Monday, September 20, 2004
This sermon was given by Jim Watkins at Cottage Way on Sunday Sept. 19th.
A Scientist Marvels at Creation
Genesis 1:1 - 2:3
My concepts today are taken from the works and writings of the late Teilhard de Chardin, Thomas Berry, and Miriam T. MacGillis. Chardin was a French Jesuit who died in the 1950s. Thomas Berry has taken his ideas and expanded them here in America. And Miriam MacGilllis is the founder of Genesis Farms in New Jersey; she is a renowned speaker on the need for planetary stewardship. These people have combined the results of thousands of years of spiritual tradition with current scientific investigations. Some of this is well outside of our normal thought processes, but it's very important stuff.
It's easy to read the signs of the times and come to the conclusion that these are the end days. We live in times of supreme crises. And it's easy to conclude that this is due to a moral failure, that humans are basically evil and that we are in need of a spiritual revival. Well, there may be some levels of truth to that, but I think what we need instead is a transforming vision that can open the future up to hope. As Christians, that's what we need to be about: being a people of hope. Because if we live out of a vision that we're basically evil, we will bring that vision into reality. But if we live out of a vision of hope, we can make that a reality, instead. To do that, we need to see the signs of the times in a broader context.
If you plant a date palm in the desert, you know that you will never eat of its fruit. It takes about 80 years for the roots to grow deep enough to reach water and support dates. And if you don't know the process and come back somewhere in the middle, you'll probably want to cut the tree down, because it looks like it won't survive. But if you can trust the process, make the commitment, and live out of hope, your children and children's children will eat dates.
I'm here to tell you that we're in a crisis - not of ethics or morals, but of cosmology. "Cosmology" just means the story a culture has developed to explain how the universe came into being. It pre-dates history and underpins all a culture's belief systems, social systems, and economic systems. I believe that a revised cosmology can give us that broader context that will open up to hope.
Our western cosmology - the story that you heard this morning is one example - has God apart from the universe, creating it and giving it over to us as stewards. The universe is material, with no inherent spiritual dimension. It is a reflection of the divine, but there is a sense that we, in God's image, are separate from the universe and this has enabled us as scientists to probe it and discover how it is put together.
BUT as we've probed the universe - especially in the past 40 years - we've come to a totally different understanding of the universe. We moved from the concept of a material universe that we simply inherit and walk on top of to a new understanding of a universe that from its very beginning had an inherentspiritualaspect.SPANstyle=mso-spacerun: yes"> We now have new insights that are shifting our cosmology, but we're still operating within social, political, and economic structures based on the old cosmology and those structures can't make the shift. This is the source of our conflict and pain and struggle.
Let me talk about what we've learned in the past 40 years. Our universe came into being 15 billion years ago, in an initial creative event that produced hydrogen. Out of the union of hydrogen came helium and out of that came carbon. And as the universe became more and more complex, there were increasingly complex arrangements of elements.
Our solar system came into being 5 billion years ago and by then, there were heavy elements " like iron " that could form the crust of the earth. Now 5 billion is too big a number for me to get my mind around: let's make that 5 billion years equal to 1 year. From that speeded-up perspective, it took 8 months of an unbroken sequence of events to create oceans and the conditions for life.
So life began about 4 months ago. And what I'm going to say next sounds a little weird, but hang in there with me. Because out of a continuing process of creating increasing genetic complexity; through life, the earth began to express itself. Through this new thing called life, the earth learned how to breathe. It learned how to nourish itself. Through increasing complexity of life, the earth learned to see, it learned to hear. It learned how to heal itself. This is the earth we're talking about. Through this process of increasing external, material complexity, the earth begins to express its inner spiritual dimension.
The last four months of life have culminated in a development of a nervous system so highly evolved, a brain so greatly developed that the earth is capable not only of living and moving and seeing and hearing and nourishing itself and reproducing itself, the earth is now able to think about itself. And that's the human being. We are the earth's conscious. We are the beings in whom the earth has become self aware. So you and I are the beings in whom the earth thinks - knows - analyzes - responds -- judges - chooses - decides - and acts. We are the beings in whom the earth has become spiritually aware. As Jesus said, "The kingdom of God is among you."
The human person is the sum total of 15 billion years of unbroken, continuous, ongoing creation now thinking about itself. That's who you are. And the way the earth is thinking right now in you is unique, unrepeatable, irreplaceable, and non-reproducible.
Try that on for size. A little uncomfortable, isn't it? A lot of responsibility there, huh? To the extent that you and I are aware, the earth is aware. To the extent that you and I are awake, the earth is awake. Conversely, to the extent we choose to be asleep, the earth sleeps. The earth sees and hears as we see and hear.
We don't have a good handle on that, yet. To the extent that you and I are compassionate, the earth is compassionate. The earth is forgiving as we are, as judging as we are, as loving as we are, as faithful as we are. "Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us" isn't a wish. It is a fact. The earth is as forgiving as we are.
Early one morning a traveler walked up to the city gates. He saw a beggar there and asked him, "What kind of people live in this town?" The beggar answered, "What kind of people were there where you came from?" He said, "Oh, they were a terrible lot. Couldn't turn your back on anyone for fear of being robbed; they'd cheat you out of a day's wages if they could, never give you an inch or an even break. "Well," said the beggar, "I'm sorry to tell you that you're going to find the same kind of people in this town." Later, a second traveler approached the beggar and asked, "What sort of people live in this town?" The beggar answered, "What sort of people were there where you came from?" The second traveler said, "Oh, they were the best. Give you the shirt off their backs, always go out of their way to help, do honest business on just a handshake." The beggar said, "I'm happy to tell you that you'll find the same sort of folk in this town."
We"ve learned to understand ourselves using an assumption that is thousands of years old: the universe is material and we are special spiritual creatures that are disconnected from it. But we're about 40 years into discovering that the cosmology - the story we have to explain the universe's origin - the story that underlies all this and forms the foundation for all our social structures and economics is wrong.
We are discovering that from its very inception, the universe possessed a spiritual dimension. And we are now the result of 15 billions years of continuing creation, finally in a position to realize that spirituality and recognize our part in it.
In my speeded up time scale compressing 15 billion years into 1 year, the time that humans have been on the earth - out of the last 4 months of life - is only about 24 hours. We're very new. And 23-= hours of that day were spent in the tribal period, of which we know practically nothing. So the great civilizations we write about in "ancient history" are only about 30 minutes old.
But in the past 40 years, which are just the blink of an eye in this speeded up timescale, the earth's knowledge about itself has exploded. The earth is coming to a new sense of what it is. It is now making a transition that is as momentous as the change from non-life to life or from life to conscious life. Consciousness is now taking control of the processes, all of the process: climate change, creation and destruction of species, modification of existing plants and animals - we're going off remote control and putting theses processes on manual. It's in us right now that the earth is coming to this new phase.
The question for the planet - who is only us - is "do we have the integrity that these processes had before we took it over?" We are like invincible teenagers (remember that feeling?) with new-found incredible powers, but without the life experience to use them responsibly. And I don't think this is a moral or spiritual crisis. The men and women who are doing the work that is taking us off auto-pilot are very good people: loving and kind and taking care of others.
So, it isnt a moral crisis. It's just that their goodness doesn't help if they're operating out of the old cosmology. We don't have the integrity for it because the old cosmology was plant, animal, human, god; not human, universe, process, spirit. We don't have it.
So, where are we? The earth thinks as each of us thinks. We cannot be neutral. What we do affects the outcome. So, each of us is totally relevant. To the degree that each of us comes to the new understanding, the earth comes to that new understanding. And it is as simple and as profound as that.
So, how do we start to live out this new cosmology? I don't know. But I have faith. Here's one way of doing it. It's a remarkable short poem by Wendell Berry, called "February 2, 1968":
In the dark of the moon,
in flying snow,
in the of winter,
war spreading, families dying, the world in danger,
I walk the rocky hillside, sowing clover.
This is a complete acceptance of reality with a simultaneous insistence that I honor my responsibility to make things better. That, I think, is our hope. After all, what is hope? As the Brazilian theologian Reuben Alvez said, "Hope is the presentiment that imagination is more real and reality less real than it looks. It is the suspicion that the overwhelming brutality of facts that oppress us and repress us is not the last word. It is the hunch that reality is more complex than the realists want us to believe; that the frontiers of the possible are not determined by the limits of the actual. And that in a miraculous and unexpected way, life is preparing the creative events that will open the way to resurrection and freedom." Or, as my friend Joyce Law told me, "You can fly, but that cocoon has to go!" So let us plant dates, even though we who plant them will never eat them. AMEN
A Scientist Marvels at Creation
Genesis 1:1 - 2:3
My concepts today are taken from the works and writings of the late Teilhard de Chardin, Thomas Berry, and Miriam T. MacGillis. Chardin was a French Jesuit who died in the 1950s. Thomas Berry has taken his ideas and expanded them here in America. And Miriam MacGilllis is the founder of Genesis Farms in New Jersey; she is a renowned speaker on the need for planetary stewardship. These people have combined the results of thousands of years of spiritual tradition with current scientific investigations. Some of this is well outside of our normal thought processes, but it's very important stuff.
It's easy to read the signs of the times and come to the conclusion that these are the end days. We live in times of supreme crises. And it's easy to conclude that this is due to a moral failure, that humans are basically evil and that we are in need of a spiritual revival. Well, there may be some levels of truth to that, but I think what we need instead is a transforming vision that can open the future up to hope. As Christians, that's what we need to be about: being a people of hope. Because if we live out of a vision that we're basically evil, we will bring that vision into reality. But if we live out of a vision of hope, we can make that a reality, instead. To do that, we need to see the signs of the times in a broader context.
If you plant a date palm in the desert, you know that you will never eat of its fruit. It takes about 80 years for the roots to grow deep enough to reach water and support dates. And if you don't know the process and come back somewhere in the middle, you'll probably want to cut the tree down, because it looks like it won't survive. But if you can trust the process, make the commitment, and live out of hope, your children and children's children will eat dates.
I'm here to tell you that we're in a crisis - not of ethics or morals, but of cosmology. "Cosmology" just means the story a culture has developed to explain how the universe came into being. It pre-dates history and underpins all a culture's belief systems, social systems, and economic systems. I believe that a revised cosmology can give us that broader context that will open up to hope.
Our western cosmology - the story that you heard this morning is one example - has God apart from the universe, creating it and giving it over to us as stewards. The universe is material, with no inherent spiritual dimension. It is a reflection of the divine, but there is a sense that we, in God's image, are separate from the universe and this has enabled us as scientists to probe it and discover how it is put together.
BUT as we've probed the universe - especially in the past 40 years - we've come to a totally different understanding of the universe. We moved from the concept of a material universe that we simply inherit and walk on top of to a new understanding of a universe that from its very beginning had an inherentspiritualaspect.SPANstyle=mso-spacerun: yes"> We now have new insights that are shifting our cosmology, but we're still operating within social, political, and economic structures based on the old cosmology and those structures can't make the shift. This is the source of our conflict and pain and struggle.
Let me talk about what we've learned in the past 40 years. Our universe came into being 15 billion years ago, in an initial creative event that produced hydrogen. Out of the union of hydrogen came helium and out of that came carbon. And as the universe became more and more complex, there were increasingly complex arrangements of elements.
Our solar system came into being 5 billion years ago and by then, there were heavy elements " like iron " that could form the crust of the earth. Now 5 billion is too big a number for me to get my mind around: let's make that 5 billion years equal to 1 year. From that speeded-up perspective, it took 8 months of an unbroken sequence of events to create oceans and the conditions for life.
So life began about 4 months ago. And what I'm going to say next sounds a little weird, but hang in there with me. Because out of a continuing process of creating increasing genetic complexity; through life, the earth began to express itself. Through this new thing called life, the earth learned how to breathe. It learned how to nourish itself. Through increasing complexity of life, the earth learned to see, it learned to hear. It learned how to heal itself. This is the earth we're talking about. Through this process of increasing external, material complexity, the earth begins to express its inner spiritual dimension.
The last four months of life have culminated in a development of a nervous system so highly evolved, a brain so greatly developed that the earth is capable not only of living and moving and seeing and hearing and nourishing itself and reproducing itself, the earth is now able to think about itself. And that's the human being. We are the earth's conscious. We are the beings in whom the earth has become self aware. So you and I are the beings in whom the earth thinks - knows - analyzes - responds -- judges - chooses - decides - and acts. We are the beings in whom the earth has become spiritually aware. As Jesus said, "The kingdom of God is among you."
The human person is the sum total of 15 billion years of unbroken, continuous, ongoing creation now thinking about itself. That's who you are. And the way the earth is thinking right now in you is unique, unrepeatable, irreplaceable, and non-reproducible.
Try that on for size. A little uncomfortable, isn't it? A lot of responsibility there, huh? To the extent that you and I are aware, the earth is aware. To the extent that you and I are awake, the earth is awake. Conversely, to the extent we choose to be asleep, the earth sleeps. The earth sees and hears as we see and hear.
We don't have a good handle on that, yet. To the extent that you and I are compassionate, the earth is compassionate. The earth is forgiving as we are, as judging as we are, as loving as we are, as faithful as we are. "Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us" isn't a wish. It is a fact. The earth is as forgiving as we are.
Early one morning a traveler walked up to the city gates. He saw a beggar there and asked him, "What kind of people live in this town?" The beggar answered, "What kind of people were there where you came from?" He said, "Oh, they were a terrible lot. Couldn't turn your back on anyone for fear of being robbed; they'd cheat you out of a day's wages if they could, never give you an inch or an even break. "Well," said the beggar, "I'm sorry to tell you that you're going to find the same kind of people in this town." Later, a second traveler approached the beggar and asked, "What sort of people live in this town?" The beggar answered, "What sort of people were there where you came from?" The second traveler said, "Oh, they were the best. Give you the shirt off their backs, always go out of their way to help, do honest business on just a handshake." The beggar said, "I'm happy to tell you that you'll find the same sort of folk in this town."
We"ve learned to understand ourselves using an assumption that is thousands of years old: the universe is material and we are special spiritual creatures that are disconnected from it. But we're about 40 years into discovering that the cosmology - the story we have to explain the universe's origin - the story that underlies all this and forms the foundation for all our social structures and economics is wrong.
We are discovering that from its very inception, the universe possessed a spiritual dimension. And we are now the result of 15 billions years of continuing creation, finally in a position to realize that spirituality and recognize our part in it.
In my speeded up time scale compressing 15 billion years into 1 year, the time that humans have been on the earth - out of the last 4 months of life - is only about 24 hours. We're very new. And 23-= hours of that day were spent in the tribal period, of which we know practically nothing. So the great civilizations we write about in "ancient history" are only about 30 minutes old.
But in the past 40 years, which are just the blink of an eye in this speeded up timescale, the earth's knowledge about itself has exploded. The earth is coming to a new sense of what it is. It is now making a transition that is as momentous as the change from non-life to life or from life to conscious life. Consciousness is now taking control of the processes, all of the process: climate change, creation and destruction of species, modification of existing plants and animals - we're going off remote control and putting theses processes on manual. It's in us right now that the earth is coming to this new phase.
The question for the planet - who is only us - is "do we have the integrity that these processes had before we took it over?" We are like invincible teenagers (remember that feeling?) with new-found incredible powers, but without the life experience to use them responsibly. And I don't think this is a moral or spiritual crisis. The men and women who are doing the work that is taking us off auto-pilot are very good people: loving and kind and taking care of others.
So, it isnt a moral crisis. It's just that their goodness doesn't help if they're operating out of the old cosmology. We don't have the integrity for it because the old cosmology was plant, animal, human, god; not human, universe, process, spirit. We don't have it.
So, where are we? The earth thinks as each of us thinks. We cannot be neutral. What we do affects the outcome. So, each of us is totally relevant. To the degree that each of us comes to the new understanding, the earth comes to that new understanding. And it is as simple and as profound as that.
So, how do we start to live out this new cosmology? I don't know. But I have faith. Here's one way of doing it. It's a remarkable short poem by Wendell Berry, called "February 2, 1968":
In the dark of the moon,
in flying snow,
in the of winter,
war spreading, families dying, the world in danger,
I walk the rocky hillside, sowing clover.
This is a complete acceptance of reality with a simultaneous insistence that I honor my responsibility to make things better. That, I think, is our hope. After all, what is hope? As the Brazilian theologian Reuben Alvez said, "Hope is the presentiment that imagination is more real and reality less real than it looks. It is the suspicion that the overwhelming brutality of facts that oppress us and repress us is not the last word. It is the hunch that reality is more complex than the realists want us to believe; that the frontiers of the possible are not determined by the limits of the actual. And that in a miraculous and unexpected way, life is preparing the creative events that will open the way to resurrection and freedom." Or, as my friend Joyce Law told me, "You can fly, but that cocoon has to go!" So let us plant dates, even though we who plant them will never eat them. AMEN
“What’s Love Got to do With it?
Matthew 20: 1-16 Psalm 105 1-6
Cottage Way - August 29, 2004
This sermon or part of it anyway was preached in a congregation where I was present 2 years ago. I got permission from the pastor to use some of what he said because I really liked it and the way he said it. Then later when I was checking out the internet for sermons for this scripture I saw the same sermon there. So I don’t really know who to give the credit to – at this point. Anyway just know I heard some of this and some of it is mine……
Do any of you remember Tina Turner’s song….”What’s Love got to do with it? …Tina bellows out: O what’s love got to do with It? What’s love but a second hand emotion? Can we forget love? Few words are forced to carry more meaning….I love chocolate ice cream….I love your new dress, I will love yo for the rest of my life. The word love is forced to serve in everything. We are often unclear what love is. In tennis it means nothing. In life everything! We are often unclear about love, but seldom unclear what justice is. Among all the values we hold dear and sacred….it is not difficult to define justice. We believe in it deeply and are most aware of it in its absence. We seldom lose time letting others know when we have been victimized and seek justice for ourselves. The dastardly deed that left over 3000 in New York on 9/11 has us still seeking justice as a nation. We’re not so sure about love….but justice we know about.
We join company with the disciples of Jesus who are traveling with Jesus from the Jordan Valley to Jerusalem. The twelve were enjoying an overdose of self esteem….breaking their arms patting themselves on the back….because they were the first to follow Jesus. Jesus had been successful in the eye of the crowds and had taken the people by storm. The sick had been healed, the eyes of the blind had been opened…the lepers had been cleansed. He had given the good news to the poor, the hungry had been fed, and the oppressed had been liberated. The disciples were proud to be a part of a winning team. They were beginning to celebrate V Day. They began to count up their portions, prizes and privileges.
“Jesus when you get to where you are going…and start passing out preferences – don’t forget us 12. Remember – we were first to get on your band wagon….first to take a chance n you.” Peter even went further, “We left all to follow you, we left our boats and banks. We left our businesses, our families….and we left our homes. What are we going to get out of this? What will we receive out of our investment? We know you will be fair. You’re gonna be just. We know you’re gonna do right by us Jesus.!!”
In answer to this Jesus…prince of parables told a story: There was a householder who owned a vineyard and needed to hire laborers. He wanted workers to work form 6:00 am. to 6:00 pm. 12 hours. There was much to be done…and so at 6:00 am he went to the market place to find hard working people to harvest his grapes. The workers were able to strike a hard bargain with him. They asked for a denarius, about 20 cents. We will say $60 to allow for inflation for the last 2000 years or so. So these workers were happy to be able to make $60 for 12 hours work.
At 9:00 am three hours into the work day, the boss went to get more workers from the marketplace. Because it was somewhat late their bargaining position was not as favorable as the early birds were…so they said they would accept whatever was right and were glad to go to work. No guaranteed wage, but they were happy.
Noon – six hours into the work day. Another load of stragglers were recruited to work. No specified rate…after all the day was already half gone. These workers had NO bargaining position.
3:00 p.m….more workers were needed. In the Market place were some who were willing to work for anything they could get….no questions asked. Happy to have the privilege to work.
5:00 p.m….almost evening. Again in the marketplace…the sun had almost made her descent down the west4rn sky. There were a few disheartened, discouraged people standing in the corner waiting for work…still unemployed. ----you know this reminds me of the workers who pruned and picked pears for us when I was a kid in Lake County.----“Why are you standing here idle all day,” asked the master. “Nobody wants us….nobody will give us a chance….nobody will hire us….nobody will use us. No one thinks we count for anything.” Was the answer. The master said, “Oh yes, you count….it may be late in the day but here I am and I will hire you. Go in the vineyard. You only have one hour to work.” They lifted their drooping heads, and their spirits began to rise….and with great joy the went about their labor.
6:00 pm the long hard day was over and it was time for the workers to receive their pay. They gathered at the counter…but then there was a strange and surprising reversal in economic procedure. Those who were hired last were paid first. And they were paid $60 for only one hour of work. These workers were ecstatic with joy…couldn’t believe it…knew they didn’t earn it, knew they didn’t deserve it….they were glad and grateful.
The workers who had worked 3 hours stepped up to the counter and were surprised that they received $60 also. A full days wage and they started 9 hours late. They too were happy for many of their problems that were solved by the unexpected grace and mercy of the householder.
Next came those who worked 6 hours. And they were also surprised to get $60 for one half days word. And the 9:00 am crew….were paid for a full days work….no penalty for starting late.
And finally those who started early in the morning came to the counter…feeling superior because they had gotten there first. They put in a full days work and the cash registers of their minds began to add up the great bonuses they would receive because they had been the first. They had worked all day and when they opened their envelopes and saw the same $60 that everyone else had received…their countenance fell….and they were bitter and mad and they said….”What kind of boss is this?? Who paid us no more wages than the rest? We bore the burden in the heat of the day and they muttered and organized a grievance committee and finally one of them got a gleam in his eye and mastered enough courage to shake is finger in his Bosses face and said….”These guys didn’t work as song as we did, but got as much as we got. It’s not fair….It’s not right…It’s not just….start the picket line.”
“What’s wrong with the way I run my business? Did I take anything from you and give it to anyone else? Take what is your sand be on your way. You’ve been paid…you’ve got your money. I’ve only chosen to give to the last the same as I gave to you. And that’s my choice….that’s my business….that’s my decision Do you begrudge my generosity?”
“Yes, we do! Yes we do! We are offended….we are baffled….we are appalled, we are incensed. This is not a good way to give incentive to the workers for good productivity on the job.”
It’s expected in our economy ….in our system. The more you do the more you et, right? The reward is always in proportion to the performance. Right? That’s our system…and isn’t that fair…isn’t that just? We live in a capitalistic society where you get what you make and no less. I figured it out to the fraction the way it was supposed to have been, according to our system….according to the way we run our businesses. Work 12 ours get $60 – 9 hours get $45 – 6 hours $30 – 3 hours $14 – 1 hour $5 – ½ $2.50. 15 minutes $1.15…break for lunch..l10am break…3 pm. Beak. Off at 6. Vacation time…paid holiday…sick leave…maternity leave…. I mean that’s fair….that’s just…that’s reasonable.
Well – that’s not the way God runs his business.! That’s the kingdom of the capitalistic technology society. But it’s not the way things work in the kingdom of God! Capitalism is a good system, a good way…it has given us confidence, given us conveniences…given us gadgets…in NY and the Silicon Valley and even in Sacramento, Calif. Capitalism has created a paradise for poor people…for common workers…has given them opportunities to learn skills….to be founders of neighborhoods, establish homes…establish churches…and educate children…they have achieved luxury! That’s capitalism We are proud of our achievements and the way we run our businesses. We’ve been taught that if we work we will be rewarded….no more no loss…it’s the survival of the fittest. Only the strong will survive. That’s our way. That’s capitalism. But listen….it is STILL not God’s way and capitalism can’t save us. GE – GTE, and GAP are still not as good as GOD. I tell you that the way of humanity must never be confused or identified with the way of God…
For the same capitalism can be ruthless and cruel and cold and uncaring. The same capitalism can put profits before people…the same capitalism can sell to children…sex to teenagers…can make to destroy us. The same capitalism can drain us mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. The same Capitalism can be a monster killer unless it is confronted and challenged, unless it is changed and reformed by the influence of the power of Jesus Christ working through the lives of committed men and women. We must never feel so at home in this world and in this system….we must never get so comfortable with the way things work that we cease to work to make them what they ought to be. In the sight of God….mercy is better than merits….love is higher than the law…and grace is greater than justice.
Yes it is! The greatest decision facing the church in the 21st century is whether it will function as a law based community of faith…or as a grace based community of love. Will we be defined by some carefully thought out theology? Will we be satisfied with logically delineated articles of faith or will the church welcome its role as a living…breathing…helping…healing organism known for its acts of love? The fact is…if we are genuinely to be church….if we are to be a true Christ bodied community of witnesses, we have no choice in this matter! Jesus did not command us to live a life of faith defined by legalistic particulars. Jesus offered us only one commandment. LOVE….Love one another as I have loved you…instead of a series of laws. Jesus declared we are to live according to a mandate of love…for life was not meant to be fair and just. It was meant to be loving. Life was meant to be kind, gentle, rich, full, enabling, uplifting, and inspiring. That’s the gospel !!! And that’s so much better than fairness.!
The preacher I was listening to 2 years ago told how he grew up in the 50’s and 60’s in the delta of the Mississippi and wasn’t treated fairly! A poor black boy….growing up in the middle of Jim Crowism…racism…and segregation. With 3rd and 4th rate education. He never saw a new textbook until he got to Chapman College. There was nothing fair abut that! But he remembers growing up in a home….no fairness…but love. Overflowing love. “Boy, you are going to be something if I have to kill you” was what his Mama told him. “Heaven help me if my Mother had been fair,” he said…but she was loving, kind, and gentle, and enabling. When the time for discipline came she said, “This is going to hurt me more than you”…and He could never see that….”I’m doing this because I love you” and this preacher could understand that!
I am beginning to sense and feel and know that love is much better than fairness! Fairness is adequate….but love is abundant! Fairness is equal…but love is extravagant! Fairness measures out portions…but love gives all! Fairness knows where to stop, but love gives without restraint. Fairness uses a calculator…but love is infinite!!
THANKS BE TO GOD! God’s not fair with us….but God is loving…and when we come to know that we have been called and claimed by an overflowing unending love…then we are able to share it with others. Then we can have a concern and commitment for the poor…for the least…for the lost…for the locked out…and for the left out. Then we can care for our children….in all our churches. When we know that we have been called and claimed by an overflowing unending love….then we will have tolerance….then we will have acceptance…and affirmation of people who don’t look like us, who don’t act like us, who don’t even share our values. We can minister to the homeless…feed the hungry…help the hurting…and encourage the hopeless. We can invite all to the welcome table!!
Let me close with this story of the Pit. A man fell into a pit and was calling out for someone to help him.
A subjective man told him – I feel for you down there.
An objective man said it was logical that some one was going to fall in that pit.
A Christian Scientist said you only think you are in the pit.
A Pharisee said only bad people fall in pits.
A mathematician calculated how he fell into the pit.
A News Reporter wanted an exclusive story on his experiences in the pit
A fundamentalist said you deserve to be in that pit.
A Calvinist said if you had been saved you never would have fallen in that pit.
A DOC said you were saved but fell in the pit anyway.
A tax man asked if he was paying taxes on the pit.
An evasive man avoided the subject entirely.
And a man full of self pity…said you haven’t seen nothing until you see my pits.
An optimist said things could be worse…
A pessimist said things will get worse….
And then Jesus came along and seeing the man in the pit reached down and took him by the hand and lifted him out of the pit.
What’s love got to do with it? Everything!!!
-----------------------------Pastor Vi
Matthew 20: 1-16 Psalm 105 1-6
Cottage Way - August 29, 2004
This sermon or part of it anyway was preached in a congregation where I was present 2 years ago. I got permission from the pastor to use some of what he said because I really liked it and the way he said it. Then later when I was checking out the internet for sermons for this scripture I saw the same sermon there. So I don’t really know who to give the credit to – at this point. Anyway just know I heard some of this and some of it is mine……
Do any of you remember Tina Turner’s song….”What’s Love got to do with it? …Tina bellows out: O what’s love got to do with It? What’s love but a second hand emotion? Can we forget love? Few words are forced to carry more meaning….I love chocolate ice cream….I love your new dress, I will love yo for the rest of my life. The word love is forced to serve in everything. We are often unclear what love is. In tennis it means nothing. In life everything! We are often unclear about love, but seldom unclear what justice is. Among all the values we hold dear and sacred….it is not difficult to define justice. We believe in it deeply and are most aware of it in its absence. We seldom lose time letting others know when we have been victimized and seek justice for ourselves. The dastardly deed that left over 3000 in New York on 9/11 has us still seeking justice as a nation. We’re not so sure about love….but justice we know about.
We join company with the disciples of Jesus who are traveling with Jesus from the Jordan Valley to Jerusalem. The twelve were enjoying an overdose of self esteem….breaking their arms patting themselves on the back….because they were the first to follow Jesus. Jesus had been successful in the eye of the crowds and had taken the people by storm. The sick had been healed, the eyes of the blind had been opened…the lepers had been cleansed. He had given the good news to the poor, the hungry had been fed, and the oppressed had been liberated. The disciples were proud to be a part of a winning team. They were beginning to celebrate V Day. They began to count up their portions, prizes and privileges.
“Jesus when you get to where you are going…and start passing out preferences – don’t forget us 12. Remember – we were first to get on your band wagon….first to take a chance n you.” Peter even went further, “We left all to follow you, we left our boats and banks. We left our businesses, our families….and we left our homes. What are we going to get out of this? What will we receive out of our investment? We know you will be fair. You’re gonna be just. We know you’re gonna do right by us Jesus.!!”
In answer to this Jesus…prince of parables told a story: There was a householder who owned a vineyard and needed to hire laborers. He wanted workers to work form 6:00 am. to 6:00 pm. 12 hours. There was much to be done…and so at 6:00 am he went to the market place to find hard working people to harvest his grapes. The workers were able to strike a hard bargain with him. They asked for a denarius, about 20 cents. We will say $60 to allow for inflation for the last 2000 years or so. So these workers were happy to be able to make $60 for 12 hours work.
At 9:00 am three hours into the work day, the boss went to get more workers from the marketplace. Because it was somewhat late their bargaining position was not as favorable as the early birds were…so they said they would accept whatever was right and were glad to go to work. No guaranteed wage, but they were happy.
Noon – six hours into the work day. Another load of stragglers were recruited to work. No specified rate…after all the day was already half gone. These workers had NO bargaining position.
3:00 p.m….more workers were needed. In the Market place were some who were willing to work for anything they could get….no questions asked. Happy to have the privilege to work.
5:00 p.m….almost evening. Again in the marketplace…the sun had almost made her descent down the west4rn sky. There were a few disheartened, discouraged people standing in the corner waiting for work…still unemployed. ----you know this reminds me of the workers who pruned and picked pears for us when I was a kid in Lake County.----“Why are you standing here idle all day,” asked the master. “Nobody wants us….nobody will give us a chance….nobody will hire us….nobody will use us. No one thinks we count for anything.” Was the answer. The master said, “Oh yes, you count….it may be late in the day but here I am and I will hire you. Go in the vineyard. You only have one hour to work.” They lifted their drooping heads, and their spirits began to rise….and with great joy the went about their labor.
6:00 pm the long hard day was over and it was time for the workers to receive their pay. They gathered at the counter…but then there was a strange and surprising reversal in economic procedure. Those who were hired last were paid first. And they were paid $60 for only one hour of work. These workers were ecstatic with joy…couldn’t believe it…knew they didn’t earn it, knew they didn’t deserve it….they were glad and grateful.
The workers who had worked 3 hours stepped up to the counter and were surprised that they received $60 also. A full days wage and they started 9 hours late. They too were happy for many of their problems that were solved by the unexpected grace and mercy of the householder.
Next came those who worked 6 hours. And they were also surprised to get $60 for one half days word. And the 9:00 am crew….were paid for a full days work….no penalty for starting late.
And finally those who started early in the morning came to the counter…feeling superior because they had gotten there first. They put in a full days work and the cash registers of their minds began to add up the great bonuses they would receive because they had been the first. They had worked all day and when they opened their envelopes and saw the same $60 that everyone else had received…their countenance fell….and they were bitter and mad and they said….”What kind of boss is this?? Who paid us no more wages than the rest? We bore the burden in the heat of the day and they muttered and organized a grievance committee and finally one of them got a gleam in his eye and mastered enough courage to shake is finger in his Bosses face and said….”These guys didn’t work as song as we did, but got as much as we got. It’s not fair….It’s not right…It’s not just….start the picket line.”
“What’s wrong with the way I run my business? Did I take anything from you and give it to anyone else? Take what is your sand be on your way. You’ve been paid…you’ve got your money. I’ve only chosen to give to the last the same as I gave to you. And that’s my choice….that’s my business….that’s my decision Do you begrudge my generosity?”
“Yes, we do! Yes we do! We are offended….we are baffled….we are appalled, we are incensed. This is not a good way to give incentive to the workers for good productivity on the job.”
It’s expected in our economy ….in our system. The more you do the more you et, right? The reward is always in proportion to the performance. Right? That’s our system…and isn’t that fair…isn’t that just? We live in a capitalistic society where you get what you make and no less. I figured it out to the fraction the way it was supposed to have been, according to our system….according to the way we run our businesses. Work 12 ours get $60 – 9 hours get $45 – 6 hours $30 – 3 hours $14 – 1 hour $5 – ½ $2.50. 15 minutes $1.15…break for lunch..l10am break…3 pm. Beak. Off at 6. Vacation time…paid holiday…sick leave…maternity leave…. I mean that’s fair….that’s just…that’s reasonable.
Well – that’s not the way God runs his business.! That’s the kingdom of the capitalistic technology society. But it’s not the way things work in the kingdom of God! Capitalism is a good system, a good way…it has given us confidence, given us conveniences…given us gadgets…in NY and the Silicon Valley and even in Sacramento, Calif. Capitalism has created a paradise for poor people…for common workers…has given them opportunities to learn skills….to be founders of neighborhoods, establish homes…establish churches…and educate children…they have achieved luxury! That’s capitalism We are proud of our achievements and the way we run our businesses. We’ve been taught that if we work we will be rewarded….no more no loss…it’s the survival of the fittest. Only the strong will survive. That’s our way. That’s capitalism. But listen….it is STILL not God’s way and capitalism can’t save us. GE – GTE, and GAP are still not as good as GOD. I tell you that the way of humanity must never be confused or identified with the way of God…
For the same capitalism can be ruthless and cruel and cold and uncaring. The same capitalism can put profits before people…the same capitalism can sell to children…sex to teenagers…can make to destroy us. The same capitalism can drain us mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. The same Capitalism can be a monster killer unless it is confronted and challenged, unless it is changed and reformed by the influence of the power of Jesus Christ working through the lives of committed men and women. We must never feel so at home in this world and in this system….we must never get so comfortable with the way things work that we cease to work to make them what they ought to be. In the sight of God….mercy is better than merits….love is higher than the law…and grace is greater than justice.
Yes it is! The greatest decision facing the church in the 21st century is whether it will function as a law based community of faith…or as a grace based community of love. Will we be defined by some carefully thought out theology? Will we be satisfied with logically delineated articles of faith or will the church welcome its role as a living…breathing…helping…healing organism known for its acts of love? The fact is…if we are genuinely to be church….if we are to be a true Christ bodied community of witnesses, we have no choice in this matter! Jesus did not command us to live a life of faith defined by legalistic particulars. Jesus offered us only one commandment. LOVE….Love one another as I have loved you…instead of a series of laws. Jesus declared we are to live according to a mandate of love…for life was not meant to be fair and just. It was meant to be loving. Life was meant to be kind, gentle, rich, full, enabling, uplifting, and inspiring. That’s the gospel !!! And that’s so much better than fairness.!
The preacher I was listening to 2 years ago told how he grew up in the 50’s and 60’s in the delta of the Mississippi and wasn’t treated fairly! A poor black boy….growing up in the middle of Jim Crowism…racism…and segregation. With 3rd and 4th rate education. He never saw a new textbook until he got to Chapman College. There was nothing fair abut that! But he remembers growing up in a home….no fairness…but love. Overflowing love. “Boy, you are going to be something if I have to kill you” was what his Mama told him. “Heaven help me if my Mother had been fair,” he said…but she was loving, kind, and gentle, and enabling. When the time for discipline came she said, “This is going to hurt me more than you”…and He could never see that….”I’m doing this because I love you” and this preacher could understand that!
I am beginning to sense and feel and know that love is much better than fairness! Fairness is adequate….but love is abundant! Fairness is equal…but love is extravagant! Fairness measures out portions…but love gives all! Fairness knows where to stop, but love gives without restraint. Fairness uses a calculator…but love is infinite!!
THANKS BE TO GOD! God’s not fair with us….but God is loving…and when we come to know that we have been called and claimed by an overflowing unending love…then we are able to share it with others. Then we can have a concern and commitment for the poor…for the least…for the lost…for the locked out…and for the left out. Then we can care for our children….in all our churches. When we know that we have been called and claimed by an overflowing unending love….then we will have tolerance….then we will have acceptance…and affirmation of people who don’t look like us, who don’t act like us, who don’t even share our values. We can minister to the homeless…feed the hungry…help the hurting…and encourage the hopeless. We can invite all to the welcome table!!
Let me close with this story of the Pit. A man fell into a pit and was calling out for someone to help him.
A subjective man told him – I feel for you down there.
An objective man said it was logical that some one was going to fall in that pit.
A Christian Scientist said you only think you are in the pit.
A Pharisee said only bad people fall in pits.
A mathematician calculated how he fell into the pit.
A News Reporter wanted an exclusive story on his experiences in the pit
A fundamentalist said you deserve to be in that pit.
A Calvinist said if you had been saved you never would have fallen in that pit.
A DOC said you were saved but fell in the pit anyway.
A tax man asked if he was paying taxes on the pit.
An evasive man avoided the subject entirely.
And a man full of self pity…said you haven’t seen nothing until you see my pits.
An optimist said things could be worse…
A pessimist said things will get worse….
And then Jesus came along and seeing the man in the pit reached down and took him by the hand and lifted him out of the pit.
What’s love got to do with it? Everything!!!
-----------------------------Pastor Vi
“God Wore Red Gym Shoes”
Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28 Luke 15:1-10
Cottage Way - September 12, 2004
In our first scripture read by Sharon this morning – Jeremiah predicts the fall of his nation. The fall came in 586 BC. When the Babylonians burned down Jerusalem along with the great Solomon’s temple. Today we need to realize that God is justice as well as love. BUT even in the worst of times, there is reason to hope for better days. Jerusalem and the temple were in total ruin. The people were deported to Babylon. In spite of the holocaust, God says, “I will not make a full end.” Years later God used Cyrus the Great to permit the Jews to return and rebuild their nation. God’s wrath was terrible but his mercy is even greater. In our gospel lesson in Luke - Jesus is talking about lost and found. I will be focusing mostly on the gospel lesson. Let’s see what we can make of these this morning. First – I just want to warn you that I refer to God as “she” several times ---and as you hear this sermon I think you will understand why. I just want you to know that my God is more than male or female – my God is all. God is my father and my mother. In fact when I was in the Holy Land 20 years ago in the catholic church on the top of the Mt. Of Olives the Lord’s prayer is framed on the wall of the portico of the building. And I did a double take as I read it – it was in Arabic and then translated into English. It started out “Our Mother who art in Heaven.”
“Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them….”
The campers arrived on Sunday night. By Monday morning, someone was missing his hunting knife. By later that afternoon a baseball went missing. By campfire that night, one of the campers was missing five dollars. One did not need to have “light years” of experience to know that the camp had a thief.
It is hard to say why kids eleven and twelve years old steal things, especially when they don’t really need the things they steal. One thing, however, is for sure. They are really bad at it; and by Tuesday afternoon, they had the culprit.
“Why did you do it?” asked the camp counselor.
“I didn’t do it,” said the kid.
“We know you did it. We found the knife, the glove and money in your locker. Why did you do it?”
“I didn’t do it.”
“Look, said the counselor. “I’m going to give you a break. This is only the second day of camp and I’m going to forget any of this happened. I’ll return the stolen stuff. We’ll wipe the slate clean and start over. OK?”
“I didn’t do it.”
This kid was not afraid of anybody, and the whole time the counselor talked to him there was no expression on his face whatsoever. No light in his eyes.
On Wednesday afternoon, in a rowboat out on the lake, he stuck a fish hook in another kid’s leg. And there the two of them were again. The counselor and the kid with no light in his eyes.
“Why did you do it?”
“I didn’t do it.”
The counselor was clearly out of his league. Now this was a Roman Catholic camp. So the director decided to give the kid to one of the nuns who worked there. Sister Ruth Ann was retired, but her only concession to old age was a pair of red gym shoes that peeked out from under her habit as she shuffled along from building to building, doing what her late father, who had been a handyman, had taught her how to do. She could repair anything. And they called her Sister Fix-It.
On the first morning she appeared beside the kid’s bed and said, “Wake up and get dressed. I need you.” Then it started. The other campers would be playing baseball. The nun and the kid would be out past center field planting something. The other campers would be swimming. The nun and the kid would be painting the side of the chapel. The other campers would be eating. The nun and the kid would be out on a bench together having lunch. Wherever you saw the nun you saw the kid. Wherever you saw the kid you saw the nun.
Instead of sending the kid home when the new campers came in, the parents and camp director agreed to leave him another two weeks. The new batch of kids did not know the history of the kid with no light in his eyes and they would ask him, “Do you want to play baseball?”
He would look at her and she would say, “Go play baseball. Then meet me back here. We have work to do in the garden.
The other kids would be going horseback riding and would say to him, “Want to come riding?” He would look at her and she would say, “You go riding. Then meet me back here and we’ll paint the bench down at the lake.”
And that’s how it went for another two weeks. She let him out and she reeled him in. She let him and out she reeled him in. At the end of the two weeks, the kid was integrated into the life of the camp.
The day his parents came to pick him up, they waited with the camp counselor and director on the hill overlooking the camp. They all saw them at the same time. The old nun with the gym shoes and the kid with no light in his eyes. They were coming up the path that led down to the lake. Even at twelve he was taller than she was. She had her arm around his waist and a glow on her face like a woman who had found a coin she had long searched for. With each step she pulled him against her. She was hip-hugging him all the way. AND he was letting her do it.
-Adapted from a story by Fr. John Shea
The startlingly comforting and challenging thing about the two parables Jesus tells to open the 15th chapter of Luke is that God seems completely intent on finding those of us who are lost – whether or not those who are lost ever appreciate that fact. Yes, I know. Luke adds, Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Although I doubt if Jesus ever said that. Why? Because it doesn’t fit the stories, that’s why. Lost sheep don’t come to their senses anymore than a lost coin does. Lost sheep keep running away, hiding in caves and acting frightened even when it’s the good shepherd looking for them because that’s what it means to be lost. If that and the analogy of a misplaced coin with abut as much sense as a sheep don’t convince you, then just think about the real “live” sinners you have ever met or been yourselves. We’re just as “sense-less”, just as set in our ways, and just as inclined to keep running the other way whenever love comes searching for us, too.
It isn’t anything about lost sinners that made Jesus want to eat and drink with them. It was something about Jesus. He associated with the uncultivated, the vulgar, the irreligious, the notorious – in other words – with anybody he knew who had ever done anything wrong. If anything is plainly true from all four gospel records, that surely is. He spent most of his time with people so unlike the crowd you would normally expect to find in pews on Sunday morning that it is enough to wonder how comfortable he would be hanging around with people like us.
One of the charges made against Jesus that began to stick was “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
The amazing thing is that he didn’t seem to mind one bit. He kept on breaking bread with them and lifting a pint or two whether they went on being the mixed up, self-destructive, irresponsible people they were or not. Not that he didn’t want them to be better; because, of course, he did. But
That was not the point. The point was that he wanted them to know that God had never turned her back on them and never would, that she would not be satisfied until she had them back safe and sound, that she would never rest until what was lost was found. That was the point.
That’s good news for anybody who has ever done anything wrong – anybody who has ever messed up so badly and saw so little hope for changing that they simply went on giving in to their selfish, self-destructive habits. Good news because it means that as much as we try to escape that offer of love and acceptance, as much as we insist on turning our backs on it, God will not rest until we “get it.” She isn’t going anywhere except after us. She isn’t going to bother herself about anything else excepting sweeping the place high and dry until there is no place left for us to hide. It’s just the way she is, that’s all. That’s why Jesus was the way he was.
Well, it’s good news for everyone but the snob, of course. The snobs were the people who looked down their noses at the riff-raff Jesus kept company with, who looked down at Jesus the same way. Maybe because they thought they really were better. Or maybe just because he reminded them of what God was like and of what they were not. Even from a distance, you can usually tell the people who are just plain trouble. The people who could hurt your reputation just by your association with them, the people who are probably not worth the effort. The only real question is whether or not you and I keep our distance.
I would like to tell you a parable by a scholar and author Henri Nouwen.
It concerns an old man who used to meditate each day by the Ganges River in India.
One morning he aw a scorpion floating in the water. When the scorpion drifted near the old man he reached to rescue it, but was stung by the scorpion. A bit later he tried again and was stung again, the bite swelling his hand painfully and giving him much pain. Another man passing by saw what was happening and yelled at the meditater , “hey stupid old man, what’s wrong with you? Only a fool would risk his life for the sake of an ugly, evil creature. Don’t you know you could kill yourself trying to save that ungrateful scorpion?”
The old man calmly replied, “My friend, just it is in the nature to sting, that does not change my nature to save.”
It is in God’s nature to save – because it is in God’s nature to love. God seeks the lost, heals the wounded, forgives the offender, and gives hope to those who are in despair. It is what God does. It matters not that we might be scorpions – that we might hurt him – God has makes promises to us – and God keeps them. That is what the story of the cross is all about, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Our purpose – the purpose God calls us to – is to save as well: to change our minds about the destruction we want to bring about when we feel hurt – to relent of the anger we have – and to work to save others as God has saved us, us who are sinners no less than those whom we are angry at.
HH. Staton in his book, “A Guide To the Parables of Jesus” tells the story of having been on an ocean liner headed to the Middle East.
Nine hundred miles out to sea a sail was sighted on the horizon. As the liner drew closer, the passengers saw that the boat – a small sloop flying a Turkish flag – had run up a distress signal and other flags asking for its position at sea. Through a faulty chronometer or immature navigation the small vessel had become lost. For nearly an hour the liner circled the little boat, giving its crew correct latitude and longitude. Naturally there was a great deal of interest in all the proceedings among the passengers of the liner. A boy of about 12 standing on the deck and watching al that was taking place remarked aloud t himself – “It’s a big ocean to be lost in.”
It is a big universe to be lost in too. And we do get lost – we get mixed up and turned around. We despair, we make mistakes, we do evil to each other. And at times we incur the wrath of God and of man. But while it is a big universe out there it is not a hostile one – at least not on God’s part.
God’s wrath does not last forever – indeed it barely lasts but a moment for God remembers who we are, what we are made of, and whose we are, and it is in God’s nature – even when dealing with scorpions – to seek the lost, to save the sinner and have compassion on those who seek his shelter.
God offers to each one of us the opportunity to start over again, fresh each day. The question for us – who are made in his image is quite simply this – should we do any less? If God can have a change of mind and relent of his anger – cannot we? We all need to get a pair of red gym shoes! Amen.
-Pastor Vi
Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28 Luke 15:1-10
Cottage Way - September 12, 2004
In our first scripture read by Sharon this morning – Jeremiah predicts the fall of his nation. The fall came in 586 BC. When the Babylonians burned down Jerusalem along with the great Solomon’s temple. Today we need to realize that God is justice as well as love. BUT even in the worst of times, there is reason to hope for better days. Jerusalem and the temple were in total ruin. The people were deported to Babylon. In spite of the holocaust, God says, “I will not make a full end.” Years later God used Cyrus the Great to permit the Jews to return and rebuild their nation. God’s wrath was terrible but his mercy is even greater. In our gospel lesson in Luke - Jesus is talking about lost and found. I will be focusing mostly on the gospel lesson. Let’s see what we can make of these this morning. First – I just want to warn you that I refer to God as “she” several times ---and as you hear this sermon I think you will understand why. I just want you to know that my God is more than male or female – my God is all. God is my father and my mother. In fact when I was in the Holy Land 20 years ago in the catholic church on the top of the Mt. Of Olives the Lord’s prayer is framed on the wall of the portico of the building. And I did a double take as I read it – it was in Arabic and then translated into English. It started out “Our Mother who art in Heaven.”
“Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them….”
The campers arrived on Sunday night. By Monday morning, someone was missing his hunting knife. By later that afternoon a baseball went missing. By campfire that night, one of the campers was missing five dollars. One did not need to have “light years” of experience to know that the camp had a thief.
It is hard to say why kids eleven and twelve years old steal things, especially when they don’t really need the things they steal. One thing, however, is for sure. They are really bad at it; and by Tuesday afternoon, they had the culprit.
“Why did you do it?” asked the camp counselor.
“I didn’t do it,” said the kid.
“We know you did it. We found the knife, the glove and money in your locker. Why did you do it?”
“I didn’t do it.”
“Look, said the counselor. “I’m going to give you a break. This is only the second day of camp and I’m going to forget any of this happened. I’ll return the stolen stuff. We’ll wipe the slate clean and start over. OK?”
“I didn’t do it.”
This kid was not afraid of anybody, and the whole time the counselor talked to him there was no expression on his face whatsoever. No light in his eyes.
On Wednesday afternoon, in a rowboat out on the lake, he stuck a fish hook in another kid’s leg. And there the two of them were again. The counselor and the kid with no light in his eyes.
“Why did you do it?”
“I didn’t do it.”
The counselor was clearly out of his league. Now this was a Roman Catholic camp. So the director decided to give the kid to one of the nuns who worked there. Sister Ruth Ann was retired, but her only concession to old age was a pair of red gym shoes that peeked out from under her habit as she shuffled along from building to building, doing what her late father, who had been a handyman, had taught her how to do. She could repair anything. And they called her Sister Fix-It.
On the first morning she appeared beside the kid’s bed and said, “Wake up and get dressed. I need you.” Then it started. The other campers would be playing baseball. The nun and the kid would be out past center field planting something. The other campers would be swimming. The nun and the kid would be painting the side of the chapel. The other campers would be eating. The nun and the kid would be out on a bench together having lunch. Wherever you saw the nun you saw the kid. Wherever you saw the kid you saw the nun.
Instead of sending the kid home when the new campers came in, the parents and camp director agreed to leave him another two weeks. The new batch of kids did not know the history of the kid with no light in his eyes and they would ask him, “Do you want to play baseball?”
He would look at her and she would say, “Go play baseball. Then meet me back here. We have work to do in the garden.
The other kids would be going horseback riding and would say to him, “Want to come riding?” He would look at her and she would say, “You go riding. Then meet me back here and we’ll paint the bench down at the lake.”
And that’s how it went for another two weeks. She let him out and she reeled him in. She let him and out she reeled him in. At the end of the two weeks, the kid was integrated into the life of the camp.
The day his parents came to pick him up, they waited with the camp counselor and director on the hill overlooking the camp. They all saw them at the same time. The old nun with the gym shoes and the kid with no light in his eyes. They were coming up the path that led down to the lake. Even at twelve he was taller than she was. She had her arm around his waist and a glow on her face like a woman who had found a coin she had long searched for. With each step she pulled him against her. She was hip-hugging him all the way. AND he was letting her do it.
-Adapted from a story by Fr. John Shea
The startlingly comforting and challenging thing about the two parables Jesus tells to open the 15th chapter of Luke is that God seems completely intent on finding those of us who are lost – whether or not those who are lost ever appreciate that fact. Yes, I know. Luke adds, Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Although I doubt if Jesus ever said that. Why? Because it doesn’t fit the stories, that’s why. Lost sheep don’t come to their senses anymore than a lost coin does. Lost sheep keep running away, hiding in caves and acting frightened even when it’s the good shepherd looking for them because that’s what it means to be lost. If that and the analogy of a misplaced coin with abut as much sense as a sheep don’t convince you, then just think about the real “live” sinners you have ever met or been yourselves. We’re just as “sense-less”, just as set in our ways, and just as inclined to keep running the other way whenever love comes searching for us, too.
It isn’t anything about lost sinners that made Jesus want to eat and drink with them. It was something about Jesus. He associated with the uncultivated, the vulgar, the irreligious, the notorious – in other words – with anybody he knew who had ever done anything wrong. If anything is plainly true from all four gospel records, that surely is. He spent most of his time with people so unlike the crowd you would normally expect to find in pews on Sunday morning that it is enough to wonder how comfortable he would be hanging around with people like us.
One of the charges made against Jesus that began to stick was “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
The amazing thing is that he didn’t seem to mind one bit. He kept on breaking bread with them and lifting a pint or two whether they went on being the mixed up, self-destructive, irresponsible people they were or not. Not that he didn’t want them to be better; because, of course, he did. But
That was not the point. The point was that he wanted them to know that God had never turned her back on them and never would, that she would not be satisfied until she had them back safe and sound, that she would never rest until what was lost was found. That was the point.
That’s good news for anybody who has ever done anything wrong – anybody who has ever messed up so badly and saw so little hope for changing that they simply went on giving in to their selfish, self-destructive habits. Good news because it means that as much as we try to escape that offer of love and acceptance, as much as we insist on turning our backs on it, God will not rest until we “get it.” She isn’t going anywhere except after us. She isn’t going to bother herself about anything else excepting sweeping the place high and dry until there is no place left for us to hide. It’s just the way she is, that’s all. That’s why Jesus was the way he was.
Well, it’s good news for everyone but the snob, of course. The snobs were the people who looked down their noses at the riff-raff Jesus kept company with, who looked down at Jesus the same way. Maybe because they thought they really were better. Or maybe just because he reminded them of what God was like and of what they were not. Even from a distance, you can usually tell the people who are just plain trouble. The people who could hurt your reputation just by your association with them, the people who are probably not worth the effort. The only real question is whether or not you and I keep our distance.
I would like to tell you a parable by a scholar and author Henri Nouwen.
It concerns an old man who used to meditate each day by the Ganges River in India.
One morning he aw a scorpion floating in the water. When the scorpion drifted near the old man he reached to rescue it, but was stung by the scorpion. A bit later he tried again and was stung again, the bite swelling his hand painfully and giving him much pain. Another man passing by saw what was happening and yelled at the meditater , “hey stupid old man, what’s wrong with you? Only a fool would risk his life for the sake of an ugly, evil creature. Don’t you know you could kill yourself trying to save that ungrateful scorpion?”
The old man calmly replied, “My friend, just it is in the nature to sting, that does not change my nature to save.”
It is in God’s nature to save – because it is in God’s nature to love. God seeks the lost, heals the wounded, forgives the offender, and gives hope to those who are in despair. It is what God does. It matters not that we might be scorpions – that we might hurt him – God has makes promises to us – and God keeps them. That is what the story of the cross is all about, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Our purpose – the purpose God calls us to – is to save as well: to change our minds about the destruction we want to bring about when we feel hurt – to relent of the anger we have – and to work to save others as God has saved us, us who are sinners no less than those whom we are angry at.
HH. Staton in his book, “A Guide To the Parables of Jesus” tells the story of having been on an ocean liner headed to the Middle East.
Nine hundred miles out to sea a sail was sighted on the horizon. As the liner drew closer, the passengers saw that the boat – a small sloop flying a Turkish flag – had run up a distress signal and other flags asking for its position at sea. Through a faulty chronometer or immature navigation the small vessel had become lost. For nearly an hour the liner circled the little boat, giving its crew correct latitude and longitude. Naturally there was a great deal of interest in all the proceedings among the passengers of the liner. A boy of about 12 standing on the deck and watching al that was taking place remarked aloud t himself – “It’s a big ocean to be lost in.”
It is a big universe to be lost in too. And we do get lost – we get mixed up and turned around. We despair, we make mistakes, we do evil to each other. And at times we incur the wrath of God and of man. But while it is a big universe out there it is not a hostile one – at least not on God’s part.
God’s wrath does not last forever – indeed it barely lasts but a moment for God remembers who we are, what we are made of, and whose we are, and it is in God’s nature – even when dealing with scorpions – to seek the lost, to save the sinner and have compassion on those who seek his shelter.
God offers to each one of us the opportunity to start over again, fresh each day. The question for us – who are made in his image is quite simply this – should we do any less? If God can have a change of mind and relent of his anger – cannot we? We all need to get a pair of red gym shoes! Amen.
-Pastor Vi
Monday, August 23, 2004
ONE ON ONE
Jeremiah 1:4-10 Luke 13:10-17
Cottage Way – August 22, 2004
Preached by Pastor Vi
In the Scripture reading from the Old Testament today, we hear the Lord saying to Jeremiah: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.” That really touches my heart – to think that God knew me before he formed me in my Mother’s womb. We have worth because we were born in the mind of God before we even entered our mother’s womb. We are the product of God’s creativity and love. That is something that can never change or ever be taken away from us. So when we are feeling down – we need to remember that. A slogan that was around a few years ago stated – “God doesn’t make junk!” And God doesn’t – we all have worth.
As I was working on this sermon this week I came to the conclusion that there are two ways that I could talk to you today. First, I could speak to you, plural. To all of you at the same time. I could say things like, “God loves you.” “Jesus died for you.” This is your church.”
These statements are true. That way of speaking works. By talking to you –plural, I can get my message across and you will hear it. Speaking to all of you at once is also safe. There is only so much detailed information that I can give to a group of this size. When dealing with groups of people we tend to speak in generalities. Each week, I tend to lay out before you concepts drawn from scripture and hope and pray that you will latch on to them and apply them in your own situations. That tends to be how sermons work. It is only through the grace and interaction of God that my message becomes your message, at which point it has become God’s message.
Now the other way I could talk to you today is one on one. I could speak to you singular. To Joe, to Eric, Chris, to Mary, to Sharon and so on. Instead of speaking in generalities, I could speak with you about specifics. “God loves you, Ruth.” “Jesus died for you, Kent.” “This is your church, Cindy” These now become personal statements. By speaking to you as individuals, we break below the surface generalities into the real “stuff” of faith. “God loves you.” How do you know? How does that effect you, personally? What does it mean to you to acknowledge that Jesus died for you.?
Speaking one to one like that is much more risky than speaking in great sweeping statements. Speaking one on one involves relationships and trust and honesty. You can’t hide in face to face; soul to soul communication.
I think Jesus knew this all too well. In today’s gospel story we find him in the synagogue on the Sabbath. He is teaching a bunch of people, not unlike what is going on here today. At the very back of the room behind the grillwork and close to the women’s entrance could be seen a grotesque shadow. Nothing but a shadow – or so it seemed – gave shape to the figure of a woman bent double. Curved and folded in upon itself, the deformed body had been her burden to carry for eighteen years. And worse, it was said that she was demented – possessed by a demon and bound by Satan. Surely she must have transgressed God’s law and sinned mightily to have been afflicted with such a terrible, ugly, visible sign of her disobedience.
One person out of that crowd who had a need different from the rest. Jesus stops his sermon teaching and calls her over to him. A general group message just became personal.
For years, people told the woman, “Stand up!” And she would say, “I can’t!” “Look Up!” “I can’t” “Lift up your eyes!” “I can’t” When asked why not, she would say, “I just can’t”
Some of us have a good case of the “I can’ts too. Stop drinking! “I can’t” Stop looking at ography! “I Can’t! Stop abusing ! “I can’t” Stop being bitter! “I can’t!” Forgive that person who hurt you! “I can’t” Stand up to whomever is hurting you! “I can’t!”
You need for Jesus to deliver you from your “can’ts” today! Have you ever seen a circus elephant tied to a small wooden stake outside a circus tent?
That grown elephant could easily rip the wooden stake out of the ground. But when elephant trainers are training baby elephants, they use a strong iron anchor bar and drive it deep into the ground. When the baby elephant tugs and tries to get away, he can’t and experiences the pain of the shackle on his leg. Finally, he gives up and stops pulling. Gradually as the elephant grows up, they replace the iron anchor bar with a wooden stake. That’s why the grown elephant doesn’t pull away; he doesn’t think he can, so he can’t. It’s not the stake in the ground keeping him in place; it’s the thought in his mind that keeps him there.
One of the devil’s greatest tools is to try to erect a stronghold in your mind to make you think you can’t do something God has told you to do. That’s why the Bible says in Ephesians 4:27, “Do not give the devil a foothold.” My Grandma always told me, “If you give the devil and inch, he’ll take your smile; he will rob you of your joy.” That scared me, because I live for joy!
Meanwhile back at the synagogue. First Jesus looks at the woman, and then he calls her. I wonder if Jesus bent down and looked into her eyes?
Jesus said, “Woman, you are set free from your ailment.”
And he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up
straight and began praising God.
I believe that’s the way Jesus works best. One on one face to face; soul to soul. I believe that’s the way Jesus knows he has our full attention. He calls us out from the group and deals with only us; one at a time. He calls us by name. Imagine that! Out of the billions of people on the earth, Jesus calls you, calls me, by name. He knows us that well.
A well known hymn begins, “Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling, calling for you and for me.”
In fact, Jesus knows us so well, that he is able to look at us and see just what we need, where we need straightening, so to speak. Perhaps physically straightened, as the woman in the story. Perhaps spiritually straightened, if we are heading astray. Perhaps emotionally, or psychologically straightened. Jesus wants us to be whole. Jesus wants us to know him, one on one. As much as he did die for us (plural), he also died for us (individually). For you, for me. For each one of us. He cares that much for each of us. BUT sometimes we get bent out of shape, spiritually as well as physically. And that makes it hard to hear Jesus.
I recently read a funny story that illustrates how most of us are never satisfied – we are bent out of shape about life. Frank and Mabel had been married for 40 years. Frank turned 60 a few months earlier and they were celebrating Mabel’s 60th birthday. During the birthday party, Frank walked into another room and was surprised to see a fairy godmother appear before him. She said, “Frank, this is your lucky day. I’m here to grant you one wish – what would you like?” He thought for a moment, and said, “well, I would really like to have a wife who was thirty years younger than me.” The fairy godmother said, “No problem.” She waved her wand, and “poof” suddenly Frank was 90 years old. I imagine old Frank was a little bent out of shape by the way that turned out!
It is so important that we need to respond to Jesus as individuals. Jesus calls us by name. Great! But we must respond to that call for a relationship to exist. It was entirely possible that the woman in the story could have chosen to ignore Jesus. She didn’t even ask to be healed so she could have just turned and walked away. After all, she had lived with her infirmity for 18 years. I’d guess she was pretty used to it. She could probably work around it. She might have had family to help her. It probably earned her a fair bit of sympathy. Being healed would dramatically change the way she lived her life. And not just physically! Emotionally, spiritually as well. After all, God had allowed this infirmity to happen to her, right? So where was God? Why should she believe in a loving and caring God, In the midst of her pain and suffering? Why didn’t God make her well again? Those are strong emotions and hard theological questions. To be healed, especially instantly, means letting go of the anger and self pity. Again, ways she had probably gotten used to feeling. Being healed meant having to change the way she thought about God It meant believing in a living active healing God. She was well within her rights to just turn and walk away.
Yet, consider what she would have lost. Health, real wholeness, inside and out. The ability to praise God again. Yes, there would be change. She could no longer be who she was before. But who would want to be, in the face of who she is now? In response to being called personally, she responded personally.
There is a here for us. When Jesus calls us by name, as I believe he does, we too have the choice whether to respond or not. Whether to hold on to who we are now and the ways we have become accustomed to living, or whether we will be willing to risk losing them for new ways, God ways. Choosing to turn our backs on Jesus and walk away, or stand before him face to face, in relationship.
You see, it was easy for the crowd in that synagogue to cheer on Jesus. There was very little risk involved. Just as it’s easy to walk out the door here today, give me a hug or shake my hand, smile and go home unchanged. It’s not easy to break out of that group mentality and respond to Jesus as a single person. The preacher says God loves you. Everyone nods yes. But when Jesus says to you, “I died for you, what do you think of that?” It’s not so easy anymore is it? When the preacher says, “love your neighbor.” Again, the nods. Bur when Jesus makes it personal with something like, “What about old Mr. So and so that you ignored the other day in the store? I love him too you know!” Then things get a little messy. Then our sin starts to show through. Then we have to be honest about old Mr. So and so and admit that we don’t love him, or even like him. Then we have to admit our need for Jesus’ forgiveness and grace. But then we are dealing one on one with Jesus. Then we have a real relationship with our savior. Then we are being our real self.
So having said all that, I have a challenge for you today. The next time you feel Jesus speaking to you, and make no mistake – Jesus does speak to all of us – we just have to listen and to be willing to risk responding in a personal way. Don’t just pretend it isn’t him speaking. Don’t ignore his voice. Don’t choose to turn away. Say, “Yes!” face to face, person to person, soul to soul. When you get that funny feeling in your tummy – or all of a sudden goose bumps on your arm – that could be Jesus talking to you.
“Jesus loves me, this I know.” Because he calls me individually. Because he knows what I really need. Because he offers it to me freely if I am willing to accept it.
So consider the challenges! The next time you feel Jesus speaking to you, respond with your personal “Yes.” Think back about sermons that have been meaningful to you. What made them stand out from the rest? Were they “group oriented, or was the message “personal” for you? In your praying this week, pray with a personal Savior. Instead of “Lord” or “God” use “My Jesus” or “My Friend.” See how that changes the way you pray.
My wish for each of you this week is that you work on having a one on one relationship with Jesus – and feel the joy! Amen.
Jeremiah 1:4-10 Luke 13:10-17
Cottage Way – August 22, 2004
Preached by Pastor Vi
In the Scripture reading from the Old Testament today, we hear the Lord saying to Jeremiah: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.” That really touches my heart – to think that God knew me before he formed me in my Mother’s womb. We have worth because we were born in the mind of God before we even entered our mother’s womb. We are the product of God’s creativity and love. That is something that can never change or ever be taken away from us. So when we are feeling down – we need to remember that. A slogan that was around a few years ago stated – “God doesn’t make junk!” And God doesn’t – we all have worth.
As I was working on this sermon this week I came to the conclusion that there are two ways that I could talk to you today. First, I could speak to you, plural. To all of you at the same time. I could say things like, “God loves you.” “Jesus died for you.” This is your church.”
These statements are true. That way of speaking works. By talking to you –plural, I can get my message across and you will hear it. Speaking to all of you at once is also safe. There is only so much detailed information that I can give to a group of this size. When dealing with groups of people we tend to speak in generalities. Each week, I tend to lay out before you concepts drawn from scripture and hope and pray that you will latch on to them and apply them in your own situations. That tends to be how sermons work. It is only through the grace and interaction of God that my message becomes your message, at which point it has become God’s message.
Now the other way I could talk to you today is one on one. I could speak to you singular. To Joe, to Eric, Chris, to Mary, to Sharon and so on. Instead of speaking in generalities, I could speak with you about specifics. “God loves you, Ruth.” “Jesus died for you, Kent.” “This is your church, Cindy” These now become personal statements. By speaking to you as individuals, we break below the surface generalities into the real “stuff” of faith. “God loves you.” How do you know? How does that effect you, personally? What does it mean to you to acknowledge that Jesus died for you.?
Speaking one to one like that is much more risky than speaking in great sweeping statements. Speaking one on one involves relationships and trust and honesty. You can’t hide in face to face; soul to soul communication.
I think Jesus knew this all too well. In today’s gospel story we find him in the synagogue on the Sabbath. He is teaching a bunch of people, not unlike what is going on here today. At the very back of the room behind the grillwork and close to the women’s entrance could be seen a grotesque shadow. Nothing but a shadow – or so it seemed – gave shape to the figure of a woman bent double. Curved and folded in upon itself, the deformed body had been her burden to carry for eighteen years. And worse, it was said that she was demented – possessed by a demon and bound by Satan. Surely she must have transgressed God’s law and sinned mightily to have been afflicted with such a terrible, ugly, visible sign of her disobedience.
One person out of that crowd who had a need different from the rest. Jesus stops his sermon teaching and calls her over to him. A general group message just became personal.
For years, people told the woman, “Stand up!” And she would say, “I can’t!” “Look Up!” “I can’t” “Lift up your eyes!” “I can’t” When asked why not, she would say, “I just can’t”
Some of us have a good case of the “I can’ts too. Stop drinking! “I can’t” Stop looking at ography! “I Can’t! Stop abusing ! “I can’t” Stop being bitter! “I can’t!” Forgive that person who hurt you! “I can’t” Stand up to whomever is hurting you! “I can’t!”
You need for Jesus to deliver you from your “can’ts” today! Have you ever seen a circus elephant tied to a small wooden stake outside a circus tent?
That grown elephant could easily rip the wooden stake out of the ground. But when elephant trainers are training baby elephants, they use a strong iron anchor bar and drive it deep into the ground. When the baby elephant tugs and tries to get away, he can’t and experiences the pain of the shackle on his leg. Finally, he gives up and stops pulling. Gradually as the elephant grows up, they replace the iron anchor bar with a wooden stake. That’s why the grown elephant doesn’t pull away; he doesn’t think he can, so he can’t. It’s not the stake in the ground keeping him in place; it’s the thought in his mind that keeps him there.
One of the devil’s greatest tools is to try to erect a stronghold in your mind to make you think you can’t do something God has told you to do. That’s why the Bible says in Ephesians 4:27, “Do not give the devil a foothold.” My Grandma always told me, “If you give the devil and inch, he’ll take your smile; he will rob you of your joy.” That scared me, because I live for joy!
Meanwhile back at the synagogue. First Jesus looks at the woman, and then he calls her. I wonder if Jesus bent down and looked into her eyes?
Jesus said, “Woman, you are set free from your ailment.”
And he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up
straight and began praising God.
I believe that’s the way Jesus works best. One on one face to face; soul to soul. I believe that’s the way Jesus knows he has our full attention. He calls us out from the group and deals with only us; one at a time. He calls us by name. Imagine that! Out of the billions of people on the earth, Jesus calls you, calls me, by name. He knows us that well.
A well known hymn begins, “Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling, calling for you and for me.”
In fact, Jesus knows us so well, that he is able to look at us and see just what we need, where we need straightening, so to speak. Perhaps physically straightened, as the woman in the story. Perhaps spiritually straightened, if we are heading astray. Perhaps emotionally, or psychologically straightened. Jesus wants us to be whole. Jesus wants us to know him, one on one. As much as he did die for us (plural), he also died for us (individually). For you, for me. For each one of us. He cares that much for each of us. BUT sometimes we get bent out of shape, spiritually as well as physically. And that makes it hard to hear Jesus.
I recently read a funny story that illustrates how most of us are never satisfied – we are bent out of shape about life. Frank and Mabel had been married for 40 years. Frank turned 60 a few months earlier and they were celebrating Mabel’s 60th birthday. During the birthday party, Frank walked into another room and was surprised to see a fairy godmother appear before him. She said, “Frank, this is your lucky day. I’m here to grant you one wish – what would you like?” He thought for a moment, and said, “well, I would really like to have a wife who was thirty years younger than me.” The fairy godmother said, “No problem.” She waved her wand, and “poof” suddenly Frank was 90 years old. I imagine old Frank was a little bent out of shape by the way that turned out!
It is so important that we need to respond to Jesus as individuals. Jesus calls us by name. Great! But we must respond to that call for a relationship to exist. It was entirely possible that the woman in the story could have chosen to ignore Jesus. She didn’t even ask to be healed so she could have just turned and walked away. After all, she had lived with her infirmity for 18 years. I’d guess she was pretty used to it. She could probably work around it. She might have had family to help her. It probably earned her a fair bit of sympathy. Being healed would dramatically change the way she lived her life. And not just physically! Emotionally, spiritually as well. After all, God had allowed this infirmity to happen to her, right? So where was God? Why should she believe in a loving and caring God, In the midst of her pain and suffering? Why didn’t God make her well again? Those are strong emotions and hard theological questions. To be healed, especially instantly, means letting go of the anger and self pity. Again, ways she had probably gotten used to feeling. Being healed meant having to change the way she thought about God It meant believing in a living active healing God. She was well within her rights to just turn and walk away.
Yet, consider what she would have lost. Health, real wholeness, inside and out. The ability to praise God again. Yes, there would be change. She could no longer be who she was before. But who would want to be, in the face of who she is now? In response to being called personally, she responded personally.
There is a here for us. When Jesus calls us by name, as I believe he does, we too have the choice whether to respond or not. Whether to hold on to who we are now and the ways we have become accustomed to living, or whether we will be willing to risk losing them for new ways, God ways. Choosing to turn our backs on Jesus and walk away, or stand before him face to face, in relationship.
You see, it was easy for the crowd in that synagogue to cheer on Jesus. There was very little risk involved. Just as it’s easy to walk out the door here today, give me a hug or shake my hand, smile and go home unchanged. It’s not easy to break out of that group mentality and respond to Jesus as a single person. The preacher says God loves you. Everyone nods yes. But when Jesus says to you, “I died for you, what do you think of that?” It’s not so easy anymore is it? When the preacher says, “love your neighbor.” Again, the nods. Bur when Jesus makes it personal with something like, “What about old Mr. So and so that you ignored the other day in the store? I love him too you know!” Then things get a little messy. Then our sin starts to show through. Then we have to be honest about old Mr. So and so and admit that we don’t love him, or even like him. Then we have to admit our need for Jesus’ forgiveness and grace. But then we are dealing one on one with Jesus. Then we have a real relationship with our savior. Then we are being our real self.
So having said all that, I have a challenge for you today. The next time you feel Jesus speaking to you, and make no mistake – Jesus does speak to all of us – we just have to listen and to be willing to risk responding in a personal way. Don’t just pretend it isn’t him speaking. Don’t ignore his voice. Don’t choose to turn away. Say, “Yes!” face to face, person to person, soul to soul. When you get that funny feeling in your tummy – or all of a sudden goose bumps on your arm – that could be Jesus talking to you.
“Jesus loves me, this I know.” Because he calls me individually. Because he knows what I really need. Because he offers it to me freely if I am willing to accept it.
So consider the challenges! The next time you feel Jesus speaking to you, respond with your personal “Yes.” Think back about sermons that have been meaningful to you. What made them stand out from the rest? Were they “group oriented, or was the message “personal” for you? In your praying this week, pray with a personal Savior. Instead of “Lord” or “God” use “My Jesus” or “My Friend.” See how that changes the way you pray.
My wish for each of you this week is that you work on having a one on one relationship with Jesus – and feel the joy! Amen.
Monday, August 09, 2004
FAITH GIVES TREASURES
Hebrews 11:1-3,8-16
Luke 12:32-40
Preached by Pastor Vi August 8, 2004
Luke tells us that Jesus taught…”Where your treasure is, thee your heart will be also.” I have been mulling over in my mind all week how to tell you that our FAITH is our greatest treasure. This word faith, is like the word love, it is abused by the way we use it constantly. But I believe faith is a matter of gaining perspective of our lives and telling our story from a newfound point of view. And when we do that, our faith becomes the greatest treasure we have. And this is the treasure we share with the rest of the world!!
Have you ever been coon hunting? When I was a young of 9 or 10 living in Lake County, my Dad finally let me go coon hunting with him and my uncle and older cousins. I had a favorite of our hound dogs (used for raccoon hunting) so Dad let me have his leash to hold. Well it was a very dark night, no moon was out…and I hug on the that leash with my whole being. I guess Dad felt my tension because called out to me, “Have faith in that dog, he will lead you the way until he gets the scent, then unhook the leash and we will follow with our flashlights. So I relaxed a bit and started to enjoy the walk in the dark…trusting in the dog. Then all of a sudden the dogs got the scent of a coon - they all took off – baying like mad. Well – I forgot to unhook the leash…and that dog pulled me through the grass and brush. I finally heard my Dad yelling, “Let go, let go.” I finally let go …By that time- only a couple of minutes, although it seemed like forever…I got bruised and skinned up quite a bit. Needless to say, my Dad was a little upset. He told me a little loud and not too kind of a voice, “You’re supposed to listen to my instructions and do them, then everything will be all right. I think God wants to yell at us every once in a while --- “You’re supposed to listen to my instructions and do them, …then everything will be all right.
In our Hebrew Scripture Kent read for us about the faith of Abraham and Sarah, of Isaac and Jacob, their journey in life,…their faith journey in life. Through them we learn of the journey of faith. Because they shared their lives with us, we can experience God through them. God is pleased to be called their God. I’ve always thought that God was pleased with them because of the way they lived, which is true,…but try and think of it this way. God is pleased with them because they shared their lives with God. They laughed and cried with their creator. They shared the treasurers of their life, their memories, their faith, they literally shared THEMSELVES
…with God and with each other. In faith we understand that the worlds were created by the Word of God. God talked ….. and God talks.
Long after childbearing years had passed, Sarah believed God’s promise that she and Abraham would bear a child. So says verse 11 in our scripture from Hebrews: Therefore from one man, and him as good as , were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore. The author’s description of Abraham (and him as good as ) is an obvious exaggeration. After age one hundred,
Abraham fathered several children with Sarah (herself 90) and later, with another wife named Keturah. As good as ? I don’t think so!
Several years ago, George Jones recorded a song with lyrics that said, “I don’t want your rocking chair, your Geritol or Medicard.” He had a lot of living to do and wasn’t ready to sit still and worry about his gray hair.
Centuries earlier Abraham and Sarah demonstrated that ageism is not only sinful, it is silly! Age is rarely an impediment to useful service. Often just the opposite, it enhances our ability to be used by God. Since the urn of the new century, retired s in America are on their way to outnumber actively employed s. Retired persons have experience and wisdom acquired only by living a number of years. Often they have more time to offer the church …and more energy to invest in the world than those who labor eight to five, or whatever hours we might work. Part of the faith talked about in this passage is a faith that God can use people of age to work miracles, and those who discount that cheat themselves.
An even greater statement, though, for persons of all ages… is that God is with us, in us, behind, before, and around us. An unseen Presence guides us into what may seem like foreign or frightening lands where we are surprised by victories, beauties, and love. And when faced with deep-waters, a loving Parent is close at hand to lift us if we sink and to lead us where we need to go.
The faith that really counts is not agreeing to some doctrine. It is not accepting what we do not know and cannot know because someone says it is so. The faith that saves us,…that makes us whole and alive,…is the meaning we see and the story we tell.
When we look at everyday life and see the bright, shining penning pennies, that is faith!!! When we find love and comfort and are comforted, make commitments, share the good days and the not so good days with someone else, that is faith!!
What does God have to do with this? Everything!! We have been spoiled by those stories we learned in Sunday School. We expect a God who is in control, who never lets us get sick or suffer or hurt or die. And when it doesn’t come out that way, we get mad.
“Where was God when I needed him?” we demand. And then we look back on the last decade or the last 20 years or even the last 50 and as we tell our story…we see. There is a pattern there. At first glance we see what has gone before. At second glance we see it as something, as our lie, our history, our story. Then we look once again, it is a story about us and many, many others. We take a final look and the big picture emerges. While we were on our trip my grandchildren loved to have me tell them stories of my life and the history f our family. One of their favorites is the story of my Great Grandmother, Narcissus. My Great Grandfather heard there were claim jumpers around, and he hadn’t gotten a deed to his homestead in Scotts Valley yet (which by the way is next to Lakeport at Clear Lake.) So my Great Grandfather rode off to Sacramento on his best horse, and left my
Great Grandmother to hold the place. The claim jumpers came the next day and my Grandma Narcissus stood in front of the house with the shot-gun…and the story is she shot one in the leg and they decided to leave. Grandma Narcissus had faith that she could take care of whatever needed to be done…and she did it. I even remember. She died when I was 6 years old. Fact is they tell me I am a lot like her, even to being named after a flower as she was. This story of my great Grandmother is one of the treasures in my life. My story is part of a larger tale…a story that embraces past, present, and future; a story encompassing the living and the ; a story encompassing men, women, and children of every nation and society; a story encompassing humankind, nature and being itself. My story is beginning to merge into God’s. !! As is yours!!
It is true that we need to thank God for the pain in our lives, as well as the joys. I used to think that was crazy…but now realize that it all becomes one picture…and it makes us who we are. I still have a problem with some of the pain in my life, some going n right now, but I am in conversation with God abut it, and I have faith that I will be shown the way in God’s timing, not mine. Acknowledging the pain and the joys in our life is really living. This is faith being lived!!! The laughter, the tears, the prayers (sharing of life)….this is living our faith.
When I was a little , my Great Aunt Mary gave me a small cedar chest. It must have been at least a hundred years old, this box, just the right size for a little , and when you opened the hinged lid and took a deep breath, you could still catch a whiff of the cedar, delicate as angels wings.
When this chest was given to me, it contained two remarkable things; a hand stitched cloth doll as old as the box itself and a lace doily crocheted by my Aunt. My mother took them and put them in a safe place for me, but I still had the chest. I kept it under my bed, and all sorts of treasures went into it. Rocks, pieces of glass, and one time I even put a frog in it, and the next day the frog was . Mama almost took the chest then, but a promised her I wouldn’t do that again. When we moved the next year, it was several months before we found the chest again. Everything in it was gone, but the memories of what I had put in that chest still are with me, those treasures of that time of my life are in my heart.
Later memories of a young lady were being stored in this chest. My first love-note, my favorite doll dress, a special ring, shells from the ocean, a wooden flute one of my uncles had made for me, and my first new testament.
I think that every child has a box like this at one time or another. Often it is a cigar box, shoe box, but it might as easily be a drawer or an old purse, (in our scripture Jesus talks abut purses), or a paper bag. Who can explain the junk that is precious to children? It is simply the stuff of which wonder is made, no different from the icons and sacred scriptures and reminders of our holy places.
If you had asked me when I was a child, “Where is your treasure?” I would have pulled out the little cedar chest from under the bed and lovingly shown you each precious item, perhaps even allowed you to touch and hold them. But if you were to ask me now, “Where is your treasure?” I would have to think f moment or tow. There is no cedar chest anymore, you see, no repository of sacred objects to pull out from a hiding place. Oh, I have boxes of letters, cards, and ticket stubs, concert programs and newspaper clippings and oodles of photo albums, but it’s hardly the same thing. The contents of these things, do not describe me quite like the little cedar chest did.
So, if you asked me now, “Where is your treasure?” I would have to dig deeply and painfully, until I found the dark place where memory lives…the place where my heart beats and my soul breathes. And even then, it would not be a simple answer. It would be more like a swirling constellation of things; My first date with my husband would be there, my favorite dog, Tippie would be there. The song, “Gonna take a sentimental journey”, the photograph of my family 25 years ago, my first kiss, the first solo I sang in church, the births of each of my children and yes, grandchildren. When I first realized I really was going to be a Pastor, my ordination, and my best friend’s arm around me.
I know that there would also be some pain there, because there has been pain, but so much learned from pain…the pain of loss, of betrayal, of irrevocable decisions. And there would be blessings as well – the blessing of a good sermon, my grandchildren – when they share a kiss and hug with me, the blessing of a friend’s hand on my shoulder, the blessing of a day’s hard work and a night’s refreshing sleep.
Jesus said, provide yourselves with purses that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
If you ask me, “Where is your treasure?” I will point to that place where memory lives. Because that is where I go when I need to remember how to love…how to risk…how to trust…how to mend…how to forgive. If God lives in that place, and I believe God does, then my treasure is also with God. That is where my treasure is, because that is the stuff of which I am made. Lid the contents of the cedar chest hidden under a little ’s bed, that is what describes me.
Unlike the treasures we buy today, this treasure is a place where no thief may approach and no moth may destroy; it may grow old, but it cannot fail. Jesus was right: where my treasure is, there will my heart be also. I have a treasure, in this place where my heart is. It is full, always getting more. I will always have it. This is where my life story is, this is where my faith journey is. There are no words for the gratitude I feel towards my God, for this life.
Bishop Bevel Jones says, “Faith is hearing tomorrow’s music and hope is dancing to it today.” Our God is a God who beckons, calls forth, evokes, pushes us on a journey. A journey of faith, a journey filled with treasures. The best treasure we can experience is letting these treasures of our lives lead us in faith to a closer relationship with our God. So this week take an inventory of the treasures of your life, as I have mine this morning. Follow the pattern, and you will see where your faith journey is leading you. Maybe you will find as I did that you need to make a few u-turns, or go a little more on way or the other. But the path, the yellow brick road, if you will, will leas us to the merging of our faith story with the faith story of our God. And my friends, that is heaven….. Amen
Hebrews 11:1-3,8-16
Luke 12:32-40
Preached by Pastor Vi August 8, 2004
Luke tells us that Jesus taught…”Where your treasure is, thee your heart will be also.” I have been mulling over in my mind all week how to tell you that our FAITH is our greatest treasure. This word faith, is like the word love, it is abused by the way we use it constantly. But I believe faith is a matter of gaining perspective of our lives and telling our story from a newfound point of view. And when we do that, our faith becomes the greatest treasure we have. And this is the treasure we share with the rest of the world!!
Have you ever been coon hunting? When I was a young of 9 or 10 living in Lake County, my Dad finally let me go coon hunting with him and my uncle and older cousins. I had a favorite of our hound dogs (used for raccoon hunting) so Dad let me have his leash to hold. Well it was a very dark night, no moon was out…and I hug on the that leash with my whole being. I guess Dad felt my tension because called out to me, “Have faith in that dog, he will lead you the way until he gets the scent, then unhook the leash and we will follow with our flashlights. So I relaxed a bit and started to enjoy the walk in the dark…trusting in the dog. Then all of a sudden the dogs got the scent of a coon - they all took off – baying like mad. Well – I forgot to unhook the leash…and that dog pulled me through the grass and brush. I finally heard my Dad yelling, “Let go, let go.” I finally let go …By that time- only a couple of minutes, although it seemed like forever…I got bruised and skinned up quite a bit. Needless to say, my Dad was a little upset. He told me a little loud and not too kind of a voice, “You’re supposed to listen to my instructions and do them, then everything will be all right. I think God wants to yell at us every once in a while --- “You’re supposed to listen to my instructions and do them, …then everything will be all right.
In our Hebrew Scripture Kent read for us about the faith of Abraham and Sarah, of Isaac and Jacob, their journey in life,…their faith journey in life. Through them we learn of the journey of faith. Because they shared their lives with us, we can experience God through them. God is pleased to be called their God. I’ve always thought that God was pleased with them because of the way they lived, which is true,…but try and think of it this way. God is pleased with them because they shared their lives with God. They laughed and cried with their creator. They shared the treasurers of their life, their memories, their faith, they literally shared THEMSELVES
…with God and with each other. In faith we understand that the worlds were created by the Word of God. God talked ….. and God talks.
Long after childbearing years had passed, Sarah believed God’s promise that she and Abraham would bear a child. So says verse 11 in our scripture from Hebrews: Therefore from one man, and him as good as , were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore. The author’s description of Abraham (and him as good as ) is an obvious exaggeration. After age one hundred,
Abraham fathered several children with Sarah (herself 90) and later, with another wife named Keturah. As good as ? I don’t think so!
Several years ago, George Jones recorded a song with lyrics that said, “I don’t want your rocking chair, your Geritol or Medicard.” He had a lot of living to do and wasn’t ready to sit still and worry about his gray hair.
Centuries earlier Abraham and Sarah demonstrated that ageism is not only sinful, it is silly! Age is rarely an impediment to useful service. Often just the opposite, it enhances our ability to be used by God. Since the urn of the new century, retired s in America are on their way to outnumber actively employed s. Retired persons have experience and wisdom acquired only by living a number of years. Often they have more time to offer the church …and more energy to invest in the world than those who labor eight to five, or whatever hours we might work. Part of the faith talked about in this passage is a faith that God can use people of age to work miracles, and those who discount that cheat themselves.
An even greater statement, though, for persons of all ages… is that God is with us, in us, behind, before, and around us. An unseen Presence guides us into what may seem like foreign or frightening lands where we are surprised by victories, beauties, and love. And when faced with deep-waters, a loving Parent is close at hand to lift us if we sink and to lead us where we need to go.
The faith that really counts is not agreeing to some doctrine. It is not accepting what we do not know and cannot know because someone says it is so. The faith that saves us,…that makes us whole and alive,…is the meaning we see and the story we tell.
When we look at everyday life and see the bright, shining penning pennies, that is faith!!! When we find love and comfort and are comforted, make commitments, share the good days and the not so good days with someone else, that is faith!!
What does God have to do with this? Everything!! We have been spoiled by those stories we learned in Sunday School. We expect a God who is in control, who never lets us get sick or suffer or hurt or die. And when it doesn’t come out that way, we get mad.
“Where was God when I needed him?” we demand. And then we look back on the last decade or the last 20 years or even the last 50 and as we tell our story…we see. There is a pattern there. At first glance we see what has gone before. At second glance we see it as something, as our lie, our history, our story. Then we look once again, it is a story about us and many, many others. We take a final look and the big picture emerges. While we were on our trip my grandchildren loved to have me tell them stories of my life and the history f our family. One of their favorites is the story of my Great Grandmother, Narcissus. My Great Grandfather heard there were claim jumpers around, and he hadn’t gotten a deed to his homestead in Scotts Valley yet (which by the way is next to Lakeport at Clear Lake.) So my Great Grandfather rode off to Sacramento on his best horse, and left my
Great Grandmother to hold the place. The claim jumpers came the next day and my Grandma Narcissus stood in front of the house with the shot-gun…and the story is she shot one in the leg and they decided to leave. Grandma Narcissus had faith that she could take care of whatever needed to be done…and she did it. I even remember. She died when I was 6 years old. Fact is they tell me I am a lot like her, even to being named after a flower as she was. This story of my great Grandmother is one of the treasures in my life. My story is part of a larger tale…a story that embraces past, present, and future; a story encompassing the living and the ; a story encompassing men, women, and children of every nation and society; a story encompassing humankind, nature and being itself. My story is beginning to merge into God’s. !! As is yours!!
It is true that we need to thank God for the pain in our lives, as well as the joys. I used to think that was crazy…but now realize that it all becomes one picture…and it makes us who we are. I still have a problem with some of the pain in my life, some going n right now, but I am in conversation with God abut it, and I have faith that I will be shown the way in God’s timing, not mine. Acknowledging the pain and the joys in our life is really living. This is faith being lived!!! The laughter, the tears, the prayers (sharing of life)….this is living our faith.
When I was a little , my Great Aunt Mary gave me a small cedar chest. It must have been at least a hundred years old, this box, just the right size for a little , and when you opened the hinged lid and took a deep breath, you could still catch a whiff of the cedar, delicate as angels wings.
When this chest was given to me, it contained two remarkable things; a hand stitched cloth doll as old as the box itself and a lace doily crocheted by my Aunt. My mother took them and put them in a safe place for me, but I still had the chest. I kept it under my bed, and all sorts of treasures went into it. Rocks, pieces of glass, and one time I even put a frog in it, and the next day the frog was . Mama almost took the chest then, but a promised her I wouldn’t do that again. When we moved the next year, it was several months before we found the chest again. Everything in it was gone, but the memories of what I had put in that chest still are with me, those treasures of that time of my life are in my heart.
Later memories of a young lady were being stored in this chest. My first love-note, my favorite doll dress, a special ring, shells from the ocean, a wooden flute one of my uncles had made for me, and my first new testament.
I think that every child has a box like this at one time or another. Often it is a cigar box, shoe box, but it might as easily be a drawer or an old purse, (in our scripture Jesus talks abut purses), or a paper bag. Who can explain the junk that is precious to children? It is simply the stuff of which wonder is made, no different from the icons and sacred scriptures and reminders of our holy places.
If you had asked me when I was a child, “Where is your treasure?” I would have pulled out the little cedar chest from under the bed and lovingly shown you each precious item, perhaps even allowed you to touch and hold them. But if you were to ask me now, “Where is your treasure?” I would have to think f moment or tow. There is no cedar chest anymore, you see, no repository of sacred objects to pull out from a hiding place. Oh, I have boxes of letters, cards, and ticket stubs, concert programs and newspaper clippings and oodles of photo albums, but it’s hardly the same thing. The contents of these things, do not describe me quite like the little cedar chest did.
So, if you asked me now, “Where is your treasure?” I would have to dig deeply and painfully, until I found the dark place where memory lives…the place where my heart beats and my soul breathes. And even then, it would not be a simple answer. It would be more like a swirling constellation of things; My first date with my husband would be there, my favorite dog, Tippie would be there. The song, “Gonna take a sentimental journey”, the photograph of my family 25 years ago, my first kiss, the first solo I sang in church, the births of each of my children and yes, grandchildren. When I first realized I really was going to be a Pastor, my ordination, and my best friend’s arm around me.
I know that there would also be some pain there, because there has been pain, but so much learned from pain…the pain of loss, of betrayal, of irrevocable decisions. And there would be blessings as well – the blessing of a good sermon, my grandchildren – when they share a kiss and hug with me, the blessing of a friend’s hand on my shoulder, the blessing of a day’s hard work and a night’s refreshing sleep.
Jesus said, provide yourselves with purses that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
If you ask me, “Where is your treasure?” I will point to that place where memory lives. Because that is where I go when I need to remember how to love…how to risk…how to trust…how to mend…how to forgive. If God lives in that place, and I believe God does, then my treasure is also with God. That is where my treasure is, because that is the stuff of which I am made. Lid the contents of the cedar chest hidden under a little ’s bed, that is what describes me.
Unlike the treasures we buy today, this treasure is a place where no thief may approach and no moth may destroy; it may grow old, but it cannot fail. Jesus was right: where my treasure is, there will my heart be also. I have a treasure, in this place where my heart is. It is full, always getting more. I will always have it. This is where my life story is, this is where my faith journey is. There are no words for the gratitude I feel towards my God, for this life.
Bishop Bevel Jones says, “Faith is hearing tomorrow’s music and hope is dancing to it today.” Our God is a God who beckons, calls forth, evokes, pushes us on a journey. A journey of faith, a journey filled with treasures. The best treasure we can experience is letting these treasures of our lives lead us in faith to a closer relationship with our God. So this week take an inventory of the treasures of your life, as I have mine this morning. Follow the pattern, and you will see where your faith journey is leading you. Maybe you will find as I did that you need to make a few u-turns, or go a little more on way or the other. But the path, the yellow brick road, if you will, will leas us to the merging of our faith story with the faith story of our God. And my friends, that is heaven….. Amen
Friday, July 09, 2004
Perached by Pastor Chris on 4 July 2004:
Sermon: "Wash and be Healed: It's The Easy Things That Get Us"
(2 Kgs 5:1-17, NLT)
1st reading: Ps 30
PRAY
Before we begin, let me say that this is one of the richest stories in all of Hebrew Biblical literature. It talks about politics, miraculous healing, conversion, even evangelism. And you all know how much I love stories that contain the “e” word.
This, particular, story centers around the prophet Elisha—you might remember him as Elijah’s protégée. He took on Elijah’s mantle when Elijah was taken up to heaven.
It is thought that this story had been circulating for quite some time as a legend proclaiming Elisha’s powers of healing before it made it into the Biblical text. Within the context of the Bible, however, the story takes on another light.
We end up dealing with the healing from leprosy, and subsequent conversion of a man named Naaman, the commander of the Aramean Army.
When we get to those words in the text, if you brought your own Bible (or are using a photo copy), just note that we are talking about modern-day Syria. Also, when we get to Israel, know that we are talking about what is both modern-day Israel, but also Palestine.
One final note on context before we get into the text: Most Bibles translate Naaman’s disease as leprosy, what is called today Hansen’s Disease. A better translation would be skin disease, as the leprosy of the ANE could be any of a number of skin disorders.
Having covered some context, let’s dive into this one and try to work some greater meanings out of it.
Please open your Bibles with me to the fifth chapter of 2 Kgs. We will be dealing with the first 17 verses of chapter five. I am reading from the New Living Translation—it has been provided for you as a part of your worship folder.
The New Living Translation
2 Kings 5
5:1
The king of Aram had high admiration for Naaman, the commander of his army, because through him the LORD had given Aram great victories. But though Naaman was a mighty warrior, he suffered from leprosy.
5:2
Now groups of Aramean raiders had invaded the land of Israel, and among their captives was a young girl who had been given to Naaman's wife as a maid.
5:3
One day the girl said to her mistress, "I wish my master would go to see the prophet in Samaria. He would heal him of his leprosy."
5:4
So Naaman told the king what the young girl from Israel had said.
5:5
"Go and visit the prophet," the king told him. "I will send a letter of introduction for you to carry to the king of Israel." So Naaman started out, taking as gifts 750 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold, and ten sets of clothing.
5:6
The letter to the king of Israel said: "With this letter I present my servant Naaman. I want you to heal him of his leprosy."
5:7
When the king of Israel read it, he tore his clothes in dismay and said, "This man sends me a leper to heal! Am I God, that I can kill and give life? He is only trying to find an excuse to invade us again."
5:8
But when Elisha, the man of God, heard about the king's reaction, he sent this message to him: "Why are you so upset? Send Naaman to me, and he will learn that there is a true prophet here in Israel."
5:9
So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and waited at the door of Elisha's house.
5:10
But Elisha sent a messenger out to him with this message: "Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of leprosy."
5:11
But Naaman became angry and stalked away. "I thought he would surely come out to meet me!" he said. "I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the LORD his God and heal me!
5:12
Aren't the Abana River and Pharpar River of Damascus better than all the rivers of Israel put together? Why shouldn't I wash in them and be healed?" So Naaman turned and went away in a rage.
5:13
But his officers tried to reason with him and said, "Sir, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, wouldn't you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply to go and wash and be cured!"
5:14
So Naaman went down to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times, as the man of God had instructed him. And his flesh became as healthy as a young child's, and he was healed!
5:15
Then Naaman and his entire party went back to find the man of God. They stood before him, and Naaman said, "I know at last that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. Now please accept my gifts."
5:16
But Elisha replied, "As surely as the LORD lives, whom I serve, I will not accept any gifts." And though Naaman urged him to take the gifts, Elisha refused.
5:17
Then Naaman said, "All right, but please allow me to load two of my mules with earth from this place, and I will take it back home with me. From now on I will never again offer any burnt offerings or sacrifices to any other god except the LORD.
This story begins with a pronouncement of the power of the God of Israel over all other Gods; for we are told in v. 1 that it was only through the God of Israel that Naaman was able to gain victory for Syria. Like I said, this story offers a great deal of political commentary. We are led to believe, through later verses of today’s text, but also prior Biblical stories that one of those victories was likely over Israel.
In any case, the truce between Israel and Syria appears to be an uneasy one. Nevertheless, we find that an Israeli girl was taken captive and became Naaman’s wife’s servant. Upon understanding that Naaman had a skin disease, she expressed a wish that he might be able to see the prophet in Samaria (that is Israel—her home). The prophet, whom we know to be Elisha, would be able to heal him.
And so, after telling his lord what the slave-girl said, and securing his permission, Naaman presents himself to the king of Israel with a letter from his lord that states, in essence, “This is Naaman, one of my commanders. Heal him of his disease.”
The king of Israel balks at this request.
When the king of Israel reads this, he tears his clothes. Those of you who saw The Passion of the Christ saw when the high priest tore his clothes after Christ gave an impression that he was Messiah. Tearing a garment in this way is a sign of mourning, distress, anger in the face of blasphemy, or dispair. The king says, “Am I God that I can give a man life or death?” This is a point that becomes significant a little later in our discussion.
For the king, this means a couple of things: The first has to do with the idea that he would be able to grant such a request. The second, and perhaps more significant to this king, is that the king (.v8) sees this is a potential way for the king of Syria to pick a fight with him. If he cannot cure Naaman, then perhaps the king of Syria will attack him. As I said, it seems like the truce between these two kingdoms was a little shaky.
This exchange serves to remind the reader that God is active in Israel at this time; it is not The king who has such power.
When Elisha hears that the king has become so distressed about Naaman’s visit, he asks that Naaman be sent to him.
Like so many Biblical characters, especially in the two books of Kings, Naaman thinks that the prophet has control over his gift of healing; so too does he think that the king can direct the prophet to enact that gift. So he pulls up to Elisha’s place bearing the signs of diplomacy, many horses, an entourage, and all these riches only to be greeted by one of Elisha’s servants. The servant tells him this (v. 10), go bathe in the Jordan seven times and your skin condition will cease and you will be, according to Torah, clean.
Naaman does not even get to give his request to the prophet face-to-face. You see, Naaman is not used to dealing with servants. He is a man of the upper class; he is nobility. He is sent away by a mere servant—this is no way to treat a man of his stature. Somewhat predictably, he balks at the request of the prophet’s servant. He asks, why must I bathe in this river when I can bathe in the great rivers of Syria? It would also seem as if Elisha is not talking about healing; but instead, the type of ritual cleansing that is prescribed by Torah.
To Naaman’s credit, the Jordan was a little, often dirty, river as compared to what he was used to. What he fails to see is that it is not the river, nor the prophet, who are capable of enacting his healing.
In what is a classic Biblical reversal story, it is Naaman’s servants that urge him to do what the prophet’s servant has directed him to do. They prevail upon him to do as he has been directed. They are used to being treated in such humbling ways. What does he have to loose?
And so he does, he is then miraculously healed.
The simple answer, simply following the instructions of the prophet, worked.
How often do we not choose God’s simple answer, in favor of some ordeal?
Actually, v. 14 says that his skin is made as healthy as that of a young child. He is not simply healed, but made better than he was before contracting his illness!
The humble, once again as is so common in biblical literature, have a great deal more insight than the exalted. Our God is a god of the marginalized. It is those who have little who, often, are able to see God’s grace. Their minds are not polluted by their possessions or status.
In the murky water of the Jordan, Naaman is not only healed of his skin affliction, he is saved.
He realizes, in the way that the prophet helps him, that it is not the prophet who does the healing. The God of Israel is not just an easy metaphor for the gift that the prophet, himself, has. It becomes clear to Naaman that healing comes not through human hands, but through being touched by the divine.
Isn’t that what we all want?
What we all need?
The prophet, through his servant, said only, wash and be clean.
Really, that was an easy thing to do.
Isn’t that strange?
We often don’t go to God first—as we see Naaman first went to the king—and then we believe that it has to be hard.
We expect the magical wave of a hand and then a brilliant burst of light—the voice of God wouldn’t hurt either.
Remember that story I often tell about the guy who was being flooded out of his house? The waters are rising and he is perched on the top of his roof. Three times he has the option of being saved “the easy way”; his neighbors offer to give him a ride when the water is only a few feet high, as the water becomes uncomfortably high, boy scouts come by in a rowboat, when it looks hopeless, the coast guard comes by in a helicopter.
“No,” he says, “God is going to save me.”
When he finally does get to confront God on why God forsook him, God replies, “What did you expect, I have you three chances:
I sent your neighbors, the boy scouts, and the coast guard!”
This is the take-home message of the text.
Through God’s people…
God is the true healer,
God is the true savior.
When Naaman is healed he tries to give Elisha all these riches—Elisha won’t take them. Why? Because he just helped open the door for what God does.
We are commanded, friends, to go into this world and make Disciples, not to get rich selling what is not ours to sell. I know ministers who do that. They drive nicer cars than me.
We are in the business, friends, of sharing the wonderful thing that we have been given.
Naaman eventually gets this and asks that he might take a few loads of dirt from Elisha’s place to build an alter (as Leviticus prescribes earthen alters) of his own and worship God in Syria.
What is happening here? Naaman asks to plant a church! He gets the message.
He wants to go out and share this thing too.
This, friends, is what happens when people are touched by God and get it. It does not take someone shoving God down their throat. It takes being shown God’s grace.
In another of the lectionary readings today in Luke Ch. 10, and I love how The Message renders this one Jesus gives these instructions to his evangelists:
10:4
"Travel light. Comb and toothbrush and no extra luggage. "Don't loiter and make small talk with everyone you meet along the way.
10:5
"When you enter a home, greet the family, 'Peace.'
10:6
If your greeting is received, then it's a good place to stay. But if it's not received, take it back and get out. Don't impose yourself.
This should be what we are about. This is how we share the message. It does not take big things, or big people.
Sometimes it is just as simple as washing and being healed.
Amen.
Sermon: "Wash and be Healed: It's The Easy Things That Get Us"
(2 Kgs 5:1-17, NLT)
1st reading: Ps 30
PRAY
Before we begin, let me say that this is one of the richest stories in all of Hebrew Biblical literature. It talks about politics, miraculous healing, conversion, even evangelism. And you all know how much I love stories that contain the “e” word.
This, particular, story centers around the prophet Elisha—you might remember him as Elijah’s protégée. He took on Elijah’s mantle when Elijah was taken up to heaven.
It is thought that this story had been circulating for quite some time as a legend proclaiming Elisha’s powers of healing before it made it into the Biblical text. Within the context of the Bible, however, the story takes on another light.
We end up dealing with the healing from leprosy, and subsequent conversion of a man named Naaman, the commander of the Aramean Army.
When we get to those words in the text, if you brought your own Bible (or are using a photo copy), just note that we are talking about modern-day Syria. Also, when we get to Israel, know that we are talking about what is both modern-day Israel, but also Palestine.
One final note on context before we get into the text: Most Bibles translate Naaman’s disease as leprosy, what is called today Hansen’s Disease. A better translation would be skin disease, as the leprosy of the ANE could be any of a number of skin disorders.
Having covered some context, let’s dive into this one and try to work some greater meanings out of it.
Please open your Bibles with me to the fifth chapter of 2 Kgs. We will be dealing with the first 17 verses of chapter five. I am reading from the New Living Translation—it has been provided for you as a part of your worship folder.
The New Living Translation
2 Kings 5
5:1
The king of Aram had high admiration for Naaman, the commander of his army, because through him the LORD had given Aram great victories. But though Naaman was a mighty warrior, he suffered from leprosy.
5:2
Now groups of Aramean raiders had invaded the land of Israel, and among their captives was a young girl who had been given to Naaman's wife as a maid.
5:3
One day the girl said to her mistress, "I wish my master would go to see the prophet in Samaria. He would heal him of his leprosy."
5:4
So Naaman told the king what the young girl from Israel had said.
5:5
"Go and visit the prophet," the king told him. "I will send a letter of introduction for you to carry to the king of Israel." So Naaman started out, taking as gifts 750 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold, and ten sets of clothing.
5:6
The letter to the king of Israel said: "With this letter I present my servant Naaman. I want you to heal him of his leprosy."
5:7
When the king of Israel read it, he tore his clothes in dismay and said, "This man sends me a leper to heal! Am I God, that I can kill and give life? He is only trying to find an excuse to invade us again."
5:8
But when Elisha, the man of God, heard about the king's reaction, he sent this message to him: "Why are you so upset? Send Naaman to me, and he will learn that there is a true prophet here in Israel."
5:9
So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and waited at the door of Elisha's house.
5:10
But Elisha sent a messenger out to him with this message: "Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of leprosy."
5:11
But Naaman became angry and stalked away. "I thought he would surely come out to meet me!" he said. "I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the LORD his God and heal me!
5:12
Aren't the Abana River and Pharpar River of Damascus better than all the rivers of Israel put together? Why shouldn't I wash in them and be healed?" So Naaman turned and went away in a rage.
5:13
But his officers tried to reason with him and said, "Sir, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, wouldn't you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply to go and wash and be cured!"
5:14
So Naaman went down to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times, as the man of God had instructed him. And his flesh became as healthy as a young child's, and he was healed!
5:15
Then Naaman and his entire party went back to find the man of God. They stood before him, and Naaman said, "I know at last that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. Now please accept my gifts."
5:16
But Elisha replied, "As surely as the LORD lives, whom I serve, I will not accept any gifts." And though Naaman urged him to take the gifts, Elisha refused.
5:17
Then Naaman said, "All right, but please allow me to load two of my mules with earth from this place, and I will take it back home with me. From now on I will never again offer any burnt offerings or sacrifices to any other god except the LORD.
This story begins with a pronouncement of the power of the God of Israel over all other Gods; for we are told in v. 1 that it was only through the God of Israel that Naaman was able to gain victory for Syria. Like I said, this story offers a great deal of political commentary. We are led to believe, through later verses of today’s text, but also prior Biblical stories that one of those victories was likely over Israel.
In any case, the truce between Israel and Syria appears to be an uneasy one. Nevertheless, we find that an Israeli girl was taken captive and became Naaman’s wife’s servant. Upon understanding that Naaman had a skin disease, she expressed a wish that he might be able to see the prophet in Samaria (that is Israel—her home). The prophet, whom we know to be Elisha, would be able to heal him.
And so, after telling his lord what the slave-girl said, and securing his permission, Naaman presents himself to the king of Israel with a letter from his lord that states, in essence, “This is Naaman, one of my commanders. Heal him of his disease.”
The king of Israel balks at this request.
When the king of Israel reads this, he tears his clothes. Those of you who saw The Passion of the Christ saw when the high priest tore his clothes after Christ gave an impression that he was Messiah. Tearing a garment in this way is a sign of mourning, distress, anger in the face of blasphemy, or dispair. The king says, “Am I God that I can give a man life or death?” This is a point that becomes significant a little later in our discussion.
For the king, this means a couple of things: The first has to do with the idea that he would be able to grant such a request. The second, and perhaps more significant to this king, is that the king (.v8) sees this is a potential way for the king of Syria to pick a fight with him. If he cannot cure Naaman, then perhaps the king of Syria will attack him. As I said, it seems like the truce between these two kingdoms was a little shaky.
This exchange serves to remind the reader that God is active in Israel at this time; it is not The king who has such power.
When Elisha hears that the king has become so distressed about Naaman’s visit, he asks that Naaman be sent to him.
Like so many Biblical characters, especially in the two books of Kings, Naaman thinks that the prophet has control over his gift of healing; so too does he think that the king can direct the prophet to enact that gift. So he pulls up to Elisha’s place bearing the signs of diplomacy, many horses, an entourage, and all these riches only to be greeted by one of Elisha’s servants. The servant tells him this (v. 10), go bathe in the Jordan seven times and your skin condition will cease and you will be, according to Torah, clean.
Naaman does not even get to give his request to the prophet face-to-face. You see, Naaman is not used to dealing with servants. He is a man of the upper class; he is nobility. He is sent away by a mere servant—this is no way to treat a man of his stature. Somewhat predictably, he balks at the request of the prophet’s servant. He asks, why must I bathe in this river when I can bathe in the great rivers of Syria? It would also seem as if Elisha is not talking about healing; but instead, the type of ritual cleansing that is prescribed by Torah.
To Naaman’s credit, the Jordan was a little, often dirty, river as compared to what he was used to. What he fails to see is that it is not the river, nor the prophet, who are capable of enacting his healing.
In what is a classic Biblical reversal story, it is Naaman’s servants that urge him to do what the prophet’s servant has directed him to do. They prevail upon him to do as he has been directed. They are used to being treated in such humbling ways. What does he have to loose?
And so he does, he is then miraculously healed.
The simple answer, simply following the instructions of the prophet, worked.
How often do we not choose God’s simple answer, in favor of some ordeal?
Actually, v. 14 says that his skin is made as healthy as that of a young child. He is not simply healed, but made better than he was before contracting his illness!
The humble, once again as is so common in biblical literature, have a great deal more insight than the exalted. Our God is a god of the marginalized. It is those who have little who, often, are able to see God’s grace. Their minds are not polluted by their possessions or status.
In the murky water of the Jordan, Naaman is not only healed of his skin affliction, he is saved.
He realizes, in the way that the prophet helps him, that it is not the prophet who does the healing. The God of Israel is not just an easy metaphor for the gift that the prophet, himself, has. It becomes clear to Naaman that healing comes not through human hands, but through being touched by the divine.
Isn’t that what we all want?
What we all need?
The prophet, through his servant, said only, wash and be clean.
Really, that was an easy thing to do.
Isn’t that strange?
We often don’t go to God first—as we see Naaman first went to the king—and then we believe that it has to be hard.
We expect the magical wave of a hand and then a brilliant burst of light—the voice of God wouldn’t hurt either.
Remember that story I often tell about the guy who was being flooded out of his house? The waters are rising and he is perched on the top of his roof. Three times he has the option of being saved “the easy way”; his neighbors offer to give him a ride when the water is only a few feet high, as the water becomes uncomfortably high, boy scouts come by in a rowboat, when it looks hopeless, the coast guard comes by in a helicopter.
“No,” he says, “God is going to save me.”
When he finally does get to confront God on why God forsook him, God replies, “What did you expect, I have you three chances:
I sent your neighbors, the boy scouts, and the coast guard!”
This is the take-home message of the text.
Through God’s people…
God is the true healer,
God is the true savior.
When Naaman is healed he tries to give Elisha all these riches—Elisha won’t take them. Why? Because he just helped open the door for what God does.
We are commanded, friends, to go into this world and make Disciples, not to get rich selling what is not ours to sell. I know ministers who do that. They drive nicer cars than me.
We are in the business, friends, of sharing the wonderful thing that we have been given.
Naaman eventually gets this and asks that he might take a few loads of dirt from Elisha’s place to build an alter (as Leviticus prescribes earthen alters) of his own and worship God in Syria.
What is happening here? Naaman asks to plant a church! He gets the message.
He wants to go out and share this thing too.
This, friends, is what happens when people are touched by God and get it. It does not take someone shoving God down their throat. It takes being shown God’s grace.
In another of the lectionary readings today in Luke Ch. 10, and I love how The Message renders this one Jesus gives these instructions to his evangelists:
10:4
"Travel light. Comb and toothbrush and no extra luggage. "Don't loiter and make small talk with everyone you meet along the way.
10:5
"When you enter a home, greet the family, 'Peace.'
10:6
If your greeting is received, then it's a good place to stay. But if it's not received, take it back and get out. Don't impose yourself.
This should be what we are about. This is how we share the message. It does not take big things, or big people.
Sometimes it is just as simple as washing and being healed.
Amen.
Thursday, July 01, 2004
Preached by Pastor Chris on 6/27/04
“I Will Choose Free will”
(Gal 5:1; 13-25)
1st Reading: Ps 77:1-20
PRAY
It would seem that as of late, I have been on a kick of listening to my favorite rock groups of the seventies and eighties. Last week, we talked about Fleetwood Mac, this week I want to talk about another of my favorite bands.
In 1981, the band Rush released their Permanent Waves album. On it, was, perhaps, my favorite song by them, “Free Will.” The line in the song that, always, catches me is, “If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.”
“If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.”
It occurs to me; both each time I hear this line, and read today’s scripture that God has given us free will.
The ability to choose, for ourselves, between right and wrong.
The ability to claim, for ourselves—through God’s gift of free will—both our triumphs, but also our mistakes as our own.
We need to own both.
In Paul’s somewhat angry letter to the church in Galatia, free will is one of the major themes.
Read with me, if you will, Gal 5. We are going to be looking at v. 1 and vv. 13-25; I am reading from The Message:
The Message
Galatians 5
5:1
Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you.
5:13
It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don't use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that's how freedom grows.
5:14
For everything we know about God's Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That's an act of true freedom.
5:15
If you bite and ravage each other, watch out - in no time at all you will be annihilating each other, and where will your precious freedom be then?
5:16
My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God's Spirit. Then you won't feed the compulsions of selfishness.
5:17
For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are antithetical, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day.
5:18
Why don't you choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence?
5:19
It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness;
5:20
trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits;
5:21
the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on. This isn't the first time I have warned you, you know. If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit God's kingdom.
5:22
But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard - things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments,
5:23
not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way.
5:24
Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good - crucified.
5:25
Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives.
Before we go on, I need you to know that I do not believe that Paul is condemning anyone here. He is frustrated; he feels that his flock is falling prey to some destructive teaching. He wants them to grow in Christ, not to turn to Christ in the same way they did to their old, oppressive, belief system. Christ exemplifies freedom, not it’s opposite.
Paul is trying, and hoping, to teach his flock to live in Christ’s freedom. The questions become:
What does it mean to live in freedom?
What does God’s freedom look like?
This is what Paul is imploring the Galatian church to look at.
Would you believe that freedom—God’s kind of freedom—can be found in the most unlikely places?
In September of 1942, a young physician, his new bride, his mother, father, and brother, were arrested in Vienna and taken to a concentration camp in Bohemia. The simple reason for their incarceration was their Jewishness.
It was events that occurred there and at three other camps that led the young doctor -- prisoner 119,104 -- to realize the significance of meaningfulness in life.
Throughout his journey, deeper and deeper, into the system of oppression known as the concentration camp, the loss of his family, and countless other acts of terror, Dr. Viktor Frankel found freedom.
You heard me correctly.
Viktor Frankel, while in Auschwitz—the most infamous of the German camps—realized that freedom is something that can be found deep within one’s own soul.
Frankel wrote about this in his magnum opus, the book Man’s Search For Meaning. It is the story of his ordeal in the camps and his search for meaning in his own life. Man’s Search for Meaning is Frankel’s manifesto of freedom. So too, is Galatians Paul’s manifesto of freedom.
The Church in Galatia was a confused lot. They lacked the Jewish background of other Christians. They were gentiles. All they knew, prior to Christ was the local flavor of paganism—a form that contained oppressive, and frequent, ritual for just about every facet of daily living.
In Christ, we are talking about a whole new order of things. Christ, first and foremost, gave the oppressed new hope—he still does.
He taught people to take freedom seriously.
To realize that freedom exists even in captivity.
Remember how we have talked about how turning the other cheek forces the person hitting you to hit you with an “unclean” hand? To turn the other cheek is to claim your own freedom and to defile the one who abuses you. Remember in the Middle East people would hit with their right hand, to hit you with the left, would be to hit you with the hand that they use to wipe their bottom. To hit you with such, according to tradition, defiles them.
Bearing the cross, in freedom, does not imply that we allow ourselves to be abused. It is claiming our liberation.
This is Christ’s subversive gospel!
This is the kind of freedom that Frankel writes about.
In Christ (cf. 4:8) the Galatians have a new freedom. Paul writes that before they knew God, they were enslaved. Now, the Galatians had a new spiritual liberty that allowed them to live in God’s grace.
In this new paradigm, the Galatians can focus on God’s love, not god’s wrath. They need not worry if they are “getting it right.” Ceremony no longer dictates their fortunes.
They have been redeemed by Christ on the cross.
As it turns out, there were others, who after Paul left, came in and began to teach the Galatian church otherwise, in 1:6-7, we read
1:6
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—
1:7
not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are confusing you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.
It would seem that these people were preaching that God’s grace in Christ was not enough. Some of the Galatians were becoming seduced by this theology. This, as you might imagine, greatly frustrated Paul.
And so, Paul writes this, at times terse, letter to the church in Galatia. Today’s reading, really in the form of a sermon, gets to the meat of Paul’s argument. He is calling the church to choose freedom over legalism.
We would be wise, friends, to heed Paul’s advise.
Freedom, and by extension free will, is God’s gift to us. And yet, and yet, so many Christians (especially in the United States) crave something else. They want the seemingly secure answers, and assurances, of more fundamentalist thought. People want easy to follow plans for salvation—“five steps to the kingdom of heaven.”
Friends, many Christians want to believe that the force of God controls our good thoughts and behaviors. Our bad thoughts are controlled by what Jewish theology calls the Sitra Achra—literally in Heb. “the other side”—the evil side.
It is convenient to do that isn’t it?
It takes all the responsibility away from us; doesn’t it?
Such a belief, though, also invalidates the Christian doctrine of God. The Catholic Encyclopedia tackles the issue of free will this way,
The doctrine that God has created man, has commanded him to obey the moral law, and has promised to reward or punish him for observance or violation of this law, made the reality of moral liberty an issue of transcendent importance. Unless man is really free, he cannot be justly held responsible for his actions, any more than for the date of his birth or the colour of his eyes.
If we are not free, we cannot be held accountable!
If we are not free, we exchange one form of idolatry (materialism, selfishness, etc…) for another (Biblicism, legalism, self-righteousness)!
In his powerful sermon to the Galatians, Paul says no!
To be free in Christ is to be a full recipient of God’s grace. It is to be freed from all forms of oppression, religious or otherwise. Paul urges us to be, in all things, guided by the Spirit. Not oppressed by it.
Paul ends this sermon by telling the church in Galatia, and by extension us (vv. 22-25) that we are free to become the person that God created us to be. He talks about the fruit of the spirit, which is love. This is God’s gift to us.
A gift that we have been freed to operate within.
Now, here we need to be careful. Paul talks a lot about sacrifice; when he does so he tends to bring his reader’s attention to the cross. We need to get a handle on where he is going with this. This is especially true when we speak of sacrifice as it pertains to women.
Women of all generations, and in nearly all cultures, tend to be socially educated to believe that they can only be happy while serving, and sacrificing for, others.
Men, on the other hand, tend to be brought up to pursue their own goals. Listen to what Paul is saying here. He may be doing something quite radical.
Paul is holding up what are, essentially, feminine ideals and values for everyone, male and female alike; this is especially directed at his readers—the men of Galatia.
This, friends, ought to be the message of our church. To be in Christ is to be liberated. To be in Christ is not to check one’s mind at the door like so many coats. This is why, we are becoming the church in this place, we offer an alterative. Like Paul, we demand that people claim their freedom!
According to Paul, in the Christian way of life, women, also, need to appropriate these values—while at the same time, in a healthy way, balancing them with their own needs.
This is what Paul is calling us to do, this is what Frankel discovered in Auschwitz, this is what Christ died, and was resurrected for!
Now, claim your own freedom and share that freedom with others. This is how we truly share God’s great gifts of freedom and love.
The Rush song that we spoke about earlier ends with the words, “I will choose free will.”
I will choose free will.
How about you?
“I Will Choose Free will”
(Gal 5:1; 13-25)
1st Reading: Ps 77:1-20
PRAY
It would seem that as of late, I have been on a kick of listening to my favorite rock groups of the seventies and eighties. Last week, we talked about Fleetwood Mac, this week I want to talk about another of my favorite bands.
In 1981, the band Rush released their Permanent Waves album. On it, was, perhaps, my favorite song by them, “Free Will.” The line in the song that, always, catches me is, “If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.”
“If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.”
It occurs to me; both each time I hear this line, and read today’s scripture that God has given us free will.
The ability to choose, for ourselves, between right and wrong.
The ability to claim, for ourselves—through God’s gift of free will—both our triumphs, but also our mistakes as our own.
We need to own both.
In Paul’s somewhat angry letter to the church in Galatia, free will is one of the major themes.
Read with me, if you will, Gal 5. We are going to be looking at v. 1 and vv. 13-25; I am reading from The Message:
The Message
Galatians 5
5:1
Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you.
5:13
It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don't use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that's how freedom grows.
5:14
For everything we know about God's Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That's an act of true freedom.
5:15
If you bite and ravage each other, watch out - in no time at all you will be annihilating each other, and where will your precious freedom be then?
5:16
My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God's Spirit. Then you won't feed the compulsions of selfishness.
5:17
For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are antithetical, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day.
5:18
Why don't you choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence?
5:19
It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness;
5:20
trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits;
5:21
the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on. This isn't the first time I have warned you, you know. If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit God's kingdom.
5:22
But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard - things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments,
5:23
not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way.
5:24
Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good - crucified.
5:25
Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives.
Before we go on, I need you to know that I do not believe that Paul is condemning anyone here. He is frustrated; he feels that his flock is falling prey to some destructive teaching. He wants them to grow in Christ, not to turn to Christ in the same way they did to their old, oppressive, belief system. Christ exemplifies freedom, not it’s opposite.
Paul is trying, and hoping, to teach his flock to live in Christ’s freedom. The questions become:
What does it mean to live in freedom?
What does God’s freedom look like?
This is what Paul is imploring the Galatian church to look at.
Would you believe that freedom—God’s kind of freedom—can be found in the most unlikely places?
In September of 1942, a young physician, his new bride, his mother, father, and brother, were arrested in Vienna and taken to a concentration camp in Bohemia. The simple reason for their incarceration was their Jewishness.
It was events that occurred there and at three other camps that led the young doctor -- prisoner 119,104 -- to realize the significance of meaningfulness in life.
Throughout his journey, deeper and deeper, into the system of oppression known as the concentration camp, the loss of his family, and countless other acts of terror, Dr. Viktor Frankel found freedom.
You heard me correctly.
Viktor Frankel, while in Auschwitz—the most infamous of the German camps—realized that freedom is something that can be found deep within one’s own soul.
Frankel wrote about this in his magnum opus, the book Man’s Search For Meaning. It is the story of his ordeal in the camps and his search for meaning in his own life. Man’s Search for Meaning is Frankel’s manifesto of freedom. So too, is Galatians Paul’s manifesto of freedom.
The Church in Galatia was a confused lot. They lacked the Jewish background of other Christians. They were gentiles. All they knew, prior to Christ was the local flavor of paganism—a form that contained oppressive, and frequent, ritual for just about every facet of daily living.
In Christ, we are talking about a whole new order of things. Christ, first and foremost, gave the oppressed new hope—he still does.
He taught people to take freedom seriously.
To realize that freedom exists even in captivity.
Remember how we have talked about how turning the other cheek forces the person hitting you to hit you with an “unclean” hand? To turn the other cheek is to claim your own freedom and to defile the one who abuses you. Remember in the Middle East people would hit with their right hand, to hit you with the left, would be to hit you with the hand that they use to wipe their bottom. To hit you with such, according to tradition, defiles them.
Bearing the cross, in freedom, does not imply that we allow ourselves to be abused. It is claiming our liberation.
This is Christ’s subversive gospel!
This is the kind of freedom that Frankel writes about.
In Christ (cf. 4:8) the Galatians have a new freedom. Paul writes that before they knew God, they were enslaved. Now, the Galatians had a new spiritual liberty that allowed them to live in God’s grace.
In this new paradigm, the Galatians can focus on God’s love, not god’s wrath. They need not worry if they are “getting it right.” Ceremony no longer dictates their fortunes.
They have been redeemed by Christ on the cross.
As it turns out, there were others, who after Paul left, came in and began to teach the Galatian church otherwise, in 1:6-7, we read
1:6
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—
1:7
not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are confusing you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.
It would seem that these people were preaching that God’s grace in Christ was not enough. Some of the Galatians were becoming seduced by this theology. This, as you might imagine, greatly frustrated Paul.
And so, Paul writes this, at times terse, letter to the church in Galatia. Today’s reading, really in the form of a sermon, gets to the meat of Paul’s argument. He is calling the church to choose freedom over legalism.
We would be wise, friends, to heed Paul’s advise.
Freedom, and by extension free will, is God’s gift to us. And yet, and yet, so many Christians (especially in the United States) crave something else. They want the seemingly secure answers, and assurances, of more fundamentalist thought. People want easy to follow plans for salvation—“five steps to the kingdom of heaven.”
Friends, many Christians want to believe that the force of God controls our good thoughts and behaviors. Our bad thoughts are controlled by what Jewish theology calls the Sitra Achra—literally in Heb. “the other side”—the evil side.
It is convenient to do that isn’t it?
It takes all the responsibility away from us; doesn’t it?
Such a belief, though, also invalidates the Christian doctrine of God. The Catholic Encyclopedia tackles the issue of free will this way,
The doctrine that God has created man, has commanded him to obey the moral law, and has promised to reward or punish him for observance or violation of this law, made the reality of moral liberty an issue of transcendent importance. Unless man is really free, he cannot be justly held responsible for his actions, any more than for the date of his birth or the colour of his eyes.
If we are not free, we cannot be held accountable!
If we are not free, we exchange one form of idolatry (materialism, selfishness, etc…) for another (Biblicism, legalism, self-righteousness)!
In his powerful sermon to the Galatians, Paul says no!
To be free in Christ is to be a full recipient of God’s grace. It is to be freed from all forms of oppression, religious or otherwise. Paul urges us to be, in all things, guided by the Spirit. Not oppressed by it.
Paul ends this sermon by telling the church in Galatia, and by extension us (vv. 22-25) that we are free to become the person that God created us to be. He talks about the fruit of the spirit, which is love. This is God’s gift to us.
A gift that we have been freed to operate within.
Now, here we need to be careful. Paul talks a lot about sacrifice; when he does so he tends to bring his reader’s attention to the cross. We need to get a handle on where he is going with this. This is especially true when we speak of sacrifice as it pertains to women.
Women of all generations, and in nearly all cultures, tend to be socially educated to believe that they can only be happy while serving, and sacrificing for, others.
Men, on the other hand, tend to be brought up to pursue their own goals. Listen to what Paul is saying here. He may be doing something quite radical.
Paul is holding up what are, essentially, feminine ideals and values for everyone, male and female alike; this is especially directed at his readers—the men of Galatia.
This, friends, ought to be the message of our church. To be in Christ is to be liberated. To be in Christ is not to check one’s mind at the door like so many coats. This is why, we are becoming the church in this place, we offer an alterative. Like Paul, we demand that people claim their freedom!
According to Paul, in the Christian way of life, women, also, need to appropriate these values—while at the same time, in a healthy way, balancing them with their own needs.
This is what Paul is calling us to do, this is what Frankel discovered in Auschwitz, this is what Christ died, and was resurrected for!
Now, claim your own freedom and share that freedom with others. This is how we truly share God’s great gifts of freedom and love.
The Rush song that we spoke about earlier ends with the words, “I will choose free will.”
I will choose free will.
How about you?
Friday, May 07, 2004
Preached by Pastor Chris 5/2/04
“The Empty Tomb Still Calleth”
(Acts 9:36-43)
PRAY
Okay, by now many of you have gotten the May newsletter; and like everyone else in this church the first thing you did was drop everything and read my meandrous article. Right?
For the purposes of this sermon, I’m going to pretend that some in this room may not have read it. Unimaginable, I know; will you, however, humor me?
In the article I talked, at some length, about what life—for us as Christians—must be like after the empty-tomb experience of Easter.
Here we are, the fourth week of Eastertide. We must now examine how it is we’ve been affected by the experience of that empty tomb. The following comes from my newsletter article:
The Church is not a building, or a place, nor is it the number of people filling our pews, or the number of services they fill them for; the Church is the ἐκκλησία, ekklesia. This Greek word, used over and over again in the New Testament, can be best translated into English as “the called-out ones”; in other words, those who have been “called-out” by Christ to do this work.
Friends, we have been, personally, called-out to do the work of the Church: the work of love; the work of welcoming; the work of tolerance; the work of hospitality; the work of discipleship; the work of teaching; the work of serving; the work of baptizing; the work of redemption; and the work of reconciliation that is the Church.
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
Seriously though; Christ is calling us out.
The text that we are about to dive into is a prime example of the work that the church has been called to do—it is, in my opinion, a microcosm of Christian life and ministry. Literally, microcosm means little world; in other words, in this text we get a small model of the entirety of Christian ministry.
Read with me if you would; and keep it handy so that you can go back to it. We are also going to touch on what I believe is some pretty significant teaching today—you might want to jot down some notes:
(Acts 9:36-43, NLT)
36There was a believer in Joppa named Tabitha (which in Greek is Dorcas). She was always doing kind things for others and helping the poor. 37About this time she became ill and died. Her friends prepared her for burial and laid her in an upstairs room. 38But they had heard that Peter was nearby at Lydda, so they sent two men to beg him, “Please come as soon as possible!”
39So Peter returned with them; and as soon as he arrived, they took him to the upstairs room. The room was filled, with widows who were weeping and showing him the coats and other garments Dorcas had made for them. 40But Peter asked them all to leave the room; then he knelt and prayed. Turning to the body he said, “Get up, Tabitha.” And she opened her eyes! When she saw Peter, she sat up! 41He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then he called in the widows and all the believers, and he showed them that she was alive.
42The news raced through the whole town, and many believed in the Lord. 43And Peter stayed a long time in Joppa, living with Simon, a leatherworker.
Do you see how this text offers a microcosm for how Christ expects the church to continue his ministry? I want you to look with me at a number of, specific, points that give me this notion. It is on these points that we will hang this morning’s discussion:
A Woman (v. 36)?
Point number one—right off and in the first verse (v.36); this text centers on a woman—Tabitha, in Aramaic or Syriac, and Dorcas in Greek—in either case we are talking about a woman named, what in English amounts to, Gazelle. This was quite common practice in the Ancient Near East; young women would be named after beautiful animals.
The thing to remember, here, is that women would almost never be the subject of a story unless it was either true; or, it was designed around women for the purpose of proving that it was true—they wouldn’t make-up stories about women.
The reason being that women, in this time and place, were considered as “less-than”; in fact, women would not even be allowed to testify in court. It was believed that women could not be trusted because they were, in-essence, property; and property could not be trusted assuming it would only vouch for its owner.
That a woman is not only the center of the story, but also named, tells us a lot.
We are seeing that in this new Christian paradigm, things are going to be different. We are also told that Tabitha was a woman steeped in the work of the church. In v. 39 we are even given examples of such work. She made garments for the widows. This is significant. Widows, in essence, to keep with my example from earlier, were women without a place in society—women with no owner.
Anointing (v. 37).
The second point has to do with the death of Tabitha: The women prepared the body for burial. Here I just want to stop for a moment on what is happening here and return to the Easter story. Like Christ, Tabitha was washed an anointed. She was prepared to be buried after a time of mourning. Both the Christ metaphor, as well as the commonality of such a practice, are well illustrated here. If we were to look outside the Bible, in ancient literature, Virgil (Misenus, Aeneid vi. ver. 212) and Homer (Iliad xviii. 343) both give us examples of such.
Why Peter (v. 38)?
Third point: Why Peter? There was no precedent for the Apostles raising people from the dead. Having read this text, we know that it does happen.
These people did not.
What I think we need to get from this one is the example of pastoring. We call our pastors for comfort—because they will know what to do—when we are in crisis. Are you beginning to see how this text is becoming a microcosm for the Christian Ministry?
Prayer (v. 40).
Next (and intertwining) point: Peter sent all the widows out and prayed over the body. Those of you who take my class on The Prayer of Jesus, will hear the video presenter, Hank Hanegraaff, say on a number of occasions that the secret of prayer is “secret prayer,” citing Jesus’ words to his Disciples in Mt 6:5-6:
…whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 6But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you (NRSV).
This is exactly what Peter did. He approached Tabitha’s body—the Greek here is σῶμα soma; literally, “the empty body,” inferring that she was dead and that the soul had already left it.
He approached Tabitha’s σῶμα and prayed, in secret, over it; he did not know what would happen—faith and prayer must go hand in hand. When he finished praying, he invited her to get up.
And she did!
When I read this I am, immediately, brought back to Jn 14:12-13 where Christ says:
12Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. 13I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it (NRSV).
Again, we see in the death and resurrection of Tabitha, a microcosm for the entirety of Christian Ministry.
Evangelism (v. 42).
Next point: “The E Word”; yes friends; Evangelism. I know people often take this word as if it only contained four letters and began with an “f”; we need to re-claim this word.
The people, in our story, saw what happened and many believed. This was not the kind of evangelism that one sees on a street corner; now, this is the real deal. People encounter, first hand, the ministry of Christ through Christ’s believers, are touched by it, and believe! This is what, in my opinion, evangelism is really about! Us going out into this world, doing the work of God, people getting touched by that work and, finally, wanting some of what we have.
A quick show of hands: How many of you are here today because you have been touched, in some way, through the ministry of Jesus Christ?
Getting out There—Doing the unexpected (V. 43).
Last point: A couple of weeks ago, Sharon LoForte sent me an email forward that I knew was great sermon material—I am using it with a little embellishment. If you’ve already heard it, go ahead and smile and nod as if you hadn’t for the benefit of those who haven’t.
A man walks into an upscale church. He is impeccably clean; nevertheless, he is a cowboy. He wears clean, yet worn, jeans—the same is true of his shirt. His hat, like any good cowboy hat, has seen its share of real work. That hat has seen this man through both his best and worst times.
In this upscale church, people were dressed in their Sunday Best (so was he but, apparently, they didn’t see it that way). These folks were wearing Prada and Armani. Not a hair was out of place on their heads. They would not even go near this man.
He just didn’t fit in!
In the pew, he sat alone. Nobody spoke to him or sat near him.
In the coffee hour he was ignored. Finally, in his old, but well shined cowboy boots, he began to saunter out of the church.
Just as reached the door, he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder. He looked back at it, it was a man’s, manicured, and attached to the bell sleeve of an ornate academic robe.
It was the minister. He thanked the man for coming, but asked him that before he returned to their church that he might pray and seek out God’s advice for what would be appropriate to wear. The old cowboy said that he would do so and walked out to his old but impeccably clean and waxed, pickup truck.
The next week, the old cowboy was back.
He wore the same clothes, sat in the same pew, and was, in the same way, shunned.
This time, he decided not to stay for the coffee hour—can you blame him?
Nevertheless, right before he left he felt that same hand attached this time to an even more ornate academic robe, rested upon his shoulder.
Again, it was the minister. He says to our old cowboy, “Didn’t I tell you to ask God what would be appropriate to wear in our church?”
The old cowboy told the minister that he had done as the minister had asked.
To this the minister got an incredulous look that said, quite vehemently I might add, “well?!?”
“Well Reverend,” the old cowboy, calmly, replied, “I sincerely did ask God what I should wear to your wonderful church.”
“And,” asked the minister; hiding none of his sarcasm and frustration.
“Well Sir, God said that he had never been here; and therefore, did not know what to tell me to wear.”
(pause)
The final verse of our text tells us that Peter went and stayed with Simon the leatherworker (or in Gk. a tanner).
On the surface this might seem unremarkable. But we need to read scripture for context. In the context of the Judaism of the Ancient Near East to be a tanner was about as undesirable a thing as one could be.
A person who dealt in hides, whether those of clean or unclean animals, was considered dirty all the time—to touch death was to be unclean. The Talmudists speak with great contempt of tanners; to them such a profession was, to say the least, undesirable, and rendered the individual unworthy of certain social status.
Even in Joppa, the trade appears to have been reputed unclean; and therefore this is perhaps the reason that Simon had his house by the sea side (cf. Acts 10:6 which speaks of Simon the tanner living by the sea shore). Also, tanning is a very stinky endeavor and would keep his shop away from the mainstream of town.
In other words, Simon lived down by the docks in the ghetto.
The final example in our microcosm of Christian ministry is that Peter, the rock upon which the Christian Church was built, is staying with the old cowboy in our previous story (while badly mixing metaphors) in his, immaculately clean but shabby, home in the ghetto.
Conclusion
Friends, Christ—through the empty tomb—calls us to continue his work until he comes again. This work, which has been so well laid out in this morning’s text includes:
Pastoring—or responding to the call of those in need.
Prayer—going to Christ for the answer. In prayer we are speaking, in this case specifically, of secret prayer.
Faith—Peter had to have faith that God would do something. He went to God in earnest not knowing what would happen. In prayer he was prompted to tell Tabitha to get up. She did!
Evangelism—the message of Christ was shared in word and deed. People believed because they saw; or were touched by those who had seen.
Reaching beyond the comfort zone—Peter, even though now exhalted among the members of what would become the Christian Church, communed with those that society rejected. So did Christ.
Finally, this work includes teaching. The teaching of this text is implicit. We are reading, and discussing it. Are these all the gifts of ministry? No, but in this text—which happens not so long after Christ’s resurrection—we are called, once again by Christ…
Christ calling us from the empty tomb… to be the church. Not just pastors, but all of us, a priesthood of believers, all ministers, all ministering.
This leaves only two, distinct, questions: Are you ready?
And
Will you come?
“The Empty Tomb Still Calleth”
(Acts 9:36-43)
PRAY
Okay, by now many of you have gotten the May newsletter; and like everyone else in this church the first thing you did was drop everything and read my meandrous article. Right?
For the purposes of this sermon, I’m going to pretend that some in this room may not have read it. Unimaginable, I know; will you, however, humor me?
In the article I talked, at some length, about what life—for us as Christians—must be like after the empty-tomb experience of Easter.
Here we are, the fourth week of Eastertide. We must now examine how it is we’ve been affected by the experience of that empty tomb. The following comes from my newsletter article:
The Church is not a building, or a place, nor is it the number of people filling our pews, or the number of services they fill them for; the Church is the ἐκκλησία, ekklesia. This Greek word, used over and over again in the New Testament, can be best translated into English as “the called-out ones”; in other words, those who have been “called-out” by Christ to do this work.
Friends, we have been, personally, called-out to do the work of the Church: the work of love; the work of welcoming; the work of tolerance; the work of hospitality; the work of discipleship; the work of teaching; the work of serving; the work of baptizing; the work of redemption; and the work of reconciliation that is the Church.
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
Seriously though; Christ is calling us out.
The text that we are about to dive into is a prime example of the work that the church has been called to do—it is, in my opinion, a microcosm of Christian life and ministry. Literally, microcosm means little world; in other words, in this text we get a small model of the entirety of Christian ministry.
Read with me if you would; and keep it handy so that you can go back to it. We are also going to touch on what I believe is some pretty significant teaching today—you might want to jot down some notes:
(Acts 9:36-43, NLT)
36There was a believer in Joppa named Tabitha (which in Greek is Dorcas). She was always doing kind things for others and helping the poor. 37About this time she became ill and died. Her friends prepared her for burial and laid her in an upstairs room. 38But they had heard that Peter was nearby at Lydda, so they sent two men to beg him, “Please come as soon as possible!”
39So Peter returned with them; and as soon as he arrived, they took him to the upstairs room. The room was filled, with widows who were weeping and showing him the coats and other garments Dorcas had made for them. 40But Peter asked them all to leave the room; then he knelt and prayed. Turning to the body he said, “Get up, Tabitha.” And she opened her eyes! When she saw Peter, she sat up! 41He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then he called in the widows and all the believers, and he showed them that she was alive.
42The news raced through the whole town, and many believed in the Lord. 43And Peter stayed a long time in Joppa, living with Simon, a leatherworker.
Do you see how this text offers a microcosm for how Christ expects the church to continue his ministry? I want you to look with me at a number of, specific, points that give me this notion. It is on these points that we will hang this morning’s discussion:
A Woman (v. 36)?
Point number one—right off and in the first verse (v.36); this text centers on a woman—Tabitha, in Aramaic or Syriac, and Dorcas in Greek—in either case we are talking about a woman named, what in English amounts to, Gazelle. This was quite common practice in the Ancient Near East; young women would be named after beautiful animals.
The thing to remember, here, is that women would almost never be the subject of a story unless it was either true; or, it was designed around women for the purpose of proving that it was true—they wouldn’t make-up stories about women.
The reason being that women, in this time and place, were considered as “less-than”; in fact, women would not even be allowed to testify in court. It was believed that women could not be trusted because they were, in-essence, property; and property could not be trusted assuming it would only vouch for its owner.
That a woman is not only the center of the story, but also named, tells us a lot.
We are seeing that in this new Christian paradigm, things are going to be different. We are also told that Tabitha was a woman steeped in the work of the church. In v. 39 we are even given examples of such work. She made garments for the widows. This is significant. Widows, in essence, to keep with my example from earlier, were women without a place in society—women with no owner.
Anointing (v. 37).
The second point has to do with the death of Tabitha: The women prepared the body for burial. Here I just want to stop for a moment on what is happening here and return to the Easter story. Like Christ, Tabitha was washed an anointed. She was prepared to be buried after a time of mourning. Both the Christ metaphor, as well as the commonality of such a practice, are well illustrated here. If we were to look outside the Bible, in ancient literature, Virgil (Misenus, Aeneid vi. ver. 212) and Homer (Iliad xviii. 343) both give us examples of such.
Why Peter (v. 38)?
Third point: Why Peter? There was no precedent for the Apostles raising people from the dead. Having read this text, we know that it does happen.
These people did not.
What I think we need to get from this one is the example of pastoring. We call our pastors for comfort—because they will know what to do—when we are in crisis. Are you beginning to see how this text is becoming a microcosm for the Christian Ministry?
Prayer (v. 40).
Next (and intertwining) point: Peter sent all the widows out and prayed over the body. Those of you who take my class on The Prayer of Jesus, will hear the video presenter, Hank Hanegraaff, say on a number of occasions that the secret of prayer is “secret prayer,” citing Jesus’ words to his Disciples in Mt 6:5-6:
…whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 6But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you (NRSV).
This is exactly what Peter did. He approached Tabitha’s body—the Greek here is σῶμα soma; literally, “the empty body,” inferring that she was dead and that the soul had already left it.
He approached Tabitha’s σῶμα and prayed, in secret, over it; he did not know what would happen—faith and prayer must go hand in hand. When he finished praying, he invited her to get up.
And she did!
When I read this I am, immediately, brought back to Jn 14:12-13 where Christ says:
12Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. 13I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it (NRSV).
Again, we see in the death and resurrection of Tabitha, a microcosm for the entirety of Christian Ministry.
Evangelism (v. 42).
Next point: “The E Word”; yes friends; Evangelism. I know people often take this word as if it only contained four letters and began with an “f”; we need to re-claim this word.
The people, in our story, saw what happened and many believed. This was not the kind of evangelism that one sees on a street corner; now, this is the real deal. People encounter, first hand, the ministry of Christ through Christ’s believers, are touched by it, and believe! This is what, in my opinion, evangelism is really about! Us going out into this world, doing the work of God, people getting touched by that work and, finally, wanting some of what we have.
A quick show of hands: How many of you are here today because you have been touched, in some way, through the ministry of Jesus Christ?
Getting out There—Doing the unexpected (V. 43).
Last point: A couple of weeks ago, Sharon LoForte sent me an email forward that I knew was great sermon material—I am using it with a little embellishment. If you’ve already heard it, go ahead and smile and nod as if you hadn’t for the benefit of those who haven’t.
A man walks into an upscale church. He is impeccably clean; nevertheless, he is a cowboy. He wears clean, yet worn, jeans—the same is true of his shirt. His hat, like any good cowboy hat, has seen its share of real work. That hat has seen this man through both his best and worst times.
In this upscale church, people were dressed in their Sunday Best (so was he but, apparently, they didn’t see it that way). These folks were wearing Prada and Armani. Not a hair was out of place on their heads. They would not even go near this man.
He just didn’t fit in!
In the pew, he sat alone. Nobody spoke to him or sat near him.
In the coffee hour he was ignored. Finally, in his old, but well shined cowboy boots, he began to saunter out of the church.
Just as reached the door, he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder. He looked back at it, it was a man’s, manicured, and attached to the bell sleeve of an ornate academic robe.
It was the minister. He thanked the man for coming, but asked him that before he returned to their church that he might pray and seek out God’s advice for what would be appropriate to wear. The old cowboy said that he would do so and walked out to his old but impeccably clean and waxed, pickup truck.
The next week, the old cowboy was back.
He wore the same clothes, sat in the same pew, and was, in the same way, shunned.
This time, he decided not to stay for the coffee hour—can you blame him?
Nevertheless, right before he left he felt that same hand attached this time to an even more ornate academic robe, rested upon his shoulder.
Again, it was the minister. He says to our old cowboy, “Didn’t I tell you to ask God what would be appropriate to wear in our church?”
The old cowboy told the minister that he had done as the minister had asked.
To this the minister got an incredulous look that said, quite vehemently I might add, “well?!?”
“Well Reverend,” the old cowboy, calmly, replied, “I sincerely did ask God what I should wear to your wonderful church.”
“And,” asked the minister; hiding none of his sarcasm and frustration.
“Well Sir, God said that he had never been here; and therefore, did not know what to tell me to wear.”
(pause)
The final verse of our text tells us that Peter went and stayed with Simon the leatherworker (or in Gk. a tanner).
On the surface this might seem unremarkable. But we need to read scripture for context. In the context of the Judaism of the Ancient Near East to be a tanner was about as undesirable a thing as one could be.
A person who dealt in hides, whether those of clean or unclean animals, was considered dirty all the time—to touch death was to be unclean. The Talmudists speak with great contempt of tanners; to them such a profession was, to say the least, undesirable, and rendered the individual unworthy of certain social status.
Even in Joppa, the trade appears to have been reputed unclean; and therefore this is perhaps the reason that Simon had his house by the sea side (cf. Acts 10:6 which speaks of Simon the tanner living by the sea shore). Also, tanning is a very stinky endeavor and would keep his shop away from the mainstream of town.
In other words, Simon lived down by the docks in the ghetto.
The final example in our microcosm of Christian ministry is that Peter, the rock upon which the Christian Church was built, is staying with the old cowboy in our previous story (while badly mixing metaphors) in his, immaculately clean but shabby, home in the ghetto.
Conclusion
Friends, Christ—through the empty tomb—calls us to continue his work until he comes again. This work, which has been so well laid out in this morning’s text includes:
Pastoring—or responding to the call of those in need.
Prayer—going to Christ for the answer. In prayer we are speaking, in this case specifically, of secret prayer.
Faith—Peter had to have faith that God would do something. He went to God in earnest not knowing what would happen. In prayer he was prompted to tell Tabitha to get up. She did!
Evangelism—the message of Christ was shared in word and deed. People believed because they saw; or were touched by those who had seen.
Reaching beyond the comfort zone—Peter, even though now exhalted among the members of what would become the Christian Church, communed with those that society rejected. So did Christ.
Finally, this work includes teaching. The teaching of this text is implicit. We are reading, and discussing it. Are these all the gifts of ministry? No, but in this text—which happens not so long after Christ’s resurrection—we are called, once again by Christ…
Christ calling us from the empty tomb… to be the church. Not just pastors, but all of us, a priesthood of believers, all ministers, all ministering.
This leaves only two, distinct, questions: Are you ready?
And
Will you come?
Tuesday, April 20, 2004
“To Doubt or Not to Doubt, that is the Question?
John 20:19-31
Cottage Way Christian Church
April 18, 2004
I love to read about the disciples, mostly because they are so human and so far from perfect, which makes them a lot like us. But I’ve always regretted how we have treated one of those twelve, the one we call doubting Thomas. My grandma ( I know I am always talking about her) told when I was a kid that it was a sin to doubt! Therefore as I grew up, Thomas was a bad disciple. Not so! Thomas was really a man of great faith and great courage, and we forget that because of the connotation of the label we’ve tagged on him.
The first time we even hear about Thomas is in John 11. The more I read what John says about Thomas, I don’t think he liked Thomas very much. He always manages to put a negative side on whatever Thomas does or doesn’t do. Back to John 11. Things are not going well. The Pharasies have already tried to have Jesus killed twice, and the disciples know that it is far too dangerous for them to go back into Judea anytime soon. Jesus has received news about Lazarus dying and tells the twelve that he must go to Bethany…the time has come.
They protest. To go back means certain for him. It’s a stupid, reckless thing to do. It looks as if they will abandon Jesus once and for all, telling him to go alone if he must go at all.
At this critical turning point in the ministry of Christ we first hear from Thomas. It is Thomas, this man of courage and faith, who says: “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
I want you to notice that Thomas is no fool. He wasn’t following Jesus blindly. He didn’t believe that there was going to be a happily-ever-after ending. He knew what was involved. He had counted the cost. But he intended to follow Jesus, even if it meant . Thomas may have had his doubts about the wisdom of Jesus’ actions, but he also had the faith to follow in spite of those doubts.
He also had the courage and the faith to ask questions, to admit to Jesus that he just didn’t understand. The next time we hear from him, it is in the upper room, during Jesus’ last talk with the disciples. Jesus was trying to explain to them the significance of the cross and what lay beyond it.
Christ said, “You know the way to the place where I am going?” (Jn. 14:4). It was Thomas who had the courage to admit is ignorance. It was Thomas who had the faith to know it would be all right to interrupt and ask, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” (Jn. 14:6)
Thomas had the courage and faith to question, to know that it was all right to question. And because he did, Christ could give him, and us, the answer.
How often do we rush over the uncomfortable questions of faith? How often do we say to those who dare to ask, “Oh, you just have to have more faith!” How often are we afraid to admit, even to ourselves, that we have a question, but we don’t want to be labeled a doubting Thomas, a black sheep in the Christian faith?
Yes, it is a question asked and wrestled with that increases our faith. They don’t destroy it. Our faith is in far more danger when we pretend we don’t have questions, because then we can never get answers.
It is said that the way to learn consists of asking the right kind of questions. Thomas not only teaches us that, but teaches us that one way to greater faith is to express the right kind of doubt. But Thomas was not alone in his refusal to believe in the risen Christ until he saw him. It’s just that Thomas’ doubt is expressed in ways we can understand. When he heard the news that Jesus had appeared, he said, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe. He wanted hard core evidence of this resurrected Jesus.
I think that one of the reasons those words touch us so strongly is because there are times when we could say them as easily as Thomas, times when we want hard core physical evidence of God’s presence in our lives, when we want a physical Christ to stand before us, when we have our doubts. But we don’t always have Thomas’ courage to put them into words, to speak them out loud.
Look what happened when Thomas did. Christ appeared to give him the proof he desired. And as soon as Christ appeared, Thomas no longer needed the evidence. He did not need to place his finger in the nail prints or his hand in Christ’s side. Instead, when Christ appeared to answer his doubts, Thomas responded in faith, “My Lord and my God.”
Thomas’ doubts were not doors that shut off his faith. Rather, when he admitted them, when he confessed them, they opened him up in a new way to God. In fact they served to increase his faith.
Jesus never condemned Thomas for his doubts. We are the only ones who do that. Christ knows that to admit to our questions and doubts takes courage, particularly if we, like Thomas, choose to battle them out until we reach our certainty. It would be easier to go with the flow, to just pretend we believe, to just say we have no questions, but it is in the battle for answers that out faith grows.
Let me tell you the story of Tommy Russo. (No relation to Pastor Chris) Tommy tried and tried to go to church with his wife. Sophia Russo was the one who had been brought up in the church. Her parents had been very devout Christian people. With Tommy’s parents it was completely different. They didn’t attend church and they didn’t make their kids attend either. At this point in their marriage, Tommy and Sophia Russo faced a real dilemma. Before they were married Tommy had promised he’s give church a try. And he did. But the whole thing left him sort of cold. He just couldn’t buy it all. There was just too much there that was unbelievable!
Tommy tried talking to Sophia about it one Sunday after they had been to church, “Can’t we find some kind of compromise on this religion thing?” Tommy asked. But Sophia would have none of it. Here Christian faith meant the world to her. She was not about to compromise. She was not about to give up her faith practices. “You promised,” she said to Tommy, “You said you would give it a try.”
“But I have tired.” Tommy replied. “How long do I have to go on with this anyway? I’ve been to church with you just about every Sunday for this whole first year of our marriage. Isn’t that trying? What more do you want from me? Enough is enough. There’s just too much about church and all that I just can’t believe.”
What can’t you believe abut it all? Sophia asked. “Jesus”, Tommy blurted out – after a few moments of silence. “I like Jesus. He makes a lot of sense to me at times. There’s some very good advice abut life in his teachings. But to buy into Jesus I’ve got to buy into too much other stuff that is not helpful at all. In fact, it just confuses the issue. Take this Virgin Mary business, for example. I mean, come on! Get serious. Stuff like that just doesn’t happen. And what’s the use of it anyway? Does it make Jesus any better than he already is? I don’t think so. And then there’s the miracles and the final miracle. ‘he was raised from the .’ I feel the same way about that as I do abut is birth. So what? Jesus was a great man, a great teacher. I don’t need all this miracle business. I honestly doubt that it really happened that way. Maybe the disciples just made it up for all we know.”
At the end of their discussion, however, Tommy agreed to keep his promise and go with her on Sundays for a few more months. One Sunday the gospel reading caught him up short. It was about Thomas. That was his name. Thomas had doubts. So did he. He liked what Thomas had to say about Jesus being raised from the . “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finer in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.” Tommy Russo couldn’t have put it better himself. “If only I could see his body,” he thought to himself. “If only I could touch his body. That’s the way we Thomas people are.”
Tommy’s mind got fixed on the Bible’s doubting Thomas. That’s all he could think about for the rest of the service. That’s what he thought about when the worship service came to the part with the invitation to communion and the words of institution. If only I could see his body. If I could only touch his body.” And then Tommy’s reverie was interrupted by the pastor’s words. The words jolted his consciousness. It was just a simple phrase. “This is my body given for you.”
Jesus said to Thomas, “Do you believe because you see me? Blessed are those who believe with seeing me.” Blessed are those who believe without seeing me…Why is that? Why is it blessed to believe without seeing? Without touching? Without hearing first, from the Messiah’s mouth as it were, for ourselves? I think that the answer lies in the nature of seeing and in the nature of faith.
Many people say that seeing is believing, but that is far from true, in fact the opposite is more often the case – believing is seeing, believing something opens up to us the possibility of experiencing it, - of seeing it come to pass in our lives – and of having that which we believe produce in us many kinds of blessings. If you wait to see something before you will believe in it – then you may never see what you want to see – come to pass.
It was once said, and not sooo long ago – that no one could build a ship out of iron and have it float, because iron is heavier than water – but someone believed that it could work without ever having seen it work and now iron and steel ships abound. What is true for ships is doubly true for airplanes, and even more true for those, who without having seen, have had faith in the risen Lord.
Happy are those who believe without seeing. Happy are those who have made a decision to assert:
That life is stronger than ,
That goodness is stronger than evil,
And that love is stronger than , despite all that they have seen that might suggest the opposite in the world of science and invention. This is how it works with God – our creator, the Holy Spirit, and with our savior, Jesus Christ. So Sorry Grandma – I am going to forget your advice and ask questions so that I may believe!! Amen. And now is the time…..
If there is anyone here who is willing to believe – and does not have a church home – and would like to be a part of us – all you need to do is to transfer your membership – no need for a written one, just tell us, that will work. Or – if you have never accepted Christ as you Savior – come forward as we sing our hymn of invitation – number _______ and we will offer you the right hand of fellowship in this community. Don’t be afraid – just walk down the aisle….and I will meet you right here. Let us stand for our hymn.
John 20:19-31
Cottage Way Christian Church
April 18, 2004
I love to read about the disciples, mostly because they are so human and so far from perfect, which makes them a lot like us. But I’ve always regretted how we have treated one of those twelve, the one we call doubting Thomas. My grandma ( I know I am always talking about her) told when I was a kid that it was a sin to doubt! Therefore as I grew up, Thomas was a bad disciple. Not so! Thomas was really a man of great faith and great courage, and we forget that because of the connotation of the label we’ve tagged on him.
The first time we even hear about Thomas is in John 11. The more I read what John says about Thomas, I don’t think he liked Thomas very much. He always manages to put a negative side on whatever Thomas does or doesn’t do. Back to John 11. Things are not going well. The Pharasies have already tried to have Jesus killed twice, and the disciples know that it is far too dangerous for them to go back into Judea anytime soon. Jesus has received news about Lazarus dying and tells the twelve that he must go to Bethany…the time has come.
They protest. To go back means certain for him. It’s a stupid, reckless thing to do. It looks as if they will abandon Jesus once and for all, telling him to go alone if he must go at all.
At this critical turning point in the ministry of Christ we first hear from Thomas. It is Thomas, this man of courage and faith, who says: “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
I want you to notice that Thomas is no fool. He wasn’t following Jesus blindly. He didn’t believe that there was going to be a happily-ever-after ending. He knew what was involved. He had counted the cost. But he intended to follow Jesus, even if it meant . Thomas may have had his doubts about the wisdom of Jesus’ actions, but he also had the faith to follow in spite of those doubts.
He also had the courage and the faith to ask questions, to admit to Jesus that he just didn’t understand. The next time we hear from him, it is in the upper room, during Jesus’ last talk with the disciples. Jesus was trying to explain to them the significance of the cross and what lay beyond it.
Christ said, “You know the way to the place where I am going?” (Jn. 14:4). It was Thomas who had the courage to admit is ignorance. It was Thomas who had the faith to know it would be all right to interrupt and ask, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” (Jn. 14:6)
Thomas had the courage and faith to question, to know that it was all right to question. And because he did, Christ could give him, and us, the answer.
How often do we rush over the uncomfortable questions of faith? How often do we say to those who dare to ask, “Oh, you just have to have more faith!” How often are we afraid to admit, even to ourselves, that we have a question, but we don’t want to be labeled a doubting Thomas, a black sheep in the Christian faith?
Yes, it is a question asked and wrestled with that increases our faith. They don’t destroy it. Our faith is in far more danger when we pretend we don’t have questions, because then we can never get answers.
It is said that the way to learn consists of asking the right kind of questions. Thomas not only teaches us that, but teaches us that one way to greater faith is to express the right kind of doubt. But Thomas was not alone in his refusal to believe in the risen Christ until he saw him. It’s just that Thomas’ doubt is expressed in ways we can understand. When he heard the news that Jesus had appeared, he said, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe. He wanted hard core evidence of this resurrected Jesus.
I think that one of the reasons those words touch us so strongly is because there are times when we could say them as easily as Thomas, times when we want hard core physical evidence of God’s presence in our lives, when we want a physical Christ to stand before us, when we have our doubts. But we don’t always have Thomas’ courage to put them into words, to speak them out loud.
Look what happened when Thomas did. Christ appeared to give him the proof he desired. And as soon as Christ appeared, Thomas no longer needed the evidence. He did not need to place his finger in the nail prints or his hand in Christ’s side. Instead, when Christ appeared to answer his doubts, Thomas responded in faith, “My Lord and my God.”
Thomas’ doubts were not doors that shut off his faith. Rather, when he admitted them, when he confessed them, they opened him up in a new way to God. In fact they served to increase his faith.
Jesus never condemned Thomas for his doubts. We are the only ones who do that. Christ knows that to admit to our questions and doubts takes courage, particularly if we, like Thomas, choose to battle them out until we reach our certainty. It would be easier to go with the flow, to just pretend we believe, to just say we have no questions, but it is in the battle for answers that out faith grows.
Let me tell you the story of Tommy Russo. (No relation to Pastor Chris) Tommy tried and tried to go to church with his wife. Sophia Russo was the one who had been brought up in the church. Her parents had been very devout Christian people. With Tommy’s parents it was completely different. They didn’t attend church and they didn’t make their kids attend either. At this point in their marriage, Tommy and Sophia Russo faced a real dilemma. Before they were married Tommy had promised he’s give church a try. And he did. But the whole thing left him sort of cold. He just couldn’t buy it all. There was just too much there that was unbelievable!
Tommy tried talking to Sophia about it one Sunday after they had been to church, “Can’t we find some kind of compromise on this religion thing?” Tommy asked. But Sophia would have none of it. Here Christian faith meant the world to her. She was not about to compromise. She was not about to give up her faith practices. “You promised,” she said to Tommy, “You said you would give it a try.”
“But I have tired.” Tommy replied. “How long do I have to go on with this anyway? I’ve been to church with you just about every Sunday for this whole first year of our marriage. Isn’t that trying? What more do you want from me? Enough is enough. There’s just too much about church and all that I just can’t believe.”
What can’t you believe abut it all? Sophia asked. “Jesus”, Tommy blurted out – after a few moments of silence. “I like Jesus. He makes a lot of sense to me at times. There’s some very good advice abut life in his teachings. But to buy into Jesus I’ve got to buy into too much other stuff that is not helpful at all. In fact, it just confuses the issue. Take this Virgin Mary business, for example. I mean, come on! Get serious. Stuff like that just doesn’t happen. And what’s the use of it anyway? Does it make Jesus any better than he already is? I don’t think so. And then there’s the miracles and the final miracle. ‘he was raised from the .’ I feel the same way about that as I do abut is birth. So what? Jesus was a great man, a great teacher. I don’t need all this miracle business. I honestly doubt that it really happened that way. Maybe the disciples just made it up for all we know.”
At the end of their discussion, however, Tommy agreed to keep his promise and go with her on Sundays for a few more months. One Sunday the gospel reading caught him up short. It was about Thomas. That was his name. Thomas had doubts. So did he. He liked what Thomas had to say about Jesus being raised from the . “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finer in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.” Tommy Russo couldn’t have put it better himself. “If only I could see his body,” he thought to himself. “If only I could touch his body. That’s the way we Thomas people are.”
Tommy’s mind got fixed on the Bible’s doubting Thomas. That’s all he could think about for the rest of the service. That’s what he thought about when the worship service came to the part with the invitation to communion and the words of institution. If only I could see his body. If I could only touch his body.” And then Tommy’s reverie was interrupted by the pastor’s words. The words jolted his consciousness. It was just a simple phrase. “This is my body given for you.”
Jesus said to Thomas, “Do you believe because you see me? Blessed are those who believe with seeing me.” Blessed are those who believe without seeing me…Why is that? Why is it blessed to believe without seeing? Without touching? Without hearing first, from the Messiah’s mouth as it were, for ourselves? I think that the answer lies in the nature of seeing and in the nature of faith.
Many people say that seeing is believing, but that is far from true, in fact the opposite is more often the case – believing is seeing, believing something opens up to us the possibility of experiencing it, - of seeing it come to pass in our lives – and of having that which we believe produce in us many kinds of blessings. If you wait to see something before you will believe in it – then you may never see what you want to see – come to pass.
It was once said, and not sooo long ago – that no one could build a ship out of iron and have it float, because iron is heavier than water – but someone believed that it could work without ever having seen it work and now iron and steel ships abound. What is true for ships is doubly true for airplanes, and even more true for those, who without having seen, have had faith in the risen Lord.
Happy are those who believe without seeing. Happy are those who have made a decision to assert:
That life is stronger than ,
That goodness is stronger than evil,
And that love is stronger than , despite all that they have seen that might suggest the opposite in the world of science and invention. This is how it works with God – our creator, the Holy Spirit, and with our savior, Jesus Christ. So Sorry Grandma – I am going to forget your advice and ask questions so that I may believe!! Amen. And now is the time…..
If there is anyone here who is willing to believe – and does not have a church home – and would like to be a part of us – all you need to do is to transfer your membership – no need for a written one, just tell us, that will work. Or – if you have never accepted Christ as you Savior – come forward as we sing our hymn of invitation – number _______ and we will offer you the right hand of fellowship in this community. Don’t be afraid – just walk down the aisle….and I will meet you right here. Let us stand for our hymn.
