“A Time To Keep Silence, And A Time To Speak”

4^th Sunday after Epiphany, January 29, 2012

Mark 1:21-28

The Gospel according to Mark, the 1^st chapter.

Glory to you, O Lord.

INTRODUCTION TO THE READING OF THE GOSPEL.

This morning we’re going to work in the Bible. I put extra Bibles in the pews so everyone could have one. In addition to this morning’s Gospel, we’ll be making quite a few stops in the Gospel of Mark. So to begin, from Mark, the 1^st chapter:

They went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. ²² They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. ²³ Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, ²⁴ and he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God." ²⁵ But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!" ²⁶ And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. ²⁷ They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, "What is this? A new teaching-- with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him." ²⁸ At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ.

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If I say, "I will not mention God, or speak any more in God’s name,"

then within me there is something like a burning fire

shut up in my bones;

I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot. ^{Jeremiah
20:9}

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I thought of an old Beatles song when I read this passage from Mark: “Listen, do you want to know a secret?” In verse 25, when Jesus says, "Be silent, and come out of him," it is an example of something that many call the Messianic Secret. In this service we will use the Apostles’ Creed to guide our confession of faith. In that confession, the section about Jesus begins with the words, “ I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord…” and continues straight through to his descent to the dead without a period to interrupt the flow of events. We routinely put the word ‘Christ’ and ‘crucified’ in the same sentence. This was not possible for the first followers of Jesus. For them the concept of a crucified messiah was not even a square peg in a round hole. It was a peg for which there was no hole.

If you wanted a picture to convey the dominant expectation of a messiah among Jews of the first century, it would have been something like a knight in shining armor on a powerful white steed. What did they get: Donkey King. One explanation for this secrecy is that Jesus is not comfortable with people using the m-word (messiah) until he has finished filling it with its meaning. And that only happens when he goes to the cross for the sins of the world.

Jesus spends quite a bit of his time trying to silence those who would try to reveal his true identity before it is the right time, as well silencing as those who are not worthy of revealing his secret at all. Like in today’s Gospel. While Jesus is teaching in the synagogue, this unclean spirit cries out through the man whom he has possessed. And what does the spirit say? Back to your Bibles, verse 24: "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God."

Those are true words, are they not? Jesus is the Holy One of God. Why does Jesus not want this news about him spread?

It happens again a couple of chapters later: Mark 3:7-12 - A Multitude at the Seaside

As usual, large crowds follow Jesus and, as it says in verse 10, “all who had diseases pressed upon him to touch him.” But notice verses 11&12: “Whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and shouted, "You are the Son of God!" ¹² But he sternly ordered them not to make him known.

Once again, we hear the truth about Jesus spoken out loud, and yet Jesus orders them to be silent and keep his secret. Why? Some of the answer starts to become clear in the next passage: Mark 5:1-20 - Jesus Heals the Gerasene Demoniac

This is the famous encounter in the graveyard with the man filled with so many unclean spirits that he went by the name Legion, which was 6,000 Roman soldiers. Jesus had commanded these spirits out of the man and their response in there in verse 7: "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me."

There it is again: the truth of Jesus’ identity is spoken spot on. But Jesus silences these spirits in a different way: he sends them packing into a herd of swine, and in verse 13 they go over the cliff and into the sea. Silenced by drowning!

But there is still someone who has something to say. The man, whom Jesus set free wants to become a follower and down in verse 18 begs to come along. Something strange happens next: Jesus tells him to go home and “tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy he has shown you." Wait a minute? I thought we were keeping this a secret? We are, from the Jewish listeners who have a lot of baggage concerning the messiah they have to unload. But this guy was sent into non-Jewish territory where the news of a savior who can set people free from such a bondage would be welcome indeed.

Mark 7:24-30 - The Syrophonician Woman’s Faith

Jesus encounters yet another unclean spirit – this on inside of a little girl. But Jesus heals from a distance because of the woman’s faith and the demon inside of her is never heard, if it had anything to say in the first place.

Mark 8:27-30 - Peter’s Declaration about Jesus

We now come to the moment for which Jesus has been waiting eight chapters. After polling his disciples about what the word on the street was about him, he puts the question directly to them in verse 29: “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter provides the answer: “You are the messiah.”

Did you notice anything different? True words of who Jesus is came out of the mouth, not of an evil spirit, but out of a human being. This is the reason for silencing the demons and unclean spirits. The unclean spirits know exactly who Jesus is. They know the truth, the whole truth, the chilling (for them) truth that it is the end of the road for them. But Jesus doesn’t want that truth being spoken by unclean voices. He wants the people for whose sake he came to be the ones to speak it. So this is a great moment. And I do mean moment.

In verse 30 Jesus asks for the usual silent treatment concerning the word messiah, because he immediately launches into the beginning of his teaching (and he’s still teaching this topic) that he’s going to connect messiah with crucifixion.

Peter reacts. With all this talk about unclean spirits, you need to know that in verse 32, when it says Peter began to rebuke him, that word ‘rebuke’ is a technical term often used in exorcisms. Peter thought Jesus had an evil spirit in him that was making the messiah talk about dying. Crazy!

But in verse 33 we learn the truth. Jesus rebukes Peter, for it is Peter who has the wrong idea about Jesus’ true identity. As good as it was that Peter, a human, spoke the m-word about Jesus, he and the rest of the disciples have a long way to go until they really get it and are able to construct a sentence that has Christ and crucified in the same sentence.

Mark 9:14-29 - The Healing of a Boy with a Spirit

Jesus encounters yet another poor soul inhabited by a unclean spirit. This one makes a young boy unable to hear or speak. And I wonder if the spirit itself was also of a silent variety, for when Jesus rebukes the spirit (there’s that word again), in verse25, the spirit leaves without saying a word.

When we get into chapter ten, Jesus is drawing ever closer to Jerusalem and his cross. Three times along the way he has tried to explain how Christ and cross have to go together.

Mark 10:46-52 - The Healing of Blind Bartimaeus

Jesus meets a blind man by the side of the road – the last event before he enters Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Blind Bartimaeus is a refreshing change! For once we meet a person who is not possessed by an unclean or evil spirit. He’s just blind. But look how the crowd treats him. When he cries out the truth in verse 47: "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me," the crowd “sternly ordered him to be quiet.” That’s the same rebuke word we’ve heard before. They thought this guy had an unclean spirit who was making him talk that way about Jesus. But Jesus knew better. This blind guy was one of the very few who saw clearly who Jesus was and spoke the truth about him. So Jesus doesn’t rebuke him. He heals him and gains another disciple.

When we move ahead to chapter 15, at least three times, what seems to be the truth about Jesus is spoken by people and not demons. Although their goodness might be suspect. Turn ahead to page 928.

Mark 15:1-15 - Jesus before Pilate;

Mark 15:16-20 - The Soldiers Mock Jesus

Mark 15:25-32 - The Crucifixion of Jesus

In verse 2 Pilate asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" He answered him, "You say so." Not much of an answer.

A little further on, in verse 18, after draping him in purple and crowning him with thorns, the soldiers salute him, "Hail, King of the Jews!" Silence.

And then still further on, in verse 26, Pilate places a sign on the top of the cross, "The King of the Jews.”

And finally, in verse 32, some of his enemies standing at the foot of the cross use the messiah word, but tie it to the title “the King of Israel.”

Isn’t it interesting that the only time the word king is used of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark, it comes out of the mouths of those who wished to see him dead. And whenever that title is used, Jesus is silent. Mark’s way of saying, Jesus didn’t come to be the king of just Israel. He came to be the savior of the world.

Mark 15:33-39 - The Death of Jesus

Here is the moment that Jesus became the whole world’s savior. He became the messiah in the fullest sense of the word when he went to the cross and gave his life back to God. Look at verse 39. “Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, "Truly this man was God's Son!"

Yes! Yes! Yes! Someone who sees clearly. Someone who speaks clearly. Someone who represents not just the house of Israel but the whole world, speaks the truth.

It’s looking good, folks. It looks like Jesus finally succeeded in his mission to clarify what it really means to be the messiah. At least it looks good for about 15 verses.

Mark 16:1-8 - The Resurrection of Jesus

You know the story: the women go to the tomb, wondering who will roll away the stone. But the stone is already rolled away and they meet a young man with a message (which makes him an angel): “Jesus has been raised. And this good news needs to be shared. So go, tell his disciples…”

And how does the Gospel of Mark end: See verse 8: “So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.”

What? No!

Why have I told you all of this? To remind some, to inform others that the chief reason Mark put the story of Jesus on papyrus and shared it the way he did was not as a way to appeal to those who had never heard of Jesus. Mark’s Gospel is not first and foremost an evangelism tool, to be used to lead people to faith in Jesus. It works for that, to be sure. But that is not why he wrote it the way he did.

He wrote it for people who were finding it tough for many reasons to tell the truth about Jesus to those around them. Their courage was failing them. Their nerve was failing them. What was looking good was the option of saying nothing to anyone out of fear… Fear of what others might think… Fear of what might happen to them… Fears of all kinds.

Thanks, Mark, for reminding us all these centuries later, that silence driven by fear is not an option. Who Jesus is - for you and for me and for all - is not a secret any more

Amen.

“Will You Get On Board?” Mark 1:14-20 Jan. 21, 2012

Do you think 4,234 passengers would have boarded the Italian cruise ship Cost Concordia if they knew this was going to happen? (show slide of ship on its side) On Friday the 13^th of January the huge luxury liner ran into a rock shoreline and sunk. The ship got a gash in its side and tipped over in shallow waters. (could show another slide) Fortunately most of the passengers survived, but some are still unaccounted for in what could be one of the worst Mediterranean sea disasters in recent years.

Of course there is an investigation going on. It appears as if the Captain, Francesco Schettino, steered too close to the shore in order to allow the ship’s head waiter to wave to his family on the island. To make matters worse the captain seems to have abandoned the ship as it started to sink and when the coast guard ordered him to get back on board to help organize the rescue effort, the captain refused. Do you think that if the passengers knew that the man in charge of the Costa Concordia was the kind of Captain who would abandon his ship they would have gotten on board? Do you think they would have gotten on board if they had known the careless nature in the character of the captain?

Probably not. Had they known that the one piloting the cruise liner would have taken such a risk they most likely would not have gotten on board. But they didn’t know. They simply trusted that the company would hire a capable crew. They trusted that due diligence would have been done to make sure safety measures were in place and ready to be followed. They trusted, that’s why they got on board.

Simon and his brother Andrew, James and his brother John, were all aware of the precarious trust that it took to get on board a ship. All four of them were fishermen. The boats they boarded were not huge ocean liners, but simple fishing vessels open to the elements. They were just big enough to hold a few men and whatever fish they caught. When the brothers stepped on board each morning to embark upon the Sea of Galilee, they could feel the rocking of the water. They could hear the creak of the timbers as they reached their hands out to catch their balance. Plopping down near the pile of nets they would begin to raise the small sail and put their hands to the oars, placing their lives once again in the hands of that small vessel which had floated upon the waves for so many years. They trusted the boat almost without thinking. Even more so, they trusted the little boat’s captain. For James and John the captain was their father. Their dad had been taking them out since they were kids and they knew he would pilot the boat safely back to shore.

It may seem ironic, but perhaps it was this lifestyle of trust that gave James and John, Simon and Andrew the courage and the audacity to leave everything behind and follow Jesus. Mark’s Gospel doesn’t give us many details of how the exchange took place. Jesus sees the fishermen casting a net into the sea, he says to them “follow me and I will make you fishers of men”, and immediately they leave their nets and follow him. It all feels rather abrupt to me. What would cause them to react so quickly and dramatically? Maybe this wasn’t the first time the four fishermen had seen Jesus. The Scripture does say that Jesus had come into Galilee proclaiming the good news. It is possible that the four fishermen had heard Jesus speaking before. It is possible that they had been engaged by his message of God’s kingdom coming near and had been thinking about it so that when Jesus invites them to join them they are primed to respond. Maybe they were simply young and restless and looking for a new adventure. Maybe they had a decent life, but felt there was something more. Maybe they felt something was missing in their soul that needed to be filled—an itch that needed to be scratched.

What about you? What would make you drop everything and pursue an entirely new life? A great job offer? A marriage proposal? The chance to make a difference in another part of the world? What do you think -- what would prompt you to take off from everything you know for something entirely different? What if it was a former carpenter and itinerant preacher talking about the kingdom of God come near?

Our response to the call to drop everything for something new might depend on who was doing the calling. If it was our parents calling us to be closer to them because their health was failing we might decide to move. If it was a good friend calling with an opportunity to work with them, we might decide to move. If it was a political figure, or a sports or business person that we really admire calling with an invitation to work in their organization, we might decide to move. What if we felt it was Jesus? Would we move then? It might depend on whether or not we were ready to hear such a call. It might depend on whether or not we had been waiting for such a call and whether or not we really wanted to go where Jesus would take us.

One writer offers this analogy which may capture some (not all) dimensions of how the call of Jesus works. (could have picture of airline terminal) In a crowded airline terminal, hundreds of persons are scurrying in dozens of directions. Above the steady buzz of noise a voice booms through a loud-speaker, "Flight 362 is now arriving at gate 23. Will passengers holding tickets for New York please check in at gate 23; you will be boarding soon." Some people, of course, never hear the announcement and continue on their way. Others hear it but, having reservations on another flight, pay no attention. Some, however, who want to go to New York and who have been nervously awaiting such an announcement, look up expectantly, check their ticket for the flight number, gather their baggage, turn around and set out with some urgency for gate 23. [Williamsen, Mark’s Commentary, p. 43]

Do we want to go where Jesus will take us? Will we get on board and allow him to be the pilot? Simon, Andrew, James and John were willing. They believed in Jesus enough to follow him, but did they really know where they were going? Maybe they left all to follow Jesus because they thought he would be a great leader who would lead them to fame and glory. As they began to go with Jesus I’m sure they had some doubts as to whether they had made the right decision. They soon learned that indeed Jesus had great power, but he also took them to some places I’m sure they really wanted to go. He took them to some places I’m sure they didn’t expect to go. He took them to where there were people with evil spirits. He took them to where there were people who were poor and struggling. He took them to the sick and the dying. He took them to some dark and dangerous places and his final destination would be the cross.

But it was often in the midst of those dark and dangerous places that Jesus proved himself most powerful. One of those times was back at the Sea of Galilee. Jesus had been traveling around gathering more followers. He had been preaching and healing across the countryside. Now he was back near the wide waters of the Sea of Galilee. I can just see Simon, Andrew, James and John standing on the shoreline looking out and taking in a deep breath, taking in that fresh, fishy scent of the lake they knew so well. I can see them eagerly getting the boats ready when Jesus says they are going to cross over to the other side. This was something they knew how to do. This was a place they were familiar with. But I can also see their eagerness turn to caution and their caution turn to fear as they notice the clouds beginning to roll in. They know how quickly things can change on the lake and they are in the deep water, way out in the middle, far from the shore. Should they turn back? But Jesus told them to cross. They look to their teacher for guidance, but he appears to be asleep. They know he is exhausted, but the wind is getting violent and the waves are whipping up. They begin to shake their teacher. They begin to shout at him, “Jesus, what are you doing? Jesus, wake up! Do you not care that we are perishing?!?

Jesus responds by waking up and rebuking the storm. He calls out “Peace, Be Still!” The wind ceases and there is a dead calm. Simon, Andrew, James and John—all are amazed and in awe. Who is this one who can calm the storm? They are not always sure, but they keep on trusting, they keep on following, they stay on board with Jesus and they will witness things even greater than the stilling of a storm. They will even come to trust that the dead can come back to life.

So we gather here this morning a couple thousand years later asking ourselves if we will stay on board. It isn’t always easy following this one Jesus. He often takes us to places we don’t always want to go. It isn’t always easy to trust. Life is uncertain. One minute you’re enjoying your dream vacation on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean Sea, and the next minute everything’s tipped over and you’re treading water in the dark wondering if you will make it to shore.

So we gather here to be reminded of the character of our captain. We gather to remember the power of our pilot. For I don’t know about you, but sometimes I can wonder if God is asleep at the wheel. When I hear about the evil that exists in our world, when I hear the cruelty people perpetuate on one another, when I hear the pain and suffering people are going through…I can wonder if God is still out there and I want to cry out with the disciples, “Jesus! Wake up! Do you not care that we are perishing?!?”

That’s why we need to hear again these words Jesus says to us today, to you and to me “Peace! Be still. Do not be afraid. Keep holding on in faith. I will be with you through whatever storms you might face, because I am the kind of captain who never abandon ship.” Amen.

“Who’s In A Name?”

The Baptism of our Lord, January 8, 2012

First read Genesis 1:1-5 and Mark 1:4-11

From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view;

even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! ^{2nd Corinthians 5:16-17}

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A few minutes ago you heard me say these words: “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

Last week, Pastor Erik’s sermon title was “What’s In A Name?” Whatever name might fit you right now – good or bad, and whatever way you might like to “rebrand” yourself – part of a new year’s resolution, perhaps… You’ve been rebranded by the death and resurrection of Jesus. Actually you’ve been re-rebranded as you were given back the name we’d all lost: Child of God.

Today, I’ve only changed a couple of letters. Whether more than that changes today, we’ll see…

Earlier this morning, as we confessed our faith together, you said, “I believe in God…” We didn’t pause to give you any time at all to consider what you might have meant by those word, so let’s take a moment now.

If I told you that there was a cardboard box covered with the names of God back there in the sacristy behind that big wooden door, would you believe me? I’m guessing you probably would. I mean, why would I lie in church while trying to preach the Word of God and serve as an interpreter of that Word?

I think it is a very good thing if, when you say, “I believe in God…” you are stating that you accept as true the existence of something (or should I say Someone) whom you cannot see but whose existence you’ve been told about so often and by so many that you’ve decided that it is true and is a belief you’d stake your life on.

But when you say, “I believe in God,” I’d like you to step into another dimension of this statement of faith.

One of my favorite films is Dead Poets Society. Long story short, Robin Williams plays an English teacher, Dr. Keating, who is not satisfied with his students simply accepting the world at face value.

Keating: Why do I stand up here? Anybody?

Charlie: To feel taller.

Keating: No! Thank you for playing, Mr. Dalton. I stand upon my desk to remind myself that we must constantly look at things in a different way. You see, the world looks very different from up here. You don't believe me? Come see for yourself. Come on. Come on! Just when you think you know something, you have to look at it in another way. Even though it may seem silly or wrong, you must try!”

[Pastor brings out a cardboard box from sacristy. On one side: GOD, on another: FATHER. On another: SON. On another: HOLY SPIRIT.]]

So it turns out, if you believed me about the you’re your believe in the existence of the box was true. But there is another way of saying “I believe in God.” [Pastor climbs into the box.]

When I say “I believe in God” I am also saying, “I do my believing in God.” In my baptism, in your baptism, we were poured into the reality of who God is. God’s history becomes our history. God’s present becomes our present. God’s future becomes our future. If God is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, there is no other place you could be that in God. Believing in God changes my perspective in many ways.

[Gets out of the box then turns it so that ‘FATHER’ show on the front, then gets back inside.]

I believe in God, the Father…the Creator. And when I look at creation from this perspective, through the eyes of the creator, as it were, I see lots and lots of beauty. In the past year I’ve been to the Oregon coast and to Yosemite. You’ve seen places or remarkable beauty, too. But some of what I see makes me sad. Last summer during our VBS I learned that there is so much trash in the ocean that there are floating islands of plastic waste in our oceans that are having a tremendous negative effect on life on the planet. Can I look at such hurt through the eyes of the creator and do nothing more than feel sorry for the way the beautiful planet is being trashed?

[Gets out of the box then turns it so that ‘SON’ show on the front, then gets back inside.]

I believe in God, the Son…compassion in action. Jesus left behind a promise that seems almost too good to be true when he says, “I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” ^{John 14:13}Sounds like a blank check! But I don’t think winning lottery numbers a new car or an advance on your allowance is what he’s got in mind.

Can you look at you through Jesus’ eyes and imagine him praying for you? When he looks into your life, what are the things that make him smile? Praise God for those things. But what are those parts of your life that break his heart, that make him hurt for you? I expect those are the items that move to the top of his prayer list for you.

What about looking at another whom you know, this same way. As you look at some you know, someone you love, someone with whom you struggle, what are the places that hurt to see, that hurt to think about. And seeing the way the Son sees, and feeling the compassion the Son feels, can you then step out of that box and walk away?

[Gets out of the box then turns it so that ‘HOLY SPIRIT’ show on the front, then gets back inside.]

I believe in God the Holy Spirit – the wind that Jesus told us will blow where it chooses, a wind we may hear, but a wind you do not know where it comes from or where it goes.

Wind equals power. Think of a sailing ship, a wind-turbine. Wind equals freedom. I think of birds that car soar aloft with the power of the wind never having to flap a wing. Wind equals surprises. I think of the hat I had to chase all around the parking lot at Old Faithful in Yellowstone Park.

When you look at the world, its people, its needs through the window of the Spirit, you’ve got the power, you’ve got the freedom to be a surprise. The phrase ‘random act of kindness’ comes to mind. Except that it is not random at all if it is done in God.

I believe in… I do my believing in… I do my faith in… I do my seeing and my serving and my caring and my surprising from within God, the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Amen.

What’s in a Name? New Year’s Day 2011 Luke 2:15-21

What’s in a name? If you are a business trying to market yourself then there is a lot in a name. Brand names are important to corporations. They want brand name recognition so that their business will be set apart. They want you to be able to remember their logo and associate it with certain things like quality, experience, expertise, a certain taste or style.

But just like everything else, in time, a brand image can get tired and dusty. It may reach a point where it no longer is able to rise to customers’ expectations. When that happens, many companies believe it is time to let go of the past and start believing in the future. They begin to go through a process called rebranding. It isn’t always easy, but when companies do this they are hoping for a fresh look and a fresh start that can help them become something different or something better.

Take Apple for instance. (show slide) When they decided to give their logo a more modern and professional look, the shift brought also a change of name, from “Apple Computers” to “Apple Inc”, as the name no longer matched their company identity and mission which had expanded into areas such as phones and music listening devices.

Another example is Xerox, the copy machine maker. Using a vibrant color and adding a globe detail, they made a statement about how it feels to be the world’s leading document management technology. The “x” on the globe is meant to be symbolic of how they are bringing together people from all over the world. The brand quickly gives you a sense of the reach and the purpose of the company.

While this idea of re-branding can help bring new energy and new business to a company it is often quite an undertaking that can be very time-consuming a costly to a corporation. (show Pepsi slide) When Pepsi re-branded itself it simply moved the angle of the wave that smiles out at you from their bottles and cans yet the whole process of changing over to the new logo cost them about one million dollars.

Scripture has many examples of re-branding. Names play a very important role throughout the Biblical story and often those names change. The difference in Scripture, however, is that people do not re-brand themselves. They are either given a new identity by a messenger from God or by God directly.

There is Abram, an older wealthy man from the large city of Ur, who follows God’s call and ends up becoming Abraham, a nomadic herder in the hinterlands of Canaan. It must not have been an easy task packing up everything and travel hundreds of miles to a foreign country. But because he answers God’s call his name is changed by God and in so doing God has him become something new and different. He is given a fresh sense of identity and mission. God blesses him and his wife Sarah (whose name was also changed) with a child they did not think they could have. God establishes him as the patriarch of a people who will become God’s chosen nation out of everyone in the world.

Then there is Jacob. The name means “trickster” or “deceiver”. It is a name that Jacob lives up to as he cheats his brother, his father and his uncle for his own selfish ends. But then one night as he is traveling back to his childhood home, an angel appears and wrestles with him all night. Jacob ends up being blessed by this mysterious messenger from God. He also is given a new name, Israel, which means one who struggles with God. The encounter gives him strength and new resolve. He is able to ask for forgiveness from his brother Esau and he becomes the way God continues to establish a new people as Jacob’s 12 sons will become the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel.

From a Christian perspective, however, Jesus is the most important figure to come out of this tradition of Biblical re-branding. Like the others before him, Jesus does not choose his name. Not even his parents get to choose. Instead, an angel comes to Mary and Joseph and tells them that they are to name this child Jesus. In today’s short story from Luke we see that not long after his birth they follow through on the angel’s message and name their new baby Jesus, which means “he saves”. This name reveals who this little baby really is and what his mission in life will be.

Many of you may already have known the meaning of Jesus’ name, but when does his name change? We get a foreshadowing of what this name will be in Luke chapter 9. Here Jesus asks his disciples “who do people say that I am?” They respond by saying that some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah or another prophet of old. Then Jesus asks them who they think he is. This is when we get a glimpse of what Jesus new name will be when he goes through his re-branding process. The disciple Peter responds and says that Jesus is the Messiah or the Christ of God (Luke 9:20). Jesus then describes to his disciples how the Son of Man is going to killed and then in three days rise again. In doing this he is telling them how much his re-branding process is going to cost. They don’t get it at this point, but the change that Jesus will undergo will cost him his very life.

After the resurrection, however, Jesus’ followers will get it. They will witness the change in Jesus. They will come to understand him as someone who is much more than any prophet of old. They will come to understand that indeed he is the Christ, the chosen one of God who is also Lord of all. Paul best describes this name-changing process in his letter to the Phillipians when he writes, “he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death-- even death on a cross. ⁹ Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

In this same passage Paul tells the believers at Phillipi that they are to have the same mind which is in Christ Jesus. This reveals another great truth about Christianity. When we let Jesus be Lord of our lives we too can experience this name-changing experience. We too can be re-branded into something new and different.

This is especially good news as we enter into another new year. As the name on our calendar changes from 2011 to 2012, it is natural that we might take a moment to reflect on the time that has past as well as look to the possibilities of the future. So if you could re-brand yourself for the New Year what would it be? Would you want to go from “couch potato” to “marathon runner”? From “snacks-a-lot” to “eats-more- healthy”? From “way-too-busy” to “has-time-for-family”?

There may be many changes that you would like to make, but before you declare any resolutions for the New Year I want to remind you of the new name you have already been given. In your baptism you have already been re-branded with the sign of the cross so that you might be called “child of God”. So as you look to make some kind of change for the New Year, may you not do so because you think you should or you have to. May it not be because you feel you are inadequate or not worthy enough or lovable enough the way you are. Rather, may it be in the spirit of the new possibility you have been given through the death and resurrection of Jesus. May it be because you desire to respond to the grace you have already been granted. May it be because you know the freedom we have in Christ. For in Jesus God has made us worthy, in Jesus God has already declared that we are beloved. We can be released from regrets. We can be forgiven from mistakes. We can start over, and that is why I think “Jesus Christ is Lord” is the best brand ever.

-brand names are important to companies, they want brand name recognition, a name should tell you something about the business….Homeboyz Industries…tells you something about company, it is a business to give former gang members jobs to keep them off the streets

-sometimes companies have to re-brand in order to get a fresh start or a new image, think of British Petroleum to BP= Beyond Petroleum…trying to present idea of a new mission

(This is not the first re-branding for KFC, but with this one, the company hopes to get closer to its original Kentucky Fried Chicken founder, Colonel Saunders and his famous recipes, and to communicate to its costumers the realness of the story.)

(Each Pepsi bottle smiling at you in a different way – an experience that cost Pepsi over 1 million dollars one of the most expensive re-brandings)

-Jesus was given a name by the angel…”savior”, in today’s text we see mary and Joseph follow through and dedicate him with this name…we don’t usually choose our name, we are given it, if someone looked at your life in this new year what would be the name they would give you?

-if we are called to be angels or God’s messengers in the world, what is the name we will give to others? Is part of our job reminding them of their true name “child of God” ? that they have been branded with the cross and that gives their life a special mission?

-people in the Scripture received new name to show their new mission, Jacob became Israel, Saul became Paul, signified new claim by God and special purpose

-we give each year a new name, we will no longer say 2011 we will say 2012…what will be the mission of this new brand called 2012?

-the name the angel gave Mary’s child meant that people would be able to get a fresh start…his name meant “he saves”, Jesus mission was to save us from the old ways so that we could have a new life

This Jesus is the one whom God highly exalts and to whom God gives "the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend... and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (2:9-11). In exalting Jesus, God gives Jesus his own name -- "Lord" -- and confers on him Lordship over all creation. One day every knee will bend before him, "in heaven and on earth and under the earth," and every tongue join in confessing together that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Paul then introduces the Christ hymn by saying, "Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus" (2:5). The phrase "in you" is plural (en humin), and perhaps better translated "among you." Paul envisions the life of the community being formed by the mind of Christ -- by a spirit of humility and loving service to one another rather than competition and grasping for power and control.

On this Sunday celebrating the Name of Jesus, a preacher might explore with hearers what it means to bear his name. Does our life together reflect "the same mind that was in Christ Jesus"? Are we looking to the interests of others rather than our own interests? Are humility and servant hood evident among us?

“A Message In A Baby”

The Nativity Of Our Lord, Christmas Morning, December 25, 2011

John 1:1-14

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you,

that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all.

^{1st John 1:5}

+ + + + +

Finding a message in a bottle is the stuff of books, movies and songs. But so far, not my life. I’ve never walked along the beach and found something like that. But if I did, I imagine it would go something like this [Pastor John leaves the pulpit and “finds” a bottle in the front pew] : I’d see a bottle on the sand, pick up the bottle, see that there was a message inside, pull the cork, slide out the message, throw the bottle away and read the message.

I can’t imagine spending much time at all considering the bottle. It is what the bottle contained that would be the focus of my attention. The bottle and its cork insured that the message inside was preserved, but there was nothing really that interesting about the bottle. The message on the other hand, this is interesting. [Looking at the message that was in his bottle] It seems to be ancient. Yes, it looks like Greek. And it says: Have the Cubs won the world series yet? I think I can translate this: “Have the Cubs won the world series yet?” After pondering that message, who is thinking about the bottle anymore?

But it is different with Christmas, especially if we let Christmas be Christmas and stay for a time with the Nativity of our Lord, with his birth and his very first days. Of course, this baby will grow up to deliver many important, life changing, heart-warming, and sometimes soul-chilling messages. But what about today?

There is no way to pull a message out of a baby like one would a bottle. And he’s the Son of God, but we’re not told that he came out talking. So what are we to make of this birth that has had so much expectation attached to it? What message are we to receive from this infant messenger?

There’s a car parked in my neighborhood that has the letters N O T W in the back window. And underneath it says, “Not Of This World. –Jesus” That is not the message I get from this baby. The word become flesh at Christmas is like déjà vu all over again. The one word that appears more than any other in the creation story is “Good.” When God made the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land, the sun, moon, stars, the creeping thing, a strand of DNA and you and me, God said “Good.” The message in the baby in Bethlehem’s manger is that God still thinks so.

You know what I hate? A teacher of any subject, whether it is math or flying, who has forgotten that once upon a time they didn’t know diddly about that subject but step by step they learned. The message in the baby is that God is not above starting at the beginning of life, and in so doing, honoring all of life’s stages by experiencing them. The messages he will later speak, have their basis in the life lessons he learned, step by step, just like you and me.

All births have their fair share of blood, sweat and tears. Jesus’ birth was no exception: his probably had all of that plus a little hay and cow spit mixed in. He came down, really down to earth, to meet and make holy every tough step and situation through with we have to pass.

In the play by Dorothy Sayers called “Kings In Judea,” it is Mary – no surprise there – who gives a most profound explanation of the message in this baby. In one scene, one of the Wise Men asks Mary this question:

"I speak for a sorrowful people--we rise up to labor and lie down to sleep, and night is only a pause between one burden and another. Fear is our only daily companion--the fear of want, the fear of war, the fear of cruel death, and of still more cruel life. But all this we could bear if we knew that we did not suffer in vain. That God was beside us in the struggle--sharing the miseries of his own world. For the riddle that torments the world is this: Shall sorrow and love be reconciled at last when the promised kingdom comes?"

For those who search for the true meaning of Christmas, and want to know the message in this baby, hearts begin to leap a bit when they hear Mary's response to this Wise Man:

"When the angel's message came to me, suddenly I saw that no one is too unimportant to be God's friend. So I know very well that sorrow can live together with love. And for me, the child in my arms is the answer to all the riddles."

If the meaning of Christmas, if the message in this baby is that no one is too unimportant to be God's friend, then with no disrespect to those who have wrapped the presents I will go home to open shortly, this is the only gift I need. Amen.

“An Echo Of Angels”

The Nativity Of Our Lord”

Christmas Eve,, December 24, 2011

Part One – Pastor John

It’s Christmas. And you’re home. When you think about it, home is not so much about a place – although the place we call home is important. But what makes home home is people. Home is about the people we love, who love us; the people to whom we feel connected.

Joseph went home, to Bethlehem. Bethlehem was Joseph’s home, not so much because of the town itself or the house in which he grew up, but because of his family and his family tree.

Tonight, we’re home, too. In this room we reconnect with the family tree of God – a tree that has its roots in Adam & Eve, the trunk – Abraham & Sarah. A family tree that has grown all the way from Mary & Joseph to include you and me. All because of Jesus, the one whose birth we celebrate again tonight.

I’m glad you’re home. I’m glad we’re home together to receive the message of this holy night.

Tonight we have heard again the story of God trying to find a home among us. If you’re home from college or you’ve come back to town with grandchildren to visit your folks, or you’re the grandparent visiting your kids, hopefully there was no reluctance to offer you your old room back or a place to sleep. The world wasn’t so welcoming when God arrived in our midst. The famous phrase “no room in the inn” sums up how hard it turned out to be the Son of God to make his home here and live among us.

Thankfully, along the way that leads to his birth we meet a series of messengers who helped to prepare his way and help him find a home among us. The original Hebrew word for messenger, malach, in the New Testament became angelos, which became in English angel. An angel is a messenger. And there is at least one theory out there about how an angel gets its wings: [show video clip from It’s A Wonderful Life – “Look Daddy! Teacher says, ‘Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings.’”]

We know that if an angel gets wings, it is not because of any bell but is when they successfully convey the message God sent them to deliver. Some of the helpful angels seen on the way to Jesus’ birth are Isaiah, John the Baptist, and Mary. They’re all angels for all of them bring important messages that prepare us for this night.

We met some angels tonight, of course; messengers who play an vital role in the arrival of the baby born in Bethlehem. Some of the most famous angels in the whole Bible. And some of the most unexpected angels, too.

The angel of the Lord, who appears to the shepherds, delivers perhaps the second most important message ever delivered. Number one has to be the words of the angel at the empty tomb on Easter morning: “He is not here; he is risen.” Tonight’s angel delivers a message of great joy for all the people, that to us is born in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord…” The delivery of that message certainly earned that angel its wings.

And then, there is an echo. Did you hear it? One angel is joined by an entire army from heaven, the heavenly host, who repeat the sounding joy. They take the message of the first angel and echo it, even amplify it, if that is possible. The arrival of this child is reason to give "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom God favors!"

And then, another echo. Did you hear that one? The shepherds, who see and hear all of this, the shepherds who are told to search Bethlehem until they find something most unusual – a baby in an animal’s feed box, when they find him, they “make known what had been told them about this child…” They take in the message of the angels and then repeat the sounding joy. And when they do, everyone who heard the message they delivered went through an experience like the shepherds had gone through shortly before. They were amazed at what they heard. And that’s when the shepherds become angels.

And then, yet another echo. The story of the shepherds concludes with these words: “The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen…”

That word ‘returned’ is one of my favorite words in the whole of the Christmas story. It means, of course, they went back… Back to their same old work, their same old sheep, the same old field, the same old homes, same old lives, same old families, and so on. But they did not return as the same people.

I don’t know how long it took, but sooner or later it had to sink in, what happened that night out in the field and next to the manger.

If those shepherds followed the career of the one who they met for the first time on the night of his birth, they would hear him say, “..the last will be first, and the first will be last." The shepherds would understand what it meant to be last. They were on the bottom of the social scale. If they were on Facebook, no one would accept their friend requests or offer any and they would never see ‘Like’ underneath their posts. Shepherds lived in the fields and hung out with stupid animals. Sheep cannot be trusted to stay where they belong long enough for their owners to trot into town and attend a weekly worship service. So they didn’t go to worship, and that drove them further down the social ladder, so far down that, except for lepers and the dead, they were just about at the bottom. They were last.

And yet, these last become the first: they are the first to whom the message is delivered. “I am bringing you good news of great joy… I bring it to you. Stop looking around. I mean you, yes you, you shepherds. By the way, this message is ‘for all the people,’ but you get it first.”

The news of this night, delivered by one angel, transformed them. They were changed from last to first by the word of God; just the latest example of how that wonderfully can, does, and will happen. When we meet them, they are ‘sore afraid,’ but when they leave us they are singing glory and praise.

Let the shepherd be angels for you. Let them deliver to your ears and to your heart the message they heard and experienced: “God can do the same to you as God did for us: replace fear with joy; replace dread with glory; and replace terror with praise.”

However down to earth, earthy, or even dirty the shepherds may have been regarded by others, or even regarded themselves, this night they had been elevated to the rank of angels!

Part Two – Pastor Erik

Thank goodness for the shepherds, because most days I do not feel very angelic. Most days I do not feel like I am up to the task of being God’s messenger. Maybe it is because I am all too aware of my own shortcomings. Maybe it is because I do not feel worthy of such an important task. Maybe it is because I am little lazy or little scared of what others might think. Maybe it is because I just don’t trust God enough. Probably it is a little of all these things. But there are those moments when I seem a little more aware of the Spirit’s nudging. There are those times when I am a little more open to hearing God’s leading in my life and if I manage to respond then I have glimpsed something of God’s grace that I would not have otherwise experienced. If I allow myself to stop and listen then I have heard the echo of angels bringing the message of God’s presence.

One of those times happened on this very night, Christmas Eve, about 9 years ago. It was before we had children and my sister-in-law was in town from Chicago. After the five o’clock service we decided to go out and get something to eat. I can’t remember why, but for some reason we ended up going across town to a restaurant near Leisure Village.

The restaurant was virtually empty when we arrived. It was just the waitress and a few folks quietly eating dinner. One of those folks was an older gentleman sitting off to our right about four tables down. My wife noticed that he was by himself and observed how it must be lonely not to have anyone to be with on Christmas Eve. We were not so bold as to presume to infringe upon the man’s privacy. Who knew? Perhaps he wanted to be alone. But my wife did suggest that we buy his dinner. What would be the harm in that? The more we discussed the plan, the more excited we became about performing this random act of kindness. When the waitress came over to take our order we enlisted her in our secret plan and she willing agreed to assist us. As the waitress left we smiled and giggled to ourselves at the thought of the man’s surprise when he found out that his bill had been paid for.

But then our conversation turned to other subjects. Our food came and we turned our attention to eating. To be honest, I don’t remember thinking much more about the older gentleman sitting by himself four tables down to the right. That is, until towards the end of our meal when I looked up and there he was standing over us. We had been caught, our secret identity revealed. It seems the waitress had not fully honored our desire to remain anonymous. The man said he had asked her who had bought his dinner and she had pointed him in our direction. We confessed to our little secret and we briefly exchanged introductions. Then the man explained that he just wanted to tell us how grateful he was. His wife of over 50 years had died just a few months ago. This was his first Christmas without her. His children all lived far away. He was alone and our small act of kindness had meant a lot to him. Then he turned and walked away.

After he left, we just looked at each other. We didn’t need to say anything. The message was loud and clear. We had felt God’s presence. It had been unexpected. It had been real.

The Christian life is not about being a perfect little angel, but it is about being a messenger. It is also about being open to a message--God’s message of peace. So we gather here once again hoping for a brief glimpse of that peace in an otherwise busy season. We gather once more to hear the God of the universe crying out to us from across the ages---crying out to us through the voice of this child in a manger saying to us tonight, to you and to me, “I became like one of you so you would know how much I love you. I came into the world so that you might know I am always with you, and despite whatever shortcomings you might have I have chosen you to be my messenger.”

“You are the Voice in Someone’s Desert” 12/8/11 John 1:6-8, 19-28

Tim Tebow may fit the typical image of an angel, but he certainly has a message he wants to deliver. One writer has even called Tim Tebow one of the most controversial figures currently in sports. He is a quarterback for the Denver Broncos football team. After a series of victories, he has helped to turn a losing season into potentially a winning season.

But what makes him so controversial? It’s this. (show picture of him praying on the field). If you think it looks like he is praying then you are right. That is exactly what he is doing. Tim Tebow has been known since his college career for the public way he displays his faith on and off the football field. He has never been known as a very skilled quarterback and yet he has been able to lead his teams to victory time and time again. Tebow attributes his perseverance in the midst of adversity to his faith. The fact that he wears his faith on his sleeve, however, often stirs up controversy in the media and the world of football.

I can imagine that the world of professional football might seem like a spiritual desert to a person of faith. It is a world of big egos and big money where players are bought and sold by their owners. It is a world of big pressure and big temptations. It is a world where I can imagine it doesn’t seem like God has much of a place. Perhaps that is why athletes like Tim Tebow who are trying to live a life with integrity stick out like a bright light.

The difference between his gesture and other athletic signals to the divine, however, is that Tebow has made clear in bestselling book and in every interview he gives, that his devotion is particular: that Jesus Christ is his “Lord and Savior.” (show slide of Tebow pointing up) Whether you agree with his approach or not, Tim Tebow makes it clear that his intention is to point to something beyond, and something greater, than himself.

One of the most controversial figures at the time of Jesus, was John the Baptist. (show slide) The text we heard last Sunday depicted John as a kind of wild man living out in the desert and eating locusts and wild honey. But this isn’t what made him so controversial. This is. (show slide of him baptizing). John was baptizing people and telling them they needed to repent and make straight the way of the Lord. (click to blank slide) John the Baptist may not have not fit the typical image of an angel, but he certainly had a message he was trying to deliver. This message seemed to be drawing large crowds which made the religious leaders of his day curious and perhaps a little uneasy. So they went out to see who this guy really was. In fact, depending on the tone of voice their line of questioning could almost sound like an interrogation.

The Bible says that when the priests and Levites asked John who he was he confessed freely and said, “I am not the Christ”. So they continued their questioning.

“Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” John said, “I am not.”

“Are you the prophet?” He answered “No”.

“Then who are you? Give us an answer to back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?!?” When John finally gave them an answer he quoted the book of Isaiah and said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness. Make straight the way of the Lord.” John goes on to say that “there is one among you who you do not know. He is coming after me. I am not worthy to untie his sandal.”

John is clear about his identity. He is clear about his mission. He is not the Christ, but he has been sent to prepare the way for the one who is the Christ. He is to make straight the way of the Lord Jesus. John’s unique style, his unique way of publicly proclaiming the faith may be drawing attention to himself, but he is clear that it is not about him. It is about the one true light who is coming into the world. It is about the word made flesh who is already among the people whether they know it or not. This is what John was pointing to, something beyond, and something greater, than himself.

The message of John the Baptist was a challenging one. At the same time I can see where it may have also been attractive to the people of his day. These were people who had been under the rule of a foreign power for centuries. The Romans taxed them, limited their religious freedom and controlled many aspects of their lives. It was not easy for many to provide for their families. Many were caught in an economic system that was oppressive—one in which they could work themselves to the bone and still not get ahead. So not only were the people out in a literal desert wilderness, but they may have also been in a spiritual desert as well—feeling like their souls were drying up.

John’s message then, might have brought them a ray of hope. To hear him preach so powerfully that a savior was still coming, to hear him say that there was still time to turn around, all of this drew people in causing them to listen more carefully and desire a deeper devotion to their faith. At a time when many of the people of Israel may have been wondering if God had abandoned them, John reminds the people that not only was God still coming, but God was already there. John was indeed a voice that was helping to make the way into people’s hearts straight so that the Holy Spirit could more easily enter in.

We all need a John the Baptist sometimes. We all need someone who can challenge us to deeper faith and remind us that God is with us. We all need someone who can be a voice of grace in the midst of times when we feel like we are in a spiritual desert.

One of those times for me was after I graduated from college. I had spent my last semester in Ghana, West Africa and after that a month and a half backpacking in Europe. Then I came home in the middle of the summer with no plans. I had been changed by this amazing experience, but things back home had seemed to stay the same. It seemed like I was going through the let down of reverse culture shock. At the same time I also felt like God was calling me to something where I could use my new experience. But what was it? I had thought about seminary and after doing some research I found out I could get into a summer Greek language program which was a prerequisite. The catch was I had a week to decide. Was this God’s will? Could I afford to go? After four years of undergrad I had no savings. But shouldn’t I just trust God? I prayed and prayed and looked everywhere for a certain sign of which direction I should take, whether I should stay or whether I should go.

I finally called up the Pastor of our church at the time to see if I could talk to him about it. His name was Mark Lingle. He was young guy who had just recently graduated from seminary. We had had some good theological discussions and I respected his insights. As we talked, he listened closely, helping me weigh pro’s and con’s and asking questions to help me discern. In the end he said, “You know, Erik, both paths could be God’s will. Whether you go now to seminary or wait a year, God will still be there working through you. Both paths could be right in different ways. You don’t need to feel like you are letting God down by choosing one over the other.” Pastor Mark’s words were a voice of grace in the midst of my spiritual struggle. They allowed me to take a deep breath, release my anxiety and rest in God’s peace.

These spiritual wilderness times can come in all different forms. It may be a time of confusion when we are wondering which way to go. It may be a time of grief when we have lost someone special to us. It may be a time of loneliness or pain. Whatever it is, it is in those moments that we need a voice pointing us back to Christ.

Has anyone been a voice for you in one of these kinds of desert-times? Who has helped make straight the way of the Lord in your life so that you could once again be assured of Christ’s presence? Who was the voice that helped point you back to Christ or maybe there is a time when you were the one who pointed someone else back to God? Take a moment to think about that. (pause) I want to encourage you if you are comfortable doing so, to share your experience with someone on the patio today or maybe with a family member on the ride home from church.

As Christians we are called to be the voice of grace in someone’s spiritual desert. We may not be as public about it as a Tim Tebow or a John the Baptist, but God can work through us just as powerfully. We are not called to be the Savior. But we are called to point to the Savior—to give a witness to his love. We are called to help prepare the way for the Savior’s presence to enter in. And in those moments we become like an angel, delivering the kind of message that God wants people to hear.

“You Don’t Know Where or When You’re going to Meet Jesus” 11/20/11 Matthew 25:31-46

I was walking in San Francisco. It was a few years ago and I was attending a conference in the middle of the city. The conference was about our faith and economic justice and one of our activities was to go with a group to talk to a local hotel manager about the kind of wages they paid their employees. I was walking down the crowded streets with a group of Muslims, Jews, and Christians, many of whom were wearing their traditions religious garb such as yarmulkes, stoles, and collars. We were passing a rough looking group of men loitering on a concrete ledge when suddenly one of the men reached out and gently grasped my arm. “Would you pray for me?” he said. I stopped of course and he stepped back with an expectant look on his face. I must confess that my first reaction was to say I would keep him in my prayers and then hurry on. We had important work to do and I needed to catch up with the rest of the group.

But it was clear that the man didn’t mean for me to just keep him in my prayers. He wanted me to pray for him right then—right there, in the middle of the busy sidewalk with all kinds of different people walking by. Fortunately, the Holy Spirit made me aware of how ironic it would have been for pastor attending a faith conference not to stop and take the time to pray with someone who was directly asking for it. So I paused and asked the man how I could pray for him. He talked about the addictions he was struggling with and how he was trying to get back on his feet. I put my hand on his shoulder and prayed. When I was done, his face was beaming. He shook my hand and told me thanks. As I left I felt like in that brief unexpected moment I had experienced the presence of Christ. it was a reminder to me of how you don’t know where or when you’re going to meet Jesus.

In the story we heard today from the book of Matthew we see Jesus showing up where we might not expect him too. We see him telling his listeners that when you have helped those who are considered the least in society it is like you have helped him. This is a part of a series of stories Jesus tells in Matthew chapter 24 to 25. They begin with the disciples asking Jesus in private, “What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” (Mat. 24:3). Jesus responds by telling them to “Keep watch because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.” The message is clear that we must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when we do not expect him.

But how do we get ready and what are we watching for? Today’s story in Matthew 25 gives us a clue. Jesus describes the Son of Man like a king who is separating people. The king says to those on his right, “Come you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you.” It is in the word kingdom that we find a hint of how we get ready for Christ’s coming. As one commentator points out, it is generally a serious mistake to translate the phrase "the kingdom of God" as referring to a particular area in which God rules. The meaning of this phrase in the New Testament involves not a particular place or special period of time but the fact of ruling. An expression such as "to enter the kingdom of God" thus does not refer to "going to heaven" but should be understood as "accepting God's rule" or "welcoming God to rule over." (Stoffregen off “Crossmarks” web-site)

When we inherit the kingdom that has been prepared for us it is not just a place, but a living with God ruling over our lives right now. So the way to get ready to meet Jesus when he comes has to do with allowing God to rule over our hearts and actions. Such acceptance of God's rule in our lives leads us to care for the needy. That’s then where we are to watch for Jesus to show up. He makes it clear in today’s passage that he is present with those who are thirsty, hungry, in need of clothes—those who are sick or in prison.

Henri Nouwen experienced this when he made a big change in his life. Nouwen was a famous writer of Christian spirituality. He was a priest and a professor at Havard who traveled all over the country speaking at conferences and leading retreats. But as entered into his fifties he writes, “I came face to face with the simple question. Did becoming older bring me closer to Christ? After twenty-five years of priesthood I found myself praying poorly, living somewhat isolated from other people, and very much pre-occupied with burning issues. Everyone was saying that I was doing really well, but something inside me was telling me that my success was putting my soul in danger. I began to ask myself whether my lack of contemplative prayer, my loneliness, and my constantly changing involvement in what seemed most urgent were signs that the Spirit was gradually being suppressed. It was very hard for me to see clearly, and though I never spoke about hell or only jokingly so, I woke up one day with the realization that I was living in a very dark place and that the term “burnout” was a convenient psychological translation for a spiritual death.”

“In the midst of this I kept praying, ‘Lord, show me where you want me to go and I will follow you, but please be clear and unambiguous about it!’ Well, God was. In the person of Jean Vanier, the founder of the L’Arche communities for mentally handicapped people, God said, “Go and live among the poor in Spirit, and they will heal you. The call was so clear and distinct that I had no choice but to follow. So I moved from Havard to L’Arche, from the best and the brightest, wanting to rule the world, to men and women who had few or no words and were considered, at best, marginal to the needs of society.” Nouwen went on to say that the process of making the change was a very hard and painful, but he did meet Christ in a way he would not have otherwise.

We don’t know where or when we’re going to meet Jesus, but we know that we will see him if we allow him to rule over our hearts and actions. Like those in the story Jesus tells, when we are faithfully looking after the least of these we will be surprised at how Jesus shows up. One way that Mount Cross looks after the least of these in our community is through our partnership with our pre-school. I sometimes forget what a powerful impact our pre-school can have until I receive a letter like the one I did a week ago.

The parent writes: Thank you for your service in the Lord and for the many seeds you plant in the lives of the children of the CDC program. Our child attends the Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday afternoon programs and is under the instruction of Mrs. Bell and Mrs. Siebert. On a relaxing Sunday morning as we were getting ready to leave for church, Joshua explained how he was shown the baptismal font at Mount Cross during one of his Tuesday chapels. He went on to explain that baptism is what Jesus did and that is why we are baptized. My husband and I are so thankful to God for the many people God has placed in the life of our child. As a parent, you never know at what age you may have the opportunity to explain details about baptism and accepting Jesus into their lives. We thank God for you and the work you are all doing!

As I mentioned earlier in the service today is Christ the King Sunday. We have this Sunday on the church calendar to help remind us that Jesus Christ was a different kind of king. He was not a king who just sat back on a throne and hung out with the rich and powerful. He welcomed children, healed the sick, and ate dinner with the poor. He did not conquer through weapons and chariots, but conquered through a cross, going to the very depths in order to save us. Then he rose again and he continues to be present in those unexpected places. We may not know where or when it will happen, but if we open our hearts to his reign we can trust that Jesus will show up.

“Spending Our Inheritance”

16^th Sunday after Pentecost, October 2, 2011

Matthew 21:33–46

Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,

the people whom God has chosen as heirs! ^Psalm
33:12

^{+ + +}

This story just cracks me up! For the sheer stupidity of the tenants.

The relationship of the tenants with the landlord was exactly that. It was not a family bond but a business relationship. They were tenant farmers. Change the story to read “There was a guy who owned a lot of real estate in Camarillo and rented particularly nice home to some tenants. But every time he sent someone around to collect the rent, they were abused, beaten, even killed…”

So by what logic were these knuckleheads operating? “Uh, here comes the owner’s son. Everyone knows the guy who owns this property is going to leave this and all the other property he owns to his son, this son, in his will. So, I know. Let’s kill his son. Once he’s gone, I’m sure the father will gladly rewrite the will to take out the son and put us in his place. The inheritance is almost ours already! I can almost smell the money. And you know what I’m going to do with my share? One of those paintings of Elvis on velvet…”

As ridiculous as some of the characters in this story may be, the actual way that the will of God has been arranged is no less remarkable.

As most knows, someone’s last will and testament only goes into effect when the one who prepared it dies. There is no difference when it comes to the will of God. The title page that appears at the beginning of the second half of many Bibles sometimes says “The New Testament of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Think of this as the last will and testament of Jesus. If this is his will, and we are named in it, what do we stand to inherit? Eternal life. The Kingdom of Heaven. All the other blessings that are in the form of all the promises God has made along the way. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives.”

And there is no difference between this and other wills. We were named as heirs in the will and became inheritors of the estate upon the death of Jesus. This is God’s will. This is the way Jesus will was intended to work. Just like all other wills….

Okay, there is one HUGE exception. The one who was dead in order for the will to go into effect was raised from the dead. First of all, this serves as proof that the one who wrote the will has the authority and power to actually come through and give to his heirs those intangibles. Otherwise, how are you to know if you’ve really been given eternal life?

But probably more important reason, and certainly the more enjoyable reason for this, is that the one who died to put his will into effect has comeback, but not to rescind the will. You won’t hear Jesus say, “Psyched you out. I’m not dead any more so I’ll just take back all my stuff.” No, Jesus comes back so he can enjoy us as we spending our inheritance; sharing the wealth that has been dropped into our laps.

Jesus says “I’m giving my estate – everything I have - everything I want to be inherited by those named in my will – to those who will ‘produce the fruits of the kingdom,’ in other words, to those who will let the light they received as part of their inheritance shine from the inside of them out, to those who will let the joy they received radiate from them into the lives of others, to those who will let the forgiveness they have received as a gift given to my heirs inspire them to be forgiving.

There is a license plate frame often seen on the back of big RVs being driven by retired couples:

WE’RE OUT SPENDING OUR CHILDREN’S INHERITANCE

Jesus would love to see this bumper sticker on your life:

Amen.

“Let’s Get Political”

15^th Sunday after Pentecost, September 25, 2011

Philippians 2:11

“…and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

There are many who say, "O that we might see some good!

Let the light of your face shine on us, O LORD!" ^{Psalm 4:6}

+ + + +

Two things you don’t talk about in polite company are religion and politics. So let’s not be polite. Let’s be real.

First off, I’m not real keen on being called religious. The Children’s Message today is based on the original meaning of the word. Religion is the attempt by humans to re-connect with God, though our own efforts. But that is an attempt doomed to failure. My extension cord is not long enough and your ladder won’t reach high enough.

I’d rather be called faithful than religious. Faithful to the One who didn’t wait to be asked by his Father to go to work, but for the sake of the world chose to come as servant, for me and for you; chose to die for me (and for you); who calls me to follow; who calls me friend; who offers me abundant life; and shares his light with me so that I can share it with others.

Okay. So I don’t want to be religious. But I can’t help being political. I don’t want to get bogged down defining terms, because we all have our own definitions, intellectual and practical, of what the word means. But if I keep it simple and say that politics is related to being a citizen, then right away I am called to remember my first and foremost citizenship:

“Our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior,

the Lord Jesus Christ.” ^{Philippians 3:20}

I am first a citizen of heaven. And I am first of all under the rule of Jesus Christ, the Lord.

The word “Lord” means a lot of things to a lot of people, including faithful people. Moses learned its meaning one day when he encountered the Almighty in a burning bush. During that encounter, it is revealed that God has a name: hwhy In English letters that would be YHWH, sometimes pronounced (but never by a good Jew) as YaHWeH. The name seems to be derived from the verb to be and Moses is told it means, “The One who causes to be.” And in most of our Bibles, the holy name given to Moses is rendered LORD (with all caps).

Christians make the bold claim that Jesus is Lord. Christians make the bold claim that the Lord Jesus is the Word (Greek: logos) God used to cause everything to be (see John 1). Jesus is bold in claiming the word Lord for himself (John 13:13), and his followers continue to lift up the name of Jesus as Lord all the time. It would be hard to count how many times we’ve said or sung it in one worship service.

To help me consider what I mean when I confess Jesus Christ as Lord, I had a little fun trying to attach a word to each of the four letters in L-O-R-D, so that they refer to who he is and what he does:

L= Launch. In other words, as John’s Gospel reminds us, “without him, not one thing came into being” (John 1:3). He is God’s creative power at work. But God did not just launch the world with the Word and then walk away.

O= Organize. What God made through the Word, the Lord Jesus Christ, God continues to sustain through the Lord Jesus Christ. God’s ongoing creative power continues to be seen in lots of ways – like each time a new grandchild is born…to name just one (grin). And when any of the willful parts of creation (that would be us) knocks things off the intended track, then the Lord is at work to…

R=Renew. Redeem would also work as a word to show that the Lord cares what happens, is involved in hearts and minds and lives, all the way to the…

D=Destination. The Lord has a plan, a goal, an end, a target, a destination. You and I are a link in the chain that connects the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. And our link is no less important than the first link – way back to Abraham and Sarah. No less important than the last link that will finally connect us with “all things new,” the destination when Christ is all in all.

To say Jesus Christ is Lord is to be reminded that as a citizen of heaven, I owe Jesus first and foremost allegiance.

Paul wrote Philippians in prison. If he hadn’t already been in prison, he would have been put there for the sake of those four little words that he included in his letter: Jesus Christ is Lord. For that was a political statement. A very bold political statement. And not only political, treasonous, to boot.

In the 1^st Century there was only one who believed he had the right to be called Lord and that was Caesar, the Roman Emperor. One way or another, emperor worship was enforced all across the empire, and if you refused to drop a pinch of incense on the altar to Caesar the Lord, then you wouldn’t have to worry about buying a new hat ever again, because you would no longer have a head on which to put it!

Paul was making a life-threatening political statement when he said those words. Same was true for many of the earliest Christians.

For us, in our country our lives are not at stake when we make this bold confession. But like our forbears, when we say Jesus Christ is Lord we are saying that no other power and no other citizenship can encroach or claim priority over our citizenship in heaven, where Jesus alone is Lord.

That is our creed. That is also our politics. But at the same time that I am called to remember my first citizenship is in heaven and my first allegiance is to Jesus Christ my Lord, I hear nowhere in the Bible the call to ignore the fact that I am also a citizen of a particular nation. Actually, I hear just the opposite.

But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile,

and pray to the LORD on its behalf,

for in its welfare you will find your welfare. ^{Jeremiah 29:7}

If Jeremiah, who one of the exiles in Babylon after the fall of Jerusalem, was told to seek the welfare of the place where he had been sent to live then should I not also look for a way to bring the light that has been given to me to bear on the political world in which I live? I think so. And I believe so.

It’s just that it is not always easy to discern the best way to do this. It is a lot easier for me to speak to what it does not mean. Doesn’t it sometimes seem that some people operate in their political lives as if Jesus is a member of their political party. Doesn’t it sometimes seem that they believe Jesus endorses every plank in the platform on which they stand. It is very tempting to read only those parts of Jesus that line up nicely with what you want your earthly politics to say, but when someone does that, Jesus comes in second..

I wish I had the magic solution to the challenge of rightly discerning the way, but I don’t. But I have a step in that direction. Prayer. Please pray with me:

Jesus Christ, we acknowledge you today as Lord, not only of individuals, but of nations and governments.

We thank you for the privilege of being able to organize ourselves politically and of knowing that political loyalty does not have to mean disloyalty to you.

Lord, we pray realizing that while politics is not our salvation, our response to you can mean that we are politically active.

Awaken us to know that we are not called to be a sect fleeing the world but rather a community of faith renewing the world.

Awaken us to know that the same hands lifted up to you in prayer are the hands that mark ballots in the voting booth; that the same eyes that read your Word are the eyes that read the names on the ballot.

Lord, we rejoice today that we are citizens of your kingdom. May that make us all the more committed to being faithful citizens on earth.

We ask this in your name: Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Who Deserves What? Matthew 20:1-16 Sept. 18, 2011

Who deserves what? In our competitive culture it is a question we are constantly asking. Who deserves to be the first in line? Who deserves more money? Who deserves more attention? Whether it is school, sports, or business we are constantly and often times unconsciously, judging others on who deserves what. We are quick to point out when something is not fair, especially when it concerns ourselves and the fact that we don’t think we are getting what we deserve. This can lead to bitterness and anger. But it doesn’t have to. It depends on the attitude and perspective we have.

Take these two young men for example. (show picture of Brandon Knight and Kemba Walker) The man in the Kentucky uniform is Brandon Knight. The other man is Kemba Walker. Both are very talented basketball players and different sports writers argued that one or the other was the top point guard in college hoops. The debate continued into the drafting season as each one put in to play professional ball with the NBA. Again, there were various opinions as to who would be picked first. As it turned out Brandon Knight, the freshman from Kentucky, was selected a pick before Walker, going No. 8 to Detroit. After the selection, Knight, projected to go higher, said, "From now, it's just about making people pay that passed up on you. That's what it's about."

Moments after Knight effectively vowed to exact revenge on 20 percent of the league — all of six teams passed on him — Walker was pure joy. "I wanted to go to a team where I feel like I am going to fit in," Walker said. "That's definitely what the feeling is with the Charlotte Bobcats. Of course I wish I could have went higher, but who cares? His college coach Jim Calhoun often cited Walker's unbridled joy when describing his best attributes. It was on full display that day, a thankful and humble Walker taking the first step in his career. Walker, 21, is thrilled to be playing for a team owned by Michael Jordan. He is ecstatic that, coincidentally, he already has a sister and grandmother living in Charlotte. He can't wait to hand his first paycheck to his parents, "because they really deserve it," and then pay for them to move to Charlotte, too.

Two different men granted great opportunity and a lot of money, but each with a different reaction. One bitter because he didn’t quite get what he thought he deserved. The other full of gratitude for the chance he had been given. The one sounding like he thought he had earned more. The other recognizing the opportunity as a gift and believing his parents deserved a lot of the credit.

The story Jesus tells in today’s Gospel from Matthew is not about basketball players it is about day laborers. But some of the attitudes are similar. It is a story where some workers are hired early in the day and some are hired later and yet they all get the same wage. Even though the early workers get what was promised to them, they complain to the landowner saying, “These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.”

Naturally, the early workers are a little angry. Don’t they deserve more because they worked longer? But does bitterness have to be their only reaction? After all, the landowner did hire them and followed through on the promised payment. They did have the opportunity to make some wages and were able to feed their family for another day. Couldn’t they have been thankful for that? Why did they have to resent the late workers? Couldn’t they have rejoiced with them in the surprising generosity they had received? Couldn’t they have been happy that the other workers were able to feed their families too? Their reaction has a lot to do with perspective and it seems the early workers can only see things from the perspective of the question “who deserves what?” instead of “how do I respond to grace?”

The story of Jonah is about perspective as well. In section of the story we heard in the first reading we see that the reason Jonah didn’t want to go to Nineveh in the first place was because he just knew God would change God’s mind and not rain down judgment and destroy the city like he was hoping God would. The Ninevites were a cruel people and were the enemies of Israel. Jonah thought they deserved judgment. Instead God gives them grace. Jonah is bitter about this so God gives Jonah an object lesson. God causes a little plant to grow up to give Jonah a little shade. Jonah likes the little plant, but the next day God sends a worm to kill the plant and it withers. Jonah is about the situation. He says he cared about the plant and wanted it to live. God points out that Jonah did nothing to create the plant and yet he cares if it lives. Shouldn’t God then care about the city of Nineveh which is full of plants and animals that God created?

As Prof. of Religion Margaret Odell writes, “Running throughout this episode is the question of Jonah's anger. When Nineveh was spared, God had asked Jonah, "Is it right for you to be angry?" When the plant that had been giving Jonah shade dries up, God asks the same question: "Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?" But this is a story about how God, Israel, and the nations hang together, so perhaps there is another solution to his anger. That solution comes when Jonah can see Nineveh as God sees it. God's question urges Jonah to see Nineveh as God does. God's question to Jonah shatters Jonah's constraining conception of mercy. If God pities these poor Ninevites, why in the world does Jonah insist on being angry? If the enemies are God's concern, then just maybe they should be Jonah's concern as well.” ( Margaret Odell Prof. of religion at St. Olaf college, comments on workingpreacher.org)

When we see others as God sees them we get a different perspective. It is a perspective that takes us out of ourselves and draws us to be concerned with others. It is a perspective that causes us to not just see the world through the question of who deserves what? But rather how do we respond to grace? We will respond to God’s grace with bitterness and anger or joy and gratitude?

Prof. Lose from Luther Seminary points out that “Jesus is eventually killed precisely because he offers this choice. That is, Jesus is crucified not just because he proclaimed that the grace, and mercy of God was available to all, even to those deemed so incredibly unworthy, but also because his declaration revealed the hardness of heart, the stone-cold entrenchment of spirit, that is part and parcel of the human condition. His inclusive, boundary-breaking generosity revealed the envy and competitiveness of those in power. His vision of another way of being in the world -- he called it the kingdom of God -- betrayed the lie told by the protectors of the status quo that theirs was the only way. Shamed by such a vision, and unable to embrace it, they put the visionary to death.” (Prof. David Lose from Luther Seminary, comments on workingpreacher.org)

But Jesus did not stay dead. He rose again so that we might be free to make a different choice—to be grateful instead of envious—to live with compassion instead of always in competition.

I want to do a little exercise now to help us think about this choice. I’m going to have the ushers pass out two 3x5 cards to each person in the congregation. On one of those cards I want you to write some resentment, some grudge you might be holding in your hearts, something they believe they lack, or something of which they are envious. Don’t be afraid to be honest because no one is going to see these except you. Now after you do this I want you to write on the other card some blessing, some areas of abundance, something for which you are grateful, in your life or, in the life of someone else.

(pause for time to write) Is everyone done? Now I want you to hold each of those cards face down in the palm of each hand. Notice with that, physically, the two cards weigh the same. Yet spiritually, existentially, one of those cards is weighing them down, like chains secured to an anchor wrapped tightly around our hearts, while the other is light as a feather. We can't keep both, we need to choose. So today as you come up for communion I want you to give one of those cards away by putting it in a container near the front and take the other home as a reminder of what it is you really want to hang onto.

Perhaps this exercise can help us be more true to the kinds of choices God would want us to make. For, as Prof. Lose goes on to say, “In the end, the only one who is true is the One Jesus who came preaching, teaching, and embodying this new life and kingdom, the One who was willing to die that we might see and believe that this new life is possible. But let's be clear: while this One is true, he is not fair. Because this One gives us more than we deserve, loving us from the death of scarcity and fear to the new life of abundance, courage, and faith.” (Prof. David Lose from Luther Seminary, comments on workingpreacher.org)

So again, the question that should be driving us as Christians is not who deserves what, but rather, how do we respond to grace?

“The More Things Change…”

13^th Sunday after Pentecost, September 11, 2011

Psalm 46 & Matthew 24:1-13

Thus says the Lord GOD, I am laying…a foundation stone,

a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation, inscribed:

"One who trusts will not panic." ^Isaiah
28:16

+ + + + +

How many people were watching from a distance as those underneath were crushed? The loss of life was staggering. And yet, almost immediately after witnessing such devastation, the nation turned, united, and began to move forward. But wasn’t it sad how quickly that unity dissolved, only to be replaced with infighting and bickering.

But God did not stop being the God of Israel, even after the grace-inspired crushing of the Egyptian army under tons of water from the Red Sea set the nation free from slavery, which should have been answered with a life time of gratitude, but was instead answered with hard-headedness and ungratefulness. [SLIDE: The LORD said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, 'You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you.” ^{Exodus 33:5}]

Generations later, God did not stop being the God of the new Israel, the Church, even when the unity that was inspired by God transforming the devastation of Jesus’ crucifixion into the joy of resurrection morning, gave way, once again to divisions among those who should have seen themselves as brother and sister not enemy. [SLIDE: “…when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you… ^{1st Corinthians 11:18}]

And God did not stop being our God, not after the horrific events of the morning of September 11, 2001, and not even after the unity we experienced in the days and weeks following 9-11 has been transformed over the past ten years to the dividing up of the country into states of different colors and shouts of blame for the mess we’re in that come from every side.

It is hard for anyone who lives in America to live further from the events of that day than we do here on the west coast of California. And yet, even if nothing fell on us from above, the world we thought we knew fell apart in some important ways.

Many people would say that the America we knew when we went to bed on September 10 was the world’s strongest country; that we led the world in everything from business to military power to rock music, movies and sport. Many assumed we were invulnerable to attack at home and that terrorism was something that only happened somewhere else.

That changed the next morning, as did many other aspects of our life. Extra security at airports, shoes taken off for screening, countless bottles of water and cosmetics thrown away, even more security and surveillance cameras aimed at keeping us safe.

Above all the 9/11 attacks helped create a new America. Gone were the old certainties about “Fortress America,” and the confidence Americans had of being isolated from world affairs. Overnight we realized we had enemies. And that they could get at us at home, where we lived and worked.

Immediately after 9/11 the world came together behind America. The late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat gave blood. Buckingham Palace played the US national anthem. The French newspaper Le Monde declared: “We are all Americans,” and at home, it seemed that all Americans rallied together.

But we were a changed place. America suddenly became a land of fear: fearful of foreign attackers, fearful of it happening again, fearful of Muslims and even of men with beards (some American Sikhs were attacked by those who thought their turbans and beards linked them to Islamic fundamentalists and Al Qaeda).

Thankfully in the last 10 years the United States has escaped another major terrorist outrage at home. But opinion polls show that the Muslim world and the West regard each other with mutual suspicion and fear. And we fear that despite all the terrorists taken out, still more are being created.

And yet, even as fears of an anniversary attack are raised, they give us a new opportunity to practice the faith, not the fear.

At a pastor’s meeting last week, two of my colleagues made two very interesting observations. One reminded us that most scholars place the date of the writing of the Gospel of Matthew at about A.D. 80. That happens to be ten years after the destruction of the Temple and the city of Jerusalem by the Romans. Huh!

The other, who happened to be Pastor Erik, said that the core question which Matthew hopes his readers will ponder is: How do we face change? Huh!

The answer is really quite simple: Practice the faith, not the fear.

If saying “I believe in God the Father almighty…” is only for the days when it looks like our side, our way, our cause is winning, then you might want to reexamine what you’re doing here.

To be the church, to be people of faith, to be a person of faith, means to say, “I believe in God the Father almighty…” even when the earth should change… It means believing that you have rope of mercy wrapped around your waist that will hold on to you even when the nations are in an uproar.

Like Pearl Harbor and the assassination of John F. Kennedy, many of us will remember where we were and what we were doing when we first heard the news. Do you remember? What about what were you doing on September 10? Not so much.

At the start of each year I sometimes bring a calendar to the children’ message and ask what they think is the most important day of the year. Christmas, Halloween, their birthday are some common answers. But the faithful answer is “today.” This is the day that the Lord has made, and we will rejoice and be glad in it. Even September 11.

Unless you’ve been on another planet you have seen the pictures again, heard the stories again as people tell of the day’s impact. Tragically, some will commemorate by stirring up feelings of jingoism and religious prejudice. Justice will be confused with revenge and patriotism will be confused with violence, instead of its synonyms: loyalty, faithfulness, devotion, fidelity, steadfastness, dependability, trustworthiness, constancy.

There is nothing wrong with looking back to remember, to pause to grieve the violence, destruction and death and to rejoice the acts of courage, mercy, and solidarity the day and those that followed called forth.

But we are called to look forward, to see and lean into a future that is not defined by the calamity of that day but instead is shaped by hope, possibility, and the grace of God.

September 11 is not only the anniversary of the day the towers fell. It is someone’s birthday. It is some couple’s anniversary. It is the day the escrow closed on someone’s first home and all the future that represented. It was someone’s first day of Kindergarten. It was someone else’s first day at the job they’ve waited all their life to get. September 11 is the day the Lord has made.

And this year September 11 is a Sunday, the day of resurrection, the day we remember the events of 2000 years ago when God's own Son, looked down from his cross and saw a world full of broken lives and desolate hearts, and decided to call down from heaven forgiveness, not vengeance, and in this way opened a future marked not by judgment but by mercy.

The more things change, the more that will remain the same.

Amen.

“The Case of the Courageous Soul” Aug. 28 Story of Esther

Intrigue, action, suspense, the book of Esther has it all. It is a story of jealousy and deceit. It is story of a people saved from the brink of destruction. It is the story of one woman’s courage to act in the face of fear.

What gave her such courage? How did she finally decide that it was time to speak up and how was she able to follow through with that decision? Esther’s story starts out rough. Both her parents died when she was young. Fortunately she had an older cousin named Mordecai who took her in and took care of her. Esther was also blessed by beauty and when the king of Persia goes looking for a new queen, she is one of many women brought into the king’s palace to participate in a kind of beauty pageant to see who would become the next Queen of Persia.

Perhaps this is when Esther first begins to display that she has a courageous soul. As a foreigner and a girl who most likely was still very young, she had to have been afraid. She was not familiar with royal protocol or life behind the palace walls. To be in competition with so many other beautiful women and paraded for the king had to have been intimidating. Yet Esther keeps her composure. There is something about her, maybe a quiet confidence combined kindness, that quickly wins over one of the king’s assistants who becomes an advisor and advocate and helps get her on the short list of candidates for queen. Something about Esther wins over the king as well and before she knows it Esther is queen of one of the most powerful empires of the time.

This could be the fairy tale ending if it wasn’t for a bitter noble name Haman. Haman is a royal official very close to the king and practically his second in command. He enjoys that the other officials bow down before him, but is infuriated that Esther’s cousin Mordecai will not bow down before him since he is a Jew and worships God alone. Because of this, Haman plots to destroy all of the Jewish people in the empire and gets the king to sign a law that will make this happen.

It is at this point that the real hinge of the story takes place. It is the moment of truth. Will Esther have the courage to speak up and reveal her true identity or will she simply remain silent, hoping to save herself while her people are destroyed? Speaking up has some very serious consequences for her. No one talks to the king without being invited. If she goes into the throne room and the king does not extend his scepter than it could mean the end of her life. Mordecai appeals to her to speak out on behalf of her people and he says that this may have been the reason that she became queen. Esther is stirred to action and she boldly talks to king, turning the tables on Haman and devising a plan to save the Jewish people.

Taking the story of Esther as our case study today, I believe we learn a couple of critical things about what it means to have a healthy and faith-filled soul. First, we learn that we are called to be courageous. Second, we learn that we cannot be courageous on our own.

Speaker and author Bob Proctor wrote something that I think gets at this link between courage and a healthy soul. He puts it this way:

“If your life is being controlled by your fears, you are most certainly cheating yourself. Courage is the mental muscle that conquers fear. Like all muscles, the more you use them the stronger they become. Courage is not something you are born with, it must be developed. Individuals who fail to develop courage, remain confined in mental prisons and face each day as mental lightweights. It has been said if you face the thing you fear, fear leaves you.

For years I believed that courageous individuals had no fear. I was wrong. Eddie Richenbacher put it very well when he said, "There is no courage without fear." We all have fear, however, not everyone becomes subservient to their fears.

There is, very likely, something you have wanted to do for years - move to another city, start your own business, apply for that better position, go after the big account. Whatever it is, you should do it. Remember, life is not a practice run. This is it. A little courage leads to more. Observe those poor souls who are without courage. They merely tiptoe through life hoping they make it safely to death.

You and I were never meant to live that way. Learn to live the way you like by no longer living as you dislike. Forge into the remainder of your day with an abundance of courage. That's living!”

I while I love this piece on courage I would want to add to what Mr. Proctor has written and say that living without courage not only cheats yourself, but it also cheats others out of the blessing that they could receive through you. God wants us to step out in courage so God can show us how we can be blessed, but God wants us to use our position so that others can be blessed as well. Esther had the courage to step out of her comfort zone and she became queen. But more importantly, she also had the courage to allow God to work through her in order to save God’s people.

The strength to act with this kind of courage did not just come from Esther herself. She had advisors and mentors in her life who helped guide her. It is interesting that in the book of Esther God does not show up as a main character like God does it other books of the Old Testament. Rather, the guiding hand of God appears to be more subtle and hidden, working more through certain people and certain circumstances.

One person is Hegai, the king’s assistant who gives Esther advice and helps her become queen. The other person who probably has the most influence on Esther’s life is her older cousin Mordecai. He gives her the home she needed and he sticks with her, staying in contact with her even after she becomes queen. It is Mordecai that helps her save the king’s life from an assassination plot and it is Mordecai who helps show her she that maybe she was blessed for a reason.

I believe that God also shows up in the greater community who is willing to fast on Esther’s behalf. It is very interesting to me that before Esther goes to talk to the king she wants Mordecai to get together all the Jews in the city and have them fast. Fasting is a spiritual exercise and most likely involved praying as well. Esther may have made the decision to go speak to the king, but she knows that in order to have the courage to actually follow through and do it, she is going to need something outside of herself. She needs the prayers and support of others. She needs the very spirit of God with her. So a whole community enters into the depths of prayer and fasting for three days in order that she might know the presence of God more fully.

We too need a power beyond ourselves to find the strength to live courageously. The fact that the community fasted for three day reminds me of someone else who entered into the depths for three days so that we might know the presence of God. As Christians we believe Jesus went into the depths of death and rose again on our behalf so that we might know that God is with us and so that we might know the blessings of God’s love and forgiveness. But this blessing is not just for our sake, it is for the sake of others as well. In today’s Gospel from John Jesus says, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Jesus goes on to say, “you did not choose me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last”.

Like Esther, we have been chosen—we have been chosen by a king. But we have not been chosen by an earthly king. No, we have been chosen by a heavenly king, the king of kings, Christ the king, whose name is above all names. We have been chosen and blessed for a purpose, to speak up on behalf of those who are poor or oppressed, to speak up for those who are suffering or being treated unjustly. We gather here to be reminded that this is our blessing and our purpose. This is what we say we believe. Now may God grant us the courage to actually live it.

“The Case of the Distracted Soul” (the story of Mary and Martha) Luke 10:38-42 July 28, 2011

I want to take some time to center ourselves in silence as we focus on hearing God’s word. (wait for full minute)

Was it hard to sit in silence for a full minute? Did you find you mind wandering even in that short time? It can be hard to stay focused. How many of us have resolved to start exercising more only to fall short of your goal in a matter of weeks? How many of us have resolved to start eating better only to be pulled in the direction of the cookie jar or the fast food restaurant? How many of us have resolved to sit down and finally write that letter of appreciation to that special person only to have someone turn on the t.v. and you get pulled in the direction of the big game or your favorite show?

We all know what it is like to be distracted at one time or another. It can be hard to focus especially in a world where we are pulled in so many directions. So even though she lived thousands of years ago, it should not be too hard to relate to Martha, the person in today’s case study from Scripture whose soul “was being distracted”.

What was it that was distracting Martha? The story in Luke initially says she is distracted by her many preparations. Another translation would be that she was distracted by much service. Is it wrong then to want to serve others? Is it wrong to want to try and be a good host or hostess? The problem is not that Martha wants to serve. The problem is that she is missing out on an opportunity to sit at the feet of Jesus—in her busy-ness she is not taking time to listen to the word of God.

Being the Great Physician that he is, Jesus knows that the issue with Martha’s soul is deeper than simply trying to fulfill the cultural expectations of being a good host. He tells her that she is worried and upset about many things. It is this worry and anxiety that is distracting Martha and keeping her from being the disciple of Jesus that she is called to be.

In his commentary on this passage Pastor Brian Stoffregen talks about one of the Greek words Jesus uses in his diagnosis of the state of Martha’s soul. The word is thorubazo which means to "be troubled, distressed, emotionally upset" v. 41 -- this is the only occurrence in the NT of this particular word. The word strongly hints at inner turmoil. It could refer to all the voices or demands within Martha, pulling her in all sorts of directions. (from Stoffregen off his “Crossmarks” website)

What are these voices pulling Martha away from listening? They could be cultural rules or expectations over hospitality that she is trying to follow. She could be pulled by a desire to look good in front of her guests. She could be pulled by good intentions—or what she thinks is best for Jesus. After all he needs to sit and eat and be served. He is the rabbi!

Martha could also be distracted by voices that tell her what Jesus and Mary are doing is not right. Women were not allowed to be disciples of teachers in those days. Didn’t Mary know that? Didn’t Jesus know that? What they were doing was not proper! In a way Martha may be like the Pharisees Jesus often encounters. She may be so uptight about what she perceives to be the right and proper role of religion and society that she misses hearing the word of God right in her midst. Perhaps Martha is distracted by jealousy—wishing that she could allow herself the time to just sit and listen but her guilt and need to be busy keep her from doing just that.

All of these things could be bubbling up inside Martha causing the worry and anxiety which distracts her from what is most important in the moment. This is the sickness in her soul. So what is the lesson that we might learn—we who like Martha can become so distracted by similar things? The obvious answer is found in the example of Mary who knew how to be focused in the moment, who knew that Jesus was bringing God’s word into their very midst and she was not afraid to take the time to listen.

Such focus and the ability to be fully engaged in the moment is even more challenging in our world, however, than it was for Mary. It is full of distractions the people in the time of Jesus could not even have dreamed of. TV, video games, I-Pods, cell phones, text messaging, 24/7 access to information, 24/7 retail and grocery stores, advertising absolutely everywhere telling us we need this or that and were not good enough if we don’t have it. Jobs, school, activities for the kids—we are indeed pulled in all kinds of directions. All of it can heighten our anxiety, our own insecurities and lack of self-esteem. All of it can distract us from what is truly important and pull our souls in the opposite direction of what really gives us life. We live in a Martha culture. As Wayne Muller puts in his book entitled Sabbath:

The busier we are, the more important we seem to ourselves and, we imagine, to others. To be unavailable to our friends and family, to be unable to find time for the sunset (or even to know the sun set at all), to whiz through our obligations without time for a mindful breath, this has become the model of success. We have lost our connection, Muller argues, to the simple but profound message of the Twenty-Third Psalm: “he makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside the still waters, he restores my soul”.

God wants to restore our souls but that can’t happen if we don’t take time to let it happen. We need to stop once in awhile and rest. I don’t mean just hanging out in front of the tv kind of rest. I mean intentional, soul-ful rest--rest that includes sitting at the feet of Jesus and listening. When was the last time we prayed outside of Sunday morning? When was the last time we read some Scripture on our own? When was the last time we sat in silence? When was the last time we went for a walk with our family or watched a sunset?

We were made to grow and be challenged but we were also made to enjoy periods of recovery. God even built this into the fabric of creation when on the seventh day God rested and then made it one of the ten commandments to keep this Sabbath day holy. This ancient rhythm continues to be the best way for us to grow, and re-focus in order to maintain a healthy balance

The authors Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz have discovered this in their research and work coaching elite athletes and high-powered executives to help them attain their optimum performance levels. They talk about their findings in their book “ The Power of Full Engagement”. What they discovered was that managing energy, not time was the key to high performance and personal renewal. To be clear, managing energy does involve prioritizing one’s time, but what they found was that simply spending more time on a certain task does not make a person better or more effective. Rather, being fully engaged and focused with a higher amount of energy is what makes a person more effective at a certain task and a higher performer. They also found that in order expand a person’s energy capacity in a certain area a crucial part of the process was not just pushing the limits, but also making sure to take rest breaks to allow for adequate time of recovery.

An example of this would be that a sprinter would find their speed increased more quickly by doing interval training where they run then rest, run then rest, rather then just simply running full bore everyday. Through their work, the two researchers found this to be true in the mental, emotional, and spiritual realms as well.

If we are to have energy to do the work of God, then we need to take the time to rest in the word of God. We need to listen and be renewed for going back out into the world. We need to provide space in our lives for remembering what is most important, for examining our priorities and reflecting on who God is calling us to be since these are things that really matter in the end. In the recent edition of the Lutheran magazine Wayne Muller talks about this in regards to his work as a hospice chaplain. He says in his experience people who are dying rarely say they wished they had spent more time working, worrying about their position in society or worrying about their financial security. Instead they wonder: Have I loved well? Did I care as deeply as I was able for my children and did they know how fiercely I loved them? Did I tell my friends who lifted me up when I was falling into despair how grateful I am that they were there for me?

Many wonder if they are leaving the world, in some small way a better place. Some wonder whether they took advantage of the opportunity to enjoy their life, to drink deep from the gifts and blessings that were showered upon them. Or were they in too much of a hurry, too busy to notice, to celebrate, and give thanks for the warm sun on their cheek, the smell of the earth after a summer rain, the playful laughter of children, or the delicious touch of their beloved partner?

Believing that Jesus died and rose again means believing that we do not have to work to earn favor with God or work to prove our self-worth. Instead it means that life and forgiveness is a gift. May we not wait until we are dying to realize what it means to be truly renewed simply by resting in this gift of grace that comes from the love of God.

The Case of the Thankful Heart: The Ten Lepers Healed by Jesus Luke 17:11-19 July 3, 2011

As we look at this week’s case study we see again the example of someone who has a healthy soul. The person is the one leper out of ten who turns back to say thank you to Jesus. Through his example we learn that an important part of caring for our soul is having an attitude of gratitude. So I want to begin this morning by asking you, what are you thankful for? Turn towards your neighbor and take a minute to answer this question, if someone asked you why do you give God thanks, what would you say? You may share general things, but try to get specific too, for what in the last week would you give thanks to God? (click on powerpoint slide with questions)

Thanks for being willing to talk to each other this morning. So what is it about being thankful that is so important to our souls? I want to begin to answer this question by looking at the other 9 lepers in today’s case study. What was it that kept them from saying thank you like the one who turned back to Jesus? They had this awful skin disease which kept them from being a part of society. They were outcasts who could not live a full life because of their illness. They cried out to Jesus in desperation. He told them to go show themselves to the priest. Along the way they suddenly realized that they are healthy. Wouldn’t you think that their first reaction would be to go back and tell Jesus thank you?

Sometimes when I hear this story I just can’t believe that only one out of the ten lepers went back to say thanks. But before we get too critical of the nine let’s remember that gratitude is a learned behavior. It is not necessarily always our natural inclination. Think about a parent with a child. How many times does a parent have to remind the child to say ‘thank you’? For many parents this line becomes a constant until it finally begins to sink in and there is real joy when a child finally just says it on their own spontaneously without being told to.

Even when we become adults, however, we continue to need this same reminder. That is why we gather as Christians every week for worship. We need to come together in the formal context of a worship service because it reminds us of all that God has done for us in the past, that God is still with us now, and that God will continue to work for our salvation into the future. Worship is way of practicing what it means to recognize God’s presence and to give thanks and praise for what God has done. As Martin Luther wrote in his explanation of the 1^st part of the Apostles Creed:

I believe that God has created me and all that exists…
Therefore I surely ought to thank and praise, serve and obey God.

But the practice of saying thanks is not meant to stay only in the confines of the church building. This time inside the church walls is important because it can help to shape our soul, but ultimately it is only a rehearsal for the real performance of our lives which takes place the rest of the days of the week. Perhaps failing to recognize this is part of the reason that nine out of the ten lepers didn’t go back to say thanks to Jesus.

One commentator points out that maybe the nine don’t go back to say thank you because they are too focused on doing what Jesus told them to do. Jesus has told them to go and show themselves to the priest. This is in keeping with the Jewish law that said a priest had to pronounce a person with this disease clean again before they could go back into society. Perhaps the nine lepers are so intent on keeping this law that they don’t even notice that they are made clean. Maybe it’s beyond their comprehension that God would work in such a way outside of the temple structure.

The leper who turns back to give thanks, however, doesn’t seem to have this problem. Why? Perhaps the answer lies in a detail that Luke gives us about the man. He says this particular leper is a Samaritan. Samaritans were considered outsiders by the Jews whether they were lepers or not. Samaritans didn’t worship at the temple in Jerusalem. They worshipped on a mountain. Maybe this perspective made the Samaritan less constrained. Perhaps it enabled him to be aware of the presence of God outside of the box of the temple structure. This could be the reason he saw that he had been healed right away. This could be the reason that he was able to recognize Jesus as the source of that healing and feel free to respond with spontaneous thanks.

After the man bows down and thanks, Jesus says that his faith has made him well. Just before this story has occurred, the disciples of Jesus have asked Jesus to increase their faith. Did Luke put these two stories together for a reason? Is he trying to show a connection between faith and gratitude? Does our faith grow when we practice being thankful? Is being grateful a sign of faith—a sign that we acknowledge and trust in something bigger and beyond ourselves?

I think part of learning to be thankful comes from having a sense of humility. It comes from realizing that we need God and others—that we can’t just do life alone. This kind humility can often come from a sense of awe—awe from what God is doing in creation and through other people.

This is why I feel is so important that we do things like our annual summer trip with our High School youth. It is important that offer opportunities for our youth to experience God’s presence outside the church walls. It is important to get our youth out into creation as well as expose them to the wider church.

We recently returned from this year’s trip and I would like to have a couple of the students share something about the trip where they encounter God or grew in their faith in a way that made them thankful. (invite up first student to talk)

As one Biblical commentator writes, “Gratitude may be the purest measure of one's character and spiritual condition.” [Culpeper, p. 327] We experienced many things to be grateful for on our summer trip. Whether it was the towering beauty of a Redwood literally thousands of years old, a surprise ocean view through a canopy of trees, or a shaft of light piercing the thick leaves. Whether it was getting to know someone better from the group, or a smile from someone to whom we had just given a plate of food. There were many moments that could have produced gratitude if our eyes were open to it--moments when we may have caught a glimpse of God’s grace.

Thankfulness is good for the soul. Practicing gratitude makes the soul healthier by creating a more positive view of things, and more importantly, by recognizing grace even in the midst of struggle. Thankfulness draw us out of ourselves towards others, for when we experience the mercy of God, we in turn are moved to show mercy towards others. Living with appreciation causes us to see joy even in little things and changes our perspective on life.

Now to close this morning I want to show you a few pictures of this year’s summer youth trip as a way of saying thanks to the congregation.

(show slides)

Summer of Soul Care: The Case of the Blinded Soul: Rich Man and Lazarus

June 12^th, 2011 Luke 16:19-31

Intro. 6/10/11

This morning is Pentecost Sunday. It is the time of year when we celebrate the birth of the church and how the Holy Spirit came upon those first disciples of Jesus. When the Holy Spirit came the souls of the disciples were expanded. There were people from all over the world in Jerusalem on that first Pentecost—people from different kinds of places with all different kinds of perspective, and yet the Spirit enables all of them to hear the Good news of Jesus in their own language.

As the disciples watched this happening, their eyes were opened to seeing how the love of God brings people together of all kinds of different backgrounds. Later on we will see how letting the Spirit expand our vision is important part of taking care of our soul, but for now let us stand together and sign hymn number 867 in your Red books.

(show slide) I have never seen an episode of the medical drama “House”, but I have talked to people who are big fans of the tv show. Apparently, each episode of “House” hinges around a strange disease taken from actual cases in the real world. While “House” is ultimately fictional, the medical profession has long used case studies as teaching tools for new med students. The idea is to take such real life stories and have students think about what they would do in certain situations.

As Pastor John mentioned last week, he and I are Physician Assistants, the Great Physician of course being Jesus. As assistants of the Great physician, we are entrusted with the task of helping you explore the important work of caring for souls, your own and those of others. To help with that task this summer we will be using a variety of case studies from the Scriptures. Today’s study is on the “Case of the Blinded Soul” or we might say the soul with tunnel vision. (show slide)

The person whose soul is not healthy is a rich man who is a character in a story Jesus tells. There is another character named Lazarus, but the story really centers around the rich man. So how do know that the rich man has a sick soul? It is actually fairly obvious. We know he has a sick soul because he winds up in hell. (show slide) As Pastor Rob Bell points out in his new book, “Love Wins”, the rich man’s experience of hell may be mostly one of his own making. Bell writes,

“Note what it is the man wants in hell: he wants Lazarus to get him water. When you get someone water, you’re serving him. The rich man wants Lazarus to serve. In their previous life, the rich man saw himself as better than Lazarus, and now in hell, the rich man still sees himself as above Lazarus. It’s no wonder Abraham says there’s a chasm that can’t be crossed. The chasm is the rich man’s heart! It hasn’t changed, even in death and torment and agony. He’s still clinging to the old hierarchy. He still thinks he’s better.” (Love Wins, by Rob Bell, p. 75) (go to blank slide)

Pastor Bell continues, “The gospel Jesus spreads in the book of Luke has as one of its main themes that Jesus brings a social revolution, in which the previous systems and hierarchies of clean and unclean, sinner and saved, and up and down don’t mean what they used to. God is doing a new work through Jesus, calling people to human solidarity. Everybody is a brother, a sister, Equals, children of God who shows no favoritism. This story about a rich man and Lazarus was an incredibly sharp warning for Jesus’ audience, particularly the religious leaders who Luke tells us were listening, to rethink how they viewed the world, because there would be serious consequences for ignoring the Lazaruses outside their gates. To reject those Lazaruses was to reject God.” (Love Wins, by Rob Bell, p. 75-76)

The rich man had a serious case of tunnel vision. He was so pre-occupied with his own business that he didn’t even seem to notice poor Lazarus sitting right outside his gate. Even if he did notice him he didn’t acknowledge his presence. He didn’t even share the crumbs from the feast on his table. It is possible that perhaps the rich man didn’t see Lazarus as fully human due to his illness and low station in life. Maybe he even questioned if he had a soul. But the irony is that the case is actually quite the opposite. As Jesus reveals in who goes to heaven and who goes to hell, it is the rich man’s soul that has been diminished because of his lack of compassion. The rich man is either willfully blind, or so selfish that he can’t see the world from the viewpoint of the beggar. He is so narrow-minded that even in the obvious effects revealed in the afterlife he still insists on seeing things only in the old order where he is still on top because he is rich. As a result, his soul remains lost and sick.

We who would see ourselves as more enlightened citizens of the 21^st century may wonder, how could have the rich man not noticed the beggar at his doorstep? Yet the story Jesus tells is as convicting as ever. There are all kinds of people around us everyday who we either do not see or simply ignore. There are all kinds of judgments we make based on differences instead of seeing people for who they really are.

I heard a speaker recently tell a story about two hotel workers. She had been a part of a campaign working with hotel owners and their employees who were negotiating for better wages and basic benefits. One of the hotel workers told her about a time when he and a fellow maintenance man were working on an elevator . They were both kneeling on the ground bending over to access a control panel when a business man in suit came walking towards them. The man was looking ahead, busily chatting away on his cellphone. Without missing a stride, the businessman stepped over the two workers and kept on walking. After he was gone, one of the workers turned to the other and said, “Did you know we have a superpower?” The other man asked, “What do you mean?” His co-worker responded and said, “We have the power of invisibility”.

Who are the invisible people in our communities? Who are the people in our world who we consider lower than ourselves? Sometimes we don’t notice people because we are simply ignorant of their situation. Sometimes it’s because we don’t want to know about their situation. We may not want to be challenged or feel uncomfortable because of a different viewpoint. Sometimes we are just too wrapped in our own stuff to even see another view than our own. But this kind of narrow-mindedness or tunnel vision is not good for the soul. Narrow-mindedness is not good for the soul because it blocks us from expanding our view of the world and opening our hearts. It blocks us from knowing the love of God for all people. Tunnel-vision leaves us blind to the needs of others and how our own lives could be enriched by their experience.

So we have diagnosed the illness, now what might be the cure? How can we prevent the fate of the rich man in Jesus’ story from happening to us? Part of the prescription for prevention has to do with keeping ourselves open to other points of view than our own. Instead of being narrow-minded, we need to let the Holy Spirit expand our minds. We need to allow God’s love to open our eyes to those around us who may be different, but are still God’s children. It’s about letting our faith push us beyond our fears so that we can see others as human beings. When that happens we can begin to have compassion and understanding and our souls become much healthier.

This is why I love the idea of one professional photographer named Ian Shive. (click to next slide) In an article by Steve Hawk of Sierra Club Magazine, Shive calls the idea, "wilderness diplomacy"—the notion that nature photography can help bridge the divide between mutually distrustful cultures. "The idea started by accident," he said. "I had a friend who was going to Dubai, and she took a couple of copies of my book as gifts. She sent me back pictures of people looking at the books—college students. They told her that they'd never realized America looked this way. They thought it was all New York and Hollywood."

Shive thought, “If this could happen in Dubai, why couldn’t it happen other places like say, Afghanistan?” So after partnering with an organization called “Roots for Peace”, Ian Shive began distributing the picture book to local Afghans then capturing their reactions on film. The girls in this picture are from Kabul, Afghanistan. They are holding a book of photographs of National Parks in US. One of the pictures they are showing is actually from the Channel Islands. This next one is a woman in a burkha holding a picture from Utah’s Arches National Monument. Then there is this one of the Grand Tetons in Wyoming.

It may just seem like another pretty picture, but put it in the lap of a middle-age Afghani woodworker—whose visual imprint of the United States presumably tilts toward underdressed starlets, flaming skyscrapers, and Abu Ghraib poses—and the image of those Wyoming mountains become much more complex. If Shive is right, it whispers to the woodworker that the American soldiers patrolling his streets come from a country that abounds in natural beauty; that its citizens take pride in that beauty; and that they have the good sense and common will to preserve it.

Now push it further: Take a portrait of the woodworker cradling the Teton photo as it appears in Shive's book, show it to a U.S. audience, and let them make yet another connection. Let them consider the notion that a man who embodies the concept of "foreign" might in truth feel a kinship with their homeland, might agree that it's a place worth protecting. And then let them wonder what that man's life is really like.

Once his project gains momentum, Shive plans to reverse the flow by traveling to Afghanistan, taking pictures of its most scenic wild places, and making a book of those photos to show to Americans. He hopes that someday a photo of the shock-blue lakes of Band-e-Amir (which the Afghan government enshrined in 2009 as the country's first national park) will end up in the hands of, say, a New York City cop. And maybe someone will take a portrait of that cop displaying the image of the lake, and Shive will arrange to share that photo with a woodworker in Kabul. See if it makes him wonder what the cop's life is like. (Taken from article in May 2011 issue of Sierra Club magazine by Steve Hawk)

What might that person’s life be like? It is a question that expands our souls. It is a question that makes us more spiritually healthy because it broadens our vision rather than narrows it. It helps us see other people for who they really are—human beings who are loved by God. Can you imagine if the rich man had asked this question—if he had wondered, “what might Lazarus’ life be like?” Do you think he still would have wound up in hell? Jesus died and rose again so that our blindness would not cause us to get stuck in a hell of our own making. Instead, he gives us a new vision of God’s grace so that we might know the joy of heaven even now.

Time For An Apology

6^th Sunday of Easter, May 19, 2011

1^st Peter 3

Now who will harm you if you are eager (Greek: zealot) to do what is good? ^{1st Peter
3:13}

Always be ready to make your defense (Greek: apologia) to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you. ^{1st Peter 3:15}

You have multiplied, O LORD my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you.

Were I to proclaim and tell of them, they would be more than can be counted.

^{Psalm 40:5}

+ + +

So the phone rings down at the police station:

“What did you say? You arrested a zealot? Is it one of the usual suspects? No? Is it one of those al-Qa'ida-type zealots that blows up buildings? No? Is it one of those armed citizens militia-type zealots who refuse to pay their taxes? No? Huh! Don’t tell me it’s one of those old-school Jewish-type zealots that like to stab Roman soldiers with their knives. No? So if it is not one of those zealots, what kind of zealot have you got there? One who is says he is a zealot for what is good? What in the world might that be? I’ve never heard of such a thing. Hmmm, sounds suspicious. Yeah. Okay, bring ‘em in.”

In the 1^st Century, in the midst of a time when the word zealot had as many bad connotations as the word extremist has today, Peter does a very strange thing. He uses that word – zealot – to describe the fervor and commitment to the good that a Christian should have.

Unfortunately, the answer to his question, “Now who will harm you if you become zealots for what is good?” turned out to be: plenty of Romans, who felt that a Christian’s allegiance to Jesus sounded like treason. So Christians found themselves dragged before all kinds of councils and examinations, just like Jesus had promised. But Peter also had an answer for when that happened: “Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you.”

In my first semester at San Fernando Valley State College (now CSUN) I was enrolled in a US history class. Turns out, the class is being taught by a PhD candidate in psychology. First day of class she asks us to turn the chairs in a circle and we’re going to go around the room introducing ourselves. Oi! I’m not ready for this. We did this kind of thing a lot in Luther League but it is not my natural style.

So around the room we went. Name, where we’re from, our major. Maybe other stuff. I don’t remember. What I do remember is that when I said, “My name is John and I am a Religious Studies major…” every head turned and every eye was on me. And then the questions started coming. How can you be involved in organized religion, how can you support an institution that has been responsible for so much war, etc. and etc. I don’t remember the exact questions and I don’t remember what I said. But what I do remember is that the words flowed. I was clear and articulate and when I was done I thought to myself, “Where did that come from?”

Soon after I talked with my pastor about the experience. His explanation was simply that this was an example of Jesus keeping his promise to send the Holy Spirit when needed and to provide the words when needed.

Looking back on the experience I see now that I was not trying to convert anyone that day. I was not in Evangelist mode. I was simply laying out what I knew and what I had experienced, what I believed and where my hope was. Turns out, I was making my apology.

Here’s something I find interesting: behind the word defense in our English translation of this verse is the Greek word apology. In ancient usage it didn’t mean “I’m sorry.” It was a legal term that meant making a formal speech or giving an explanation to reply and rebut the charges. In the early days, there were many rumors about the church and about Christians – that only the basest people--the slaves, the criminals, and the poverty stricken--became Christians and that Christians were atheists, sexually immoral, and cannibals. So the Apologists worked to clarify the truth about their faith tradition. One of them, Athenagoras, initially set out to disprove Christianity but he felt that, as a scholar, he first needed to study the Scriptures so he could write an effective refutation. The Scriptures gripped him and he converted.

Anyway, my apology came out of nowhere on a day when I felt I wasn’t ready for what was happening in that circle. Peter says “always be ready…” Who knows what would have come out had I felt prepared. But looking back, I must have been more ready than I thought, or when my turn came I might have simply said, “My name is John. Major: undecided,” and sat down.

When was the last time you were dragged into a police station or before a judge and asked to explain your Christian faith. In this country, that doesn’t happen. Men and women have fought and died to protect that freedom. So does that mean that I should have turned your attention to another Bible passage today, since the conditions in which Peter wrote these words no longer apply?

I don’t think so. I think we should live in the spirit of his words and if no one should happen to demand from us an accounting for the hope that is in us, perhaps we see if we can make some of those opportunities happen.

There are always going to be provocative ways of doing this at your disposal. I love the story that is told of Yankees catcher Yogi Berra. He was behind the plate one day when a batter came up and drew a cross in the dirt next to home plate. Yogi reached over with his glove and wiped away the cross and said, “How about we just let God enjoy the game, okay?”

If you want to be a little less provocative, just remember your candle and “Let your light shine.” In other words, be a zealot for what is good. Don’t let your light shine by accident. Focus on your hope by remembering that anything good that you do is not being done in order to get to heaven but because you’ve already been promised that gift. And people who let their light shine, people who are zealots for what is good, will make others curious as to why you don’t play by the same rules as the rest of the world. And then it will be time for your apology.

Amen.

“You Have An Advance Team” May 22, 2011 John 14:1-14

Intro

I don’t know if you have heard yet or not, but according to former civil engineer Harold Camping of Oakland, yesterday was the rapture. It was the day true believers were taken into heaven. Now we begins the time of tribulation and apparently, Oct. 2011 will be the end of the world as we know it.

We may not buy into such predicitions, but Mr. Camping has been stirring things up. He runs Family Radio, which has 55 stations and broadcasts all over the world. His web-site is active and he has caught some major media attention as the time he predicted drew near.

Certainly, these periodic predictions about the end times can get people riled up and raise our anxiety level. But as followers of Jesus we are to remain calm. As Jesus tells us in the Gospel today, “Let not your hearts be troubled, because I go to prepare a place for you.”

So whether the end of our world as we know it happens tomorrow, in October or 100 years from now, we can rest in the promise that Jesus has gone ahead of us to prepare the way so that we may always remain in God’s love no matter what.

* * * * *

Pat, P-A-T, stands for more than just a name. In the parlance of the U.S. government the word PAT stands for Presidential Advance Team. This is the team that goes ahead of the president to make sure things are ready for his visits when he travels. They prepare things in advance so that when the president arrives everything is set up. From travel schedules, to meetings, to teleprompters, this team puts in overtime to try and think of all the contingencies to be covered. Of course there are also the security issues involved in any presidential visit. The Advance Team includes the Secret Service which makes sure all the correct security issues are addressed so that the president can travel safely. The logistics behind all this work are mind-boggling. Literally hundreds of people are involved, sometimes thousands, from all agencies of the government.

Can you imagine what it would be like to have your visits so carefully prepared in advance of your coming? Can you imagine knowing you had the best security surrounding you? Wouldn’t having such a team by your side make you feel less afraid about going out to meet with people? Wouldn’t it make you more confident?

You might not know it, but you do have an advance team. It is not called “PAT”, however. Rather we might called it “SAT”—that is a Spiritual Advance Team. This team is really made up of only one. His name is Jesus. What do I mean? In today’s Gospel we hear Jesus tell his followers, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way where I am going.”

Jesus tells his disciples that he is going ahead of them to prepare a place. This reading is near the end of John’s Gospel. It is part of a long farewell speech that Jesus gives to his disciples just before he is arrested. Jesus is getting his followers ready for the tough times that are ahead. He is getting them ready for when he will be gone. A part of this process is reassuring his followers that he is paving the way for them. Jesus tells them to stay calm and not be troubled because he is preparing things for them. This is a passage that is often used at funerals because of the imagery of the Father’s house with many dwelling places or many rooms. The picture is one of heaven being like a huge mansion.

But Jesus may be talking about something other than a physical place. The Greek word for “dwelling place” is mone. It means a "place where one may remain or dwell," It can mean a physical structure, but it can also imply an abiding relationship between people and God. This noun is related to the verb meno -- "to remain, to abide," a word that occurs often in the Farewell speech and often refers to the relationship between God and Jesus or God and us. (Stoffregen, Crossmarks website)

So perhaps what Jesus is really saying is that he is preparing the way for his followers to have a relationship with God. This would make sense since when Thomas asks Jesus, “Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?”, Jesus answered him by saying, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” Jesus is the way we have a relationship with God and we travel along the way by following the path he has made for us. As the disciples already knew, it was not always an easy path to follow. It led to places where there was hunger, sickness and despair. It led to places where people struggled with demons, oppression and abuse. It meant getting outside of their comfort zones and learning to love their neighbors as themselves and even loving their enemies. It meant their lives being turned upside down and seeing things in a completely different way from what they were use to. But it also meant that Jesus was preparing the way. Jesus was their advance team. He was going ahead of them so that when they reached out to people with the good news their hearts would be ready to hear it.

The same is true for us as we reach out to others. It is not easy to be bold and follow the path that Jesus would call us to, but when we do we may discover that Jesus has already paved the way so that what ends up happening is that we have a deeper relationship with God and with others.

About nine years ago I had a simple experience that revealed this to me. It happened not long after my wife and I had moved into the duplex where we now live. Although we had been there for several weeks, we had not yet met our neighbor. One night when my brother and sister were visiting, we were sitting outside around a fire pit. It wasn’t that late, but we were laughing so our voices may have been getting a little loud. Suddenly we heard an older woman’s voice cursing at us from a window next door. We looked at each other a little shocked. We tried to quiet down and went inside soon after. I felt really bad we had disturbed our neighbor. I also felt a little angry that she would not have just knocked on our door and asked us to be quiet. Part of me just wanted to pretend that nothing had happened and avoid potential conflict. At the same time I did not want to have an adversarial relationship with our neighbor. So I decided to see this as an opportunity to actually meet her. Isn’t that what Jesus would call me to do?

So the next morning I said a little prayer and went over to introduce myself. When our neighbor came to the door, I told her who I was and I apologized if we were too loud the night before. I gave her our phone number and told her next time she could feel free to call us. I don’t know what happened between the night before and that morning. I don’t know if she had been sleep-talking or we had just misunderstood her, but our neighbor didn’t seem angry at all. She said it was no problem and we had a nice conversation. We have not become the best of friends, but we talk when we see each other in the driveway. She has shared with us some of her struggles with a son who has issues with drugs. I saw her once in the hospital after she had a heart attack and we always exchange little Christmas gifts. What could have been something that built tension between us instead became a chance for us to get to know each other. I can’t help but think that Jesus had paved the way for a relationship when I had been willing to follow his path instead of my natural inclination.

A more extreme example of how Jesus prepares a way is the story of how Richard Stearns the former CEO of World Vision was called to lead that particular charitable organization. He tells how when he was younger he was an atheist, but through his relationship with his girlfriend he gradually became convinced Jesus Christ really was God’s son. One day he committed his life to following Jesus wherever he might lead. Everything afterward seemed to flow from that decision. He married and had five wonderful kids. He climbed the corporate ladder, each rung an affirmation from God. He attended church regularly. Tithed. Participated in Bible studies. Supported missions. Stearn writes that the fruits of listening to God’s plan were all around him. His job as CEO at Lenox, a luxury goods company. The private school where they sent the kids. The 10-bedroom, 200-year-old farmhouse in Pennsylvania. The company Jaguar. It looked like they could afford to retire in less than a decade.

But it turned out that God’s plan was much different than he expected. It began with a phone call from an old friend named Bill. Bill had moved away several years earlier to take a job raising money for World Vision, an international humanitarian organization. Stearns was one of his first donors, but he still didn’t know a whole lot about the organization. On the phone his friend shocked him by saying “I’ve been praying, Rich. And, um, the thing is, God told me you’re going to be the next president of World Vision.”

Richard Stearns thought his friend was joking, but he wasn’t. Over the course of almost a year Bill kept checking in and Stearns kept telling him no. Then out of the blue and totally unrelated to his friend, a recruiter from the World Vision search committee called. The recruiter explained that he was calling because Richard was a significant donor and he wondered if Richard might know of any potential applicants. Stearns responded , “You’d have to be part CEO, part Mother Teresa, part Indiana Jones. I don’t know anyone like that. Sorry.”

The recruiter paused. “Let me ask you a different question. Are you willing to be open to God’s will for your life?” Richard told him he was, but he was pretty sure this wasn’t it. His wife, however, suggested maybe they should be more open to God. The next thing he knew Richard Stearns found himself on the short list of candidates and although he tried to explain why he wouldn’t be good for the job, they offered it to him anyway.

It took a few more weeks and more prayer, but Stearns came to realize that his corporate career, his comfortable life, his safe and tidy church involvement—all of it was just prologue, maybe even a distraction from serving the Jesus he had committed his life to 25 years earlier. He knew then that if he truly wanted to follow that Jesus, he would have to follow the one who gave himself for the poor and dispossessed.

Stearns writes, “Friends from our Lenox days still marvel at what Reneé, the kids and I gave up. I try to explain that corporate perks and Jaguars mean nothing after you’ve tasted the reward of doing the real work God always meant for you to do.

By finally stepping out in faith, Richard Stearns discovered that he had a Spiritual Advance Team. He discovered that Jesus had been preparing a place for him all along where his gifts could be most fully used to serve others. This is the adventure of faith. Whether it be with our family or neighbors our career path or vocation, Jesus goes ahead of us to prepare the way. He is all the security we ever really need and with him on our side we can stepped out in ways we otherwise could not have imagined. By following him we end up meeting God and discovering the deepest purpose for our lives.

Jesus even prepares a way through the most fearful unknown of all—the unknown of death. Through his death and resurrection he has gone ahead of us and come back to tell us there is hope on the other side. In the Father’s house there are many rooms. Trusting in this eternal promise gives us the confidence to continue in this life and be the bold witnesses we are called to be since we know that Jesus has already gotten things ready for us in advance. Amen.

“The Voice of the Good Shepherd”

4^th Sunday of Easter, May 15, 2011

John 10:1-10 & Psalm 23:1

INTRODUCTION TO THE SERVICE

In this morning’s passage from John 10, we’ll hear Jesus speak of how his sheep follow him because they know his voice. This reminded me of a favorite story called The Miller, His Son, and Their Donkey.

"I shall have to sell that donkey of ours," said a miller to his son. "I cannot afford to keep him through the winter. I will take him to town this very morning to see if I can find a buyer. You may go with me." In a little while the miller, his son, and the donkey were on their way to town. They had not gone far when they met some girls going to a party. They were talking and laughing as they went along. One of them said, "Look at that man and boy driving a donkey. One of them surely might ride."

The miller heard what they said, and quickly made his you mount the donkey, while he walked along at its side. After a while they came to a group of old men who were talking very earnestly. "There," said one, "I was just saying that young people have no respect for the aged. You see it is true in this case. See that boy riding while his old father has to walk." "Get down, my son," said his father, "and I will ride." So they went on.

They next met some women coming from town. "Why!" they cried, "your poor little boy is nearly tired out. How can you ride and make him walk?" So the miller made his son ride on the donkey behind him.

As they neared the town, a man coming down the street called to the miller, "Why do you make your donkey carry such a load? You can carry him better than he can carry you." At this the miller and his son got off the donkey. They tied the donkey's legs together, turned him over on his back; and began to carry him.

A crowd gathered on the other side of the bridge they had to cross to the market saw the strange sight and began to how with laughter, so loud that it frightened the donkey so much that the donkey broke loose, fell into the river, and was drowned.

The miller was angry and ashamed. He said, "There! I have tried to please everybody and have only made a fool of myself. After this I shall do as I think best and let people say what they will."

What’s best? Listen to the voice of the Good shepherd.

SERMON

Shepherd me, O God, beyond my wants,

beyond my fears, from death into life.

We sang that a little earlier in the service in place of the Kyrie, the prayer for peace. I know all of you sang it as a prayer, but I was busy leading it, so bear with me while I review for myself what I should have meant by it.

Marty Haugen translated this opening phrase of the 23^rd Psalm as “Shepherd me O God.” What do I mean when I say, “God?”

God is actually a generic term for the creator and overseer of the universe, the one who is all knowing, the one who is all powerful, the one who is present everywhere, the one who is perfect goodness, the one who is the source of all moral obligation, and to finish off this incomplete-but-long-enough-for-today list, a quote from one of my favorite saints, Anselm of Canterbury, who described God as “that being than which nothing greater can be conceived.”

v Dear God, be all of that to me and for me. Amen

In Latin they say Deus; in Greek it is Theos; in Slavic it is Bog; in Arabic we hear Allah; and in Hebrew it is said Elohim. And when, in English, we say God, if we are also Christian, then we also mean God is Father – the creator of all that is. God is Spirit – the power that fills the creation. And God is Son – the way we know God most clearly, deeply and intimately.

Think of the opening line from the Gospel of John. Many of you could recite it from memory: “In the beginning…was the word.” But think about what those words mean. When what we know as reality was just being launched – let’s say as the “B” in “Big Bang” was being formed on the lips… the past tense is already being used of the Son, the Word: “…was the word.”

As I continue to fill this word God with meaning I also think of the message of the angel at the birth of Jesus. They called him SOTER - the one who will bring safety, preservation and deliverance from harm; CHRISTOS – the one who will do this because of having been chosen, set apart, anointed for the job; and KURIOS – the one who in performing these things will be looked upon as master – my master, your master, the world’s master. A tricky term, too, this kurios title, as it was one that the Caesars liked to have people use of them. So to speak of God this way is to be political, and politically provocative.

v God, be all of these things to me to me and for me. Amen

But we are not in a relationship with a generic god. Our God has a name. It was revealed to Moses in that famous encounter with God in a burning bush. While he was busily trying to work himself out of the job of leading his people out of slavery in Egypt, Moses said to God, "If I say, 'The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' what shall I say to them?" God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." He said further, "Thus you shall say to the Israelites, 'I AM has sent me to you.'" God also said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the Israelites, 'The LORD,the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you': This is my name forever, and this my title for all generations.” (Exodus 3:13-15)

Our God has a name. It is LORD (all caps), representing the word you see on the right. Our God has given us a name which we can call: LORD. Our God, the LORD, gives us a name so that we can know a personal relationship with all that big, impersonal terminology that has been piling up since I started talking.

v God, you are LORD of all. LORD of all that is.

LORD of all people.

Be LORD to me, too. Amen.

That last prayer is another way of saying the rest of this sentence, which is only two words in Hebrew: “The LORD is my shepherd.”

One of the coolest insights that Martin Luther shared with the church was the way that the Word of God works. This short verse is a good place to illustrate.

The Word of God first comes to me as law: as a word of judgment. It can do this as simply as asking a question: Is the LORD my shepherd? In other words, to whose voice do I really listen. Am I the father in the fable I told at the beginning of the service, swerving my life this way and that to respond to every other voice that would tell me where to go and how to live. Do I listen to my own voice, trusting in myself to be the best shepherd I can know. Or do I trust God to be best qualified to lead me and guide me.

v Lord, forgive the ways I have taken your rightful job away from you and tried to do what only you are qualified to do – be my shepherd. Amen.

When the word has judged me for trying to do a job for which I am not at all qualified, when the word has pushed me out of the drivers’ seat, so to speak, then things are set right. The LORD can take the shepherd role, the LORD can drive. And with the LORD back in that role that only the LORD is qualified to do, I have everything I need; I shall not want.

v Thank you LORD, for still being willing to be my shepherd,

even after I tried to usurp your role. Amen.

Have you ever seen a shepherd herding just one sheep? Outside of pictures in books and scenes in movies, I have probably only seen one actual live shepherd at work in my life. But I’ve never seen a shepherd looking after just one. It may be a small flock, but there are always some. I mention this because every time I pray “The LORD is my shepherd…” I should remember that I am not alone in being cared for by the Good Shepherd. That LORD, that shepherd is looking after you, too.

v Lord, my shepherd, help me to remember

that I share you with many brothers and sisters,

all of us looking to you for guidance. Amen.

I had a brief conversation the other day with a man who is a member of a Roman Catholic church in Ventura County. He’s part of a text study group and sometimes feels awkward being something of a lone liberal in the midst of what seems to him to be a pretty conservative flock. He was somewhat grateful for this text, because it didn’t have political overtones that would rile up the group.

I had to tell him “Sorry. Not so.” The word shepherd is one of the great double entendres of the Bible. One the one hand, many in the Bible engaged in the literal occupation of shepherd. The sons of Jacob, Moses, David, the ones working all night in Bethlehem come to mind. But the term also came to be used of the king. And so, once again, the Bible has to go and get all political on me, reminding me that no matter my citizenship, no matter to what flag I may pledge, there is one who is always above, one shepherd, one king of all creation and of all creatures.

v LORD, inspire my mouth, my heart, my mind, my soul to not only call you my shepherd, but inspire me, always and in all things, to owe you, to give you first allegiance. Amen.

Thanks for giving me a chance to get myself a little more clear as to what I meant when I pray “the LORD is my shepherd.”

What Keeps us from Seeing Jesus? May 8, 2011 sermon

-(could have Jesus on pulpit then cover it with papers with anger, violence, grief or despair written on them that you then peel off…or could do it with powerpoint)

There were two men on the road to Emmaus. One of them was named Cleopas. We don’t know the name of the other one. We do know they were talking about the events that had happened in Jerusalem. Specifically they were talking about the events surrounding the death of Jesus. They may not have been part of the inner twelve disciples, but they were definitely some of his followers. We know this because they later say that Jesus was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and they were hoping he would be the one to redeem Israel. As these two are walking and talking, an interesting thing happens. Jesus himself draws near to them and begins to walk with them. But Scripture says “their eyes were kept from recognizing him”.

Their eyes were kept from recognizing him? What kept the two men from seeing Jesus on road to Emmaus? Weren’t they his followers? Had they not spent time with him—seen him perform miracles and teach large crowds? What kept their eyes from seeing Jesus? Had he changed? Was his resurrected body different from what it had been before? Was it God that kept their eyes from recognizing Jesus? Was God testing them to see if they really knew who Jesus was?

Or was it something else? Was it something about their mental state—something about their frame of mind—that kept them from seeing Jesus? Were they too busy with their own conversation to notice? Were they too pre-occupied with their own thoughts? Were they not really paying attention? Were they too distracted by their deep disappointment? Were they too absorbed in their own anger? Were they still so steeped in their own sadness to even consider the possibility that Jesus could be alive again?

Maybe they were blinded by the fear and violence surrounding the events of the crucifixion. It is hard to see the grace of God in the midst of such hatred. Cleopas and his friend knew the tension of living in an occupied country. They knew the tension of people living on the edge, where one wrong comment or one wrong look could be quickly misconstrued, and violence could quickly break out between Romans and Jews, or between Jews who helped the Romans and Jews who wanted the Romans gone. The humanity of the other easily gets loss in this process. How could have the crowds who chanted “hosanna”, only days later chanted “Crucify him! Crucify him!” ? How could the crowds celebrate the death of a human being? They claimed Jesus was a terrorist, an insurrectionist, one who was out to topple the empire…was that who he was? They who hoping he would be the one to redeem Israel. They were hoping that maybe he would get rid of the occupiers, he talked about the reign of God, where was God in all of this? They hated the Romans and their helpers even worse now. Maybe this anger and hatred blinded them to seeing why it was that Jesus really came

Anger and grief can often go hand in hand. Anger can come from a place of frustration. It can also come from a place of deep sadness. Cleopas and his friend certainly had reason to be sad. Jesus had been their friend and their teacher. Now he was gone. Not only were they struggling with simply missing his presence, but they were also struggling with what to do next. How would they go on? Jesus had not just been their leader, he was also their hope for the future. They couldn’t believe it was all over. The forces of fear and death had seem to win, what was left? Where was God? Perhaps it was this grief and anger that blinded them to seeing Jesus even though he was right beside them.

Jesus knows what it is that is keep them from seeing them. He knows he has his work cut out for him on that road to Emmaus. So how does he take away the issues that are causing them not to see him for who he is? How does he open their eyes to show them that he was more than just a prophet, that he came to redeem not just Israel but the world? He does this by opening the scriptures and interpreting the things about himself beginning with Moses and the prophets.

It says that it was seven miles from Jerusalem to Emmaus. This journey would have taken the better part of a day, still there are a lot of stories in Scripture. What stories would Jesus have used in the time he had with Cleopas and his friend?

There’s a good chance he may have used the story of Moses. Recalling how God had set the people free from slavery in Egypt, how when all hope was lost they walked across the Red sea on dry land, and how God had sustained them in the wilderness. All a reminder that God is one who rescues.

There’s a good chance Jesus may have quoted the prophets who spoke to people who had been exiled from their homes, people who had know the ravages of war and division. He may have quoted Isaiah who spoke for God and said, “I will guide them and restore comfort to them” He may have quoted Hosea, “On the third day God will restore us, that we may live in his presence.” Or Jesus may have quoted Zephaniah, “The Lord their God will care for them and restore their fortunes.”

There’s a good chance Jesus may have told the story of the prophet Ezekial and the valley of dry bones. A story about bones being revived—about breath coming where none existed. A story about bodies being resurrected. On that walk on that road Jesus reminds Cleopas and his friend that God has always been about rescue, restoration, resurrection, and revival.

But the two men still don’t quite get it. They still don’t quite recognize him. So when do they finally recognize him? It is when he stays to eat with them. It is in the breaking of the bread. It is in that moment when it clicks when they have the “a-ha”. I can just imagine the memories that may have come flashing back in their minds. The feeding of the 5,000, the meal with Mary and Martha after Jesus had raised their brother Lazarus, the last supper, his last words on the cross at a time when he had every right to hate, judge, condemn, and curse his enemies, and instead he declared, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” Yes, the memories come flooding back. The connections are made and that’s when they get it. They recognize Jesus. They finally see him for who he truly is, the embodiment of the grace of God.

When will get it—we who still walk on the road to Emmaus? We who still live in a world where anger and grief can so easily blind us to seeing Jesus and the different vision he calls us too. When will get it? We who still live in a world where hatred and prejudice persist, where nations still celebrate the death of their enemies? Where others are so easily de-humanized? Where so many are wracked by sadness. Where movies and the media still glorify violence?

One place that we get it is here around this table. Here where once again Jesus breaks bread with us. It is here that Jesus peels back all the layers of stuff that keeps us from seeing the love of God that is being revealed in him. It is here that we release despair, and let go of anger. It is here we confess sins and receive forgiveness. It is here where we experience for a moment a new reality, where all