Saturday, January 25, 2014

SERMON: "Let's Go Fishin'"

"Let’s Go Fishin’"
Matthew 4:12-23

Tom and Stuart McLean were brothers. When they graduated from college they went into business with their father who was an electronic genius. The three of them were a good team and were very successful.

The two brothers decided one day that they weren’t getting enough exercise and so they took up jogging. They quickly worked themselves up to three miles a day. They also began to strike up conversations with others with whom they shared the jogging path. They hit it off particularly well with a young African-American who just seemed to arrive at the track about the same time as them each day and run at their pace.

Well, one day while they were talking with one another after showering at the clubhouse, this new jogging partner asked them if they’d be interested in helping him with a project he’d been thinking about doing. Stuart asked him what he had in mind.

The young man told them about his growing up in a bad part of the community, having been a good enough athlete to receive a scholarship to attend college and his desire now to go back to his old neighborhood to help others.

It was Tom who then asked, “Well, O.K., but what are you going to do? This kind of thing usually takes money. Who’s going to sponsor you?”

After explaining his plan and his belief of what it would do for the children, he said, “No one is sponsoring me. I just think the need is so great that it has to work. I’m quitting my job to get into the project . . . how would you guys like to join me?” The brothers didn’t say much, but they did promise to think about it.

Tom was the first to speak on the way home, “Craziest thing I ever heard of.” Stuart’s response suggested only partial agreement. “Yeah, perhaps so. You know, we were raised in a pretty privileged home and don’t really know what poverty means.”

Tom just looked at him as he said, “What are you trying to say?”

Stuart blurted out, “Let’s do it. Let’s help him.”


They talked the rest of the way home and even for awhile in their parents’ driveway before they went in to tell their dad about their decision.

Their dad was sitting on the living room couch watching the evening news when Tom hesitantly tried to inform him of their decision. “Ddad, StStuart and I are leaving the company.”

Their dad sat straight up, not quite believing what he’d heard, and asked, “What did you say?”1

Merle Franke wrote this modern parable based upon Matthew’s story of those who were first called by Jesus in order for us to get a better glimpse of the truly radical nature of the call and response.

James and John were the sons of Zebedee. The three of them, along with Simon and Andrew, made their living fishing the Sea of Galilee. Jesus came upon the two sets of brothers when he was out walking along the sea after hearing that Cousin John had been arrested, thus signaling that it was time for him to fulfill his mission. The brothers were fishing and Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.”

The four of them bit on the bait Jesus offered them, left the occupation they had trained their whole lives for and followed a man who had been raised a carpenter but who was traveling around the country preaching, teaching and healing. It had to have been especially hard for James and John because not only were they leaving their fishing, but the business they had built up with their dad as well. Matthew doesn’t share with us ol’ Zeb’s reaction, but it doesn’t take much to imagine that it was similar to Tom and Stuart McLean’s dad’s in Merle Frank’s parable: “What did you say?”

I don’t think Matthew neglected to share with us Zebedee’s response for any other reason than it wasn’t germane to the point he wanted to make with this story: that being, when Jesus Christ invites persons to follow him, it doesn’t matter what they’re doing or who they are, but only that Jesus Christ sees something in them, believes in their potential and has need of them.

There’s no question that the first four disciples of Jesus were pretty ordinary guys. They had no formal education. They probably weren’t particularly attractive. No doubt, they smelled a bit now and then. They probably weren’t very influential in their community. My guess is they weren’t wealthy, nor did they run with the socially elite. While they probably weren’t dirt poor, they surely came from the simple working class.

One of the greatest mistakes we make in the church is assuming that God wants or is able to work through those with extraordinary talents or education or resources. But the truth of the matter, according to the accounts we read in the bible, the truth of the matter is that God is able to work through any one of us despite the inadequate beliefs or feelings we have about ourselves. Whenever we’re tempted to reject the urgings in our souls, our minds, our guts that we sense are God telling us to do something because we don’t feel we’re qualified, we need to remind ourselves of God’s going to Moses and telling him to go to Pharaoh and tell him to “let my people go.” Remember Moses' response? “No, no, God, not me. I’m a nobody and I don’t talk too well.”  It's important that we remember that God was able to use him despite his feelings of inadequacy. We need to remember Gideon claiming that he was the weakest link of a weak family when God wanted to use him. And remember David’s reaction when he sensed God calling him? Do you remember how shocked he was? Do you remember how he argued that he was poor and unknown?

God will use us for what God needs to have done and will equip us to serve, to follow, to minister, to evangelize. It's a waste of our time arguing with God about our inadequacies. Our only choice is to respond and follow and let God do God’s thing in and through us.

There’s something else this story causes me to think about and that is what Jesus said he was going to equip those who follow him to do: fish – fish for others. “I have invited you to follow me because I want you to invite others. I want you to fish and catch others for the kingdom of God.”2 One writer coined what I think is a really challenging and convicting phrase: “If you are not fishing, you are not following.”3

The role of seeking others who need or want Jesus Christ in their lives is the role of all followers of Jesus Christ – all of us are disciples – all of us are ministers – all of us are missionaries – all of us are evangelists. There’s no question that some of us are better at, are more gifted for it, will spend more time at it, but, all of us are responsible at whatever level we’re capable of to reach out to others with the good news of God’s grace, forgiveness, joy, hope, peace, eternal life. All of us are evangelists – called to go and share the good news.

I know, I know, the word evangelism conjures up all kinds of ugly images in some of us because of some of the awful things that have been done by some in the name of evangelism down through the years. But, frankly, I think we need to reclaim the word and rid it of some of those misguided practices and images.

I read a negative images sermon a few years ago entitled “God’s Missionary People.” The preacher began by naming some of the negative evangelistic attempts from which we need to be freed. You know, like the evangelistic method of beating up on people with Jesus – the trying to guilt people into proper behavior in order for them to be loved by Jesus or that makes a conversation into a battle in which arguing a question becomes more important than communicating the love and grace of Jesus Christ - the using the Bible as a weapon of destruction and hatred rather than one of love building bridges.

Then there’s the evangelistic effort that holds out for people a comfortable, “everyone’s like me here, isn’t this cool,” sort of fellowship where we only take care of one another and only let others in like us. Or, like the evangelistic method that tries to win people to Jesus by promising that Jesus will make everything in life alright – that following Jesus will result in being rich, famous, successful and life will be problem free.

The preacher ended the sermon with some comments then about the kind of understanding about evangelism he thinks are more like what Jesus had in mind when he said that he was going to have us, his followers, fish for people.

First, he talked about lifestyle evangelism – letting our actions speak about the difference Jesus Christ makes in our lives. This involves things like putting your hand on a person at work’s shoulder when he or she is slumped over following the news that one of their parents just died or they’ve been let go. It might involve saying something like, “Is there anything I can do?” Or, “I’ll stay with you as long as you need me.” Lifestyle evangelism is like when you know a classmate has flunked a test and you call them and invite them to go out for a pizza or for an ice cream cone on you, and you’re letting them know that you care by listening to them or offering to help them prepare for the next test.

Lifestyle evangelism is about sorting clothes at an area thrift shop, serving coffee at a food pantry, visiting the elderly, living in such a way that others become curious about what it is that causes us to choose to do for others.

The preacher then talked about relational evangelism – a sharing of ourselves beyond the safe zones we’ve established for ourselves. It’s doing things like inviting a new friend, not only to dinner but to church. It’s listening to a colleague’s problems and offering sympathy and to pray with them. “Relational evangelism always involves some risks, for it requires actively involving a friend, a co-worker, or a client in one’s own life of faith.”3

Probably the most challenging form of evangelism this preacher described in his sermon is something he labeled membership evangelism. He describes it as, “witnessing to those who have fallen away from the snug centers of acceptable society and have been flung to the corners of existence, either economically, emotionally or physically. Membership evangelists witness to the drug addicts, the homeless, the mentally ill, all the despairing and hopeless of our society.”4  Membership evangelism remembers the disposed of. They try to reknit them into the fabric of society.

Any takers? Anyone wish to go fishing for Jesus among the least and forgotten? Anyone willing to offer good news of God’s love and forgiveness to those who are desperately in need of it?

Jesus Christ calls and Jesus Christ equips. Jesus Christ supplies what we need to fish and goes with us as the bait those in need crave, hunger for, will risk everything in order to obtain it. The difference in this bait is that it satisfies, it fills up, it heals, it comforts. We’re not out to hook others with Jesus but to feed them what he has to offer - to satisfy their hunger, their loneliness, their lack of purpose for living, their feelings of inferiority, their sense of being unacceptable.

The mission of the church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ. We are called to follow – to be his disciples – to be an open community that loves God and serves our neighbors. We’re called to fish and we have much to offer. So, let’s go fishin’.

Let’s pray.
“O God, you know our reluctance to fish on your behalf – you know how unsure we are of the bait – the words we should use, how uncomfortable we are with overzealous religious types and our fear that others might perceive us that way. We don’t handle rejection, failure too well, Lord, and so much fishing for people is like fishing itself – not many get caught. We need your working on our hearts – we need a new shot of confidence – guide us, Lord, to the people in need of your message and help us to be the vessels in which they will see you. In Christ’s name. Amen.

Merle Frank, "Invitation From a Jogger," Lectionary Tales for the Pulpit: Cycle A (Lima: CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 1995), 0-7880-0527-8.
Leonard Sweet, “God’s Missionary People,” Homiletics,  May 30, 1993.
Ibid.
Ibid.
Ben Patterson, “The Great Fish Controversy,” The Wittenburg Door.


EXTRA ILLUSTRATION OR CHALLENGING THOUGHT
Several years ago a Ben Patterson wrote a little satire lifting up this danger and reality in many churches of his day and it’s still true in our day. It was reprinted in The Wittenburg Door and I think it might be helpful as a prophetic warning as we go about attempting to live out our journeys of faith. He entitled the piece The Great Fish Controversy.
“For months, the Fishers Society had been wracked with dissension. They had built a new meeting hall which they called their Aquarium and had even called a world renowned Fisherman’s Manual scholar to lecture them on the art of fishing. But still no fish were caught.  Several times each week they would gather in their ornate Aquarium Hall, recite portions of the Fisherman’s Manual and then listen to their scholar expound on the intricacies and mysteries of the Manual. The meeting would usually end with the scholar dramatically casting his net into the large tank in the center of the hall and the members rushing excitedly to its edges to see if any fish would bite. None ever did, of course, since there were no fish in the tank. Which brings up the reason for the controversy. Why? The temperature of the tank was carefully regulated to be just right for ocean perch. Indeed, oceanography experts had been consulted to make the environment of the tank nearly indistinguishable from the ocean. But still no fish. Some blamed it on poor attendance to the Society’s meetings. Others were convinced that specialization was the answer: perhaps several smaller tanks geared especially for different fish age groups. There was even division over which was more important: casting or providing optimum tank conditions. Eventually a solution was reached. A few members of the Society were commissioned to become professional fishermen and were sent to live a few blocks away on the edge of the sea and do nothing but catch fish. It was a lonely existence because most other members of the Society were terrified of the ocean. So the professions would send back pictures of themselves holding some of their catches and letters describing the joys and tribulations of real live fishing and periodically they would return to Aquarium Hall to show slides. After such meetings, people of the Society would return to their homes thankful that their Hall had not been built in vain.”5

Here's another version of it:

Fishers of Persons

“Now it came to pass that a group existed who called themselves fishers. And lo, there were many fish in the waters all around. In fact, the whole area was surrounded by streams and lakes filled with fish. And the fish were hungry.
“Week after week, month after month, and year after year, these who called themselves fishers, met in meetings and talked about their call to go fishing. Continually, they searched for new and better methods of fishing and for new and better definitions of fishing. They sponsored costly nationwide and worldwide congresses to discuss fishing and to promote fishing and hear about all the ways of fishing, such as new fishing equipment, fish calls, and whether any new bait was discovered.
“These fishers built large, beautiful buildings called ‘Fishing Headquarters.’ The plea was that everyone should be a fisher and every fisher should fish. However, there was one thing they didn’t do. They didn’t fish!
“All of the fishers seemed to agree that what was needed was a committee which could challenge fishers to be faithful in fishing, to define fishing, and to promote the idea of fishing in far-away streams and lakes where many other fish of difference colors lived.
“Large, elaborate, and expensive training centers were built whose purpose was to teach fishers how to fish.  Those who taught fishing had doctorates in fishology. But the teachers did not fish. They only taught fishing.
“Some spent much study and travel to learn the history of fishing and to go to far away places where the founding mothers and fathers did great fishing in centuries past. They lauded the faithful fishers of years before who handed down the idea of fishing.
“Many who felt the call to be fishers responded. They were commissioned and sent to fish. And they went off to foreign lands . . . to teach fishing.
“Now it’s true that many of the fishers sacrificed and put up with all kinds of difficulties. Some lived near the water and bore the smell of dead fish every day. They received the ridicule of some who made fun of their fishing clubs. They anguished over those who were not committed enough to attend weekly meetings to talk about fishing. After all, weren’t they following the Master who said, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of persons?’
“Imagine how hurt some were when one day a person suggested that those who don’t catch fish were really not fishers, no matter how much they claimed to be. Yet it did sound correct.
“Is a person a fisher if year after year he/she never catches a fish? Is one following if he/she isn’t fishing?"  (5)

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

SERMON: "To Whom Do You Belong?"

"To Whom Do You Belong?"
I Corinthians 1:10-18   

Pastor Thomas Troeger writes these wonderfully fictional stories that help set the stage for readers to understand the scriptures. One of his stories involves a gift to Clyde’s Corner Church. Cedric Clyde was a successful farmer near the turn of the century. He chose to show his thankfulness to God for his success by paying for the building of the local church thus earning for him the title of founder. A little before his death, he donated several pieces of furniture for the parlor. He also donated “a giant red horsehair couch whose rich color Cedric fancied would brighten the front of the church. This huge chair had massive curved arms and dark mahogany legs, each carved like the claw of a lion.” Cedric donated the chair with instructions that it be placed in the chancel area directly behind the pulpit.

The years passed and there arose a conflict in the church between those who wanted to keep the couch where it was and those, newer members, who felt it didn’t belong in the sanctuary. The newer members included several who had moved to the country so that they could raise their children away from the drugs that were becoming a part of their suburban neighborhoods. The farms on which these new residents built their beautiful new homes were obtained for a low dollar because many of them were in foreclosure. They were not only beautiful on the outside but had some fine furnishings inside as well. So, they found the “Victorian Leviathan” couch an eyesore in the plain, but otherwise appropriately decorated church.

The Clyde family had a little different take on the couch. Many of their farms had fallen on hard times as well and when they saw the couch each Sunday they remembered with fondness their great-grandfather and … that the church they sat in, worshiped in, was founded by him. They found comfort in the fact that even though their tractors were rusting away in their fields, the preacher was at least sitting on their relative’s couch.

Troeger has Rev. Kirk, his fictional pastor of the church, comment in his story: “Every sentence I put in the air, I see them all weighing whether it is ammunition for their side or the other side. Here I am preaching about the love of God, and everything I say is filtered through a single question: Is the pastor in favor of the red horsehair couch, or is the pastor against the red horsehair couch?”1    Something had to be done because the conflict was dividing the church.

We’re tempted to laugh, but we know of similar conflicts in other churches – one group of people wanting to rearrange a room and others believing St. Paul himself originally arranged the chairs and that is why they should remain the way they’ve been since the day the church opened – a piece of furniture here, a picture or plaque on a wall there, questions about whether a pulpit should be in one place or another in the chancel area or whether there should be one at all. It’s simply amazing what can cause a good fight in a church by the uninformed innocent comment made by an outsider or newcomer.

While the issues that were causing the conflict in Corinth were more germane to the essence of the faith than a mere piece of furniture, the reason it concerned Paul was the same. Paul was in Ephesus when he heard that problems had developed in the Corinthian church. Paul was the one who was credited with bringing the gospel to Corinth. He won a few converts while he was there and stayed about a year. He taught them as much as he could during the time he was with them. Remember, there was no written account, like the bibles we have today. Whatever they knew, he told them. They were dependent on him for all their information. Finally there came a day when Paul needed to move on – when he needed to go share the good news and plant another church.

We really don’t know anything about who “Chloe’s people” were. All we know is some people who knew Chloe, possibly some of her slaves, had an occasion to visit Paul in Ephesus and shared with him about these different subgroups in the life of the Corinthian church.

Paul began addressing the situation by complimenting the people for the things they were doing together – sharing the Lord’s Supper, worshipping together, standing together as people of faith. It’s important to keep in mind that the issue was not that the four positions were already set in stone to the point that there were four established groups meeting separately, like denominations; but rather that they were these four attitudes that had the potential of erupting into the establishment of separate groups if they continued unchecked, unchallenged, unresolved.

Here’s the way bible scholar William Barclay explained it: “Paul identifies four parties in the Church at Corinth. They have not broken away from the Church; the divisions are as yet within the Church. The word he uses to describe them is schismata, which is the word for rents in a garment. The Corinthian Church is in danger of becoming as unsightly as a torn garment. It is to be noted that the great figures of the Church who are named, Paul and Cephas and Apollos, had nothing to do with these divisions.   There were no dissensions between them. Without their knowledge and without their consent their names had been appropriated by these Corinthian factions.”2

Bible scholars try to describe what was going on by offering words of explanations about what the named groups might have stood for. Those who argued that they belonged to Paul, for example, might have been those who felt a natural affinity with Paul because he was the one who founded the church. This group probably had in it persons who especially appreciated Paul’s inclusion of Gentiles and the idea that they didn’t have to embrace all of the Jewish laws and customs in order to be a Christian. The scholars also suggest that perhaps there were persons in this group who argued that their new spiritual liberty gave them license to sin. Now, there’s no way Paul would have accepted such an idea or taught them such a thing, but some of the things Paul said they construed allowed them to have such a position.

Then there was a group who argued that they belonged to Apollos. Apollos was from Alexandria and from other sources we know that he was an intellectual. He was a really fine orator. He was a persuasive speaker. Some may have been impressed with the eloquence and wisdom with which he spoke. Some have suggested that those who followed Apollos were the intellectuals who regarded Christianity as more of a philosophy than a religion.

A third group referenced in today’s text was the group who claimed they belonged to Cephas. Since this was Peter’s original Jewish name, it is thought that this group of people probably thought it was important that they keep the Jewish laws and customs along with this newly-discovered truth. They were probably people who believed that legalism was still the primary method of access to God and that grace was a nice concept but one that needed to serve the law rather than replace it.

And then, there was that fourth group – those who claimed to belong to Christ. This group seems to be a bit of a puzzle to biblical scholars. They are less sure who this group might have been. Some note that perhaps they were those who thought they had the true understanding of who Jesus was and thus tried to elevate themselves above the rest of the party labels. The title they chose may well mean they were a little, intolerant, self-righteous group.3

Paul’s goal was obvious – he wanted unity. He wanted followers of Jesus to live together in harmony. The sad truth is though, that we’ve had our share of conflict down through the centuries of Christendom. Church history is laden with schisms, divisions, conflicts. It’s a problem that is still with us. It’s an embarrassment that still causes us to lose credibility with the rest of the world.

One preacher offered this observation: “Just think of the different personalities, attitudes and lifestyles represented in a typical congregation: young and old, those who prefer formal worship and those who wish more spontaneous celebration, conservatives and liberals, left-brain and right-brain people, traditionalists and risk-takers.  How can we ever get all these people to live in harmony and work together?”4

The goal is unity. Now, this is not the same as uniformity however. The goal is not to get everyone thinking the same, worshipping the same, toeing some party line. The goal is not to deny our diversity of thinking and acting but rather to keep foremost that Christ is the center of it all – an acknowledging that while we might believe different things, act different ways, it is the same Jesus Christ that calls us to the table – that we are one in our belief in him and his redeeming.

Quarreling in the life of a church does not make the church attractive to those who are in need of a place to call home – a place where they can be accepted and loved. We can have our differences but we need to continue to be mindful that those with different opinions than us deserve to be treated with respect and love. We need to keep in our hearts the attitude that those who belong to the community of faith with us believe in Christ just as we do – he is what cements us together.

So, does snobbishness, jealousies, quarreling exist in our midst? It would be easy to start pointing fingers in any church. To do that would be the opposite hope Paul had when he wrote this letter to his brothers and sisters in the Corinthian church. In the middle of one preacher’s sermon he suggested that instead of calling to mind those we think might be guilty of creating dissension in the life of the church, we ought to do a little soul-searching, a little looking inside our own hearts and minds to see if there are any attitudes which might contribute to our being a questionable witness of Jesus Christ and thus a hindrance to the church’s mission in the world.

He suggested that we ponder in our hearts such questions as: “Are there any personal conflicts between us and any other members of the church that we have not yet resolved? Are there any hurt feelings that we insist upon remembering and allowing to create againstness, any personality conflicts that we have not been able to overcome with simple acceptance, any old arguments that should have long since been laid to rest? Are we allowing any things like that to get in the way of the friendship that should be the quality of life in the church? Are we allowing things like this to influence our dealing with the real issues that must be decided in the church rather than thinking them through in terms of the really relevant factors?

“If we are old members of the church, or major contributors, or prominent citizens, or people with some other kind of status in the church, do we expect to be honored? Do we expect a little more attention to be paid to our opinion than to others when decisions are being made? Do we think the church ought to organize its life to meet our needs more than to meet the needs of new people who should be attracted into the church? Do we insist on sitting in our favorite pew and make anyone else who sits there feel like a trespasser?

“…if you are not a part of what you perceive to be the ‘in’ group in the church, do you resent those who are? Do you let that resentment get in the way of your participation in the life and fellowship of the church?

“Are there some members of the church you wish would go away? Are there some kinds of people you hope will not come to your church?”5

While these attitudes can sometimes be subtle they can play havoc with a church’s ability to create the kind of space fertile for others to come into a loving relationship with God and with God’s people. Over and over again, Paul offers his loving counsel that we need to keep central our mission – to make disciples of Jesus Christ. There’s no set of beliefs, no style of worship, no past religious leader/pastor/youth leader, no current popular religious writer that we are to be loyal to above our unity in Jesus Christ.

Paul provides some beautiful images in this letter of his of what it means to work together in the church. He pointed out that he and Apollos weren’t competitors but partners. He drew upon the image of farming in the 3rd  chapter of I Corinthians to make his point when he wrote: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” In another portion of his letter he illustrated his point by referencing construction work: “…like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it.” But my favorite one of all, the one that makes our relationship with one another the clearest in my mind, is the part of his letter where he talks about how the community of faith, the church, is like a human body. “Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.” And then he goes on and talks about how dependent the different parts of the body are on the other parts and how that is true in the community of faith as well. (Oh, how much more clear this is to me because of my jouney with ALS as parts of my body breaks down and other parts attempt to compensate, but can only do so much.) There’s no doubt that Paul believes our diversity is something that has the potential of strengthening the church if we will keep in mind that we love each other and the variety of gifts, skills, talents, perspectives, we each bring to the table and we are committed to loving one another and appreciating one another because we have in common our relationship to Jesus Christ.

There’s a story told about a Catholic Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma that placed an advertisement in the Tulsa World inviting all lapsed Catholics to return to the church. The ad especially welcomes “singles, twice divorced, under thirty, gay, filthy rich, black and proud, poor as dirt, can’t sing, no habla Ingles, married with pets, older than God, more Catholic than the pope, workaholics, bad spellers, screaming babies, three times divorced, passive-aggressive, obsessive-compulsive, tourists, seekers, doubters, bleeding  hearts … oh, and you.”6

One person who read the ad asked, “If they all came, could they all get along?” Paul’s answer would be: “If they have the love of God in their hearts, they can.”

To whom do we belong? What will people experience when they visit our churches? Will they find persons sharing love with one another, working together to serve others with one purpose? Will they find us eager to welcome them into the fellowship and ready to make a place for them?

Thank God for all those who have nurtured us in the faith. Thank God for all those who challenge us with their different ways of expressing their faith.

Let us pray:
O God, remind us that we are one body with our brothers and sisters in our congregations and with those who share our faith in other communities of faith. Show us how to put aside our petty squabbles so that we can be untied in faith through your Holy Spirit. Teach us how to respect one another, so that even when we disagree, we can stand together and affirm each other. Empower us to stand together as a family of faith, supporting one another as brothers and sisters in Christ. And help us to be especially open and tolerant of even those who believe different than us - those even of other faiths or non-faith.

Pour forth your Spirit upon all flesh, that discord and strife may be brought to a perpetual end. Deliver people everywhere from all contempt for others not of their race or color, condition or creed. Quicken by your Gospel the sense of brotherhood and sisterhood among all peoples, and bring us to true unity of spirit, in the bond of peace.  Amen.


1.    Thomas H. Troeger, The Parable of the Ten Preachers (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1992), pp. 2022 as used in King Duncan’s sermon “United We Stand, Divided We Fall,” Collected Sermons (Dynamic Preaching, 2005), 0-000-0000-20.
2.    William Barclay, The Daily Study Bible Series: The Letters to the Corinthians (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1956),  pp. 15-16.
3.    Richard A Hasler, “Live Together In Harmony,” Empowered by the Light (Lima, Ohio: CSS Publishing Company, 1995), 0-7880-0472-7.
4.    Ibid.
5.    James L. Killen, Jr., “Removing Obstacles,” Sermons for Sundays: In Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany From Expectancy to Remembrance (Lima: CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 2004), 0788023241a.
6.    Christian Century, July 2-10, 2002, p. 8 as quoted in “Removing Obstacles.”

Monday, January 20, 2014

SERMON: "The City of the Faithful"

The City of the Faithful
Revelations 21:9-11, 22-27

I don't think I'd shock too many of you if I started this sermon/reflection on a portion of the book of Revelation with the observation that many regard it as a very strange book. It's content is way different than anything we have in any other book of the New Testament. Some also consider it difficult to understand.

Now, it’s had its share of admirers through the years. There have been some who have thrived on its mysteriousness and come up with elaborate theories/ideas about what it means – who it is about. I like to think of it this way: It has at times been a playground for religious eccentrics.

Some, the great reformer Martin Luther among them, have suggested that it ought to be thrown out of the New Testament! Many bible scholars today believe that much of the misuse and interpretative abuse of the book and questions about its content could be eliminated if we would spend our time obtaining knowledge/information about what was going on in the church at the time the book was written. Their position/argument is that we should quit trying to make its mysterious nature speak to world issues/conflict/government entities of our era.

So, a little review seems in order. By the time in history when the book of Revelations was written two models of ministry had developed in the church. One model was that of the local religious leader – elders, deacons, teachers – persons who settled into one church and one community.

The other group was made up of prophets – a group of persons who committed their lives to listening to God and speaking for God. They sort of wandered around sharing what they perceived God to be saying. John, the credited author of the book referred to himself as a prophet.

Now, John lived among the people in the seven churches around Asia Minor and it was to them that he wrote. He was probably a Palestinian Jew who had come to Asia Minor late in his life. His writings suggest that he wrote in Greek but thought in Hebrew. He knew his Old Testament intimately. He was a student of the contemporary Jewish writings called the Apocalyptic books. He had no “official” position in the church. He was not a self-proclaimed apostle like Paul. His authority rested solely on his visions – his prophecy. He wrote around 90 A.D.

The situation that had developed was this: it had been decreed that Caesar had to be called God by everyone. Not to do so was to invite being put to death.

Christians faced a real dilemma. They had no influence, no power, and no prestige. They faced having to make an absolute choice of loyalty – Christ or Caesar – and of their destiny – life or death. John wrote to encourage the people in the midst of their struggle. He did not shut his eyes to the mounting time of terror. He saw the dreadful things that lay ahead for he and his fellow followers in his day. But, he also saw beyond the days of strife, turmoil, and/or difficulty to a day of glory for those who would remain faithful.

And so, to his friends in the seven churches, John wrote about his visions – the awarenesses – that came to him in his contemplations. He wrote about heaven – about hell - about eternity – the afterlife – the New Jerusalem – the City of the Faithful – the home for saints. His purpose was to encourage them – the believers – instill in them hope – provide them comfort. His intention was not to scare people into becoming believers as some in more recent days have tried to do with his work, but provide believers with hope.

In the portion of the chapter which we are considering today John was trying to paint a picture of what eternal life in Christ would be like. The central image he used was that of a city – the New Jerusalem – as beautiful as a bride adorned for her husband. Its glory he likened to a precious stone – a jasper stone. The imagery he went on to use some commentators believe means a city that is open to all kinds of people. In the New Jerusalem there will be no male or female, no rich or poor, no background check, no talent test, no denominational loyalty litmus test – only a home for all people who have named the name of Jesus as their savior.

Again, John said that this New Jerusalem is a holy city. By that, he is not referring to piety or moral correctness, but to a lifestyle oriented toward the doing of the will of God as we can best understand it. The holiness that God expects of us as Christians is more than a list of pious acts or proper behaviors. Holiness is more than simply adhering to a set of rights and wrongs or to a specific moral and ethical code. It means being different, taking risks in faith, and not being bound by what is popular or expedient. It means living out the law of love as Jesus taught, struggling with the moral, ethical, and spiritual dilemmas of life, and entering into the pain and suffering of other people, even those we see as residing outside the walls of God’s holy city. It is in those struggles of the heart and empathizing with other people that we experience the unfolding of God’s kingdom even in our day.

One time I reflected on this text, the city of the faithful imagery, near Halloween and All-Saints Day. The two holidays are really halves of the same historical festival/celebration occasion. Now, there are some well meaning Christians who have come to believe that Christians ought not to celebrate Halloween because it is devil worship. They believe the holiday represents all that is wrong with our culture – with our schools – with our children – even with humanity itself. They identify the celebration as another example of something they fear taking over our society. Their paranoia translates Halloween into a sort of “celebration” of witches, goblins, devils, vampires and ghosts.

While I would not want to deny that there are some terribly misguided – even sick – individuals in our world who are espousing a satanic religion – a worshipping of the devil – my sense of Halloween is not their holiday.  Halloween is simply a holiday that happens on the eve before our holy day and in fact existed prior to our holy day and helped birth All-Saints Day.

The truth of the matter is that this is another one of those occasions when well-meaning ancestors of the faith saw something going on in society – adopted it as an opportunity to express something about the faith – and then attacked society for inappropriately celebrating it. Another short history lesson might be in order here.

History informs us that the Druids celebrated the beginning of their new year, November 1st, by offering a variety of bonfires with animal and vegetable sacrifices. They also shared prayers for those who had died during the previous year. The event was called the Festival of Samhain. They believed that the souls of their departed friends and relatives spent New Year’s Eve (October 31) being judged as to what form they should take for the next year. They believed that good souls entered another human body at birth and bad souls entered animal bodies. November 1st was the traveling day – the day when souls went to their new homes.

Christian missionaries saw in this festival an opportunity to teach some things about the Christian faith.  They began to infuse it with Christian meanings and understandings.  This pagan celebration became “All-Saints Day” or “All-Hallows’ Day.”  Church members – the saints of the church – who had died during the previous year were recognized like we are going to do in a few moments.

But, as we’ve learned from other of our attempts at such takeovers, it’s hard to keep good pagan traditions down. There finally came a time when the pagan celebration – its meaning and symbols newly enriched by these layers of Christian theology – simply shifted the time the rite of passage of the soul took place and All-Hallow Eve was born - Halloween. The events that used to transpire on New Year’s Day, November 1st, now took place on New Year’s Eve – All-Hallows Eve, October 31st.

Halloween is a time for us to let out all of our dormant fears – the fears we spend the rest of the year trying to suppress – the fears about death – the fears about those things that go bump in the night – the fears of the unknown lurking around in the darkness. Halloween is a time for us to acknowledge in fact that we have fears. It is a time for us to admit to ourselves the fears we have about the world. It is especially a time to confess our fears about God and our understanding of God’s anger at us for our sins. In some ways it is a holiday to remind us of the wrath we have earned for our sins.

On Halloween – on All-Hallows Eve – on the evening before All-Saints Day – we remind ourselves of what we deserve. We do so by some rather strange carryings on that we perhaps don’t even recognize our reasons for doing – disguising ourselves in costumes, welcoming strangers to our doors with “treats,” keeping special Jack-O-Lantern vigil lights, hiding behind masks at parties.  On Halloween we remind ourselves of what we deserve. But, on the next day – on All-Saints Day - we celebrate our receiving not what we deserve but God’s gift of eternal life. We celebrate the victory we have over death and the deathlike fears life sends our way. We remind ourselves of what we believe is on the other side of death – the New Jerusalem – the City of the Faithful – and we specifically celebrate the joy we know is our loved ones who have gone on before us.

Just a few more reflections about All-Saints Day. It is a holiday when we remember those who are paving the way for us – who are already a part of the heavenly kingdom – who have already received their reward for their faithful living. All-Saints Day is when we express our joy for the relationship we have to the eternal city – the City of the Faithful – because of the cloud of witnesses who surround us with the memories of their faithful living. All-Saints Day is when we celebrate the life our friends in the faith – the saints – lived among us and now enjoy in heaven.

In many churches All-Saints Day is when the list is read of those who have died in the past year. In those moments, we feel a sense of loss. But, the biblical faith teaches us that as the church’s numbers are growing so is the strength we have to draw upon. As each name is called out, we remember that the “cloud of witnesses” which surrounds us is growing - that there are more people preparing the way for us and cheering us on as we continue our journeys through this life.

The ancient Celtic festival of the Druids referred to earlier supposedly included a tradition that still speaks to us about the power a cloud of witnesses may project into our lives. According to legend, as each family went to the communal bonfire on the eve of Samhain, they brought with them the final coal from each of their own hearths. Combining these coals, they would start a huge warming watch-fire. At the conclusion of the night, after spending the evening telling stories about the ones who had passed away during the previous year, the participants would allow the bonfire to slowly die down.

Finally, all that would be left were a few glowing coals. Each family would gather one of those embers and carefully nurture its warmth until they once again reached their home hearth. There, that single coal from the community bonfire would be used to restart the family peat fire as the new year slowly dawned. It was a new day, a new winter, but it would be warmed by the memories of loved ones long past.

So it is with All-Saints Day – Hallows’ Eve is once again defeated. On All-Saints Day we warm our lives with the memories of the saints who have gone before us and shown us the way.

(I reach the end of the rewriting of this sermon aware that there are no footnotes for anything above. I'm fairly sure much of the ancient Halloween information contained is not personal knowledge of mine! If you're adventurous, have fun researching for yourself.)

Friday, January 17, 2014

SERMON: "Saints and Sinners Are Welcome"

"Saints and Sinners Are Welcome"
John 1:35-42 I Corinthians 1:1-9

Cousin John was excited when it dawned on him that the one he had been preparing people for was his own relative, Jesus. He shouted so all around could hear, “This is the one about whom I’ve been speaking! Behold, the lamb of God!”

The day after John’s enthusiastic endorsement of Jesus, two of John’s disciples were with him when Jesus passed by again. Again John proclaimed, “Look, the Lamb of God!”

The two disciples of John responded to their leader’s enthusiasm and began to follow Jesus. They jumped at the chance to have a little one-on-one time with this one their leader was so high on.

When Jesus noticed that they were following him, he asked them what they were looking for. After addressing him as “rabbi,” thus letting him know that they knew he was someone to learn from, they asked him where he was staying, thus implying that they were ready to spend a quantity of time with him.

Jesus caught what their answer meant and invited them to “come and see.” They did, spending most of the day with him.

When their session with Jesus was over, the first person Andrew went to tell about the experience was his brother, Simon. But, he not only told Simon about what they’d seen and heard, he also brought Simon to Jesus so that he could hear and see for himself. Jesus took one look at Simon and said to him, “Now you are Simon, son of John; but from now on your name is Cephas – Peter.”

I have an appreciation of John’s version of how Jesus and Simon Peter met each other – Simon being brought by his brother, Andrew (who is remembered in the church as the “bringer” and held up as a model of one of the things we who know Jesus are to do – to tell others about Jesus and to then bring them to where they might encounter Jesus themselves); and then there was the way Jesus saw something of worth in Simon and affirmed it, blessed it, ordained it, consecrated it. Jesus pricked Simon Peter’s curiosity about himself and unleashed within him a new vision for his life.

It’s a powerful thing – this someone believing in you. Dr. Keith Wagner repeats in his sermon An Invitation You Can’t Refuse a story recorded in A 3rd Serving of Chicken Soup for the Soul. An 11th grade student went into a classroom one day to wait for a friend. It was Mr. Washington’s classroom. When Mr. Washington entered his classroom and discovered this student he told him to go to the board. The young man said, “I’m not one of your students.” Mr. Washington responded, “Doesn’t matter. Go to the board anyhow.”

The student said that he still couldn’t do that. Mr. Washington pressed him, “And why not?” The student’s response was, “Because I’m mentally retarded.” Washington went over to the student and said, “Don’t say that. Someone’s opinion of you does not have to become your reality.”

It proved to be a liberating moment in the young man’s life. Mr. Washington became the young man’s mentor. At the end of the school year Mr. Washington spoke to the graduating seniors and one of the things he said was, “You have greatness within you . . . you can touch millions of people’s lives.” The young man was in the audience. He approached Mr. Washington after the assembly and asked him if he had greatness within him. Mr. Washington replied, “Yes, Mr. Brown, you do.” The student thanked him and said to him as he walked away, “Someday you will be proud of me.”

At the start of the student’s senior year the principal placed him in Mr. Washington’s speech and drama class because he felt it would be good for the two of them to be together despite the special needs the teenager was known to have. Mr. Washington gave him opportunities to see himself in new ways by making demands of him and holding him accountable. More and more Mr. Brown did begin to believe in himself.

Have any of you ever heard of Les Brown? The slow learner? The morning DJ who became a broadcast manager; the community activist who became a community leader; the political commentator who became a three-term legislator; banquet and nightclub emcee who became a premier keynote speaker – that Les Brown?  - the one Mr. Washington saw something in and told him so. (1)

This may come as a surprise to some of you, but I’m really basically a shy, reserved person. I was even more so when I was a child and a teenager. I lacked self-confidence. There’s no way in those early years that I would have ever imagined that I would some day stand in front of a group of people and talk. I had zero interest in doing such a thing – there wasn’t even a fleeting moment when it crossed by mind.

And then, some people began to encourage me – my parents had always tried – but other voices began to echo their belief in me. A girlfriend in junior high thought I’d be a good class officer and pretty much got me elected. And then there were coaches and my sisters and aunts and uncles and lay people in the church I grew up in and friends and grandparents. And later there was my wife and children and peers in the ministry and seminary professors and lay people in the churches I have served – all adding their voices of encouragement – all saying by both their words and their actions that they appreciated who I was or who I was becoming or what I did. They saw something in me and called it forth.

I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have been a pastor/preacher all those years if it hadn’t been for their/your pats on the back and their/your hugs and their/your words of encouragement. Don’t get me wrong, I was still uncomfortable standing in front of a group of people every time I spoke – I still cringe when I think of what I did knowing how limited my verbal and writing skills are and what my basic personality traits are – I still wonder at times what it is God saw in me and why God wanted me to spend my life the way it seemed God wanted me to.

Jesus’ life was about believing in others and setting them free to believe that they were worthy human beings to him. Jesus doesn’t only see us for what we are, but for who and what we can be. Jesus looked at Peter and saw him not only as a Galilean fisherman, but also as one who had it in him to become the rock on which the church would be built. Jesus believed that the blind man could see. He believed that the lame man could walk. He believed that the woman at the well could be set free from her guilt. He believed that his disciples could carry on his mission and ministry. He invited those he encountered to leave their past and embark on something new.  “Today you are . . . tomorrow you shall be . . .” Jesus sees in us the persons we can be and frees us to be who we are in him when we allow him free reign in us.

I Corinthians is a letter from Paul to the church of God in the city of Corinth. Paul had helped start the church several years before while living with Aquila and Priscilla and working as a tentmaker. Corinth was an amazing city. It was a trade center – the home of wealthy people – a metropolitan community – a cultural and religious melting pot. But it was also a place where the seamier side of life was quite visible. While the early church in Corinth was probably made up of people mostly from the poor and slave classes, by the time of Paul’s letter there were persons from all walks of life – wealthy business leaders and former prostitutes and dock workers and people of means. Friction was often present in the life of the church.

Coming from different social, cultural and economic positions though wasn’t the only source of friction. The membership of the Corinthian church was made up of people who had become followers due to the influence of a variety of church leaders over the years and thus arguments arose about who had been the most important and the best preachers. They brought rituals and ideas from other religions and thus offended one another by trying to demand that everyone believe and do things the same way. The Corinthian church was a mess. Paul heard about their problems and wrote this letter offering his advice on how to deal with some of the things.

But, before he weighed in on those matters – the things that divided them – their sins - he reminded them of whose they were. “As a result of your being in Christ, you are called to be saints – called to be holy – called to be different.”

Paul affirmed them – called forth from within them a new understanding about themselves. Paul said in essence to the people of Corinth, “You see yourselves as . . . but I see you as saints and if you accept who you are in Christ you’ll be better able to get along with one another and make clearer decisions about what’s right and what’s wrong.”

Our reality is that we are at one and the same time both sinners and saints. We are saints, not when we do wonderful acts or don’t do anything wrong, but when we accept – when we recognize – that Jesus Christ is in us. We do good – we do – in response to Jesus Christ’s grace in our lives – his gracious pronouncement of our worthiness in his eyes – of our saintliness. We don’t deserve or earn our saint status. It’s freely given. In response to the free gift, we choose to live holy, godly, righteous lives - deformed and imperfect to be sure, try as we might.

Jesus Christ sees in us potential – sees us as saints – believes in us. We honor Christ’s vision of us as saints when we prayerfully respond in our daily lives and follow his lead. We are both saints and sinners and as such we are all welcome/accepted/included in the kingdom of God/the community of faith.

1.  Dr. Keith Wagner, “An Invitation You Can’t Refuse” (e-sermons.com, Illustrations for January 16, 2005), St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, Sidney, Ohio.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

SERMON: "Too Light a Thing"

"Too Light a Thing"
Isaiah 49:1-7

Several years ago I started a sermon with the words of Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!:
"Every Who
down in Who-ville
Liked Christmas a lot...
But Grinch, Who lived just north of Who-ville,
Did NOT!
The Grinch hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season!
Now, please don't ask why. No one quite knows the reason.
It could be his head wasn't screwed on just right.
It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight.
But I think that the most likely reason of all
May have been that his heart was two sizes too small." (1)

Those of us who enjoy the Grinch story, and other Dr. Seuss works, know that it is a simple story - a simple story written by a very wonderfully creative writer with an unbelievable ability to play with language - a simple story about a mean old Grinch who attempted to keep Christmas from coming to the people of Who-ville by carrying away all the presents and decorations right before Christmas. The diagnosis offered was that his heart was "two sizes too small." (2)

Now, we’re going to get back to the connection between Dr. Seuss’ observation about the Grinch and today’s text in a few minutes. First, let's review a little of what we know about the prophet Isaiah. He was the son of Amoz and lived about eight centuries before Jesus was born. He began his ministry around 740 B.C. He told us in the very first verse of the book named after him, that he was active during the reigns of kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah. At times his messages were meant to fill the people of the southern kingdom of Israel, Judah, with hope. And then there were times when his messages were intended to warn them. Judah was the part of the kingdom in which Jerusalem was located.  Isaiah is regarded as one of the greatest of all prophets. (3)

Now, I'd like to take a closer look at this 49th chapter of the book named after Isaiah. The one doing the talking at the beginning of the chapter – the one the author or editor of the book of Isaiah has utter these first words: “Listen to me, O coastlands, pay attention, you peoples far away! The Lord called me before I was born, while I was in my mother’s womb he named me. He made my mouth like a sharp sword … He made me a polished arrow … And he said to me, ‘You are my servant …’” the one doing the talking according to some bible scholars, is Israel itself.

It is the people of Israel, corporately, who is the servant of God. And, they aren’t feeling too good. They’re a little discouraged – a little put-up-on perhaps – feeling somewhat guilty perhaps also – for sure feeling ineffective, doubting their abilities to do the mission God had entrusted to them. In verse 4 we read their lament: “I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity.” And the prophet Isaiah notes that despite its failures the nation of Israel has been persistent in its trust of God. Indeed the prophet has Israel say in verse 5: “…my God has become my strength.” “In spite of all that seems wrong in our corporate life, yet God has been with us, we remain true to our God and it is God that has gotten us through it all."

Have there ever been times in your life when you’ve felt like Israel? I know there have been in and are in mine. Have you ever been down, discouraged, disappointed because despite all your hard work to carry out a task you agreed to do, your efforts appeared to not be appreciated, not able to bear the fruit you and the one who had assigned you the task had hoped it would? Ever been assigned a task, a mission, an assignment and been so enthused about the possibilities that you couldn’t wait to tackle it and with great joy and enthusiasm thrown yourself and every ounce of your energy into getting it accomplished, only to have it crumble at your feet? Ever felt like your efforts were futile? Ever felt weak? Ever felt like a failure? Ever had your hopes or expectations trampled? Ever felt the energy flow out of you after you’ve invested all you had and all you were in something and had to face that it wasn’t going to happen the way you had envisioned?  (4)

If you have, then you can relate to what was going on in the psyche of the nation of Israel. God had called them from their birth to be God’s servant. God had named and equipped them for the task and protected them for their mission. And they were disappointed and discouraged. It was a discouraged Israel who approached God.

And now, hear what the prophet Isaiah determined to be the word God offered to the failed servant of Israel: “’It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors of Israel; I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.’” “It is too light a thing that you should only be my servant to your own struggling people. I now give you as a light to the nations that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” Or, as I've come to understand it with a little new testament interpretation thrown in: “Throw open the doors! The kingdom is open to everyone!”

Do you understand the remarkable new interpretation of the role of Israel Isaiah just claimed he believed God was proposing? Israel believed itself to be called to preach to her own people – to save her own people – and they failed. And God’s response was, “I think I’ve set your sights too low. It’s too little a thing for you to just scurry around among your own people with my message. Instead of lamenting your failure, I want you to multiply/increase your effort, expand your vision, and get out there and share about me to a wider audience, people everywhere. I want you to talk about me, witness of me, to people who haven’t a clue of who I am and how much I love them.” (5)

God didn’t hold their hands and say to them, “Hey, look, you tried. I so appreciate your effort. Why don’t you just sit down here for awhile and catch your breath. Let me comfort you, my people. Let me heal you, my people.” No, instead God restates the call, and expands it. “You know, my children – my followers – my loyal subjects – my disciples, I think what I’ve asked you to do really was too light a task – too small a vision. I want you to be concerned about the whole world – a whole lot more. Your failure in the past doesn’t concern me – I don’t think the failure is in your effort but in the vision I cast for you. Your heart is just two sizes too small.”

The last time I thought about the ideas in this text was back in the early part of 2008. I chose the text and the sermon title in early-December, when it looked like the church I was serving was going to be able to enter the new year and proceed with the things we had envisioned a few months earlier. We were optimistic that the congregation was on board with the vision of expanding an emphasis on small groups and doing a better job of communicating who we were to the larger community. We had projected that 100 households needed to increase their pledges to support the operating budget outlined to act upon the vision and they had come through! Individuals contacted the office and let us know that they wanted to increase their pledge after hearing the vision more clearly spelled out. I had not a clue at that time what I was going to say that morning in January of 2008 – how this text might speak to our situation. I chose the title simply because the thought of God saying to the Israelites “I’ve given you too light a thing to do” caught my imagination. I liked the phrase. Aren’t you glad to hear sermon titles are so carefully thought out?

And then, the other side of the news began to unfold – some households determined that they needed to reduce the amount of their pledge – some felt they were not able to make a pledge for 2008 at all – and I and other members of the staff and members of the "dreaming team" and other church leaders had to begin dealing with feelings of disappointment, discouragement, disillusionment. We found ourselves having to face some very tough decisions – cuts had to be made – not just new things, but apportionments and even some long-established programs.

But, it wasn't the numbers or causes or cuts with which I dealt that Sunday - that’s not what captured my soul about this text. Oh, they contributed much to my being able to hear the text speak to me, but they were only the vehicle that allowed God’s word to come alive. It’s a message of hope and challenge, not of comfort or resignation.

Here's what I offered myself and congregation that morning: “Well, Bill Croy – well, Christians – well, church members - let’s take a look at your situation. I don’t think now is a time for you to dwell on your failure – your disappointment – yourself.  I think I’ve given you too light a thing – too small a vision. I’ll tell you what, expand your vision of your ministry – who you are for and the lengths you will go to share the good news.  That’s my answer to your situation."

Hmmm. If we were to take these words in the book of the prophet Isaiah’s and apply them to our situations/churches today, what do you suppose that might mean for us? Here are some of the thoughts that crossed my mind in preparation for that Sunday morning and local reality: that while we’re recommitting ourselves to solving our current dilemma, we should begin to think beyond our building and our community of faith, to the ministry needs beyond our walls – that rather than give in to our despair, we need to look at things beyond ourselves. That is, that it’s not enough for us to be concerned about educating our children on Sunday morning only, but that we need to figure out what we need to do for the children in the community and around the world – that it is not enough for us to care for the elderly and shut-ins of our congregation, but we need to check out the issues the seniors beyond our walls are facing – that it is not enough for us to be concerned about how our corner is impacted by development in the area, but we need to be concerned about how the decisions we make impact the area – that it is not enough for us to be concerned about how rising health care costs impact our operating budget, but need also to be part of helping find solutions to the problem beyond ourselves – that it is not enough for us to start a recycling ministry team to look at how we discard our paper, but that it may mean we find ways to connect to the larger recycling efforts. Get the picture?

Then there are these words included in another preacher’s sermon: “I believe that disciples of Jesus have been plagued for years with doing things that are too light for us. We have enormous muscles, both physical and spiritual, and we haven’t used them. We could move mountains and yet we are afraid to try, because we have been stymied for so long by focusing on how to move mole hills.

“And that goes for church work and it goes for us personally. God has unlimited resources for us and calls us to reach out to the world with those enormous resources.

“People say ‘charity should begin at home,’ and that is surely correct. Our problem is that so often it ends there. The person or the church with the world view, with the cosmic view, is so filled with compassion for others, that the people close at hand end up being beneficiaries of that same compassion. It doesn’t automatically work the other way around.

“All I know is that God is sure to bless with new energy and new options and new vigor and new joy the persons or the church that chooses to dare great things for people beyond themselves, to be, as Isaiah said, 'a light to the nations’ out of commitment to and gratitude for God’s great love for us which we have seen and known in Jesus Christ.

“Focusing only on ourselves and on easily reachable goals is simply too light a thing. It leads to unhealthy, dis-ease, and plugs up the flow of God’s spirit and power, so that even the ‘easy goals’ are found to be unattainable.

“What this might mean for you and me and our churches might make great dinner conversation, church committee discussion and prayer time contemplation. May we be open to what God would speak to us.” (6)

“I’ve given you too light a thing to accomplish.”  Hmmm…...


1.  Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas (New York: Random House, 1957).
2.  John T. Ball, “Theology Two Sizes Too Small,” Sermons for Sundays in Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany (Lima, Ohio: CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 2004), 0-7780- 2322-5a.
3.  Paul E. Robinson, “Too Light a Thing,” Hope Beneath the Surface (Lima, Ohio: CSS Publishing, 1995), 0-7880-0436-0.
4.  “A Renewed Call,” esermons.com, 0-89536-822-6.
5.  “Too Light a Thing.”
6.  Ibid.










Friday, January 10, 2014

"Rough Morning"

"Rough Morning"

I had trouble getting out of bed one morning this past week - nothing to do with the weather.  Near as I can figure, it was the result of a combination of sliding down in the bed and my right arm weakening.  At  any rate, it was plenty scary and we finally called hospice and the paramedics. 

Once again they were awesome, very professional, supportive, and helpful.  Have I mentioned that I was frightened?  As the day unfolded there was no question the experience zapped my energy.  Luckily, my energy slowly improved enough for me to get back online, eat, read, and write.

Probably fueling my feelings of frustration was a time on Saturday morning when I was really down. Who knows why exactly - perhaps it was partially related to the weather,  perhaps the drawing to a close of the holidays, perhaps the  missing of family or family gatherings or friends, or maybe it had something to do with the continuing decline of my physical coordination and abilities, or (and this is my suspicion) a combination of everything just noted and more than likely a few other circumstances. 

Things are better - the hospice staff continues to be awesome as they go about their ministry of compassionate caring with grace, kindness, and promptness much appreciated by both of us.  And there  are the visits and email and Facebook messages from many of you.  But, my primary cheerleader and caregiver continues to be my and beautiful wife, Dorothy.  It's not an easy role to play nor always a pleasant relationship, but we are so thankful for our deep love for one another! 

So, for now, Happy New Year!  May lasting Peace come to earth!  And may this be  the year ALS research is successful! 

Saturday, January 4, 2014

SERMON: "Strange Gifts for a Baby"

"Strange Gifts For a Baby"
Matthew 2:1-12

Monday, January 6, is designated on the Christian calendar as the Day of the Epiphany of the Lord. It's a feast day signifying the ending of the Christmas season, emphasized in some Christian circles more than others for sure, but laden with historical meaning for all of us. It has actually been an occasion of celebration by Christians longer than Christmas has been. It originally was a day set apart to focus on the birth stories, the idea of God appearing in the flesh in Jesus and of Jesus’ baptism. In our day it has become more a time of celebrating and contemplating the meaning of the wise men bringing gifts to the Christ child.

Now, there are twelve days between Christmas Day and Epiphany. For a variety of reasons these twelve days have gained a notoriety of their own and have even earned for themselves a very distinct and quite creative descriptive name - The Twelve Days of Christmas. The Twelve Days of Christmas are probably some of the most misunderstood days of the church year. The origin of The Twelve Days of Christmas is a bit too complicated for a sermon (google it and have some historical fun!). For now, we'll just note that it has to do with differences in calendar, church traditions and a variety of cultural influences. Some cultures give gifts on the day of Epiphany, like most of us do on Christmas Day. Other cultures give gifts on each of the days between Christmas and Epiphany.

The popular and traditional song The Twelve Days of Christmas was born out of this tradition of giving a gift a day. It’s believed by some that the song was written during the 16th century religious wars in England as a way to secretly teach the basics of the Christian faith to children. Although there continues to be some debate about whether this explanation is historically accurate or simply another “urban myth,” what those who hold to this explanation claim is that each of the daily gifts in the song symbolizes something important about our faith.

Very quickly: it is suggested that the “true love” mentioned in the song is a reference to God – the “me” is a reference to everyone who is a Christian – “The partridge in a pear tree” is a reference to Jesus Christ on the cross – “two turtle doves” are interpreted to be a reference to the two testaments, the old and new – “three French hens” are believed to be the three theological virtues of faith, hope and love – the intention of the “four calling birds” are to be a reference to the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John – “five golden rings” a reference to the first five books of the Old Testament, the Pentateuch or Books of Law: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy – “six geese a-laying” is meant to call to mind the six days of creation that confesses God as Creator and Sustainer – “seven swans a-swimming” is believed to be used to remind us that there are seven main gifts of the Holy Spirit: prophecy, ministry, teaching, exhortation, giving, leading, compassion – “eight maids a-milking” is believed to be a reference to the eight Beatitudes – the intent of the “nine ladies dancing” is to remind us that there are nine fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control – “ten Lord’s a-leaping” is believed to   remind us that there are ten commandments – “eleven pipers piping” is believed to be a hidden reminder that there were eleven faithful disciples – and lastly, “twelve drummers drumming” is perceived to be a reference to the fact that there are twelve points in the doctrine of the Apostles’ Creed. (1)

Now, with those explanations of The Twelve Days of Christmas, both the time designated as such and the song, let me pose a question. If the song isn’t a fun way to learn something and is instead really simply about a bunch of gifts given by someone’s true love, what kind of person is this “true love?” I mean, what kind of person would give such a bunch of frivolous things to someone they love? - A partridge in a pear tree? - Two turtle doves? - Three French hens? Pretty strange gifts if you ask me. I’m just thankful that my true love hasn’t ever given me any of them!

I love O. Henry's The Gift of the Magi. The irony in the story helps to highlight the attitude that is behind authentic gift giving. The gifts Della and Jim gave each other were only strange and inappropriate because of the stupendous sacrifice the other made in order that they would be able to provide what they believed would be a treasured gift by the other. There’s no doubt that these two were each others “true love.” And it was the sacrificial nature of their gifts that is the proof of it. Their gifts to each other were useful and they would have really been appreciated if the other had not sacrificed something precious to them in order to obtain the gifts they gave. Worthless gifts, strange gifts in the final analysis but not because of any lack of trying or lack of thought or lack of planning or lack of love.

We’re dealing with gift-giving because the Gospel reading designated for the start of the Epiphany season concerns some wise men going to visit the new born Jesus bearing gifts. Now, I have to admit to you that I have always found the gifts they gave a bit strange for a baby – gold, frankincense and myrrh? What’s up with those gifts? – for a baby? They are almost as peculiar as the ones given by the true love character in The Twelve Days of Christmas song. A literal reading of the text should cause people to wonder how wise those guys really were.

Now, here’s another one of those good times to be reminded of the why and how the Bible was written. It’s important to remember that the Bible was written to tell a religious story, to help we readers better understand something’s theological or religious meaning or significance. The purpose of the Bible being written wasn’t necessarily to record history – it wasn’t written to record things as happening on this day, in this way – the facts. It was written to make memorable something about God or Jesus or the church. It was written to help us remember.
While a star may not have literally moved through the sky to guide some wise men to Bethlehem, something stirred within some people to cause some of them to leave the comfort of their homeland and set out to search for a baby. The account of the star in the story calls us to pay attention to the story – it helps us recognize that something significant is happening here.

Legends abound about the wise men. Early in the eastern tradition it was believed that there were as many as twelve wise men. A later legend reported that the wise men were kings. Another one named them and described how they looked and which gift they brought.

Contrary to the attitude of some of us Christians, referencing something as a legend or a myths does not make what they're highlighting false. Understanding a Bible story as a myth or a legend isn't dangerous to the faith – legends and myths do not negate the truth the Bible is trying to communicate. Rather, their role is to enhance the Bible story, to enable the Bible story’s truth to be better able to be heard and understood. It’s not important whether three or twelve wise men traveled to Bethlehem, whether they stopped off to have a visit with Herod or not, whether their actual gifts were gold, frankincense and myrrh or something else. Historical facts are not what is important here. The message trying to be communicated is what is. And the strange gifts for a baby are used in the story to call attention to some things the early Christian community deemed pretty important about Jesus.

Gold is regarded as the king of metals and thus it is understood to be a fit gift for a king. As far as the early church was concerned, Jesus was born to be King. To be sure, just as he was not born in a palace like other kings, he was not going to rule like them either. His Kingdom was going to be in the hearts and the minds of people rather than a portion of land - his power was going to be motivated out of love rather than might - he was going to rule from a cross, sacrificially, not a throne, politically. The gift of gold in the story is to remind us that Jesus was born to be king and is king of our lives. (2)

Frankincense was used by priests in the temple during worship and during the sacrificing services. It smelled sweet and thus masked the stench of the burning animals. The function of a priest is to open the way to God for people – they are bridge-builders between us and God. The gift of frankincense in the story is to remind us that Jesus is our high priest – that he opens the way for us to God. (3)

Myrrh was used to embalm persons in Jesus’ day. Jesus came into the world to live with us and in the end to die for us. The gift of myrrh in the story is to remind us that Jesus’ role in the great scheme of salvation is to die for us. (4)

Gold for a king, frankincense for a priest, myrrh for one who is to die – these were the gifts of the wise men. And impractical as they first appear, symbolically they add meaning for those who read the story with the eyes, the hearts and the minds of faith. Strange gifts for a baby perhaps, but not for our Lord and Savior.

Happy New Year! May your year be full of new epiphanies of God's presence in you and all those you encounter!

1 Dennis Bratcher, Christian Resource Institute, 2001.
2  William Barclay, The Daily Study Bible: The Gospel of Matthew, Vol. 1, (The Westminster Press: Philadelphia, 1958) p. 23.
3  Ibid.
4  Ibid.













Thursday, January 2, 2014

SERMON: "What Kind of Leader?"

What Kind of Leader?
Matthew 25:31-46

Today’s parable may be one of the most vivid ones Jesus ever told. Its basic message is almost impossible to miss: on judgment day, on the day of reckoning, the Son of Man will assume this king-like role, only it’s more like a shepherd king, and he will divide all of humanity into two groups. Some will be directed to stand on the right and some to stand on the left. The ones on the right he likens to sheep, and the ones on the left to goats.

Those on the right will be there because the king will say that they have cared for his hunger, thirst, loneliness, and nakedness. The ones on the left will be there because they've neglected to care for those needs of the Son of Man. And both groups will be shocked by the encounter with the judging shepherd-like king. They will both wonder when they saw the Lord in such predicaments. And the shepherd-like king will answer both groups of people: "When you did it for one of the least around you, you did or did it not to me.”

There’s no possible way we can miss Christ’s message here is there? “You’re in if you satisfy the basic human needs of the unfortunate and you’re out if you neglect them.” Sure it’s hard at times. Sure there are some situations we would rather not get involved in. Sure there are some people who stretch our patience, challenge our sensitivities and our political way of seeing the world, or are in conflict with the morals we have established for ourselves. We need to somehow adopt into our being that attitude that Mother Teresa offered as an explanation for how she could minister to the people in the kind of horrid conditions she did. “I just pretend they are Jesus.” Every time we do something that helps those who cannot help themselves, we are ministering to Jesus.

Bishop William Willimon tells of a Sunday after church when he and his family stopped at a local restaurant for a bite to eat. The restaurant was crowded and the woman serving their table seemed especially tired, practically weary.

When they finished their meal and the restaurant was emptying, Willimon decided to be a little pastoral and said to her: “You look tired – are you okay?”

She shared with him that she had been up most of the night with her sick little boy but that she was really okay.

Willimon then said to her: “It must be hard after being up all night, having to stand on your feet and work so hard.”

She just nodded.
Then he asked: “What’s the hardest day of the week at work?”

(She didn’t know that he was a reverend.) She answered, “The hardest day of the week is Sunday. I dread all the people who come here after church. They make so many demands and some of them are so hateful. And they never tip hardly anything.” (1)

“When, Lord, when did I…?”

Willimon also tells of times when his daughter was little that she would ask him the same question over and over: “Daddy, where’s Jesus? Where’s Jesus, daddy?” He said it went on for close to three years but then she stopped perhaps because she got tired of wondering and his pathetic answers.

Later in his sermon he reflected on the fact that today she is a parent and teaches third graders. He noted that she often comes home and tells him about her kids. “La Tron, whose only safe place in all his life is that little classroom. The Indian student barely able to understand English who comes and sits as close to her desk as she can get day after day with frightened eyes. The bully that wants her attention all day long.”

And he concluded his sermon with: “If I ever asked my teacher-daughter where I might find Jesus today, I think I know what she would say.  I think I know.” (2)

“When, Jesus, when did I…?”

Peter Storey, former bishop of The Methodist Church in South Africa, preached a powerful sermon based on Matthew 6:33. He observed in it: “Who is the focus of the Church? Who is the person we are concerned about? The person we exist to serve? For Jesus there was no question. In the Kingdom, the humble are lifted high and the most vulnerable have pride of place. That is why you cannot ask Jesus into your heart alone. He will ask, ‘Can I bring my friends?’ You will look at his friends and they will consist of the poor and marginalized and oppressed, and you will hesitate. But Jesus is clear: ‘Only if I can bring my friends.’”

And he continued with: “Ask yourself which Christian has most powerfully impacted the imagination and conscience of the modern world. A satin-suited, prosperous televangelist (who offers you your best life now)? Or a wizened old Albanian nun, who made herself the servant of the poorest of the poor, the dying people of Calcutta?” (3)

“When, Lord, when did I…?”

Jim Wallis of Sojourners tells of a morning when the volunteers, who gathered early to prepare the food to feed the hungry homeless who were in a long line waiting on the outside of the building, asked one of their coworkers to pray. She prayed: “Jesus, help me to see your face when you come through the line.” (4)

Since the first time I heard that prayer it changed how I offered prayer before rummage sales and dinners where persons not from the church were invited. And I have had more than one person involved in serving at those events comment on what a difference simply being reminded made.

“When, Jesus, when did I…?”

Anne Lamott came to the faith later in life. Mainly because of her experiences at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in Marin County, California she has a way of seeing the world a bit differently than most of us. She has dedicated two of her books to that congregation because of how instrumental they were in helping her find her way.

In her book Traveling Mercies she tells of one of the things that helped open her eyes. She writes in the book of a time when a new member of that church was a man by the name of Ken Nelson. He was dying of AIDS. Despite the death of his partner of the disease Ken kept coming to the church week after week. The people of the church could tell he was also slowly dying.

Anne writes of a large, jovial black woman in the choir named Ranola – one of the most devout members of the church. There was no question that she kept looking at Ken out of the corners of her eyes and that she was a little standoffish. She’d been raised in the south by Baptists and had been taught that Ken’s way of life was an abomination. It was hard for her to see Ken as he was. Anne said that she thought Ranola and several other members of the church were afraid they might catch what Ken had. So they kept their distance. But Ken kept coming and coming anyway and finally most of the members were won over. During prayer time he would share that even in his decline he had felt the grace and redemption of God.

Well, on one particular Sunday morning the congregation began singing “His Eye Is on the Sparrow.” The whole church was standing, except for Ken who was now too weak even to stand. And the church began to sing: “Why should I feel discouraged? Why do the shadows fall?” And Ranola, from the choir, kept watching Ken and then suddenly her face began to contort and tears came to her eyes and she left the choir loft. She went directly to Ken, bent down and picked him up, lifting him like a white rag doll. Anne says Ranola held him next to her, as if he were her child as they all sang together: “His eye is on the sparrow and I know he cares for me." (5)

“When, Lord, when did I…?”

One of the places I most often caught glimpses of Jesus was in the fellowship hall of a former church on Thanksgiving day. I saw him in many of those who came to eat a meal there. Some there were elderly folks for whom the meal was an obviously welcome nutritious one; and there were those for whom those who gathered were the only family they know. There were several of our homeless friends. There were those families who came and helped serve and ate with all the others gathered in fellowship hall. There were those families who brought in dishes of food to share even though they had family waiting at home to eat. There were those unseen who spent hours making preparations so the rest of us could do what we came to do. There were those in charge who made leading look a lot like serving and who shared their hearts both with those who volunteered and those who came to eat and fellowship.  There were those who decorated and set the tables. And, there was the young woman who told me that she was there with her young daughter (oh, I’d guess about 10-years-old) because she wanted her to experience at a young age how important it was to help others.

Yep, I saw Jesus a time or two on those days during those meals. His way of leading was obvious. He does indeed lead in a different way than the rest of the world.

“When, Lord Jesus, when did we…?”

Let us pray. (The first part of the prayer is one printed in a Dear Abby column a few years ago.) Again, let us pray: “O, Heavenly Father, we thank thee for the food – and remember the hungry. We thank thee for health – and remember the sick. We thank thee for friends – and remember the friendless. We thank thee for freedom – and remember the enslaved. May these remembrances stir us to serve – that the gifts to us may be used for others.”

Jesus, we do want to see you – to thank you. It’s hard to imagine that we already have or haven’t – that we daily have the opportunity to or not. We know that what you require of us will not be easy and we seek the conversion in our hearts which will enable us to see beyond our stereotypes, our images of those in need. We know our belief that others are the way they are because they want to be is an excuse for us not to have to respond. Break through our thick walls of hatred and suspicion, and wall of self pride. Open our eyes and hearts and minds to the needs that are all around us. Help us to follow your lead, O Lord, for it is in your name we pray. Amen.

1. William Willimon, “Where’s Jesus?,” Pulpit Resources, October – December, 2008, p. 36. 2.   Ibid., 34-35.
3. Peter Storey, “Let God Be God!,” With God in the Crucible (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2002), p. 154 as quoted in “Where’s Jesus?”, p. 36.
4. “Where’s Jesus?”, p. 36.
5. Anne Lamott, Traveling Mercies (New York: Pantheon Books, 1999) as quoted in “Where’s Jesus?,” p. 35.