of life we don’t deserve.

Paul is saying God’s grace—His blessings—are full and rich, and if we live under God’s grace, we receive the forgiveness of sins and the ultimate free gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ, even though we don’t deserve it.

“Sin shall not be our master, because we are not under law, but under God’s grace.” Paul is saying that both God’s mercy and grace and their heavenly gift is delivered by His son Jesus Christ through His forgiveness of our sins by His death and resurrection on the cross.

We are all slaves to many things—sin, greed, selfishness.

I also think most of us would prefer to think of ourselves as ‘servants’ of God, rather than ‘slaves’ to righteousness or ‘slaves’ to God, our master. How would it appear if every time we baptized someone, we said, “Welcome to God’s family. You are now a slave to righteousness?”