David's Thoughts

Choices

2012-01-23T09:35:00.002-06:00

Choices, all of us make them every day. We have to choose what clothes we’re going to wear, what coat to put on, what we’re going to eat for breakfast, whether we’re going to get groceries today or wait until the snow has melted or the temperature has improved. We choose whether we’re going to support one political candidate or another, or none of them. We choose whether we’re going to go out or stay home.

There are some of us who really believe that we’re here today because we chose to come. But is that really true? And some of us believe we made the choice to follow Jesus.

Let’s look again at the scriptures beginning with Jonah. God’s word came to Jonah and called him to get…”up on your feet and on your way to the big city of Nineveh! They’re in a bad way and I can’t ignore it any longer.”

First off Jonah did make a decision. It was to go in the opposite direction. Then, after some particularly persuasive circumstances, Jonah decided to listen to God’s call to go to Nineveh. He turned around and headed straight for the big city.

Friends, was it Jonah’s choice, really? Or…could it be that God had chosen Jonah and he, God, wasn’t going to change his mind about that? He didn’t want anyone else for this job.

What about the fishermen Jesus invited to…”Come…” Was it their choice or God’s? Did they have another option? They could have said, “No, I’m too busy. Maybe later.” But they didn’t. Was it their choice or did God just know that they would follow Jesus? What do you think?

Let’s get back to our choices. Are we here as God’s church because of our choices? Or…are we here because God chose us, because he called us and then we came?

Are there other examples where God called people and they were reluctant to answer his call? What about Moses? Or Gideon? Or Elijah? Or Abram? These men didn’t totally trust God at one time or another. Moses didn’t think he could speak for God to the people. He didn’t think they would listen to him. He tried to talk God out of choosing him. But God wanted Moses, so God gave him Aaron and he went.

Gideon wanted all sorts of proof that the voice he heard was really God’s voice. When God did everything Gideon asked Gideon had no choice but to follow God’s call to lead the people into battle.

Elijah, after he had massacred the prophets of Baal with God’s help, and after Jezebel threatened to get even with him, then he ran for dear life. He went into the wilderness to die. He’d had enough. But God had other plans. He hid in the mountains until God whispered to him and then he went to anoint the king, Hazael, God had chosen.

Each of these men was called to perform a particular piece of work for God. And at one point or another they wavered. But God didn’t. He had chosen them and he didn’t change his mind. He didn’t want to change his mind because he knew they were perfect for the task he had for them.

So, when we feel that tug on our heart to do something we’ve never done before, something we don’t feel equipped to do should we turn and go the opposite direction like Jonah? Or…should we do like Simon and Andrew and drop everything and follow the Teacher?

Even if we do decide to go the opposite direction what if we feel the tug of the Spirit again? Do we want to take a chance and keep going…or should we stop and turn back? Remember what happened to Jonah?

Choices, we do have them but I’m convinced that if God had called us then he has chosen us and it’s not likely he’s going to change his mind. We do have the freedom to choose to go the opposite direction but that might not be the wisest decision to make.

Thank God the disciples didn’t say no. Thank God Moses did go to Egypt and lead God’s people through the wilderness to the Promised Land. Thank God for those who have preceded us, the ones who taught us in Sunday school, the ones who mentored us, the ones who shared their faith stories with us. Thank God for them and their courage to answer God’s call.

God still calls us to particular work. And it’s not just to preach or do mission work. I believe everyone of us is called. And yes, we do have a choice. God doesn’t twist our arms but…don’t forget Jonah, or Moses. If God calls then he wants you and no one else. How will you answer when God calls you?

Thanks be to God for his gracious patience. Amen.

Come, See, and Know

2012-01-15T08:10:00.001-06:00

Think about everything you’ve learned in your life. How did it happen? How is it that some of us know about soil and seeds and some of us know about building things with wood and some of us know how to do plumbing and some of us understand electricity and how to put it to work. Other people seem to know how to heal and comfort people and others have the skills of knowing the law and politics.

How come we don’t all know the same things? And how does it all happen? Why am I a pastor? And why are some people teachers or carpenters or farmers or managers or salespeople? Why and how, haven’t you ever wondered these things?

Samuel was an apprentice for Eli because his parents had made the commitment to dedicate him to the Lord. There in the temple he “heard” God call his name. How come God chose Samuel? Why?

The psalmist tells us that God know everything completely about us. He searches our hearts and he just knows. The psalmist can’t even imagine all the thoughts of God. He just knows that God knows. God knows us inside and out.

John tells us the story of Philip and Nathanael. He tells us that Jesus knew Nathanael before they were introduced.

As he traveled toward Galilee he met Philip. He invited him to… “Come, and follow.” What he learned, what he saw was so exciting he could hardly wait to tell his friend about Jesus. He invited him to… “Come, and see.”

And when he was almost there Jesus talked like he knew him. When Jesus described to him how he’d seen him sitting under a tree earlier Nathanael called him the Son of God, the King of Israel. It sounded like Nathanael stayed to follow Jesus because he knew him.

Have you ever had someone ask you about your faith, about your belief in Jesus? Have you ever found yourself stumbling to explain what it is that draws you to the church, the Body of Christ, and Jesus? Have you ever finally arrived at a point where you just say, “Come and see for your self?”

Friends, that just may be what we’re to learn from these lessons today. It just might be that all we have to do is invite folks and let God do the rest. It just might be that we make it way too difficult. Maybe we should follow the example of Philip. “Come, and see for yourself who this Jesus is.” That may be all God calls us to do in the beginning. Invite our friends to come, and see.

So, lets take notice this week. Pay attention to see where God is active and when the opportunity presents itself invite your friend and neighbor to “come and see.”

Thanks be to God for his all-knowing grace. Amen.

Change

2012-01-09T10:33:00.000-06:00

First this: God created the Heavens and Earth—all you see, all you don’t see. Earth was a soup of nothingness, a emptiness, an inky blackness. God’s Spirit brooded like a bird above the watery abyss.

God spoke: “Light!” And light appeared. God saw that light was good and separated light from dark. God named the light Day, he named the dark Night. It was evening, it was morning—Day One. Genesis 1:1-5 MSG

First there was nothing, just a watery chaos…and darkness, total absence of light. Then God’s voice thundered over the emptiness and there was “light” and “light” was good. Everything changed when God spoke, when Light entered the darkness.

There still wasn’t anything except the watery abyss…and light and darkness. Then God separated it with “Sky.” There was water above and water below, water everywhere, nothing but water.

Our world is 70% covered with water. Our bodies are 60% water. Our world as we know it can’t survive without liquid H2O. If you don’t believe it go on a water fast and see how you feel without taking in any of that colorless, odorless, nourishment. You will begin to act very strange and without it you will die. The same thing happens to the soil if it doesn’t receive water in the form or rain or snow. Without water seeds can’t germinate, plants will not grow or last long without water.

Water also creates change. Enough of it all at once has the power to create drastic changes to the environment. Just look at the pictures of what the Missouri River did where it went out of it banks this summer.

Isn’t it interesting that God began creation with water. Isn’t it interesting that Jesus’ ministry began after he had been baptized in the Jordan River. Isn’t it interesting that our lives begin with us surrounded by water in the form of amniotic fluid.

…before our birth, we float in amniotic fluid, which provides temperature stability, cushioning, and a necessary presence within collapsed airways to help stimulate lung development. Amniotic fluid is a clear, watery fluid that is filtered out of the maternal via the amniotic epithelium into the amniotic cavity. A large portion stems also from the fetus itself (from the skin, the umbilical cord, the lungs and the kidneys). The makeup of the amniotic fluid is thus quite complex, with many maternal and fetal constituents. The main constituents are water and electrolytes (99%) together with glucose, lipids from the fetal lungs, proteins with bactericide properties and flaked-off fetal epithelium cells. Its quantity changes over the course of the pregnancy (20 ml in the 7th week, 600 ml in the 25th week, 1000 ml in the 30th to 34th week and 800 ml at birth). From the 5th month the fetus also begins to drink amniotic fluid (400 ml/day). Close to the end of the pregnancy the amniotic fluid is replaced all 3 hours, stressing the importance of this exchange between the amniotic fluid and the maternal compartment.

Now we can understand how very important, and necessary, water is to our survival. And that is why the sacrament of baptism uses water as a symbol, a symbol of life, a symbol of change, a dying and rising again to new life, a cleansing, a cleansing from our sinful lives to being changed … from the inside out when we are baptized with the Holy Spirit.

People change when they are baptized with the Holy Spirit. It may or may not happen when they are baptized with water. But when it happens they’re changed from the inside out. Jesus was different after he was baptized. God confirmed that He was indeed His Son.

When people receive the Holy Spirit God confirms that we are His sons and daughters and we’re changed. We’re different than we were before. And as we mature we continue to change as we learn to wait upon God and His Spirit, as we learn to let the Spirit correct, control, and guide us.

Think back 5 years. Are you the same as you were then? I don’t think you are. I know I’m not. Physically as we age our bodies change but I’ve also noticed that my spirit, my soul, has changed over the years. I know I’m not the same person I was 5 years ago and I imagine you aren’t either.

It’s inevitable that things, and we, change. And there’s more change coming for us. Who knows what 2012 will bring us? One thing is certain. One thing won’t change. God will continue to be there for us. He will continue to provide for our world and us. He will continue to love us, to heal us, to teach us, to guide us home. He is the one Constant, reliable Force when all around us everything is changing.

Today we are going to reaffirm our baptismal covenant with God. Together we will be reminded of that day when we made the decision to be baptized or someone made that decision for us. And ever since that day we have been changing, and with God’s grace we will continue to change.

Thanks be to God for his unchanging grace. Amen.

Hope

2012-01-02T09:15:00.000-06:00

Choose Wisely-Roddy Hamilton
Words for the beginning of New Year worship
Choose wisely
the words you will use
this new year time

Choose wisely the words
you wish to use to fill this sacred space
in the first few hours of the year

Will it be a word of justice
or one of compassion
a word that holds forgiveness
or one that invests in peace?

For this word
shapes the beginning
and it is in the beginnings
hope is begun

Whether that hope lasts
is ours to decide in later days
but whether it has hope at all
is ours to decide now

Choose wisely the word
you speak in these fresh hours
for The Word has chosen now
to speak of us

Hope, on this first day of the New Year we hear God’s words for us from Isaiah, the Psalmist, Paul, and Luke, words of hope for us.

The writer of Third Isaiah is speaking of the delight he has because of what God has done and is going to do for his nation, a nation that has been literally destroyed and is now just beginning to be rebuilt. It hasn’t happened yet, in fact the task looks impossible, but his hope, his faith, is that God will be true to his promise and will again make Jerusalem a city that nations will look up to as an example of how much God loves his people.

The psalmist, Paul, and Luke write about all that God has done. They remind us that God has indeed kept his word. This spinning piece of space debris is perfect, ideally created, for us. It’s just the right environment for us. When God uttered the word it became everything it was intended to be, a home for all God’s children. The psalmist believes that every piece of creation gives, or should give, praise to the Creator. And some days can’t you just feel it? Haven’t you felt it, the air surrounding you just filled with joy and exuberance? Maybe that’s happened this past week.

Paul, in his letter to the Galatians, speaks of a different hope. The hope of acceptance, the hope of being received into a family, of being loved by a family, the hope of being forgiven, of having the slate wiped clean of all offenses. He speaks of the hope of not having to jump through hoops to be one of God’s children.

Some of us might not be able to understand what that’s like. Can you imagine never experiencing the unconditional love of a parent? Some of us can, and then to one day to wake up and realize that everything’s changed…we find that we are loved. We really can call on God. We can whisper “Papa” and he hears us. He stretches his hand out and we take a hold of his finger and we know, no matter what, we are loved.

We’ve hoped. We’ve dreamed. We’ve prayed for this moment and when it comes we can hardly believe it. Some one has taken all our burdens, all of our anxieties, and we’re free. We’re no longer on the outside looking in but we’re inside, we can’t believe it’s happened to us, and we really are part of the family. And we’re filled with such joy that we think our hearts are going to burst.

Luke tells us the story of when Joseph and Mary took the baby Jesus to the temple to be given as a holy offering to God. Can you imagine how these two must have felt coming into that space, two young parents who have been spoken to by angels and have been given the responsibility of raising the Messiah? The prophet Isaiah thought the rebuilding of the Temple was huge, what about raising and caring for God’s Son? I imagine their hope was that they didn’t muck this up. God wouldn’t let that happen but still…

But then to have two people, first Simeon and then Anna, take the baby and give him their blessings and prophecy about his life. They both probably wondered what God was doing. How could they possibly do everything right? But they had hope and faith that God would keep his promises to them.

As we begin this New Year, we have hope. The hopes I have are revealed in this poem by Roddy Hamilton…

Still (a new year blessing)
May God still shape this community as a place of life
that lives that life to the full

May The Word still move us towards justice
and let that justice disturb our souls

May our names still be known
and loved by all who speak them

May faith still deny what we consider answers
and set us free instead to explore the questions

May the Spirit still enable us to believe into tomorrow
by trusting what she does in today

And may God still surround us and embrace us
with grace, imagination and a love that will not let us go

Friends, I pray that these are your hopes and that together with God we can see them come to be. Thanks be to God for his grace. Amen.

Who Are We Listening To?

2011-12-12T09:28:00.000-06:00

The guys sent from Jerusalem wanted to know who John was. And when he didn’t give them the answers they were looking for or tell them what they expected to hear they changed their tactics and asked, “…why do you baptize?”

Is there anyone today who’s taken John’s place? Who are the ones thundering in the desert today? Who’s doing today what the prophet Isaiah preached? Who’s preaching repentance? Who’s preparing us for the coming of the Messiah? If someone is, are we listening to them or are we too busy questioning their competence or their authority to hear the Message?

Do we, today, still question those people who tell the story of Jesus? Do we ask to see some form of certification that says they’re qualified or authorized do what they’re doing? And if we’re satisfied they’re properly qualified do we then ask them, “Why are you doing this thing?”

With all the questions we ask do we miss hearing the story? Are we missing the Good News they’re preaching? Is the noise of the world drowning out the Message they preach?

I’m asking these questions because all I’m hearing are politicians who have nothing good to say about their opponents or the incumbent. All I’m hearing is how bad things are and it’s all one person’s fault. And they’re the only ones who have all the answers. But I don’t believe any of them can be described as the “thunder in the desert.” Not once have I heard anyone talk about the things John spoke of, repentance and turning back to God.

The only places I’ve found anyone talking about social justice issues is in Sojourners magazine or The Christian Century or the Friends magazine published by the Quakers. So, my question is, “Who is the “Voice” for God’s people today?”

Who are we listening to? Who commands our attention? Who is promoting change in our society today?

Friends, the Message John was preaching was important then and is important for us to hear today. If the only voice we hear is John’s speaking to us from the Bible then maybe it would be good for us to listen. If the only thunder we hear is John’s voice asking us to repent, to turn back to the One who cares for us, then maybe it’s good that we hear the Message repeated again and again.

Maybe instead of questioning who John is we should listen for God’s message from those whom God has called. They might not be John the Baptizer, they probably don’t look like him either, but the Message is the same. Turn back to God; prepare the way for the Lord.

So, what are we to do? I think Paul has some good advice for us, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil.”

John preached a message of repentance. Paul reminded his readers to always be joyful, pray constantly, and to give thanks no matter what happens in our lives.

It doesn’t matter who John was or who is proclaiming the word from the pulpit. What matters is that we listen to the Message and take it to heart. What matters is sharing the Message with those folks God brings to us everyday. What matters is not waiting for someone else to do something but to take care of those God brings to us. We all know who they are.

Whose voice are you listening to? In this Advent season let’s all take time to sit and listen for God’s voice. Let’s be God’s voice for those around us. Let’s be the hands and feet of God for those who are searching for something good in this world, and the next.

Friends, remember God loves you. Listen for his voice and share his love with everyone you meet. Thanks be to God for his grace-filled joy. Amen.

Joy

2011-12-12T09:27:00.000-06:00

Are you always filled with joy? Are you one of those fortunate people whose glass is always half full? Do you wake up in the morning with a smile on your face and just can’t wait to begin the day?

If you are you must are probably in the minority. I know a few of those folks and they are a fun to be with. When I’m feeling a little bit low they have a way of lifting my spirits. I forget about what was bothering me and the light in my world becomes a little bit brighter.

I never stop to think about why I’m not always the cheerful one. But now that I’ve read Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians I might have an answer. Do you know what it is?

First, it might be that we have to make an effort to be joyful. It could be that joy doesn’t come to us without some work on our part first. There’s that word again, work. Maybe if we’d call work play then it wouldn’t be so hard to do.

Any way it sounds as if we begin the day really trying to be joyful, put on a happy face, even when we don’t feel happy, before long we may actually be happy.

That’s the first part and the second thing is to pray continually. That’s another thing that’s hard for all of us to do. How do we find the time to pray without stopping?

I’ve heard people say, I’ve probably said it myself, we need to keep talking to God in our minds just as if he was walking right beside us. And that’s not so hard to do if you don’t move your lips all the time. Because then people might think you’re talking to yourself. They probably wouldn’t believe you if you said you were talking to God.

But, if we spend our days talking to God like he was always right beside us don’t you think our days would be more joyful? When I think back to the times I’ve been in constant prayer I realize I didn’t have time to think about my problems and I was happier.

So, let’s make a commitment to pray, talk, with God all the time. And I promise I won’t think you’re talking to yourself. In fact I’ll know you’re talking to the One who has all the answers.

The third thing Paul says is that we should give thanks no matter what happens. Now that’s not an easy thing to do either. Have you ever tried to give God thanks after running into a deer? Or thanking God when your water heater quits working? But hey, we shouldn’t say that won’t work until we give it a try.

I really believe that we could be filled with joy more often if we’d really try to do what Paul said. So, in the Advent season as we prepare our hearts and minds for the coming of the Messiah let’s all make the effort together to be “always joyful, pray continually, and give thanks for everything.” I’m going to make the commitment to try and I hope you will join me. Just think, if we all do it how much happier this world will be and if we’re talking with God more often then more of our prayers will be heard and it’ll be easier for us to be thankful for everything, everyday, no matter what takes place. And just think what a wonderful gift that would be for those around us.

What a way to share the love of our Lord, Jesus Christ by deciding to change our lives to be more joyful, more prayerful, and more thankful. We will more than likely find it easier to share the Good News of Jesus with those we meet on our journey through life.

Thanks be to God for his loving and forgiving grace. Amen.

Prepared?

2011-12-04T16:27:00.000-06:00

How do we get ready for important happenings in our lives? How do we prepare our homes, our family and friends, our whole environment for important changes we know are imminent?

Think about all the milestones you’ve had in your lives. How much time was spent preparing for them, and preparing to celebrate them? And not just time, but how much money was used in the preparation?

And when the big day came did we find that all the preparation was worth it? What about the day after? How long did the excitement, the euphoria, last?

This morning we lit a candle for Advent signifying “preparation,” preparation for what? Do we know what we are preparing for?

Isaiah, Peter, and Mark each talks about being prepared. Isaiah and Mark actually uses the word prepare and Peter asks the question, “…what kind of people ought you to be?” Each of them said that the coming of the Messiah was important. Each of them stressed that changes needed to take place. Action needed to be taken.

So, what about now? What about the world and us? Have we prepared ourselves for the coming of the Messiah? Have we taken to heart the words Peter, Isaiah, and Mark wrote?

Not only about how we should be living but that the Messiah’s return is imminent. He could arrive this very minute.

If Jesus came this very minute would our response be, “Come, Lord Jesus, come. We’ve been anxiously waiting for you.” Or, would we more likely say, “Oh dear! I’m not ready yet! There’s some work I haven’t done yet! Can you wait a minute?”

Friends, we’ve heard these words before. In fact we’ve heard these same words every year during Advent. And we would still say, “Wait a minute! I’m not quite ready yet.” Really, that’s our response?

Way back before Jesus’ arrival John began exhorting the people to repent. He began doing something different in that the baptism he offered wasn’t just for those who were converts to Judaism. No, the baptism he offered was for those who were ready to repent, prepared to change; prepared to make their lives ready for the coming of the Messiah.

John’s, and Isaiah’s and Malachi’s, message is still being proclaimed across all the centuries, “Prepare for the Lord!” Do we have ears to hear? Are all our preparations done? Or, aren’t we quite ready yet?

What in the world are we waiting for? Listen to Peter’s message again, “So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this (are we?), make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation…”

It can’t be any clearer. Jesus is going to break into the world again. Everything we hold dear today, all of this stuff, is going to disappear. There will be a new heaven and a new earth, a new Jerusalem. And all of this stuff will be gone. All that will matter then is that we’ve made every effort to get right with the Lord. All that will matter then is that we’ve done all we can to be prepared.

Friends, God sent his Son, Jesus, to us, so we could be saved. All he asks is that we pay attention to his Message and get our hearts and lives right with Him now.

God is extremely patient but someday Jesus will return and only those who have prepared for his coming will go home. Are we ready?

Friends, God loves us and is just waiting to anoint us with his forgiving grace. Let’s get ready today! Thanks be to God. Amen.

Bucket List

2011-11-30T14:23:00.000-06:00

The season of Advent begins today, a season when we reflect on what’s to come. Young folks, and some of us older folks, are anxiously waiting for that day when we’ll finally get to open the brightly wrapped packages with our names on them. You know, the ones sitting under someone’s Christmas tree.

Friends, you know that’s not what we’re talking about today. We’re talking about that time everyone’s eagerly waiting for, the return of Jesus.

We’ve heard the scriptures tell us what Jesus said about his return. He told his disciples to be ready for his return. No one knows the date or the time when he’ll come. Only God the Father knows the exact time. Jesus just said we should be ready.

But we aren’t to just bide our time sitting around waiting. Last Sunday’s lesson was about separating the sheep from the goats, sorting out those who had been taking care of the sick, the widowed, the poor, or those in prison from those who’d been focused only on taking care of themselves.

That sounded like we should be looking after those who struggle with living life. That sounded like it’s not all about us but about those we don’t see as we bustle around filling our shopping carts with gifts for our kids, our grandchildren, our friends, and other family members.

Today, on the right page of your bulletin, there are a couple paragraphs asking us to think about what we’d do if we knew we only had a month left to live.

What would we do? Would we quickly sit down and make up our bucket list, after we’d finished lamenting the fact that we didn’t have enough time left. And then would we rush around trying to accomplish all those things we’d been postponing ‘til later? What would we do?

So, let’s pretend that today is that day. We don’t have much time left. What will our list look like? Would the fact that we’re in the season of Advent make any difference? Would the fact that as we contemplate this we’re sitting together worshipping God make any difference? What would our list look like?

Or, would there be any change at all in our lives? You know it’s a very personal question that I’m asking. The only one who can answer this question is the one whose reflection we see in the mirror every morning.

Maybe it would help if we checked the gospels to see what Jesus told the disciples to do until that time. In Matthew 24 beginning with verse 42 Jesus said they should keep watch. And he said that when he returns the question asked will be, “Were you a good and faithful servant?” Those the master finds doing so will be rewarded but those who haven’t been taking care of things will lose out on their reward.

Paul said that the Corinthians had been given everything they needed; they had been enriched in every way. They didn’t lack any spiritual gift. He also reminded them to stand firm until Jesus returned. He said, “Don’t fret. God is faithful.”

Paul put his hope in the promises of Jesus. That was enough for him and so he kept doing what God had called him to do, building churches among the Gentiles. And right up to the end that’s what Paul did even though he was kept a prisoner by the Romans. His hope was that God would be faithful. And so he wrote letters to all those churches while he waited.

It was important to Paul and the apostles that the Good News was told to every nation. And while that was being done the poor, homeless, sick and imprisoned were to be cared for. They didn’t just share the Good News of Jesus with them but they looked after their needs.

I’m sure it looked like an insurmountable task but that didn’t matter. All he asked was that they use the gifts they’d been given to serve those around them. And that’s all he’s asked us to do.

So, when you go home today to write your bucket list maybe it’ll look a little different that it might have yesterday. Or maybe it’ll be the same.

Good friends, none of us knows how much time we do have left so we should take an assessment of our lives. Are we taking care of the things Jesus asked us to?

Jesus is coming again. It could be today. It could be tomorrow or Jesus may not come for a long time yet. We don’t know but Jesus said we should be watchful as we wait. He also used the word “good and faithful servant.” To me that means we should be serving each other and those on the fringes.

As we wait, as we prepare to celebrate the Savior’s birth, let’s not forget those Jesus has called us to serve. God hasn’t asked us to do anything we haven’t been equipped to do. Every person who crosses our path is an opportunity for us to serve the Lord. It might be just giving directions to the bakery or directions to the food pantry, or it could be giving them the directions to eternal life.

Friends, remember God loves us and has given each of us the gifts and skills necessary to do his good work. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Who Are We?

2011-11-21T09:37:00.000-06:00

Lately I’ve been thinking about who I am, why I’m here, and how can I know God better?

Today’s scriptures are about who we are and whose we are. I know, two of the passages are about sheep and goats but they’re really about who we are, what kind of people are we, and…whose people we are.

So, there may be more questions today than answers but maybe our questions will help us understand who we are and why we are.

We believe that we’re here, worshipping, because God called us here. But what about the ones who aren’t here? Didn’t God call them? Were they deaf to the sound of his Voice? Why isn’t everyone here? Are they just ignoring His call? Why aren’t they here?

God is speaking in the reading from Ezekiel about searching for the scattered sheep. When he finds them he will care for them; he will save them from all the dangers they have been exposed to when they were scattered. He will put them in a safe place where they will find nourishment and shelter. He will search for the lost and bring back those who’ve strayed. He will heal those who’ve been injured and…he will destroy those sheep that are fat and strong. He will tend all his sheep with fairness. Who are we?

Who are we? Are we the scattered and the lost or are we the fat and sassy sheep who push with their hips and shoulders those who are hungry and hurt? Who are we?

Who are the chosen Paul is talking about? He says the chosen are those who are in Christ. Who are we? Who are we?

To begin with no one, absolutely no one, knows the mind of God. But, what if God chose everyone to be in Christ? Then, why aren’t they here with us?

Could it be because they weren’t invited? Did we forget to ask them to come? Are their invitations still lying on the table at home? Is it our fault they’re not here?

The sheep God gathered and brought back home were scattered because they failed to keep God’s commandments. They were being disciplined because they had turned a deaf ear to his Word; they refused to live as he’d commanded. But when they cried out to him he heard them and brought them back home where he could tend to their wounds, where he could make them whole again. Are those who aren’t here not crying out to God?

The other sheep, and the goats, are those who will be judged by Christ on the Last Day. The nations are brought before the Son of Man to be judged, not just one person at a time, but nations. Some are welcomed in and some are cast out in the outer darkness. Who are we?

Neither group knew until the final judgment why. One group was admitted in because they had done something and the other was cast out because they had failed to do something. Sheep and goats, dogs and cats, Americans and Mexicans, meat and vegetables, gay or straight, white or black-decisions, choices all of us make. What do these choices make us? Who are we? Are we chosen?

Sometimes, actually most times, when I read the passage about the sheep and the goats I wonder will I be judged as a sheep or a goat. And I wonder sometimes, “Are the things I do good enough to get me admitted?” Don’t you wonder the same thing, sometimes?

But, then I remember it’s not about anything you and I do. It’s all grace, God’s grace. I think Paul in his letter to the people of Ephesus helps us understand when he states, “…you will know that God's power is very great for us who believe. That power is the same as the great strength God used to raise Christ from the and put him at his right side in the heavenly world. God has put Christ over all rulers, authorities, powers, and kings, and every title that can be given, not only in this world but also in the next. God put everything under his power and made him the head over everything for the church…”

Everything is under Jesus’ control. Since He clothed himself with our sins and died for them, then we are able clothe ourselves in Christ. So when he looks out at us gathered as nations he sees us as his children. Not perfect but made perfect through his sacrifice.

I believe that it’s when we accept Jesus into our hearts and commit ourselves to living like him that all this takes place.

But, I still wonder who I am in Christ. I still want some assurance that God has forgiven me for all my sins and that he lives in my heart. Don’t you?

I still desire a closer relationship with God, and sometimes I don’t feel it. But once in a while I do and that gives me hope.

So, have we answered the question or not? I’m not sure but hopefully we’ve moved a little closer to understanding why we’re here.

I believe it’s the same as I said last Sunday. We’re here to love God and love and serve our neighbors in Jesus’ great name. That’s the why of it.

Will we be perfect? Probably not but everyday we should strive toward that perfect love.

Friends, know this, God loves you and so do I. Thanks be to God. Amen.

What Are We To Do in the Meantime?

2011-11-14T09:55:00.000-06:00

Last Sunday the question raised was, “Are we ready?” Are we ready for Jesus to come, again? Today, Paul is telling the people of Thessalonica not to worry about that because no one knows the time or the day when Jesus is coming. And, Matthew’s gospel is talking, again, about what God’s kingdom is like. Oh, and the reading from Judges is about trusting God, having faith that He will really do what he says he will do.

So, maybe every one of these readings has something to do with trust, faith, or hope, whatever you want to call it. My question for all of us today is, “What are we to do in the meantime?” What are we to do while we’re waiting for Jesus to return?

We know Jesus is coming. He just hasn’t come yet and we’ve been waiting an awfully long time. Every so often we hear someone tell us they know exactly when Jesus is going to arrive. And there are many, it seems like, who believe them. And then there are those who just scoff at Jesus ever coming back. And, again, those who predicted Jesus’ arrival are wrong; so that just reinforces what the scoffers say.

What do you think? Is Jesus coming or not? Is it important for any of us to know when? And, what should we be occupied with while we wait?

I honestly think all of it is about trust; faith in what the scriptures tell us and the hope we have in Jesus. Hope that our sins are forgiven; hope that we will one day see again all those who have gone on ahead of us.

But we have a hard time trusting. It may be because the world has made so many promises and failed to keep them that we don’t believe that God’s promises are any better.

We’ve been conditioned by the world to think that it can provide for all of our wants, wishes, and needs. And yet, every time it falls painfully short.

There are times when we do take a chance and risk doing something different, maybe actually trying to live a Christian life of forgiveness and love, and, yes, maybe even serving our neighbors.

But then someone says something to ridicule what we’re doing. They think it’s silly to help folks when there’s no chance they’ll ever change. And we let that get to us. For some reason we can’t take that kind of persecution.

We fail at trying to live like Jesus, to love like Jesus, to heal the wounds of the world like Jesus. We think that God can’t possibly forgive us for our lack of faith. The world sneaks in and hardens our hearts and stiffens our necks. We forget God’s promises to forgive us.

How does that happen? Why do we allow it to happen? What can we do to keep it from happening again and again? You know the answer, trust. Trust in God and His word.

I don’t even have to tell you what I think we need to do to build up our trust and/or faith. You already know the answer to that. We can do nothing. We have to depend on God’s grace.

But we can depend on God’s grace. It will never let us down. When the world fails us God never will.

So, why do we find it so hard to risk loving God, loving our neighbors? Is it because the world has failed us so many times? Then why not try it God’s way? Trust in Him.

So, what’s the answer to our question, “What are we to do in the meantime, while we wait for Jesus to return?” I think you know the answer…serve God and serve our neighbors as Jesus taught his disciples and us. Risk loving God and risk loving our neighbors.

Are you skeptical? My answer is, “Try it before you deem it a failure.” Try it God’s way. Give it all to God and trust in his grace. What have you got to lose?

Jesus is coming again and until he arrives let’s not worry about the time or the place. Let’s be doing what God called us to do, serve God and neighbor with love and grace as Jesus taught us to do.

Thanks be to God for his grace. Amen.

Are We Ready?

2011-11-07T11:16:00.002-06:00

The message Jesus is teaching in Matthew’s gospel is about being ready? The ten bridesmaids were waiting for the groom to come to the bride’s house. They thought they knew when he was going to arrive but they were wrong, and they fell asleep. Maybe they even forgot to turn down their lamps.

At any rate they weren’t quite ready when they heard the call that the groom was on his way. Of course they’d been sleeping so they had to get their makeup straightened out. They wanted to look their best when the groom came to their friend’s house.

Since the groom didn’t arrive when they had planned of course their lamps used more oil. So, they had to refill their lamps so they could see to primp. But some didn’t plan for that and they had to go buy some more oil.

The groom came and they missed him. The door closed and it couldn’t be opened for those who weren’t ready. It’s really kind of sad and it doesn’t seem fair. Because it wasn’t their fault that the groom was late, was it?

You may have figured out already that this parable is about the coming again of our Lord, Jesus. He is the groom and the bridesmaids are those who are waiting for the Savior to return, us and everyone around us. Some are ready and some aren’t.

So, we know that much but have you ever thought, “What’s the significance of the oil? What does the oil signify?”

Let’s give that some thought and try to understand why having enough oil was important.

The groom is Jesus and we are the bridesmaids waiting for the groom to arrive. So, this is us today. What do we need so that we’re prepared for Jesus’ return? What’s our oil? What do we need to keep the fire burning? Exactly what do we need to be sure that we have a good supply of so that we’re ready whenever Jesus returns? What fire do we have to keep going so that we’re ready when the Groom arrives?

What do you think you’d need to have a good supply of? I think that Paul said it in the words we heard today, “We believe that Jesus died and that he rose again.” First we must believe. Believe that Jesus died and rose again and in order to believe we’ve got to have faith.

So I would have you think about the oil in the bridesmaids lamps as being faith. How can we be sure that we have enough faith? We can’t generate more faith. We aren’t able to make our faith stronger so what are we to do? I want to be sure that I have enough oil in my lamp, don’t you? So where’s more oil? Where do we get more faith?

Since you and I can’t manufacture more faith I believe that they only way I can be sure of having enough is to be in conversation with our Father, God all the time. If we are close to God each and every day, even when we don’t feel like it or we don’t necessarily feel his presence, I believe that our faith will be sufficient to carry us to that day when Christ returns.

But that’s not going to happen if we aren’t working on our relationship with God, being in his word, taking time to talk with Him, taking time to listen for his voice, and serving Him wherever he leads us.

There will be some who say, “I can’t do that. It will take me away from my family, my friends.” Friends, that may be what Jesus meant when he said we have to die to our old selves and be born again. That may be what he meant when he said we have to give our all to him, pick up the cross and follow him. All of this may be the oil in our lamps. What do you think?

Friends, I pray that all of our lamps are trimmed and full of oil when our Lord returns again. God loves you my friends and so do I. Thanks be to God. Amen.

God's Message

2011-11-01T13:39:00.000-05:00

I’m sure you’ve noticed in the bulletin that “The Message” follows the reading of the gospel lesson. Do you come, sometimes, wondering what the Message is going to be?

Today I would like to have us think about what God’s Message is for us today from these scriptures. As Joshua had the Israelites gather by the Jordan River he said, “Come here and listen to the words of the LORD your God.” In the last sentence today from Thessalonians Paul said…”it really is God's message which works in you who believe.” And Jesus said, “The religion scholars and Pharisees are competent teachers in God's Law. You won't go wrong in following their teachings on Moses”

Each one describes God as someone who has something to say to us. He uses words to get his Message through to us.

Have you ever wondered what those words were or are? Jesus said in Matthew’s gospel that the disciples would be wise to follow the scholars and Pharisees teaching of Moses’ Law as given to them by God. Paul says that God’s Message works in you who believe. What does it do in those who believe and why doesn’t it work in those who don’t believe?

It all begins in the Old Testament in Deuteronomy. Moses was giving the people all the commandments or laws that God had given him. He also did a lot of explaining about why they lived and wandered in the desert for 40 years. It was to humble and test them in order to know what was in their hearts, whether or not they would keep his commands. He humbled them, causing them to be hungry and then feeding them with manna, which none of them had ever heard about, to teach them that man doesn’t live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

God warned them to be careful because they would be tempted to turn away from Him and worship other gods. He asked them to fix theses words of mine in your hearts and minds tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you lie down and when your get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the Lord swore to give to your forefathers…

God’s words have power. They can build up or destroy. The Prophet Isaiah said, “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

In the gospel of Matthew chapter 24 Jesus said, “Heaven and earth may pass away, but my word will never pass away.” Think about that. His words will never pass away. God’s words will accomplish what he desires and achieves the purpose for which he sent them.

Paul in his instructions to Timothy said, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

That’s why I believe it’s so vitally important that we read and study God’s word. There is much to be learned in the Word and God’s power comes to us in the Word.

So, the Message today for us is to read The Message; chew on every word and meditate on what God speaks to you.

My brothers and sisters God loves you and so do I. Thanks be to God for his grace. Amen.

Who Knows You? Who Knows God?

2011-10-16T11:11:00.000-05:00

Who knows you? I mean who really knows you? Is it your Mom or Dad who know you? Does your best friend forever really know you? Does your spouse really knows you? Who is it who really knows you? Who really knows what makes you you?

I guess if I wanted to get to know someone first I'd want to talk with them. I'd want to discover where they came from, maybe hear a little bit about their family and what it was like for them growing up. I'd probably ask what they do for a living and/or what they enjoy doing in their free time. If they were new to the town of Walnut I'd invite them to worship with us. Then they'd have a chance to get to know us.

So, back to the original question. Who really knows you? Does anyone really know anyone? Another question could be, “Do you know yourself?” Does anyone really know you? How do we get to know someone or something?

The Scripture readings today from Exodus and 1 Thessalonians talk of God knowing Moses and of God knowing the Thessalonians since Paul said he, God, chose them.

I may have given the answer away. If God knew Moses and the Thessalonians then surely God must know us. Doesn't that make sense?

So, maybe the question should have been, “Who knows us best?” And the obvious answer would have to be God.

Now, lets turn the question around. Who knows God; really knows God? Sunday school teachers, because they have to know about God so they can teach the children. Surely they know God. No.

Well then it must be the elders because they were chosen for their wisdom and maturity of faith, and their skills in leadership and their compassionate spirits. At least that's what the Book of Order says, so they must know God. Right? No.

Well if its not the Sunday school teachers or the elders then who does know God, the pastors? Surely those who read and study the God's Scriptures must know God, right?

Well, some might believe that they know God and I would agree that many know quite a lot about God but very few really know God. I know I don't know God well enough.

I do believe he knows me and you and you and you... So what's the point, if God knows us is it important that we know God? Why do we care whether we know anyone or whether we know God? Is it imperative for you to know me or for me to know you or for either of us to know God. We've already said that He knows us, isn't that enough?

I'm not sure if I've got this right because it's something that came to me yesterday as I was reading. We can't know God face to face so the only other way we can know him is...I wonder if anyone has the answer already...in community.

I say that because we are all created in the image of God and...we are filled with God's Spirit...and his words are written on our hearts...so, if we begin to know each other in community doesn't it make sense that through that process we begin to know God.

Does that make sense? As we know each other we come to know God. Now we all know that we're not perfect but taking that into account as we live together in God's grace doing our best to live and serve and love as Jesus showed us then don't we begin to be aware of God's presence in each other? As we look into the eyes of those folks whom we serve and worship with isn't it possible to see Jesus and know our God?

That's my Message for you this week. It's now up to you to test it out and see if it's true. Friends, God leaves the rest up to us to choose how we live and serve him. We have a decision to make. Do we accept Jesus as God's Son? Will we let him into our hearts and will we give him all we are and have so others may know Him? The choice is ours to make.

Friends, I believe I know God a little better by being here this morning with you and I pray that you may know Him better by worshiping here with me.

Thanks be to God for his grace. Amen.

God's Kingdom

2011-10-14T13:43:00.000-05:00

Jesus is telling another story, a parable, about God's Kingdom. This isn't exactly a feel good story as Matthew writes it.

A king is throwing a wedding banquet, a lavish gala, for his son. He has invited all of his friends. But they aren't interested. They have better things to do than to get dressed up and go to a party. So, instead they mistreat the servants who brought the invitations. Some they beat up and some they killed

Of course the king didn't take this too well so he sent his soldiers to wipe them off the face of the earth. He didn't want to leave any trace of their existence.

Since the table was set and everything was ready he instructed his servants to go out to the busiest intersections and invited everyone they saw to the party.

That's what they did and the room was soon filled with happy voices. These weren't the beautiful people; these were the commoners who labored hard every day to provide for their families.

Here they were enjoying the best cuisine prepared by the greatest chefs wearing the latest designer fashions. Who would have ever imagined that they would be allowed to attend the wedding banquet for the king's son?

And yet, there was one who sneaked in with the others just to enjoy the meal but not wanting to get dressed in the finery provided by the king. There's always someone who thinks they can participate in the festivities without abiding by the rules.

So, what is this parable saying for us as we listen to God's word? Who is this king who annihilates those who refuse to come to his party? Who are those who refuse to attend? Who are those who are invited from the streets? Who is the one who isn't wearing the right clothes?

Matthew wrote this gospel for the Jewish people, those who'd rejected Jesus. He wrote to show them how Jesus the Christ was the fulfillment of the prophecies written of in the Hebrew Bible.

The “king” is God. His son is Jesus the Christ. Those who refused to attend the banquet are the religious leaders who refused to repent and believe in Jesus as the Messiah.

They are the ones who mistreated and killed God's servants, his prophets who came preaching God's words of love, God's warnings, God's forgiveness, and the prophecy of the One who would come and save them from themselves and their sin.

Those who were finally invited to the banquet when the chosen ones refused to come were the Gentiles, the tax collectors, the s, the fishermen, and carpenters. Because the chosen ones rejected the invitation God chose to call everyone to the banquet table. He chose to call you and me.

The final decision is ours. God has called us. God has given us his grace and we must decide whether we will choose to answer his call. We must choose whether we will clothe ourselves in Christ and come to the banquet table. The choice is ours to make. God calls. He doesn't force us or coerce us into making this decision.

So, how will we answer his call today? Will be repent and put on Christ and join our sisters and brothers at the Table?

Friends, God has given us his grace, his love, in Jesus Christ. He loves us and calls us to join him. God loves you my friends and so do I. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Knowing God

2011-10-04T12:24:00.000-05:00

If we want to know about something or some place or someone, where’s the first place we go to get the knowledge we’re seeking? Some of us will go to our computers and “Google” our question. Others will go to their encyclopedias or dictionaries or one of the other books in their libraries.

If any of us want to know God, really know Him, where do we go? Again some will go to their computer and “Google” God. Others will go to their Bibles and maybe use the concordance to help them find scriptures that will help them know Him.

Paul, in his letter to the Philippians, said that nothing compared to knowing Christ Jesus the Lord. The most important thing in Paul’s life was knowing Jesus.

Shouldn’t that be the most important thing for everyone? The question is, how can we know Jesus; how can we know God? Can we know God by “googling” him? Can we know God by reading our Bibles?

Remember the television program Newly Weds? The MC would ask each of the men and then each of the women the same questions about their spouses. Then they would come back together and we’d all get to see how well they really knew each other. It was soon very apparent that most of them didn’t really know their life partner.

So, what if there were a game show that partnered us with God and we were asked questions about God and he was asked questions about us. I wonder what kind of insights that would give us? Who do you suppose would know the most about the other? How well do you think we’d know God?

I, for one, don’t think I know God well enough. I read the Bible. I read commentaries. I read books about spirituality. I read quite a few books about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit in an attempt to get to that point where I can say that I really know God. But none of them have taken me to the place where I can honestly say that I know God.

But I do believe that God knows me. And, like Paul, all I can do is to continue to keep trying to know him better.

To be honest with all of you I did go to the concordance in my study Bible and looked up knowing and knowledge. There are a number of scripture passages that talk about God knowing us and us knowing Him.

Exodus is the first place I found written that the people will know that I am the LORD. They would know God because he revealed himself in the plagues in Egypt and in the miracles like parting the water of the Red Sea and the drowning of the Egyptians who pursued them and in providing manna and quail and water from a rock.

The psalmist says if we know his name we will trust in him. The same psalmist also tells us to …be still and know that I am God. In the book of Jeremiah we read that God knew us before we were formed in the womb. Also in Jeremiah God says that now everyone will know him…for I will forgive their iniquity and their sin I will remember no more. And Ezekiel repeats what we read in Exodus when he says…they shall know that I am the LORD.

It sounds like God makes himself known to us through his actions in our lives. We read in the Bible that even if there were no prophets or teachers to tell us about God the very stones would cry out. God’s creation helps people know Him. People have come to believe and trust in God through what they’ve seen in this world we live in.

Jesus said in John’s gospel…I have made you known to them. He also told those surrounding him…I know my sheep and my sheep know me.

So, has the question been answered? How do we get to know God? I believe it ultimately depends on God’s grace. God calls us. And then we choose whether we will believe and answer His call. Only then will we begin to know him.

God said, and Jesus repeated it, if we keep his commandments we will be his. We will be known by him.

We struggle with keeping the commandments and we struggle to live like Jesus so will we ever know God? We fail almost every day to keep God’s commandments. So, that’s the unknown quantity.

God tells us we are forgiven for our sins through Jesus. Jesus said that he would send an advocate who would tell us Jesus’ words. All this has taken place and now it’s up to us.

Do we believe? Do we trust God’s word to us? Friends, none of us knows for sure but Jesus said all we have to do is believe.

The Israelites in the wilderness were afraid to talk to God. God tells us we can go directly to him with our prayers. Jesus told us of God’s love and forgiveness.

All these help us to know God better. There’s still the mystery surrounding Him but God knows us and by spending time in prayer and study we begin to know God.

We’ll never know everything until we get to the New Jerusalem. Until then we just have to trust in what God reveals to us in the Word and His creation.

Thanks be to God. Amen.

The World's A Mess. We're A Mess. Where's God?

2011-09-25T08:18:00.000-05:00

The Israelites are grumbling because they're thirsty, really thirsty. The Philippians are apparently not practicing humility and neither do they seem to be getting along with each other to well. And then we have the high priest and leaders of the Temple questioning Jesus' authority.

As we listen to these readings we hear what sounds like a whole lot of discord in people's lives. When we listen to our local and national news on the television or listen to the radio or read the World Herald or the Register we soon discover that nothing has changed. There's still a whole lot of discord in people's lives.

People still grumble. This year it hasn't been because they didn't have enough water to drink but that there was too much water. There are still folks who aren't very humble and have trouble getting along. Just as an example notice how many people are getting married and then notice how many of them are filing for divorce. And the authority thing, people are questioning that all the time. None of our elected officials can agree on the steps to take to correct any of the problems facing them or who should be responsible for doing it.

So, what's the answer? Fire the lot of them and start over. That may sound like a good idea but it still doesn't solve the problem with our stiff necks, hard hearts, and our inability to get along with our neighbors. So, what should we do?

Today I think we should go to Paul's letter to the people of Philippi. They were disagreeing on how to get things done. Apparently there were two ladies who weren't acting very humble and so Paul was giving them his best counsel.

The gist of his Message was everyone should live and act like Jesus Christ. That sounds easy enough until we try it.

Have you ever tried to imitate someone you admired and looked up to? That's exactly what Paul is advocating. He's telling this church they need to change and he begins by asking them some really hard questions. He says, “1 Does your life in Christ give you strength? Does his love comfort you? Do we share together in the spirit? Do you have mercy and kindness?”

Paul packed a whole lot into those first 4 verses. Maybe we need to listen to the rest of them again. Paul said, “2 If so, make me very happy by having the same thoughts, sharing the same love, and having one mind and purpose.3 When you do things, do not let selfishness or pride be your guide. Instead, be humble and give more honor to others than to yourselves.4 Do not be interested only in your own life, but be interested in the lives of others.”

Again, it sounds kind of easy until we try to live it. It's not so easy trying to reach consensus, doing it all with loving hearts and minds, and working toward the same goal with the same determination. And the other part of trying to keep our work from being selfish and full of pride. It's hard to be humble as the country western song says.

So, does anyone have the answer? If what we are called to do is so hard what chance do any of us have of ever living like Jesus? Should we just pack it all up and quit trying? Paul didn't think we should.

He said, “Keep on working to complete your salvation with fear and trembling,13 because God is working in you to help you want to do and be able to do what pleases him.” Notice what Paul says here. We are to keep trying but he reminds us that we aren't alone in this work. God is working in us to help us to do what we want to do and enable us to do what is pleasing to him. We need to be reminded of this every day. We keep trying to do it all by our own strength and will without asking God to help. We are really slow learners. Not any better than those Israelites traveling through the wilderness with Moses and and Aaron.

God was standing right in front of them but the only one who ever saw him and talked with him was Moses. They were too afraid of God to talk to him personally.

Friends, the good news is that God knew this and that's one reason he sent Jesus here to live like us, with us. It was so he could be our advocate and intercessor before God.

But friends, we have to bend our knees and talk to God and listen for his voice. We aren't in this alone. God loves us and is right here this very moment working in us to transform our hard hearts and soften our stiff necks.

So, which son are we? The one who said he wouldn't but then changed his mind and went to the vineyard or the one who said he would but then didn't show up. Again the choice is up to each one of us.

Remember God is with us and he loves us even when we stumble, even when we don't get along too well. Thanks be to God for his loving grace. Amen.

God's Kingdom

2011-09-21T14:37:00.000-05:00

What is God's kingdom like? What do we expect to find in God's kingdom? Jesus told his disciples in this parable in Matthew 20 that God's kingdom was like this estate manager who went to the labor center in town to hire laborers for his harvest.

Is that the way you think of God's kingdom? Jesus said that this estate manager was looking for those who would be willing to work for him to bring in the harvest. He began hiring as soon as the harvest was ready. As the day progressed he kept going back to recruit more laborers. Even when there was only one hour of daylight left he called all who were left and willing to work. How is that like God's kingdom?

Think of it this way. When did you answer the call to work for the Lord? Was it seventy years ago? Was it fifty years ago? Or was it 2 days ago? Do those who answered first receive more of a reward than those who answered yesterday?

Answer me this. What does God guarantee any of us if we give our hearts to him? Did he tell us that the first ones who came to him would receive greater rewards than those who came to him yesterday? Did he say anywhere that those who begin early to work for him and work really, really hard will be of a higher status that those who begin work later and maybe don't work as hard?

This is the Great Reversal Jesus talked about, “...many of the first ending up last, and the last first.” God has never done things the way we would do them and it just doesn't seem fair.
We think that if we give all of our time and all our labor working for God that we should be rewarded more than those who don't give as much time or don't work at all. Some think that way. We've been taught by the world that we get what we work for and we deserve it.

But God gives the same gift to the last as he gives to those first committed followers, eternal life in God's kingdom. That may not seem fair but grace and forgiveness are God's gifts to give and it's not up to us.

The Israelites traveling through the wilderness didn't think life was fair either. They wanted everything they had back in Egypt. They grumbled at Moses and Aaron. God heard their complaints and he fed them manna and quail.

Remember when God revealed himself to Moses in the burning bush. Remember when Moses asked him who should he tell the Israelites had sent him to lead them out of Egypt. He said, “I am who I am,” or as some translations put it, “I will be who I will be.”

For the Israelites in the wilderness he was their Bread. They didn't know what it was he was giving them and so they asked, “What is it?”

In Egypt God was their salvation; in the wilderness he was their sustenance, their Bread. For Paul He was the Good News and for the disciples of Jesus he was their Teacher. What will God be for us and is he calling us to labor in the harvest? How will we answer? What do we expect?

Paul was torn between staying here and working for the Lord and going to be with Jesus. He
decided if this was where God wanted him them he would continue his work.

He didn't expect anymore than what God provided him as he lived and worked for the Lord. Sometimes he lived in the lap of luxury and other times he had nothing. Wherever and whatever Paul lived for the Lord.

So, what are we to do with this Good News? God leaves the choice up to us. Will we answer his call to join the harvesters? Will we be willing to give everything to serve him? Will we suffer for him? Will we lovingly accept those who come to the harvest with nothing more than their love for Jesus, the homeless, the addicts, the unemployed, and the unloved? God does and will.

God's kingdom is like nothing we've ever seen or could ever imagine. It is filled with God's love and grace. He accepts all who answer the call. The first and the last receive the same pay, eternal life. It may not seem fair to us but it is God's gift to give.

Thanks be to God for his extravagant grace. Amen.

Judgment & Forgiveness

2011-09-12T10:43:00.001-05:00

Judging whether something is right or wrong or whether someone is right or wrong is, I think, so easy for all of us to do. We read the newspaper or listen to the evening news and, without realizing what we're doing, judge whether that person or country or government or corporation made a decision that was good, in our opinion, or bad, or right or wrong. I believe we do it so often that it has become a habit.

Judging is such a common occurrence in our lives that we judge people we see on the street or see in the bakery or McDonald's or walking down the street. As we observe them we make judgments as to what kind of people they are. We do all that in about the first couple of minutes.

That spur of the moment decision will stay with us until we become acquainted with them. It's impossible for our judgment of them to be changed until we discover for ourselves that maybe we were wrong. Never the less, if we're honest, we have to admit we are pretty judgmental.

Apparently in Paul's day people were making judgments about whether it was right or wrong to eat just about anything or whether there should be dietary rules that all should abide by. So, if some thought that in order to be a “true” follower you couldn't eat any meat anyone who did eat meat was considered an outsider and couldn't be a member of the elite group or vice versa. Or, as Paul said, it may have been that one group thought that one particular day of the week was more important than the other days of the week and others believed that they were all equal in importance.

One group believed the other group was wrong. And they couldn't, or wouldn't, change their minds. Each group felt that they were absolutely right and there was no way to resolve the issue. Each group was stubbornly set in their way of thinking.

Paul was counseling them that none of these things really made any difference when it came to being a follower of the Way. But if someone did believe one way or the other and it was in contradiction to our way of thinking they were instructed by Paul to let it go. Don't judge them good or bad, right or wrong. In the greater scheme of things it just wasn't important. Let it go.

That was radical thinking in Paul's day and still would be thought of as radical, by some, today. We might think that we're immune to that way of thinking but ask yourself this question, “What would we think if someone joined this congregation who was from a Pentecostal church and every time they agreed strongly with some part of the worship they'd shout, 'Amen!'” Or what if someone stood up in worship some Sunday and just started giving their testimony; and they thought you couldn't be part of the community of faith unless you shared your faith openly with everyone. How would we judge these folks? How would they judge us? Would we pass the test of whether we were judgmental or not?

Judging folks doesn't seem to be harmful to anyone or that big of a deal until we stop and realize that someone could be judging us. Then it doesn't feel so good.

The other part that we often don't notice is or we forget about is what Matthew wrote in the gospel today. Jesus said, “ ...that's exactly what my Father in heaven is going to do to each one of you who doesn't forgive unconditionally anyone who asks for mercy.”

Judging and forgiving are very closely related. By not forgiving we are rendering judgment against the person or persons we felt has done some wrong against us. And what we have done is put ourselves under God's judgment.

We judge those who are different as not being acceptable. So, we are different. How will we be judged by God? Will we be found acceptable by Him?

Good friends, God has forgiven us. We have been found to be acceptable by Him through the sacrifice and resurrection of his Son, Jesus the Messiah. As God has forgiven us we are asked to forgive others.

It's our choice to make. As we judge so will be judged. As we forgive so will we be forgiven. God loved us so much that He died for our sins Himself and rose again to show that has been defeated. As Paul said, If we live we live for the LORD and if we die we die for the LORD, so whether we live or whether we die we are the LORD'S. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Loving Confrontation

2011-09-04T15:30:00.000-05:00

Loving confrontation, that almost sounds like an oxymoron. Is it possible to confront anyone lovingly? Paul, in his epistle to the Romans, says it all hinges on love. The whole Law revolves around love.

It begins with loving our neighbors like we love ourselves. The real problem we might have with that is sometimes we don't love ourselves very much.

If people don't even like themselves it's no wonder they don't treat their neighbors with love, is it? Therein lies one of humanity's problems. People don't think they're worthy of love, theirs or anyone's. Maybe they haven't learned how to love or maybe they've been hurt so deeply that it's impossible for them to even consider loving anyone. How to solve that is a whole other can of worms. That's not to say it's not important but today Jesus is talking about how to lovingly confront a brother or sister who has hurt us. Please note that he is talking about someone who is a member of our community of faith.

Jesus says, if someone hurts us we are to go to them and try to work it out. The first problem is, what if they refuse to even listen to one word? Or, what if they listen but don't believe they're in the wrong? Either way Jesus tells us to go get 2 or 3 friends who know about the issue or wrong or hurt and all together go and lovingly bring it to their attention again. But they still won't listen.

Now this is where it gets really difficult. In Jesus' words he says to get the whole church involved and all together, you and the church, lovingly confront them, again. If they still won't listen we aren't allowed to give up and drop it but we're to start the process all over and lovingly confront our neighbor.

Peter heard this and wondered, out loud, how many times he should start all over, seven times? You know Jesus' answer. It was seventy times seven. In other words as long as it takes or forever. We aren't supposed to ever give up trying to heal the hurts. The other thing is we are, the whole time, to lovingly address our neighbor. Why?

Friends, look at it this way. What if a member of our family was doing something we knew was harmful to them? We may not like what they're doing but our love for them wouldn't changed. We'd go to them and ,in love, confront them, wouldn't we? Wouldn't we go to them over and over, maybe with other family members, until we knew they understood and changed their behavior? We wouldn't ever give up, would we. That's because we love them.

So, this family we're part of is no different. We are, each of us, part of this Body of Christ. If one part is doing something that is hurting them, or one of the other members, then it affects all the other parts of the Body and it has to be taken care of, otherwise the entire Body will be hurt. That might be why Jesus said that we shouldn't stop until the hurt is healed and the issue resolved.

The one thing we all struggle with and many times forget is that the whole process is be to done lovingly. Sometimes the hurt is such that we don't feel the love. That's when we must turn to God first, maybe with friends supporting us, in prayer and ask him to fill us with his love.

Why should we care? Why should we try to love ourselves and care what our brothers and sisters are doing? Well friends, it like Paul said today, “ Do this because we live in an important time. It is now time for you to wake up from your sleep, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.”

Jesus said that all of God's children were important to him and he didn't desire for any of them to be lost. That's why we should never give up.

Friends, we need to remind ourselves daily that God loves and he would like us to share that love with our brothers and sister in Christ. Everything we do we are to do in love and that's is a very difficult thing to do, alone. But with God all things are possible.

Thanks be to God for his loving grace. Amen.

Who Do "We" Say Jesus Is?

2011-08-22T11:17:00.001-05:00

In Matthew’s gospel Jesus begins questioning the disciples, asking them who people think he is. They give him various answers, some may have been their own and some may have been what they heard in people's conversations as they mingled with the crowds.

He listened to their responses and then he posed the toughie, “Who do you say that I am?” As the rest pondered the question Simon said, “You're the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

To his answer Jesus tells Simon, son of John, that he is the “Rock” and this is the rock he'll build his church on. This impulsive, hard-headed, “willfully stupid” man is going to be used as the foundation for the Body of Christ here on earth.

But, not long after this Jesus calls him Satan and tells him he is thinking as the world thinks and not on God’s things. And then, later, Peter denies that he knows Jesus, three times.

What does Jesus see in him that we don't? Is it because Simon, now Peter, answered first, and answered correctly?

Jin S. Kim in Feasting on the Word said ...it wasn't Peter's strength or righteousness but rather it was his testimony that Jesus was responding to. Peter's words came from everything he had observed and experienced as he spent time with Jesus. It was his witness that Jesus was rewarding.

So, who do you say that Jesus is? How do you bear witness to the Messiah? That’s a question all of us should think about. When someone asks us who Jesus is how will we answer? Or maybe they won’t ask, they’ll just watch to see how we live and watch how we deal with pain and suffering in our lives.

Are we able to answer like Peter and say, Jesus is “… the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God,”? You know we’re probably not much different than Peter. One day we’re able proclaim that Jesus is the Messiah and the next we deny we ever knew him. And the next day Jesus is speaking to us saying, “…get out of my way. Satan, get lost. You have no idea how God works.”

You know what might be interesting? Ask folks we meet on the street who Jesus is, to them. It might surprise us to hear some of the responses. We really shouldn’t be since the disciples gave answers like John the Baptist, Elijah, and Jeremiah or one of the other prophets. Nobody in Jesus’ day really understood who he was.

And he didn’t want his disciples telling people he was the Messiah yet. It wasn’t the right time. But, friends, the time is right for us now.

When people ask us who Jesus is that’s a sign the time is just right for giving our testimony about who Jesus is to us. If we’re not sure how we’d answer then maybe we should go to the Word and pray for the Spirit to open our hearts to discover who this Messiah, Jesus, is to us.

Roddy Hamilton has thought about this and put this poem together to help us. It goes like this…

Jesus

Jesus
water walker and bread breaker
Jesus
baptiser and companion
Jesus
stranger and forsaken

Jesus
troublemaker and revolutionary
Jesus
resurrection and conspiracy of love
Jesus
light in darkness and breaker of silence

Jesus
friend of sinners and tax collectors
Jesus
friend of children and disturber of adults
Jesus
friend of the outcast and agitator of empire

Jesus…
Jesus…
how do you know Jesus?

So, maybe this helps us. This week as you spend time with God invite his Spirit to lead you to those words that you can use to describe Jesus to those you meet on your Journey.

Thanks be to God for his Grace. Amen.

Please! Send Her Home!

2011-08-14T19:03:00.000-05:00

A couple weeks ago Jesus was in the wilderness with the disciples hoping to get away for some quiet time, kind of a mini-retreat. But someone was watching. When they arrived there they were 5,000 plus people waiting to be healed…and fed. The disciples came to Jesus then and asked him to send them all away so they could find shelter and food for the night.

That time Jesus said, “They don’t have to go away. You feed them.” Today the disciples come to him again with a demand. “She’s driving us crazy. Please take care of her. She’s a major pain.”

Again Jesus doesn’t respond the way the disciples wanted him to. He said, “I've got my hands full dealing with the lost sheep of Israel.” This time he didn’t tell them to take care of the problem. But, what if he was testing them to see how they would take care of this woman’s needs.

What if he wanted to see what they had learned in the wilderness when he asked them to take care of the folks who had followed them? What if he was checking to see if they were listening when he responded to the Pharisees with their questions about what to eat and the washing of hands?

Some folks are troubled by the response Jesus gave to the woman when she came right up to him and he the same as called her a “dog”. There are those who think because Jesus was ‘human’ that he was still “learning” about his work here with God’s people.

But don’t you think if Jesus is also divine that he would know all this? So, that’s why I am proposing that Jesus was seeing if the disciples had learned the lesson he was trying to teach them in the wilderness. Apparently they hadn’t. They were still living with their prejudices.

She was a woman for one thing and a Canaanite for another. It wasn’t proper for them to speak to her because she was a woman and to add something else to the mix God had said no one was to have anything to do with the people of Canaan.

But Jesus didn’t come just for the Jews but he came for all those who trusted in God and repented of their sinful lives.

Matthew’s gospel doesn’t give us enough insight into Jesus’ intent so we have to speculate. So what do you think?

I think that may be why God seems to not answer some of our prayers such as when we pray for food for those starving in Somalia and Ethiopia. Maybe he’s waiting to see if we’ve learned anything from the lessons Jesus taught us in the Word.

I wonder sometimes if God thinks the words Jesus spoke to Peter, “Are you willfully stupid?” We have to admit that sometimes it does take us a while to get his Message.

So, maybe the lesson for all of us today is the same as it was a couple weeks ago, “You take care of it. You feed them. You give them shelter. You give them a coat. You grant them mercy.”

Aren’t there times when we all wonder if God is even listening to our prayers? But, look how long the Israelites had to wait to see how God’s plan for their survival. Who would have guessed that Joseph being sold into slavery was going to work out for their good?

And even when God’s people turned their backs on him he didn’t throw them out. As stubborn as they were, He still granted them his mercy and grace.

Friends, that’s the Good News for us. As stubborn and hard-hearted as we all are God is still willing to grant us his mercy and grace.

All we have to do is trust in God and believe that Jesus is interceding for us. That’s why our prayers are so important, even when we say a simple prayer like, “Jesus, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.” God hears our prayers and he knows what’s in our hearts.

The question is do we get it. Do we believe what we read and hear in God’s Word? Friends, every day, every hour we need to pray for God’s mercy and His grace. We need to pray for the crumbs off God’s table because that’s enough for us.

Thanks be to God for his mercy and grace. Amen.

Faith

2011-08-08T15:46:00.000-05:00

Faith, Paul and Matthew both wrote about it. What is it? How can we define our faith? Jesus said that Peter's faith was too small. Paul tells us faith is in our hearts.

Paul takes it a little further when he says, “...before they can believe in him, they must hear about him; and for them to hear about the Lord, someone must tell them; and before someone can go and tell them, that person must be sent.”

So, it's easier to believe if someone tells us about their faith. I believe our souls are longing for intimacy with the Word. We know God is there but we have doubts and struggle with believing until...someone shares their story with us about how God reached out for their hand when they called for help.

Peter had “some” faith but it didn’t really show until he was sinking in the waves and knew he couldn’t tread water long enough to keep from going under. It was only when he realized he was going down fast that he called for Jesus to save him. Does that sound familiar?

Some might think that Peter showed his faith when he stepped out of the boat and I agree that took some courage to do that. But he didn’t throw his leg over until he was sure that it was Jesus who was walking across the water towards them. Don’t you wonder what he was thinking when he did that? Anyway his faith didn’t really show itself until he was sinking.

So, let me ask you a question. When does your faith become apparent? I would bet that most of the time our faith isn’t really seen until we find ourselves sinking and cry out, “Save me Lord!”

On the other hand Paul says that is tells us in Scripture, "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart." He tells us, “If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and if you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you will be saved.” And he reminds us that…"Anyone who trusts in him will never be disappointed."

What else is there to say? Faith is believing that Jesus is God’s Son and that God raised him from the dead. Faith is trusting in God and his promises. Faith is having God’s word in our hearts and trusting in the power of God to save us when we are drowning.

To be honest we all struggle with our faith, even those we think have an unshakable faith have moments when their faith wavers. That’s why I think what Paul tells us at the end of today’s passage is so important, “… before people can ask the Lord for help, they must believe in him; and before they can believe in him, they must hear about him; and for them to hear about the Lord, someone must tell them; and before someone can go and tell them, that person must be sent. It is written, ‘How beautiful is the person who comes to bring good news.’”

So, good friends I pray that if you hear or feel God calling you to share your story with someone, that you will listen to his voice and do it. Because this is the only time they will have the opportunity to hear “your” story. And they can’t believe until they hear “your” story. So, when God asks you to go, do it and don’t be afraid to tell your story because there’s no other story like your story.

When we share our faith, when we extend a hand to someone else, we give them the chance to hear the word and believe. And God’s kingdom on earth grows with the addition of one more believer. Thanks be to God. Amen.

You Give Them Supper

2011-08-01T10:33:00.001-05:00

In Matthew’s gospel he tells us that Jesus just wanted to get away to a quiet, out-of-the-way place. As Matthew tells the story Jesus had learned a short time ago that his cousin John the Baptizer had been beheaded by Herod.

So, not only was he worn out by teaching the masses and his disciples, healing their ills, and casting out their demons but now he heard that his predecessor had been killed. In the same circumstances wouldn’t you want to go somewhere to be alone with God and your grief?

But someone was watching which way he went and told the crowd. When he was nearing the other shore there they were waiting for him. Jesus didn’t react as we would. Instead of saying, “Oh no!” he had compassion for those who were coming to him for healing and help.

Immediately, just like a triage team in an emergency room dealing with multiple trauma cases after a terrible accident, Jesus set to work healing them.

After working all day everyone was tired, Jesus and those who were traveling with him. The disciples were ready to call it a day and asked Jesus to send them away so they could find food and shelter for the night.

Instead Jesus says, “You give them supper.” Can’t you just see their faces? “What are you talking about? We don’t have enough in the treasury to buy supplies to feed this crowd. Look at how many there are!”

Did they really think that Jesus was going to take no for an answer? They still hadn’t learned what kind of power he had at his disposal. Matthew doesn’t put this in his story but Mark does; Jesus asks them, “How much do you have?”

Their reply was that they only had 5 loaves and 2 fish. And Jesus said, “Let me see it.” Then just like an orchestra conductor he got everyone’s attention and asked them all to find a place to sit.

Friends, can you picture this? He didn’t have any loudspeakers, he wasn’t able to send a Tweet or a text. So, how was he able to get them all to understand what he wanted? Well, after all he was God and he could do anything. But, I still wonder how he did it.

Jesus didn’t back down from what he had asked them to do. He asked the disciples to bring him the bread and the fish. He lifted it up, asked for God’s blessing, broke the bread and the fish and gave it to his disciples to distribute to all who were seated on the hills of grass.

Now, here’s where folks like to try to figure out how it was possible to feed 5,000 men and who knows how many women and children with just 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. I’d kind of like to know too but is that really the important part of this lesson? I don’t think so.

I think, and this is just my opinion, that the lesson to be taken from this is that God asks us, the Church, to give them supper. And we are saying, “Let’s send them home, back to where they came. Let’s get the government to take care of them.”

What’s God’s answer? “What do you have? Let me see.” And, if we trust in Him, if we give our meager offerings to Him for His blessing, then the 5,000 can be tended to.

Friends, Jesus doesn’t ask the question today that he asked last week but I will. Do we understand what he’s saying? Do we get it?

Most times when someone asks if the Church can help the answer is, “We don’t have enough money. We don’t have anybody to work. We’re too old.”

Can we hear God’s reply? “What do you have? Let me see it. Give it to me.” What kind of faith do we have if we don’t believe that we are able to do anything?

Jesus is still speaking to us, “You give them…supper, clothes, housing, justice, forgiveness.” As small as our resources are with God’s blessing they are able to do more than we can imagine.

That, my friends, is what I believe is the good news for us today. God’s kingdom is here and we are being asked to ‘give them supper.’

If we believe, then our next step is to trust in God and let him lead us to those he would have us serve. Who is Jesus asking us to feed today? Who has Jesus invited to sit down so we can feed them? Who are we to ‘give supper’ to?

We aren’t just God’s church that comes together to worship, join in fellowship, be filled with God’s grace, and then go to our homes until we gather again next week. No, I hear God calling us to ‘give them supper.’

What do you hear God saying today? How is he speaking to your heart and soul? Friends, God is calling us to service.

God loves each and every one of us. He forgives us when we fail. He prays for us when we don’t know what to say. And with the might of his right arm he lifts us up to serve and give help to those in need. Thanks be to God. Amen.

God's Kingdom

2011-07-25T15:26:00.000-05:00

Did you notice how every one of Jesus stories begin? They each start with, “God’s kingdom is like…”, a pine nut (mustard seed), yeast, a hidden treasure, a perfect pearl, and a fishnet.

What about God’s kingdom as a seed? Could it be Jesus was that tiny seed? Could Jesus have been the beginning of God’s kingdom here on earth? Is it possible that God’s kingdom has grown to such proportions since the Seed was planted that it can now accommodate all of us and many more we don’t even know about?

Or what about the kingdom of God being like fresh yeast that a woman uses to energize enough bread dough to feed thousands? Is it possible that just a pinch of God’s kingdom is more than enough to energize the Body of Christ to accomplish more than we can begin to imagine? Could it be that God’s churches only need just a small measure of God’s kingdom to expand enough to feed thousands or tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands; could it be?

And/or has God’s kingdom been hidden here just waiting to be discovered by one trespassing treasure hunter? Has God’s kingdom been here right under our noses just waiting for one of us to find the greatest treasure? Could that be what Jesus was saying?

Or, or maybe it’s and, could it be that God’s kingdom is like that gemologist who is always on the hunt for the perfect gem. Now here’s where I wonder if I’ve got it right. What if God’s kingdom is looking for perfect gems to add to God’s collection? Would God sell or give up everything to buy us? Oh, that’s right he already has! Jesus gave his all for us so we could be part of this kingdom.

Now here’s a part that I like and some folks just can’t imagine this. God’s kingdom is like a huge fishnet thrown out over this humungous mass of humanity. The kingdom net is so enormous that an unbelievable variety of folks are trapped in it. And then God’s angels have the task of sorting the good fish from the bad fish. Of course Jesus says that this won’t happen until the end of time. In the meantime the good fish and bad fish are living together in the same sea.

I hope the angels get earplugs from God because Jesus says there’ll be lot of complaining. Can’t you just hear the carping and whining? And how will they be able to tell a good fish from a bad fish? Oh, I hope we’re good fish!

So, the question is, do we get this? Do we understand what Jesus is saying here? I hope so.
If our answer is “yes” then every disciple is like the owner of the store and everything we need is there, exactly when and where we need it.

Friends, the Good News is that God’s kingdom is here, right here, right now. And it’s like each of these examples Jesus told us about. Are we listening? Do we understand the Message? I hope so.

God loved us enough to send his Son to us, to live with us and to teach us, to be an example for us. He died for us and defeated death for us leaving us with the promise of eternal life. All we have to do is listen and have faith and keep trying to live like Jesus. Oh, and remember that God loves us and only asks us to love our neighbors as much as we love ourselves.

That’s the Good News! Thanks be to God. Amen.

There's Good News & The Bad News

2011-07-17T08:23:00.001-05:00

Friends, today there’s good news and bad news. I could ask you which you’d rather hear first but since I’m going to tell you anyway I won’t.
The good news is there’s going to be a harvest. The bad news is that there are weeds growing in the field that was sown with good seed. The good news is that we don’t have to walk the field pulling out the weeds. The bad news is that the weeds might cause some problems, suffering, for the good crop.

So, I guess the question most of us have is what does it all mean? How are we to interpret this story Jesus told? Is it even possible to explain this in a way that all of us would agree on?
Jesus’ disciples asked him to tell them what it means and if we take it literally it means that the Son of Man has sown good seed, disciples, and the Evil One, the Devil, Satan, has sown bad seed. And God said leave them alone until the harvest, the end of time. The angels will gather the weeds and throw them in the fire and then they will harvest the crop that grew from the good seeds.

That’s pretty clear then, some of us are good and some of us are bad and it will all be sorted out at the end. I understand that but how do I know if I’m from the good seed or the bad seed? I’ll bet some of you have the same question.

Let’s see if we can’t make this just a little bit more difficult. Paul says in his letter to the Romans that if we let our sinful selves rule our lives then we will die spiritually. Yet if we let the Spirit help us stop doing the wrong things then we will live a true life. The true children of God are those who let God’s Spirit lead them.

So, when our sinful selves are in control we are dead spiritually, we’re weeds. Then when we allow God’s Holy Spirit help us, when we give the control to the Spirit, then we are on the way to living a true life, we’re the good crop.

Are you confused yet? This is what I think, and friends, it’s okay to disagree with me because I’m not a perfect person and I’ve been wrong more times than I’ve been right. I think that within each of us are good and bad seeds. Both have germinated and both are growing within us. The good is God’s Word, good seeds, and the bad is our sinful nature, seeds sown by the Evil One. And they’re both in a battle; sometimes a violent battle and maybe more often the battle isn’t so easy to notice. But it’s going on all the time even though we aren’t aware of it.

Or, it could be that within God’s churches there are those who are God’s disciples and there are those who are the Evil One’s disciples; and Jesus said to let them grow together. Because any attempt to remove the weeds from the crop might destroy or harm the good plants.

You understand what he’s saying don’t you. You’ve probably seen it happen. A group might decide that someone or a group of someone’s might not be suitable as members or representatives of the Church and so they suggest that they leave. When that’s done then others who may be friends of this group get upset and they leave too. And the whole body, the Church, suffers.

Jesus says just let them be and let God and his angels sort it out at the end. How many times in history have Christians with good intentions created more problems and suffering for the Church than if they had just left things alone? The Crusades and the Inquisition are just two that I can think of. And we know there are more otherwise there wouldn’t be so many different denominations in our world.

So, Good News and Bad News, Good Seed and Bad Seed, how do we sort it all out? I don’t think we need too. I think if we remember the two important commandments that Jesus told the scholar when he questioned him then we’ll be moving in the right direction. Love God with all that we are and love our neighbors are much as we love ourselves. If we focus on those two commandments and then respond to Jesus’ Great Commission, Go into all the world and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit then we should worry ourselves about the good crop or the weeds. God will take care of that for us.

Love God, love neighbors, and trust in God to take care of the rest. Don’t worry about the weeds God’s going to take care of them. Don’t worry at all; let God’s Spirit take the reins and just follow along.
I think the other point Jesus was making was that we aren’t the ones to judge whether the crop is good or bad. It just might be what we think is bad might be transformed into the good and it would be a terrible mistake to judge someone before they’ve been changed.

Good friends, I hope I haven’t created more uncertainty in your minds with my explanations. I do trust that God’s Spirit will make it all clear to each of us and show us what our work is that we’ve been called to do while we’re here.

Put your faith in the One who knows you better than anyone else and always knows your needs before you ask. God loves us and he’s got everything taken care of today and forevermore. Thanks be to God. Amen.

The Sower and the Seeds

2011-07-11T16:58:00.000-05:00

God placed me on a farm and it’s there I grew up and learned about seeds and soil and tilling, planting, and weeding.

Harvey and Norma, my parents, began by letting me “help” them in the garden. I learned how to stretch the binder twine across the width of the garden so that the rows would be more or less straight. Mom taught me how to use this pointed hoe to make a groove in the dirt, carefully keeping the clods of dirt out as I made the groove. Then she would show me just how to place the seed in the groove made by the hoe and press it down with the point of my finger so that it made good contact with the moist, damp earth. And then we would very carefully cover the seed with the just the right depth of dirt.

And then we waited for the rain to water the rows and soften the clods that we couldn’t break up. Most of the time the germination was 100%, but not always.

Sometimes, we would notice that things were going to well in the row. It might have been insects or rodents or just bad seed. You just couldn’t be sure. If there was time we would replant and hope there were enough days left in the season to grow good produce.

You see, the garden was where our vegetables came from; there weren’t any cans of beans and corn in the cupboard. There were quart jars of beans, corn, carrots, and such in the cellar. There were baskets of potatoes in the cave and onions drying in the rafters overhead.

But the harvest always depended on how well the soil was taken care of and the quality of the seed and also the care taken in the planting. If one thing was out of kilter then the crop was affected and we might have to go to the store in town for canned vegetables. They weren’t ever as good as ours from the garden.

Jesus taught the people who gathered around him while he sat in the boat by the sea. They knew all about seeds and soil. Their methods were a little different from what I learned.

They would scatter the seed by hand and then they would till the soil. Of course when you throw seed by hand it doesn’t always go every place that you want it to. Some goes on the path, some falls in the gravel, some in the weedy patches at the edge of the field, but some does fall in the good soil. They understood all that but did they understand his meaning? They had ears to hear but were they listening?

Jesus’ disciples even asked him what he meant. And so he explained it to them in very simple, easy to understand terms. The seeds were God’s words to his children.

Just like the seeds scattered in the field not every one of God’s words was heard or understood. Some heard but didn’t understand and some never gave the Word a chance.

But some of the words were understood, some of the words took root and the result was that many came to be filled with the Spirit of God.

Even though technology has improved the planting of seeds in the fields resulting in unbelievable yields the planting of God’s Word is still by proclamation. And whether there is a bountiful harvest all depends on the ears that receive the Message and God’s good grace.

Are people going to hear the Word and let it grow in their hearts or is it going to die for lack of nutrition? Friends, it’s all up to God. Our work is to tell the story as Jesus did and trust in God to take care of the rest, just as the farmer does who puts the seed into the ground in the spring. He does the best that he can and then trusts that God will provide the rest in just the right quantities to produce a good harvest.

Good friends, I pray that God’s word takes root in your hearts today so that you can share the story with those He brings to you.

Thanks be to God for his bountiful grace. Amen.

Keep Company with Me

2011-07-03T07:59:00.001-05:00

In our scripture lessons today Paul is voicing his frustrations. He is out of sorts because, no matter how hard he tries, he can’t get himself to do what’s right. Every time he tries it ends up being the wrong thing.
It’s like he’s two different people in the same body and they’re at odds with each other. Have you ever felt like that? Then you know what Paul’s talking about.
At the end of the reading for today Paul wonders who can save him from this body that’s bringing him to death. He realizes that only God’s grace through Jesus Christ can save him. And he thanks God for that.
The gospel lesson from Matthew begins with Jesus complaining about the fact that people are still questioning who he is and why he doesn’t do what other rabbis or teachers do. God sent him to these people and they refuse to receive him.
And then he thanks God that those who supposedly know-it-all have been struck deaf and those who are thought to be illiterate get what he is teaching.
Jesus then invites everyone who is tired of the “old way” of doing church to follow him. He invites them, and us, to join him in his work and walk with him, to see how he does it. In some translations the word “yoke” is used by Jesus. He invites those listening to put on his “yoke” because its not heavy and isn’t the burden that the Law is. In fact he’s inviting them to get beside him, maybe that’s why his yoke is easy because he’s leading, showing us how to do it.
Jesus is asking us to learn from him. We are to learn the “unforced” rhythms of grace. We are invited to “keep company with him.” Oh, if only we would.
But we aren't any different than Paul. We want to, we know we should, we know that our lives would be easier and lighter but sin keeps us from doing it exactly like Jesus. Thank God we are forgiven for not being perfect like Jesus through the greatest gift anyone could ever receive, the gift of Jesus Christ.
So, what are we to do? Will we ever get to be just like Jesus? Only if we put on his yoke. Only if we keep company with him. Only if we let Jesus have control, of everything.
Friends, I don't know about you but I know that I'm not there yet. Some days I think I'll never make it.
I believe that we need to remember that even Paul struggled with these very same issues. If a saint like Paul found himself doing what he knew he shouldn't but kept on trying anyway, that gives me hope. And you should be encouraged too by these words.
Keep company with Jesus by going to his Word, by talking with him in prayer, and spending time in quiet with him every day.
Join Jesus in this life and work he has called each of us to. Remember none of us are in this alone. Jesus is walking and working right beside us as we labor for justice and peace in this world.
Thanks be to God for his grace. Amen.

Faith, Trust, Grace, & Harvest Work

2011-06-26T13:06:00.001-05:00

The Scripture lessons we heard read this morning are about faith, trust, grace, and God's work here on earth. Every one of the writers had faith in God. Abraham, David, Paul, and Matthew, they all had faith and they trusted in God and his plan.

Abraham trusted in God so completely that when he heard God’s voice tell him to he took his son, Isaac, into the wilderness to a place God showed him, to offer him as a sacrifice. We can't even imagine doing that and I'm sure Abraham wondered too. But, he believed in his God, our God, so completely that he prepared to do what God has instructed him to do. Maybe he believed what he told his son, that God would provide the lamb for the sacrifice, or maybe not.

We may read this lesson and think, “What kind of God would ask someone to sacrifice their son as a test of loyalty?” Remember that the nations surrounding the territory where Abraham lived practiced child sacrifice. So, he was familiar with it. That doesn't mean he accepted it or thought it was right, but God spoke to him and he trusted him.

So, when he heard God speak he prepared everything that was needed for a proper offering and sacrifice and he was ready to follow through. And then, God did, indeed, provide the lamb. Abraham had faith in God; he trusted God.

His faith wasn't always this strong. Sometimes he didn't trust enough and then he did what he thought was best and found out that it wasn't. Like when he told the people that Sarai was his sister instead of his wife. That wasn't the best thing to do. It’s a good thing that God watched out for him because it could have been disastrous. So, you see he wasn't always so faithful. For the most part, though, he trusted God to care and provide for him and his family; and he was considered righteous by his ancestors because of his faith.

David also trusted God. He was revered as a leader who had a very strong faith in God. He trusted God to protect him, to help him defeat his enemies both at home and those in the nations surrounding Judah. Even when he made mistakes, and he made some doosies, he trusted God.

He trusted God because he knew that God loved him. Even though he experienced dark times when he didn’t feel God’s presence he trusted that he was there. David is a great example for us who struggle with the same feelings of anxiety and depression and loneliness.

But how do we get faith? Can we make our faith stronger? Is there a magic chant or something that we can recite that will give us faith or more faith?

Friends, that’s where grace comes into the picture, we might have a basic beginner’s faith in God but it’s only through his grace that our faith grows and gets stronger. I don’t know how God does it but I believe that every gift we receive is because of God’s grace. We don’t deserve any of it yet God blesses us with his grace and our faith is because of God’s grace. No matter what I do I’m not able to make my faith stronger. There are no calisthenics that I can do to increase the size of my faith.

Our faith, yours and mine, only grows through God’s grace. We are justified by grace and sanctified, saved, by the grace of God through Jesus. We’d like to think that we can save ourselves but friends that’s just not possible. It’s only through grace that we are saved.

We have been conditioned to believe that there’re no free gifts. And so we have a real problem with God’s grace because it’s free. We’ve been taught that nothing is free, everything has a price. That’s why we miss God’s grace sometimes.

But if we don’t accept this free gift of grace what do we have to look forward too? It’ll all be over when our bodies wear out, if we don’t accept God’s gift of grace.

Afterwards come the works, but they’re not to pay God back for his gift. This work God calls us to we do because we love him and can’t imagine doing anything else.

Now some of us think that in order to truly work for God we have to be a missionary in Africa or Central America or China or some remote outpost somewhere in the world. That could be right, but Jesus said we don’t have to start with something huge like that. We may be called to give a cup of cool, refreshing water to a neighbor. Or we may be called to sit with a friend who’s struggling with grief or pain or a scary diagnosis. Or we may be called to just be a friend to someone who has no friends, right here in Walnut.

Jesus knew this work wasn’t going to be easy and so he said don’t be overwhelmed by it. Start small and work up to the larger tasks. And remember none of us are in it alone. “We are intimately linked in this harvest work.”

Friends, faith, trust, grace and the harvest work God calls each of us to, that’s what our lives are all about. We’re all in this together. And God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit are with us every step, every minute of every day until he calls us home.

Thanks be to God for his loving, forgiving grace. Amen.

Gifts From the Holy Spirit

2011-06-13T10:55:00.001-05:00

Usually when there’s a birthday there are also gifts…and cake and/or ice cream. Today as we come together to worship God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit we come to celebrate the birthday of God’s church and the gift of his Holy Spirit.

On the day of Pentecost the disciples, gathered together in the upper room, were celebrating the Festival of Shavuot (Weeks). This festival occurs 7 weeks or 50 days after the celebration of the Passover therefore the name Pentecost.

So, why do you think God chose to bring the Holy Spirit to the disciples on this particular day? The Festival of the Weeks was celebrated to give God thanks for the harvest of first fruits and to remember when God visited the Israelites in the wilderness to give them the Torah, the Ten Commandments.

Jewish legend has it that the Israelites went to sleep early the night before so that they would be rested when the Lord visited and gave them the Torah. The best laid plans don’t always work out like we planned and it wasn’t any different for them. They overslept and God woke them with thunder and lightening.

So, it was customary when celebrating the Festival of Shavuot that the people would stay awake all night studying and learning the Torah. Jesus’ disciples may have been observing that very same practice of staying awake and learning the Torah.

I wonder if they may have fallen asleep and God woke them between 8 and 9 with this great, loud wind and visions of tongues like fire. I wonder.

Whatever they did throughout the night before, receiving this gift of the Holy Spirit was some experience for them. The noise of the great wind and the vision of tongues like fire were surely something but then to have the folks who had gathered outside understand what they were speaking that was another thing.

Luke doesn’t tell us what they said as they spoke in the different languages but whatever they said was understood by those standing outside. Friends, it may not have been so much that they were speaking in different languages but that those who were listening understood what they were saying. In other words their communication was clear and not garbled.

Think about this for a minute. How many times have you tried to share something important with someone else only to be frustrated by them not understanding what you’re trying to say? And yet these disciples were clearly understood by everyone there.

That, my friends, is a miracle. To have everyone get it with no confusion at all was a miracle, at least for us human beings it’s a miracle. Not for God but certainly for us.

So, that’s what happened on that day in Jerusalem as the disciples were celebrating the Festival of Shavuot. They received another gift from God just as important as the Torah, the gift of God’s Holy Spirit. They were empowered and through this power were enabled to do the things Jesus did and even greater things just as He had told them they would.

That was then; what is God doing today? Do people still receive the power of the Holy Spirit? And if they do how do they know?

Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians, talks about the different gifts God’s people receive from the Spirit of God, different gifts for each person but all from the same Spirit.

Staying with that idea, assess your gifts, talents, skills. What has God given you that enables you to tell God’s story to those God places on the path you walk everyday? Don’t think you have any special gifts? I doubt that that’s true.

Paul said, “Something from the Spirit can be seen in each person, for the common good.” Something from the Spirit can be seen in each person, to me that means we all have received some good gift that we are expected to use to share God’s Message of Good News.

That I believe. We sometimes aren’t even aware of a gift because we take what we have for granted. I’m just a cook. I’m just a mechanic. I’m just a …you fill in the blank.

So, good friends, don’t take anything for granted, especially your lives. They are gifts from God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit and they are special. If we are instrumental in bringing just one person to Jesus then the angels rejoice and God is pleased.

Last weeks lesson was about being filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and then going out to be witnesses. Friends, the power of the Holy Spirit has brought you here; the power of the Holy Spirit has helped you to interpret and understand my clumsy words. The power of the Holy Spirit will be with you this week and beyond guiding, nurturing, and enabling you to be a witness for Jesus.

Thanks be to God for the gift of his Holy Spirit. Amen.

You Will Receive Power…And Be My Witnesses

2011-06-05T11:46:00.002-05:00

Jesus had been preparing the disciples for that time when he would leave them to go back to the Father. In the chapter preceding the one read today Jesus told them that in a day or so he would be leaving them and then in a day or so he would be back. His disciples were confused and couldn’t figure out what he meant.

When he compared their feelings at the time of his leaving to a woman giving birth they got it. It would be hard and painful for them. They really didn’t know how hard it would be. Their feelings at his return would be similar to a new mother’s joy when she gets to hold that new baby in her arms. Remember their excitement when he appeared to them in the room where they celebrated the Passover together?

And now in the reading from Acts they are together for the last time with Jesus and don’t you wonder if they really grasp what Jesus has been telling them about his leaving them? They still want to know if he’s going to restore the kingdom of Israel as it was before.

Jesus doesn’t say it’s not going to happen he says that no one knows the timing of it, only God knows when. The important thing was that when Jesus left they were going to receive power to be witnesses in all the world when the Holy Spirit came. Yet again, they probably didn’t have any idea what that meant.

They didn’t have any more time to ask anymore questions because after he said that he was taken up and disappeared in a cloud. They must have been standing there for a while staring up in the clouds because it took two angels to break their reverie and bring them back to the reality of the moment.

So what did they do? They went back to their meeting place. They were there supporting each other constantly in prayer, men and women.

Friends, I believe that same power is available to each and every one of us. All we have to do to gain access to this power is believe. When we believe we have access to the Holy Spirit. We, then, are enabled to be witnesses for God and Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The other part we don’t want to miss is that they used this power together supporting each other in prayer, constantly, daily, men and women together. Doesn’t it make you wonder if we shouldn’t come together more often and pray? Don’t you wonder about what might be accomplished if we did do that?

Do you suppose God is just waiting for us to come together and pray? I wonder. Do you suppose we are missing out on real and eternal life right now? Is that possible? I wonder.

Friends, what I do believe is that God is waiting for us. He has given us the Word, the ability to read and reason and to pray. He has given us each other. Are we doing everything God has asked us and expects of us? I wonder.

All of this is rich and full of God’s power. Read these passages again and let the yeast of God’s Holy Spirit work in your mind and soul and then let’s see where God leads us, together.

Friends, remember God loves you. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Hope

2011-05-31T10:22:00.002-05:00

I want us to think about the hopes we have. Peter, in his epistle, tells us to… “Always be ready to answer everyone who asks you to explain about the hope you have… If someone came up to one of us at this very moment would we have an answer, could we explain the hope or hopes we have?

What is it that gets us going every day? What is the hope in our lives, in our hearts, and in our souls that keeps us looking forward to this day and the next and the next and the one after that? If someone asked us why we keep doing the things we do, what answer would we give.

Or when the world is beating us down what is the hope that keeps us going? Peter is telling us we should have our elevator speeches ready. If the question were asked could we answer with 15 words or less what our hope is?

Think about it. Are the things that we place our trust in earthly things, material things we can hold in our hands or are they goals we want to accomplish while we are living here or are our hopes more than that?

If you were to ask some people they might say, “I sure hope the Cubs win the pennant this year,” or the Cardinals or…the Warriors. Or I sure hope they bring all our sons and daughters home soon. Or I sure hope they get this economy straightened out. Or I hope I have enough saved to enjoy my retirement. Are these our hopes?

Or…do you hope for something more? Are you hoping that Jesus has a room ready for you or that he’s coming back for you? Is your hope in the Word, Jesus the Messiah? Can you explain what it is you hope for?

I imagine Jesus’ disciples were hoping that what Jesus was telling them was real. Even after the resurrection they may have still been struggling with understanding what Jesus was saying.

After all how could he go to be with the Father and still be with them? And who is this Friend, this Spirit of Truth? Their hope and trust was in Jesus and his words. There had never been anyone like Jesus. No one had ever said or done the things he did.

These disciples were hoping they weren’t going to be left alone. They were hoping for this Spirit of Truth. They were hoping to experience Jesus within them and they weren’t sure what that was going to be like. Jesus had always been there for them and so they trusted him even if they didn’t understand how this was going to happen.

Why are we the way we are? Why are we here today worshipping an unseen, unknown God? Can we explain that to our friends?

Picture a 2-year old asking their “why’s.” Why’d you do that? Why do I have to do this? Why can’t I do that? Why Daddy? Now picture you’re neighbor.

Why do you go to church? Why do you give people food? Why do you help people with gas money? Why do you help those who should be able to help themselves? Why?

Why do you believe there’s a God who loved you so much that he came and died for you? Why do you believe that he forgives you? Why?

Friends, my hope is in Jesus and his love, mercy, and grace. God loves me and that’s it for me. I hope for peace and joy and God’s grace and eternal life.

Friends, what are your hopes? Remember God loves you. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Rocks & Stones

2011-05-22T15:19:00.002-05:00

Stones, there are smooth ones, rough ones, shiny ones, dull ones, big ones, little ones, pretty ones, and plain ones. There are enough different types of stones that anyone can find the exact one or ones that they are drawn to.

When my Dad bought the farm just west of the home place he put me to work picking up the rocks and stones that littered the southwest hill. I never knew there were that many rocks in Iowa. We never had any on the home place. Anyway I found all kinds and colors. I picked up every rock I could see and put them in my uncle’s old duffel bag. They found their way to the home place where they ended up being dumped out on the ground to make a path through the mud. They were a hindrance in one place and a real help in another place. I wonder if they’re still there or has someone else picked them up and moved them to a new location.

Our family took vacations in Colorado when the kids were little and of course the car was always loaded with rocks to bring back to Iowa. I used to think it was the kids putting them in the car but after they left home I still found rocks in the car when we got back home.

Peter talks about living stones maybe these were what he was talking about and they wanted to live in Iowa. Who knows?

Rocks and stone are useful in many different ways. For generations people have used rocks to build strong foundations for homes, cathedrals, city halls, and barns. In New Hampshire the granite is so thick they cut it into blocks to be used for cornerstones and capstones in construction. Flat slabs are sawn to be used for counter tops and floors. Besides making the buildings pleasing to the eye they are strong and once they are put in place they don’t move.

Sometimes stones and rocks aren’t so nice. For instance, if I’m digging a well and all of a sudden the auger begins to shake and then stops because it’s not able to go any deeper. Thirty nine feet deep and that’s it because there’s a rock right where we wanted the well. Or we’re plowing a field that hasn’t been turned over in 10 years and all of sudden our tractors take off without the plow. That rock didn’t look that big. It was only 4 feet around and 6 feet tall. It wasn’t in the most convenient place. It took a bulldozer to dig it up and move it so we could farm there.

Or what about when you’re out walking in the summer in your sandals? You walk along for a ways and then have to stop because a stone has found its way into your sandal. It’s not very comfortable and it’s certainly not convenient.

Rocks and stones can be very good, very useful or they can be a real pain. They can make our homes look better or they can cause us to stumble and fall.

Kind of like Jesus; sometimes, when it’s convenient, he’s a real help for us and other times, when it’s not so convenient for us, he makes us very uncomfortable.

The Hebrew Scriptures talked about the Rock that was eternal. The psalmist wrote of the stone the builders rejected. Isaiah was the one who wrote about the stone that causes men to stumble. He also told a God laying a stone in Zion. It wasn’t until Jesus came and began to use these references to describe himself that people began to understand and believe and get upset and angry.

Jesus talked about stones for building. Those who heard his words and put them into practice were like a man who built his house on the rock.

He knew how stones could be used to hurt and kill. Remember what he told those who brought the woman to him, “…let him who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” They also wanted to take Jesus out to the cliff and push him off and bury him in stones. Only he slipped away from them without them knowing where he went.

Our reading from Acts shows us how stones were used to kill Stephen. The words Stephen used weren’t kind and gentle words; the words he used cut them to the quick. They covered their ears so they wouldn’t have to listen. They charged him and took him outside of the city to the cliff and covered him with the stones they threw. Those stones hurt and were meant to take his life. Yet he asked God to forgive them as Jesus asked God to forgive those who crucified him on the cross.

Rocks and stones, Jesus and the cross, what are they to you? Are they the foundation of your faith or are they the rocks you stumble and fall over?

God leaves that decision up to us. Thanks be to God for his forgiving grace. Amen.

Followers

2011-05-15T11:30:00.002-05:00

Sheep are really interesting creatures. We think of them as being all fluffy and white and happy as can be grazing in green pastures. The sheep most people think about are the happy go lucky lambs jumping and playing in the pastures while their moms are busy eating dandelions and grass.

All these images are true as far as it goes. But those of us who have put sheep in the barn to shear or tried to load on a truck may have a different picture in our minds. Or we may picture that ewe that always had to see what the grass was like on the other side of the fence and got her head stuck and didn’t have sense enough to turn it just a little bit to get back out.

I raised sheep for a few years and the one thing I remember is that they did indeed know the sound of my voice. The minute they heard me call “sheep” they would come running because that usually meant I had something for them to eat besides grass and dandelions. They always would come when I called.

Actually it only took one to start and then the rest of the flock would follow. Isn’t it odd that they were like that?

Three of the four scriptures today make a reference to sheep and how we are like them. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing and maybe it’s neither.

People follow leaders they trust because they have charisma or charm or some gift they value. We can find many examples in history of people who have followed leaders, some good and some bad. They trusted them and believed in them. Hitler, JFK, Martin Luther King, Desmond TuTu, Ghandi, Jim Jones, David Koresh are just a few who people have followed.

We are all followers. Just like sheep will follow one other sheep all of us will follow someone we trust. Some of us may not admit that but we do. Think about it. Who or what do you follow?

In our culture today there are so many different things pulling at us, tempting us, enticing us to follow or taste, or buy. Every one of us is tempted every day to stray from the path Christ shows us in the Scriptures. Every time I turn on the TV, the radio, or surf the Web I am confronted with advertisements for one thing or another. Every newspaper and magazine is filled with advertisements tempting me to trade my car for this model that gives me the best gas mileage or can park itself or maybe it’s an ad for the latest fad diet that will get me to lose all the pounds I’ve gained this winter in just 2 months with no sweat. Every ad tries to get me to understand that everything is all about me, what’s best for me.

Every ad, every commercial, is trying to get us to be better looking, more comfortable, and, if we think about it, better off than our neighbors. That’s not what Jesus taught his disciples. That’s not what his disciples taught after he left.

But like sheep we follow the ad men’s hype. After all who doesn’t want to be younger, stronger, and healthier, and better off than our parents were?

That’s the exact opposite of what we are hearing in our lessons today. Luke tells us in Acts 2 how the disciples spent time learning, sharing, breaking bread together, and praying. They sold what they had and cared for each other. They gave to all those who were in need.

Peter talks in a similar vein when he tells those who serve masters to put up with that way of life. He says the way we put up with our suffering and discomforts for being followers of the Way are noticed by God. It’s not the pain and discomfort we deserve when we do wrong that he’s talking about but the suffering we encounter for being His followers. Jesus set the example for us in the way he responded to the suffering and torment he endured for being the Son of God, by taking all our sins upon him. Peter said, “We are healed because of his wounds. Like sheep we have wandered away but now we have come back to the Shepherd of our souls.

In John’s gospel lesson today Jesus talks about sheep and how his sheep know his voice and will follow him. I like to think we get that but maybe we’re no better at understanding that than the disciples were. Jesus changes the story then to make it easier to understand. He tells them he is the Gate and all those who come through him will be able to go in and out freely and find pasture.

Jesus came so that we could have life, real and eternal life, life that matters, life that makes a difference. But we can only have that life if we choose to follow him or come through the Gate.

Friends, we are all followers. Today we are again being asked to make a decision who we will follow, the world or Jesus. I am going to try to stay on the path Jesus shows us. I hope you will join me there and help me not to stray.

Thanks be to God for his abundant grace. Amen.

What Do We Believe?

2011-05-02T14:26:00.000-05:00

What do we believe? Let me start by asking you how many planets there are in our solar system, nine or eight? How do you know? What do we base our belief on, facts or what some scientist or scholar tells or do we believe only when we have solid substantial proof right in front of us? Do we only believe when we have something we can hold in our hands or touch or taste or smell? What does it take for us to believe, that’s the question today?

I have looked through a telescope and can honestly say I’ve seen some of the planets. But I’ve never really been close enough to actually verify that they really are planets. I’ve looked at the surface of the moon through a telescope and it was pretty neat but I can’t tell you much more about it than it was pretty cratered. I do see it every morning when I walk Murphy so I believe it’s really there.

But there are some things I can’t see that I wonder about. I’ve never seen an atom but scientists tell us that atoms are the building blocks of everything. I’ve never seen electricity but I have seen what it can do for me.

I see planes that are so huge flying through the air and I honestly don’t know how they are able to do that. And there are ships that are made of steel that should sink like a rock but they are capable of going around the world and carry people and cargo without anything getting wet. It’s just plain amazing. I know the physics behind all these things but I still find it hard to understand how it’s all possible.

So, I guess I either have to just believe or choose to think it’s all an optical illusion. Right? What do you believe? Why?

Now, Jesus, what do you believe about Jesus, and why? How could he possibly come back from the dead? We know from what we’ve read and it can be verified in other historical writings that Jesus was in fact crucified, died, and was buried. But how can we validate his resurrection? Oh I know, it’s written in the gospels but how can we trust what they’ve written? How do we know it’s not just a story?

Do you struggle with doubt? Do you wonder whether Jesus really did come to earth as a baby and eventually was crucified, was buried, and rose from the tomb? How do you resolve these conflicting doubts?

Friends, I believe everyone struggles with doubt. Everyone at one time or another has questioned the existence of God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

So, what do we do with our doubt? Are we ever free from doubt? I think not. I think that we will always doubt or wonder until that day when Christ returns and everything is revealed.

The question for us is what do we believe and why? The disciples all believed because they were witnesses to the crucifixion. Some of them saw the empty tomb. All of them looked at the nail holes in his hands and they saw his pierced side. And then they believed. Two of the disciples walked with him and sat down at a table with him and they believed. Mary talked to him. She touched him before anyone else. She believed.

None of us have ever seen Jesus but we believe. Why? What proof do we have? The only proof we have is what we read in the Bible and some of us believe and some don’t. Many of us believe, and we have doubts.

Friends, I can’t explain it. I believe because of the experiences of my life, the nurturing, the teaching, and the examples of my parents, grandparents, and those who taught me the lessons from God’s Word. I believe because there’s this yearning deep within me that keeps me reading and praying and trusting and coming to God with my doubts and questions. I believe because I trust what I read in the gospels. I believe because God has given me faith.

Can I explain how God does that? No I can’t. I just know that he does and that has to be enough for me today.

So good friends, what do you believe? And can you explain why? God keeps bringing me back to his Word. My soul’s longing for Him keeps me coming to him in prayer every day. I think that’s why I believe. God has given me this faith, this trust and that’s why I believe. It’s nothing I can see or touch or taste or smell but it’s as real to me as every one of you sitting here this morning.

May you all be filled with God’s abundant grace and know that he is real. Amen.

Palm Sunday

2011-04-17T16:05:00.001-05:00

All through Lent we have been using material created by Roddy Hamilton and his folks and it has been great. At least I think so and I believe our congregation enjoys being involved in the service. Our Sunday school young people make things ahead of time for the next Sunday and it's been wonderful to see their creations which they of course make with the assistance of their teachers.

I have been using a "talking" stick which is being wrapped with a different colored ribbon each week. These symbolize the story being told on that particular Sunday. Today's was, of course, green for palm branches and gold for King Jesus. Our stick came to us by way of Colorado. It's a piece of twisted pine that I've had in my breezeway for years. Who knew that God intended it to be a "talking" stick?

Today we had the addition of a banner that 30 young people made Friday and Saturday as they fasted for 30 hours. It's a bed sheet with "30 Hour Famine" spray painted and then each person's hand prints with their name. It's pretty cool. Can you imagine not eating one bite of food for 30 hours? They did it and collected $1,500 for hungry children in the world. They even made their own cardboard shelters to sleep in Friday night. Pictures will come later.

As a pastor it touched something deep within to see these young folks, all on their own, plan and coordinate the whole thing. I was just a resource, a chaperone. It was a beautiful thing to watch unfold.

God does some amazing things with very ordinary people. I shouldn't be surprised but honestly I am.

So maybe in a week or so I'll be back to posting my Sunday messages. This has been an awesome week. I'm looking forward to Holy Week services and Sunday's celebration of Jesus' resurrection.

May you all be blessed and graced by God this week.

Spiritual Disciplines

2011-03-25T05:25:00.000-05:00

For some reason I woke up early, before 4 a.m., and only God knows why. So after a cup of coffee, heated in the microwave, I'm catching up on things in the ethernet.

One of the things I've read this morning, and it's something I've been reading and thinking about for a long time is spiritual disciplines. What they are and can they or will they bring me closer to or more aware of God and his presence in the world?

So, on RevGalBlogPals this morning the discussion is on this same topic. Mary Beth noted that in her church they are doing a Lenten study using Richard Foster's book Celebration of Discipline. I have the book and have read bits of it in preparation for Great Plains Presbyterian Pilgrimage. I've not sat down and read the whole book. I think that's the story of my life. I have many books that I've only read bits and pieces of .

Anyhow, spiritual discipline is a topic that has been on my mind for a while. I have been doing morning prayers for some time. I find that easier to do when I'm at work in the church than when I'm at home. There I can be centered in prayer whether I'm reading from the Bible or one of my other books I have in the corner of the pew where I sit.

Prayer is, I think, central to my spiritual discipline. I have a continual conversation with God but I've found that I need to take time to just sit in silence with him everyday. To be honest all I hear is the creaking of the boards in the church but I like to believe it's His footsteps as he let's me know he's there with me. Hokey maybe, but's why couldn't God make his presence known like that. He showed Moses a burning bush and Balaam's donkey talked to him so why not creaking floorboards in the church?

When I was working full-time as a project engineer I would get up this time of day to read, think, and pray but since I retired from that and now work as a full=time pastor I sleep in. I kind of miss that quiet time and I wonder now why I quit. Maybe it's because I like to sleep and be warm wrapped in my blankets.

Right now I'm reading Henri Nouwen. It's a book about prayer and how it is so very central to everything. So it is excerpts from many of his different writings on the subject. Here is a person who asks the same questions I do and yet centered his whole life on service to other people and God. God being first.

From what I read it looks as if he struggled with the discipline and the mystery of it too, but he never gave up. He prayed morning, noon, and evening. And probably more I think.

So, how do we discipling ourselves to be near to God and experience his presence? I find that I do it by reading, the Bible, other books, blogs, music, and prayer. Oh, and by visiting, being in community with people in this community where I live. And not necessarily just the folks in my worshipping community.

So, as you can probably see my attempt at spiritual discipline is messy, disorganized, and maybe haphazard but it has helped come closer to God.

One thing has been instrumental in all of this and that has been going to Great Plains Presbyterian Pilgrimage. When I'm there my whole focus is on what God is doing in and through all of us as we serve him and our guests. I'm not there this month and I do miss it. But I am praying for them all and I know they are praying for us as well.

So, good friends, what are your spiritual disciplines? What are you doing that works for you, that brings you closer to the One who created us and loves us?

A Snake and a Wanderer

2011-03-17T19:23:00.000-05:00

I haven't blogged for two weeks because I'm using some material put together by Roddy Hamilton's church in Scotland. It is for Lent through the Easter season and its called Spill-the-Beans. We are telling the stories from the Old Testament as monologues.

Last week the snake spoke to the congregation about why he did what he did and about the choices the woman creature and the man creature made. And how that changed everything. God was sad, they were sad, and the snake was sad. We're sad.

This week without telling too much of the story we will hear from Abram and his journey to the Promised Land.

I have talked about the gospel and epistle lessons for so long its really fun to get back to the Message of God's love in the Hebrew Bible. I love the old stories.

And so that brings me to what I've been thinking about for a while, stories, our stories. You see I'm a member of the Evangelism & Discipleship committee in our presbytery and stories are how we evangelize. At least that's how I believe we tell the Good News of Jesus Christ. We tell "our" story. We tell others how God is actively present in our lives and why that all matters.

And, by telling our stories we can lead others into discipleship teaching them about God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit and God's love for us. Sometimes we tell our stories without even using words. Of course you all know that all ready. People are observing us all the time to see how we "really" react to the obstacles the world puts in our paths.

So, good friends, I will let you know next week how Abram's story went. It's a good story. Check it out in Genesis.

Oh, by the way, pray for my sister June as she battles another round of breast cancer. It's kind of hard to understand why so many of our family and friends have to suffer from this terrible disease. Maybe it's something we're doing to environment that causing it. I don't know but I'm getting awfully tired of it.

God's grace, peace, and joy be with you all,
Pastor David

A Mountain, Mysterious Appearances, A Cloud, Light, & THE VOICE

2011-03-06T07:56:00.000-06:00

I’ve always hoped God would speak to me. I’ve wanted to hear his voice so I could be absolutely certain, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he exists. I’ve always kind of envied the disciples who walked with him, listened to his stories, were there when he gave sight to the blind, healed the crippled, and cast out the demons. Peter, James, and John got to do it all. They even got to see Jesus in his glory.

Now be honest, haven’t you wished God would speak to you? Wouldn’t you like to hear his voice? Don’t you think that we should expect God to speak to us? After all he spoke face to face with Moses. Abraham heard his voice. Jacob wrestled with an angel and he “knew” God was in that place. God spoke to the prophets, Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah and others. Doesn’t it make sense that we should expect to hear God’s voice?

But then I wonder, would it really make any difference in how we live our lives if God spoke to us or invited us to meet him on top of a mountain and revealed his glory to us? If he did would we be more willing to give our all to him then? Would we be more willing to love and care for our sisters and brothers who are struggling with life? Would hearing God’s voice and seeing his glory change how we are and who we are today? I guess that’s something only each of us can give the answer to.

Speaking for myself if I heard God’s voice speaking to me, and it was just me and him, I’d probably have a heart attack, literally. Can you just imagine what it’d be like? It’s no wonder that Peter babbled on about building huts for Moses, Elijah, and Jesus.

But, of course, you’re all saying, “God isn’t going to speak to David, or me.” He’s way to busy to take the time to talk to me. I wonder if that’s true. Maybe he’s spoken to you and me and we just haven’t heard. That could happen. There are times people have said something to me and I never heard them. It’s not that I’m deaf, really, I just wasn’t paying attention.

I don’t think the lesson for us today is about hearing God’s voice or going up on a mountain to see God’s glory. I think the lesson for us is that believing in Jesus and inviting him into our hearts and our lives will change us from the inside out. Our faces may not glow like Moses' did after he talked with God. No one will probably see us talking with Elijah or Moses but I believe they will see that we are changed.

Spending time daily in God’s presence can’t help but transform us. Listening for God’s voice to speak to us will change us, whether we actually hear him speak or not. The act of sitting and waiting patiently for God will change us.

It all begins with believing those who were witnesses to the transfiguration of Jesus. If we believe their words that they were reliable witnesses then it makes it easier to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, God’s Chosen One, the Savior of the world.

That’s it. We are being asked to make a decision today. Do we believe Jesus was the Beloved Son of God or wasn’t he? Believing is the first step.

And after we’ve taken the first step it’s easier to take the next and the next and the next until we’ve finally given our all to the One who truly loves and cares for us. Once we’ve given him our allegiance we may wonder why we took so long.

Friends, God loves you and wants nothing more than to be loved by you. Thanks be to God for his loving grace. Amen.

Servants of Christ

2011-03-05T09:47:00.002-06:00

Quite a few of us ask ourselves, and maybe God, “Why am I here?” I have to admit that I have asked God that very question.

Have any of you discovered the answer to that burning question? Do you know why God put you here? Maybe you’d like to share your discovery with us. No.

Well, then I’ll just have to share with you what I think the answer is and you’ll have to decide for yourselves whether you agree or not.

I believe that God has put us here in this place at this time to love Him. To love him with our hearts, minds, and souls and…to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. That’s it. We are here for God, to love him with all our being and…to love our neighbors.

Now that doesn’t sound so difficult until we come to the realization that that means everyone. Not just the people we know and love because they love us but even those we find not so lovely.

And I believe that when we are told by Jesus to love our neighbor that means that we care enough about them to actually see to their needs. We are called to be servants of Christ to them as Paul mentions in his second letter to the Corinthians.

Even that doesn’t sound like it would be too hard to do until we remember the neighbor down the street who spends his whole paycheck at the bar and then can’t come up with his monthly rent check. Or the young mother who can’t quit smoking and most of her check goes for that instead of groceries for her family. Or there’s the new family that moved to town and the husband lost his job and you notice that they have these really expensive new cell phones but they buy their groceries with food stamps. Then being a servant of Christ to them, without being judgmental, becomes awfully hard. In fact some people refuse to serve them at that point.

I don’t believe that Jesus meant for us to judge whether this person could be served and this other person couldn’t just because we know they’ve made some really bad life decisions. I believe that Jesus is asking us to serve all of them no matter what and let him be the one who does the judging.

Now, that doesn’t mean we have to approve of the decisions people make but it does mean that we are to love them and care for them just as God loves and cares for us, unconditionally. At least that’s what I believe.

Do I always do it right? Nope. In fact I find myself coming to God asking him to forgive me and give me another chance to get it right.

I don’t know if I answered the question right or not but it is what I believe. So if you are wondering why God has allowed you to live as many years as you have this may be the reason. There are folks that he wants you to lovingly serve. And of course while you are doing that he wants to receive your love too. He’s kind of jealous that way.

So, as we approach the season of Lent and Easter let’s think about why we are here and what we should be doing with the time God has given us. Let’s commit our lives to be ones of service to our fellow humans who live among us.

Instead of giving up something for Lent let’s instead serve our friends and neighbors by giving them our love with our whole being.

Thanks be to God for his loving grace. Amen.

Why Are You Here?

2011-02-06T14:10:00.002-06:00

Why are you here? That question has been answered for you in the scriptures read this morning. You and I are here to be seasoning for the people we interact with every day. But, not only seasoning but light too, salt to bring out flavors and light so that God’s colors can be seen in all their beauty. We are here because we’re salty and bright.

I don’t mean we’re here this morning because we’re salty and full of light. No, I’m talking about why we’re here in this place at this time. We’re in this community as God’s children to bring out God’s flavors.

When you join a group of folks the flavor of that particular group is enhanced because you’re there. God brings us to certain groups, to particular people, so that we can help them see God’s kingdom here on earth.

Think about it. Why do we put salt and pepper, or any variety of herbs, on food before we eat it? We add these seasonings and spices to bring out the flavors that are hidden in the food. Without them they’re just not the same. In fact some food is pretty tasteless without some seasoning.

We can use the same reasoning to explain why we’re here in this place at this time. We are here to help people see, to find, to experience God’s gift of grace. Without us someone may not ever experience the joy of being in God’s presence.

Now I know that there are some here this morning who would rather not be put on a lamp stand. There are some who just aren’t comfortable being in the lime light let alone being the light. But, think about it, God has given you this one gift that is just what one person needs in order to be able see God’s kingdom. And if you don’t let your light be seen they may never see God’s kingdom.

So, good friends, we are here because we are the seasoning and the light that God needs in this place at this time. Without us someone may not ever get to experience God as only they could with our saltiness. Or they may never get to see the kingdom of God without our special light. Friends, that’s why we’re all here now. God needs our salt; he needs our light. His church needs your brand of spice and your degree of brightness.

So, today as we receive new members and install new elders ask God to use their salt and their light to bring us closer to his kingdom here on earth. As we receive the bread and the cup think about how different it would be if there were no salt in the bread or if there were no light to see the bread or the cup.

Friends, we are the salt and the light. Pray that God will use us today and this week so that someone else may become salt and light for the world.

Thanks be to God for his loving grace. Amen.

God's Wisdom

2011-01-30T12:59:00.002-06:00

Who has God all figured out? Who understands God’s wisdom? Who has life figured out? Let's see a show of hands. Really, there are that many?

There was a time when I thought I had everything completely figured out. I knew what my purpose in life was. I knew what I was going to do with my life. I just knew that it was all part of a master plan and it was all going to be fine.

I soon discovered that I didn't know anything for certain. And I still don't. I used to believe that if I kept all the laws, the Ten Commandments, that God would bless me. Then I found out that wasn’t right either.

So, what is God's wisdom? And are we ever going to be able understand it? Has anyone ever figured it all out? I hope you're not expecting to hear all the answers from me this morning, because I for sure don't have it all figured out.

Friends, all I know for certain is what I've read in the Word, the very same Word you heard read this morning.

The prophet Micah was preaching to the people about how they had made such a mess of things by not living as God had directed them to live that they were going to be disciplined and they weren't going to like it. He asks a rhetorical question that says, “What can I bring with me when I come before the Lord, when I bow before God on high?

Should I come before him with burnt offerings, with year-old calves? 7 Will the LORD be pleased with a thousand male sheep? Will he be pleased with ten thousand rivers of oil?

Should I give my first child for the evil I have done? Should I give my very own child for my sin?" And Micah replies, “God has told you what you need to do. Do what is good. Be kind to your neighbors. Live humbly and obey God.”

How many of us can honestly say we’ve been successful in doing all these things? No one I would imagine. I know I haven't.

And that brings us to the lesson from Matthew where Jesus took his disciples up on top of the hill and taught them. The lessons he taught them probably weren't what they expected to hear. Shoot, they're not what we really expect to hear either.

Jesus climbs the mountain followed by those he had chosen to be his disciples. He sits down, gets himself all set and then he opens his mouth. The words that he speaks aren’t what any of them expected. The poor are blessed? The hungry are blessed? The lost are blessed? How can being in any of those situations be a blessing?

Think back to the last paragraph from last week’s gospel lesson. What was Jesus doing? Matthew said that Jesus healed people of all their ailments, physical, mental, and emotional. As word got around people from all over the region were bringing their friends, their neighbors, and their relatives to Jesus to be healed; some just by touching the hem of Jesus’ robe. Jesus saw so many folks who were beaten and battered by their health, by the world, even by their own religious leaders and he blessed them.

Because of everything he was seeing, every person he touched, he knew that he had to teach his disciples how to care for these folks when he wasn’t here to do it anymore.

Now tell me, who do you think of when you think of someone who is blessed? Does a homeless person living on the streets in Omaha come to your mind immediately? Do you picture someone who has just lost a loved one to cancer as being blessed? No.

We think those who are blessed as those who have won the lottery or have made wise investments with their money. Those who are blessed are those who have beautiful mansions and fancy cars and maybe retire early so they can enjoy their golden years. These are the people we think are blessed, not those others.

But Jesus says they are the ones who receive the blessings. How does that work? Where’s the wisdom in that?

Paul says that the teachings about the cross are foolishness to those who don’t know the Christ. But God chose to do it that way. What the old order had been doing wasn’t bringing anyone closer to the kingdom of God. So God chose to do it differently. He died on a cross for us so we could be saved. He blesses those who are down on their luck. He blesses those who are suffering. And he asks us to bless them by offering them a hand, caring for their needs, and loving them as God’s children no matter what. God blesses those who stand up for the poor, the homeless, and the oppressed. God blesses those who speak up for them even when it’s not the popular thing to do.

That’s God’s wisdom. It’s not what we’ve been taught in school. That’s not what the world teaches us. But that’s what God is teaching us. God blesses those who are so near the bottom they have no hope of being saved. But God in his wisdom, not ours, blesses them.

Didn’t Jesus say that those who were last would be first and those who were first would be last? That’s God’s wisdom not the world’s.

So what do you think? Where are we, the first or the last? What’s the lesson for us? Friends, I think what God is telling us is that we must learn to love those who are struggling in this life. Not pity them, not judge them, but love them, care for them, give them a hand up not just say to them, “God’s blessing to you.” That’s God’s wisdom not ours.

When we accept our responsibility then they are blessed and so are we. But it’s not about us it’s about God and his love for his children.

So, what the world sees as foolish God sees as wise. I wonder, are we beginning to understand God’s wisdom and how we fit into his plan?

Friends, God loves all his children. His grace is for everyone. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Jesus Calls, "Come with Me."

2011-01-23T09:50:00.000-06:00

Last week the message was all about God calling to us. This morning the gospel lesson is about Jesus calling his disciples Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John.

As he was taking his walk on the beach of Lake Galilee he called to them to come with him. He said he was going to make them fishers of men. I wonder did they understand what he meant. Had they been thinking about what they had heard and seen since they spent some time with Jesus after John pointed him out to them? Were they just waiting?

Matthew says, ‘Jesus said to them,’ “Come with me.” They didn’t ask questions. They just dropped their nets and followed.

I think that took a lot of courage to just up and leave jobs that provided money for food and shelter to follow an itinerant rabbi just because he invited them. But isn’t it the same today?

Think back to when you felt Jesus calling you. Think back to when he was knocking at the door of your heart. Remember what that was like, excitement, fear, anxiety, uncertainty. Maybe you answered when he called or maybe you haven’t made a commitment yet. Maybe he’s still calling.

I want you to do what you did a couple Sunday’s ago when we remembered our baptisms. I would like you to remember that time when you knew, really knew, it was Jesus calling you to join him. When did it happen? Where were you? What were your emotions? Were your burdens lifted? Did the world seem brighter?

When Jesus calls it’s an invitation to a journey. This mysterious Voice calls us and then, when we say yes, He walks with us teaching, healing, listening, and caring for us as he encourages us to share his love with our friends and family.

I remember the day I committed my life to Jesus. I was 14 and was alone with my pastor, Rev. Henry. He had spent quite a few weeks with our confirmation class explaining to us what it was to be a member of a church and a follower of Jesus Christ. And that last day before we were confirmed he talked to each of us individually about answering Jesus’ call to discipleship. Even though I trusted him and I trusted Jesus not to lead me into danger I was still afraid of what I might be agreeing to.

There have been many times I’ve failed since that time. I’ve made so many mistakes along the way but Rev. Henry was right. Jesus has forgiven me and welcomed me back every time.

When I first agreed to follow Jesus I figured I would have to give up everything that I held dear. I think that scared me more than maybe being sent to some far away country to teach people about Jesus.

I wonder if Simon and Andrew felt that way when they dropped everything and left their nets and boats. Did they wonder what they were getting themselves into?

You know, answering the Call is a little bit like dying and being reborn. When we answer the Call we do away with our old way of thinking and doing and reacting to the world because they no longer fit. We have stepped over a threshold into a new way of living. And our old way of doing things just doesn’t work for us anymore.

It used to be if someone hurt us with their words or actions we respond by trying to hurt them. But now that doesn’t seem right. Jesus is all about love and peace and not about retaliation.

When Jesus calls he calls us to be peacemakers. He calls us to renounce violence. He asks us to deny ourselves. He asks us to keep our eyes focused on him as he walks ahead of us on this journey.

Friends, I won’t lie to you. It’s not easy trying to live as Jesus lived. It’s extremely difficult many times to love everyone and not want to pay them back for the hurt they’ve caused me. But it can be done. It just doesn’t happen overnight.

This life Jesus is calling you and me to requires commitment and discipline. It’s hard work at times but the One who walks with us shares the load and it doesn’t seem so bad. And the reward is going to be way beyond anything we can imagine, eternal life, life without sin. Max Lucado asked the question this week in one of the devotionals I read. He said, “Can you imagine a world without sin? If so, you can imagine heaven.”

Friends, when we answer Jesus’ call to discipleship it’s the beginning of heaven. Sins are forgiven and the darkness begins to recede.

Remember Jesus’ words, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matt. 11:28-30

Jesus is still calling disciples to him. Will you answer his call today?

Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.

God Called...

2011-01-16T07:46:00.000-06:00

How many voice mails, texts, or phone messages or Facebook messages do you get in a day? Are you excited when your phone beeps or rings or sings or you notice that you have a message from a friend on Facebook? Can you hardly wait to get the message or messages? Or are you filled with dread when you come home and the answering machine is beeping, letting you know that someone left you a message or two while you were out?

Some folks like to get messages and others don’t. That’s just the different ways we’re all made. Now, have you ever received a call or a message from the Big Guy? What did you think?

Today’s readings from the Scriptures all remind us that God calls people. Whenever I read about God calling people I almost always wonder what it was like for them. And when did they realize it was God who was calling?

Not everyone is like Moses or Elijah or Job. Not many of us get to see burning bushes or hear that still small voice. Yet I still believe that God calls us, all of us.

I’ve said it before and I’m going to say it again this morning, you are all here because God called you. In the way only God can do it he called you to be here in this place at this time. Why, only God knows but I’m sure you will find out soon enough.

The thing to think about today is what do we do when God calls? Do we try to ignore the call or do we do like Andrew and follow when he says, “Come and see.”

John, the Baptizer, got the whole thing started with his baptizing in the desert. Jesus showed up at the river asking to be baptized and then, as he’s walking by, John says to his disciples, “There goes the Lamb of God.”

And so they begin to follow along behind him. They weren’t trying to hide the fact that they were there. So, Jesus stopped and asked them, “What are you after?” They just wanted to know what kind of a person he was; what made him tick. So he invited them to “Come and see.”

I believe that Jesus is still doing that today. He invites people to “Come and see.” Come and see what my gospel is. Come and see what God is like. Come and see what God has done for you. Come and see.

Andrew and his friend accepted the invitation to come and see. They followed him to where he was staying and they hung out there the rest of the day. Apparently Andrew was impressed by what he heard and saw. So much so that he went to Peter, his brother, and told him he had found the Anointed One, the Messiah.

Peter was curious enough, and he must have trusted his brother, to go with him to see Jesus. He went and saw. Jesus knew he was the one he would use to build his kingdom upon. He was the Rock.

So, God calls people. And sometimes they hear and come and see. When they do sometimes they’re changed by what they see, maybe every time they come they’re changed.

So, have you ever followed anybody? Why? Where did they go? What did you learn? Were they bothered that you were following them? Did you stay with them?

Are you, today, following anyone? Are you following Jesus? What are you or have you been learning as you follow them? Would you call yourself a disciple?

My friends, God is calling us. He is calling us to join him in fellowship. He is calling us into discipleship, to learn his ways. He is calling us to join him in mission. God is calling us.

If God is calling do we really have a choice whether we answer or not? I don’t think we do. Oh, we might delay and drag our feet for a while but I believe that when God calls he really wants us and we will answer. Some of us may feel like the Prophets who didn’t think they were qualified to do what God was calling them to do but that doesn’t make any difference to God.

God made us and he knows what we are capable of doing for the kingdom. So, it’s futile for us to resist. When God calls we have to answer.

Friends, God is calling today. Do you hear him calling? How long are you going to keep him hanging? Answer the call. Go and see where he is staying today.

Friends, God loves you. Thanks be to God for his wonderful grace. Amen.

Water

2011-01-09T08:29:00.001-06:00

What is water…to you? How important is it…to you? What do you do with water? Would you be able to survive without it?

Now, let me change those questions, just a little bit, by substituting one word. What is Jesus…to you? How important is He…to you? What do you do with Jesus? Are you able to survive without Him?

Nobody can answer these questions for us. We are the only ones who know how we would answer. Just one more question. Would God be pleased with our answers?

Let’s go back to the easier questions concerning water. What is it to us? Isn’t water one of the most important elements in our lives? It’s so necessary to our existence that we don’t think about it until we don’t have it or aren’t able to get it because the well has run dry or the electricity is off. Then we begin to worry. How many of us can say that we’ve gone a day without anything to drink? I don’t think I ever have. In fact I can’t imagine what it would be like to even have just one drink in a day. How many times do you drink in a day, five fingers or ten or more?

Okay, next question. How important is water to us? Can we live without water? How long can we survive without it? I think water is one of the most important elements right after air. We need both to survive. Without them we’re dead.

I think we’ll all concede that water’s pretty much a necessity. So what do we do with it? My day pretty much begins with me using water right away, washing hands & face, brushing my teeth, making coffee, hot oatmeal, flushing, washing dishes, filling the humidifier, and the list goes on and on.

It looks and sounds as if water is pretty important and we wouldn’t be able to survive without it.

What about Jesus? Can we survive without Him? I can’t. Without him I’m dead. When I don’t take time for Jesus, when I ignore him because I think I’m too busy, I’m dead.

How important is Jesus to you? Remember he gave his life for you and me. Remember he took time to teach his disciples and made some to be apostles so that you and I would get to hear the story. So we could make the decision to ask him into our lives. So we could be filled with his refreshing presence.

Friends, God loves us so much that he sent his Son to teach us, to heal our brokenness, to cleanse us from our sinfulness, to offer us redemption in his life and death. And he leaves it all up to us to decide what we will do with Jesus.

Thanks be to God for his gift of grace in his Son, Jesus. Amen.

Words

2011-01-02T08:20:00.000-06:00

So many words, so much to think about, words like grace, blessings, life, light, truth, believe, praise, glory, forgiveness. So many different words, so many different thoughts, what does it all mean for us today?

I think it all boils down to the love God feels for us. Why else would he come to be with us and live as one of us with all our weaknesses and frailties? God certainly didn’t need to do any of that. What could we give Him that he doesn’t already have? If God wanted anything he could have it.

The only explanation for everything God did in Jesus is love. He cares for us so much; he desires an intimate relationship with us. Even when we sin by turning our backs on him he has forgiven us completely and willingly takes us back into his arms. It has to be love. What else could it be?

Go back to the Old Testament and notice how many times his people rejected his teachings to follow other gods, to worship their handmade idols and bring their offerings to other shrines. Sure, he became so angry with them but God always forgave them and welcomed the remnant back home. They may have been battered and bruised but they were accepted back into the fold and loved by him.

How is it that God who creates using only words still puts up with us? How can he possibly still love us enough to give us the grace of his forgiveness? It has to be love, a love that’s impossible for us to ever totally get our heads around.

We have received a gift that is so magnificent that many of us cannot fully comprehend the magnitude of it. In the beginning God, when he created us, made us in his image. He chose a small band of people to be his people. The family of Abraham wasn’t large but he chose them. He promised that he would make them a great nation. And so we read the stories of Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Elijah, Samuel, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, and Jesus. It wasn’t until God’s people had so mistreated all his prophets that he sent his Son, Jesus.

Even then his own people rejected him as the Messiah. The Creator lived as a pauper teaching those who had little if any education. He called disciples to him who were, for the most part, common laborers. Friends, it has to be because God loves us so deeply that he goes to such extremes to give us his grace.

Good friends, if God loves us so much that he gave us his Word to be the Light in our darkness what are we to do? Is there nothing we can do to repay him for this great gift?

Wait a minute. There is one thing we can do. And it’s so simple. Maybe that’s why we’ve missed it. All we have to do to give back to God is believe. It’s really that simple. We just have to believe that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah, the Savior of the world, the Light that gives us life. Believe that’s it.

That’s the whole reason John wrote his gospel. He wrote it so that we would believe that Jesus was the Son of God and that by believing we might have life in his name.

That’s it folks. We just have to believe. Just believe. Such an easy thing but still we resist because we haven’t seen God. We haven’t felt God. We haven’t heard God. Really, is that it?

Friends, it’s all up to us now. God loves us. He gave us a gift in Jesus, the Word made flesh. All we need to do is trust in God’s truth and believe.

Go to the Word. Read. Sit. Read again. Pray. Wait. Read again. Listen. Pray. Believe. Read again. Trust in God’s goodness and forgiving grace.

Thanks be to God for his truth and grace. Amen.

The Messiness of Life

2010-12-26T11:12:00.002-06:00

I suppose you've noticed how messy our lives are. In fact, if you're like me, you've probably even complained about how life hasn't been fair to you.

Have you ever considered how Joseph must have felt when he found out Mary was pregnant? Then he had a dream and an angel spoke to him. Then there's the census Caesar required which meant a trip by foot with Mary about to deliver a baby. And then they can't find accommodations in Bethlehem. So it's the stable or nothing for Joseph and his new family. And then there's the shepherds and later the wise men from the East. And then, another dream and another angel and another trip that takes them even further away from their home and families. When they finally get the all clear message from another angel they find they still can't go home because Herod's son's in power and he's every bit as bad as his Dad. So, they're detoured to Nazareth. Besides all that happened to them there's all those babies who were ordered killed by Herod. Life sure is messy.

Have you also noticed how Joseph behaved through all this messiness? We don't read anywhere that he questioned God's messengers or say, “No, I'm not going there.” Not once do we hear that Joseph balked at God's instructions. It makes me wonder how we would have responded in the same situations.

Maybe the gospel writers were being easy on Joseph. Or maybe he was one of a kind and God knew that this was the perfect man to be the human father to his Son, Jesus. God probably knew that Joseph could deal with the messiness and the changes that were going to come into his life.

So, what do you think the Message God wants us to take from this gospel lesson? I think there's more here than the slaughter of the innocents. Jesus was saved but all those other little babies died. We know now that God was just waiting for a later time for Jesus to die, to be the sacrifice that would save the whole world. What other Message does God have for us here?

One thing I'm noticing is how God spoke to Joseph. He spoke to him in dreams through angels. The other thing is how Joseph reacted to these messages and the messengers.

I've kind of skimmed over these parts up 'til now. It makes me wonder how many times God may have spoken to me in a dream and I missed it. Or I listened, in my dream, but when I woke up the devil chased it out of my memory. But maybe God doesn't speak to you, or me, in dreams or with angels. Has he spoken to us and we haven't heard or listened or paid any attention? Or maybe we heard and we just rejected the Message. We didn't like what we heard and so we chose to disobey God. Hmmm.

God chose Joseph because he was just as God had created him. He was meant to be the father to Jesus. God knew how he'd respond to all the messiness that surrounded him. Not that Joseph couldn't have thrown a wrench into the works but he didn't and I believe that's all because it was part of God's intricate plan for the world. Now don't get me wrong. Joseph wasn't a puppet. He had to make many choices. But because of how God knit him together in his mother's womb he made the decisions that needed to be made that kept God's Son safe until his appointed time.

I wonder, though, if Joseph ever had any questions for God about some of these trips He sent him on. It sure was an awful lot of walking. And he probably didn't have all of his tools with him when he had to go off to Egypt. I mean it's not easy being the breadwinner for the family when the economy's in such turmoil. Do you think Joseph was ever worried? I think he had to be but, you see, he trusted God, and so did Mary. That had to help immensely.

So how do we respond when God asks us to do something that we think is way out there? I think we can learn from Joseph. Maybe Joseph can help us learn to trust our God more and be willing to take a risk just because it's God who's doing the asking. Maybe, after hearing this story again, we will be more attuned to God's voice as he speaks to us.

Friends, God speaks to us in many ways, even when things are messy and chaotic. I pray that you will now take some time every day to sit alone with God and listen as he speaks to you. I pray that you will listen to that voice that's in your mind as your go about your work. It just might be one of God's messengers with a special delivery for you. May God give you the courage and the strength to respond to his direction even if it sounds a little messy. Trust in God. He knows what he's doing because he is the Master Planner for the whole universe.

Thanks be to God for the wonderful grace-filled gift he gave the world. Amen.

What Brings Us to Church?

2010-12-13T08:22:00.002-06:00

I know I’ve asked this question before but I believe it’s something we need to unpack again. And, it’s also the question Jesus asked those who were with him when he was questioned by John’s disciples. He said, “What did you go out into the desert to see?” He didn’t ask them just one time, but three times he asked them, “Why did you go out?”

That’s a good question for us to reflect on today. Why do we come here? What do we expect when we come? Do we come expecting something different? Do we come here to see miracles, to feel the presence of God’s Holy Spirit, or to experience God’s power at work in his Word? What do we hope for when we come to this church?

If I were to take a survey of this entire congregation this morning I imagine we would hear many different reasons why we all come to church. Some might come because they love to sing the hymns or to hear them sung. Others may come because they enjoy being with other folks who are just like them. They’re comfortable and feel at home among this group of people. Others may come because they are able to sit and feel God’s presence as the whole liturgy is performed, prayers, songs, reading of the Scriptures, proclamation, and the charge and blessing. Others come hoping that God will somehow fix them so they can cope with all the world bombards them with.

Such a simple question, “Why do we go to church,” can actually turn out to be very difficult to answer. That’s because worship is different for each of us. God didn’t make us all alike so why would our reasons for coming to church to worship be any different?

Whenever I come across a question I’m having trouble coming up with an answer that makes the most sense I like to go to the Confessions to see what our ancestors had to say about it. The Confession of 1967 has this to say about worship, “The church gathers to praise God, to hear his word for mankind, to baptize and to join in the Lord’s Supper, to pray for and present the world to him in ownership, to enjoy fellowship, to receive instruction, strength, and comfort, to order and organize its own corporate life, to be tested, renewed, and reformed, and to speak and act in the world’s affairs as may be appropriate to the needs of the time.”

When you decided that you were coming to church this morning what were the reasons you came? As I said God created all of us to be different therefore we’ve each taken different paths to get here. That means that none of us have experienced the same things and even if we have, how they impact us and how we remember them will be different. So why wouldn’t our experiences or expectations be different?

Many of us come to church to worship God and when we do we come carrying a whole lot of baggage. Sometimes we want nothing else but to be able to take that burden from our shoulders and lay it at the foot of the cross hoping that Jesus will pick it up and carry it for us. Sometimes we come with our problems not sure if God hears our prayers but we don’t have anywhere else to go and so we come here praying that he will notice us and help us. Sometimes we come knowing that we need to change, need to repent, but we aren’t able to do it by ourselves and so we come praying that God will provide just what we need. We don’t know what that is but we come hoping.

So, have you answered my question in your mind why it is you came here this morning? I pray that whatever the reason God led you here this morning that your questions were answered through the power of the Holy Spirit and that you leave here strengthened and encouraged to be the storyteller God needs this week as you walk the path he’s put you on.

Thanks be to God for his grace-filled peace and joy. Amen.

Are We Ready?

2010-12-06T10:30:00.000-06:00

Today we begin the second week of Advent and I wonder if I’m ready. Are you ready? Really, are you ready?

You probably think I’m talking about Christmas and in a way I am but not in the way you’re thinking, presents, Christmas trees, lights, and so forth. That’s not where I’m going. Are you ready for the King of Peace?

Now that you know where I’m coming from some of you are saying, “Sure, I’m ready. Come, Lord Jesus, come.” And there’s the rest of us who say, “Uh, I’m not quite ready yet. There’re some things I need to change first.”

Everywhere I look I see people who are all stressed out. Some are worried about the weather. Others are worried because they can’t come up with that perfect gift for Mom or Dad or their best friend. Some are worried because they’ve been laid off from work and don’t know how they’re going to keep the heat and lights on for another month. Some are stressed because they’re hosting the Christmas dinner this year and they want it to be just right.

Is anybody stressed out because there are so many people trying to make it this winter without shelter? Is anyone worrying about those who are struggling with their addictions to the mind altering substances they can’t seem to live without? Is there anyone who thinks that all the money spent on our military operations is excessive? Is anyone worried about peace? Is anyone worried about the ax John’s talking about? Are we really ready for Jesus, the King of Peace?

Every word we heard read this morning was either about hope or about peace. Friends, I don’t think we’re living in very peaceful times. Our country is still sending young men and women to fight in Afghanistan and Iraq and there’s the threat of nuclear war from the North Koreans. There’s not much peace on the African continent or in Central America and some parts of South America either.

With so much uncertainty where is our hope? I’ve place my hope, my trust in Jesus the Christ, the King of Peace. There are some who wonder how anyone can place their hope in Jesus when he still hasn’t returned as he promised his disciples. My answer is he never said that he’d be right back. In fact he said that he didn’t know the time when he would return. No one does. And so we wait…and hope.

I still put my trust in God. Why, you ask, do you still have hope that Jesus is coming back. I trust that God will keep his promise because if everything in the Bible was all just a story I don’t believe it would have survived for over 2,000 years. I believe because of God’s words to us in the Word, Jesus.

I’m ready because I have placed my hope in what God has planned for all his children. Isaiah said it verse 10 from chapter 11, “the new king from the family of Jesse will stand as a banner for all peoples.” The Prophet said the new King will stand for all peoples. That is good news for us because Isaiah was talking about the foreigners in the land. Even then God was getting things ready for us.

God is ready to receive us; are we ready to receive him? Since you’re here this morning I’m assuming that you’ve already taken the first step. God called you and you responded by coming here to worship and sing praises to Him.

My question for all of us was, “Are we ready?” Maybe we’ll never be completely ready but if we believe in Jesus and his Message of Good News that God’s kingdom is here right now then I think you and I are as ready as we’re ever going to be. When we put our hope and trust in the One who cares for us then we’re ready.

My hope is that I’ll live to see a world that’s totally at peace, a world living in harmony the way Jesus wanted. It begins with you and me. When we live lives filled with God’s love and peace living in harmony with our neighbors even when they’re nothing like us then we’ve taken the first step to bring peace into this world.

John was preparing the way for the Messiah with the Message that change was needed. The Message is no different for us today. If we are to be ready then we need to, “Do the things that show you really have changed your hearts and lives.” And we can’t think that just because we call ourselves Christians we’re safe from the ax John talked about.

Advent always asks us to look again at our lives and reassess our spiritual health. Friends, take time this week reading the Word. Spend some time in quiet contemplation letting God speak his Message of hope and peace to you. Then you may be ready. It’s all up to God and his grace. Thanks be to God for his Message of hope and peace. Amen.

What Are We Waiting For?

2010-11-28T08:19:00.002-06:00

When you woke up this morning did you think that Jesus may have come while you were sleeping and you missed it? Have you ever slept in and woke up to the hustle and bustle of the rest of the family already up and doing whatever they do when they get up? How did that feel to you? Did it feel good because you were more rested or did you feel like you were behind all day because you woke up in the middle of everything?

Paul admonishes us in his letter to the Romans to “wake up from our sleep” because salvation is nearer than first believed. Matthew has Jesus telling us to stay awake, alert because no one has any idea when the Master, Jesus is going to return.

I wonder, have we become complacent to what’s going on around us? Have we heard this Message so many times that we’ve become de-sensitized to its urgency? Or don’t we believe what Paul and Matthew are telling us?

I wonder. What do we think is going to happen? Do we really believe that this world will exist forever? Do we believe that we are going to live forever? Do we think that we still have time to change and be everything God desires us to be?

Are we so absorbed in our work and our families that we are unaware of the urgency to slow down and listen for God’s voice? What is it? No one seems to be heeding the warnings. The whole world just seems to be going on as if there is nothing more important than the present moment. Almost like in the times of Noah before the flood.

Another year has passed and Advent is beginning. We’ve been waiting our whole lives for Jesus to return and we’re still waiting. Perhaps there are those who don’t believe that he’s ever coming back. Maybe we think that because we’ve given our hearts to Jesus we don’t have to do anything else.

I think the Message for us today has more urgency now than it did when it was first read. Isaiah is talking about God teaching us his ways and turning weapons of war into farm implements. The psalmist tells us to pray for peace in Jerusalem. Paul says that we all we owe is to love each other, wake up because salvation is near, live in a right way as people of the day, and clothe ourselves in Jesus Christ forgetting about satisfying our sinful selves. Jesus is saying to us in Matthew’s gospel that we should always be ready because no one knows when the Master is coming.

Most of us aren’t thinking about anything else but getting ready for our families and friends on Christmas Day. Paying attention to what’s going on in our communities isn’t one of our top priorities. As I’ve already said there are so many pressing things in our lives that we find it almost impossible to focus on God and what he’s doing in our community and the world around us.

It’s like we’ve lost our connection to Him. We forget that God was in the beginning, he is present with us at this very moment; he will always be with us, always. He’s not going away.

Advent has always been about waiting, watching, preparing, and anticipating the return of Jesus the Christ. Mostly we remember the baby Jesus born in the manger in Bethlehem. We remember the gospel stories about the angels singing, the shepherds watching flocks, and the magi who came bearing gifts. We don’t think about Advent as also being a time when we are reminded that we are also waiting in joyful anticipation the coming of Jesus again.

That’s what today’s Message is for us. Jesus was born in a manger. He did grow up learning the carpenter trade from his father, Joseph. He was a great rabbi who recruited disciples and made some apostles. He was crucified on a cross as we heard last Sunday. He defeated death when he rose from the tomb. His disciples bore witness to that fact.

The gospels give us his words and the Holy Spirit reminds us of them. He said that he was preparing rooms for us and that he was coming back. Friends, that’s what we are all waiting for today and every day. Christ to come back for us.

The good news is that while we are waiting God is here now connected to us in the Word and in our prayers. And while we wait we have been given the task to love others and the work of making this world a place of peace.

Most of us don’t think there is anything that we can do to bring about peace in the entire world but if we would just begin right here in Walnut I think we’d be amazed at how fast it could spread. Of course it’s not about us but about what God is doing through the power of the Holy Spirit in us as we minister to others.

A couple of things to take home with you today: 1) pray for peace in Jerusalem, 2) love others, 3) be awake, awake to what God is doing all around us, 4) and always be ready for Jesus whenever he returns.

Friends, God loves every one of us and he wants all of us to join him in the New Jerusalem one day. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Christ the King

2010-11-21T14:03:00.002-06:00

Today is the last Sunday of the year on the Christian calendar. We have been on a journey with Jesus. We were with Mary and Joseph when he was born. We were with him as he entered the city of Jerusalem on a donkey. We were with him when he was arrested in the garden and tried and beaten and crucified on the cross. We were with Mary when Jesus called her name and revealed that he was indeed risen from the tomb. This year we have been with Jesus every step of the way.

Today as we celebrate Christ the King we find Jesus nailed to the cross with a sign hanging over his head that declares him “The King of the Jews.” And perhaps we are wondering how are we to celebrate our Jesus as our King when he is nailed to the cross between two common criminals as if he himself were a common criminal.

We who have lived in the United States our entire lives can’t comprehend what it’s like to give our allegiance to a king. We find it hard enough to be loyal to those we have just elected into political office. How would it be possible for us to yield to a king?

Christ the King, will he remember us? One of the criminals hanging on a cross beside Jesus asks him to remember him when he came into his kingdom. And we hear Jesus tell him that that very day he will be with him in paradise. The first one to enter heaven where Christ is King is a common criminal. Is there hope for us? If we ask Jesus to remember us will he invite us to join him in paradise?

What are we to do with a Savior who is a King? At first I thought that it would mean submitting to him, to his authority because a king would have dominion over everything. Everything would be under his control. But a friend said that it would be more accurate to say that we would yield to his authority.

So, I had to think about this for a while. If we submit then we defer or consent to abide by the authority of another person. If we yield then we surrender or relinquish control to another. Either way we allow someone else control, either of our lives or our possessions.

Christ is the King. Are we able to let him come into our lives and take control? Are we able to yield to his authority? When he tells us to give up everything of value to us, that we think we can’t possibly live without, are we able to yield to his good judgment for us? The rich young ruler couldn’t do it. At least not right away. The disciples weren’t sure they could do it either. Even though they had given up their jobs to follow this itinerant rabbi all over creation and back to Jerusalem. When they saw him die on that cross they gave up. They forgot all those words that Jesus told them about rebuilding the temple in three days after it had been destroyed.

Things look a lot different when you see your friend nailed to a cross. Everything he said before just kind of goes out of your mind. Christ, the King? He hardly looked like a king as he hung on the cross.

That’s not our image of a king either. A king is supposed to be full of power and strength and be in control. Hanging on the cross, it didn’t look like Jesus was in control. But everything wasn’t what it seemed.

You see, I know that you’ve read ahead and you know what happened later. Jesus defeated death. He rose from the grave. He ascended into heaven and took his rightful position beside God, his Father.

The question for us is do we believe. Will we yield our lives to Him? The King is coming again are we ready to receive him?

I regret not letting Jesus take control of my life sooner. It breaks my heart when I think about how many times I’ve turned my back on him and denied him entry.

Christ is the King you want to take control of your life. He is the One who loves you and cares for you. Today, I pray that you will answer his call to let him be the King. Yield your life to the One who has your best interests at heart.

Go ahead and give him total control. You’ll never be sorry you did.

Hallelujah, Christ is King. Praise the Lord. Amen.

In His Care

2010-11-14T21:03:00.002-06:00

Who’s looking out for you today? Who cares what happens to you or any of us for that matter?

Are you looking out for yourself? Are you one of those independent persons who take care of themselves? You don’t have to depend on anyone.

Friends, I hate to be the one to burst your bubbles but we all depend on someone, sometime. For example, Linda and I think we raised our children to be able to take care of just about anything that comes up. Yet, the phone still rings asking Mom or Dad for advice or help.

So, what do we do who don’t have parents to help us when we get into a bind? Will the banks help? Will the schools help us out? How about city hall; is there anyone there with all the answers? Who are we to depend on? Who can we trust to give us good advice or help when we find ourselves on a dead end road?

I used to believe that I had all the answers. I used to think that I could figure out most any problem given enough time or resources.

I soon discovered that wasn’t true. If God kept a record of all my mistakes and wrong turns I’d never have a chance at eternal life. Thank God he forgets the times when we turned away and attempted to do it on our own.

The Prophet says that God, our God, provides for us before we even get the words out. He is helping us while we’re still on our knees praying. And friends, that’s grace.

When Paul wrote his letter to the Thessalonians he reminded them that just because they thought the Day of the Lord was near didn’t mean they should sit back and rest trusting in the salvation promised in their conversion and baptism. He, in his own way, was saying, “You need to keep at it, working quietly, never tiring from doing good.” Paul and his friends had set the example for them so they knew how they should be living. I guess we can never retire from doing the work God has called us to do. We can’t rest on the fact that our sins have been forgiven. We have been given the work of ministering to all God’s children.

In Luke’s gospel some with Jesus were admiring the beauty of the Temple in Jerusalem. He told them it wasn’t going to last. Some day there would not be one stone left on top of another. I don’t they could imagine anyone ever completely destroying their beloved Temple.

They wanted to know if there would be some signs before hand that would warn them when this was going to happen. Oh, there would be signs but no one would be able to predict anything from the signs. Jesus, more or less, told them not to worry about signs or warnings.

They didn’t need to worry because they carried his name. They were brothers and sisters of Jesus; they were followers of Jesus the Christ.

He exhorted them to make up their minds right then not to worry about the when and the where and the how of what was coming. Things wouldn’t be easy being one of his followers. There would be persecution and suffering. Family members would turn against them for believing in Jesus as the Messiah. But Jesus said, “Don’t worry. I’ve got your back. I’ll give you the words and the wisdom you need when you need it. Don’t worry.”

Friends, we are all in His care. He’s got it all taken care of. He knows our names. We are wonderfully and fearfully made to do his work.

So, are you still depending on your own strength and wits or are you convinced beyond any doubt that your help is in the Lord? My prayer is that you will come to Him who has it all figured out.

All that should be filling our minds is how we can be a part of what God is doing in the world. How can we let all the world know what he has done and is doing? Let’s commit to living as the Prophet Isaiah said, “…shouting and singing for joy…because the Holy One does great things before our eyes.”

Friends, we are in God’s care. So let us receive God’s salvation with joy just like we would get water from the faucets in our houses. Trust in God to give you the strength to continue his work and joy to sing his praises.

Thanks be to God for his forgiving grace. Amen.

What's Bothering You Today?

2010-11-07T16:01:00.000-06:00

We’ve just heard the prophet Haggai giving God’s message to the people of Jerusalem who were worried that the temple they were rebuilding wasn’t as good as the original. We heard Paul writing to calm the troubled people in Thessalonica who had been convinced by someone who purported to be Paul that the Day of the Lord was here now. And in Luke’s gospel we’ve heard the Sadducees trying to trip Jesus up with a scenario about a widow who ended up being married to 7 brothers before she died. Whose wife would she be in the afterlife? Granted they weren’t really concerned about that because they didn’t believe in an afterlife. They were just trying to make Jesus look like a fool. Or maybe they did have questions about what happened after they died.

In all three readings we have heard about folks who were bothered by things. So, what’s bothering us today? What questions are we carrying around today that have become burdens for us?

Some of us may be concerned about our church building. Maybe it doesn’t look as spiffy as it used to back in the old days. Some of us are probably concerned about our shrinking membership or the attendance at worship. And some of us are wondering about our own demise and what’s waiting for us on the other side. Many of us are concerned about what’s happening in the world all around us, the financial health of our country, unemployment, the price of energy, the wars in the Middle East, and global warming. We’re bothered by many of these things and much more. As if we could do anything about any of it anyway.

We, all of us, worry and fuss about everything. Friends, is that why we’re here, to worry about things? Will our worry and anxiousness make any difference? Will it change anything and make it better? If it doesn’t or won’t then why do we worry?

Have we lost all hope? Have we given up on God? It certainly sounds as if we aren’t to certain about those who are in leadership positions in our government. We aren’t too hopeful about our retirement or whatever follows.

We are bothered by many things. I ask you in what do you put your hope, in what do you trust? What did God tell Haggai to tell the people?

He said, “I own the silver. I own the gold.” “Get to work. I am with you.” “I’m living and breathing among you right now. Don’t be timid. Don’t hold back.” Were those words just for those living then or are they a Message for us today?

If we believe that this is the living word of God then surely He can speak to us from his word as it is read to us.

We all worry but not one of us can add a single day to our time here on earth by worrying. In fact, our worrying may very well shorten lives. We go from day to day acting like everything is all about us. It’s not you know. We think we’re in control of our lives and maybe the lives of others and we’re not, really. We just like to think so.

Instead of worrying and fretting about the state of the world and our lives what should occupy our thoughts? My answer is going to begin sounding like a broken record but I’m going to say it anyway.

In the gospels Jesus said that there were only two commandments that should really concern us. They were to love God with our whole being, mind, body, and soul and to love our neighbors as much as we loved ourselves. And then just before he ascended into heaven he instructed his apostles to go out into all the world and make disciples of all people everywhere and baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

That’s it. That’s what we should be doing. Nothing else should be allowed to take up space in our minds. If we would spend our time loving God and loving our neighbors then everything else would fall into place. There would be no question about how much we should give to the church or to the presbytery or to the Food Pantry or to Haiti or Pakistan or Indonesia.

Everything we are, everything we think we own, everything is God’s. We are just the caretakers of his resources. And not one piece of our beloved possessions will be able to go with us to the other side. Everything is up to God.

So, good friends, my message to you today is don’t let yourselves be bothered. God is in control. He has the plan. All we are asked to do is trust and believe and love God and neighbors. That’s it. It’s really pretty simple. Why do we all have to make it so difficult?

All we have to remember is that our …“God isn’t a God of dead men, but of the living. To him all are alive.” Luke 20:38 The Message

Isn’t that a great answer? Isn’t that the Good News? God is alive and he dwells within us. Thanks be to God for his patient, loving grace. Amen.

Desperately Eager

2010-10-31T08:03:00.001-05:00

I wonder how we compare to Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus was desperately eager to just see Jesus. He so wanted to see him that Luke says he ran on ahead of the crowd so he could find a place where he could get an unobstructed view of this traveling Rabbi.

It must have been very important for him to see Jesus if he ran. Because that would have meant that he had to lift up his robe or skirt so his clothes wouldn’t trip him up as he ran. It just wasn’t good manners to show such a lack of proper decorum. But that’s exactly what he did. He didn’t care.

Zacchaeus got what he wanted and so much more. When Jesus arrived at the spot where he was perched in the tree, he stopped and told him to hurry down because he was going to be a guest at his house. Jesus invited himself to dinner.
That didn’t bother Zacchaeus in the least. He was so excited by the fact that Jesus was coming to his house that he probably scraped his knees and elbows getting out of the tree. He never imagined in his wildest dreams that the Master would notice him, let alone come to his house. And so with great joy and delight he took him to his house.

Of course there were those in the crowd who couldn’t allow Zacchaeus this one kernel of grace. You can probably hear their voices. In fact you may have heard their voices before.

They were grumping because this scoundrel tax collector had the good fortune to have the most popular rabbi in Israel coming to his house for dinner. They were surely so jealous and envious because it would have been a great social coup to have Jesus come to your house. What’s he doing going to this crook’s house when he could be coming to my place? After all I keep all of God’s laws and he doesn’t. He doesn’t deserve to have this most important person visiting in his house. It’s just not fair! Can’t you hear the conversations? It probably wouldn’t be too much different today.

So, have you ever asked yourself, “Why did Jesus pick Zacchaeus to go visit?” Why did Luke put it in his gospel? What is the significance of this story for us? Was it all a coincidence that Jesus saw Zacchaeus up there in the tree? Was he just looking for a good place to eat or was he looking for something that would upset the learned and religious people of Jericho? Why did God choose Zacchaeus for Jesus to visit on that particular day? It doesn’t seem fair that he would go to have dinner with such a low down cheat!

What was Zacchaeus’ response to all those nasty comments about him being a crook? Stunned disbelief would be a good way to put it. “Why,” he said, “I give away half of my earnings to the poor—and if I’m caught cheating, I pay four times the damages.”
I wonder if those who heard Zacchaeus say that believed him. He probably gave away half of his earnings without any fanfare. That’s probably why no one knew anything about it. So even though he collected more tax than was needed by the Romans what he earned and took home he gave half of it away. He must have been rich.
I don’t know any one today who does that. This is truly extravagant generosity. It was way beyond what he was required by law to give for the support of the poor. Even his peers weren’t doing as much as he was. Those who didn’t really know Zacchaeus were judging him unfairly and harshly.

Jesus saw immediately that he was truly a Son of Abraham. The religious of the day certainly wouldn’t have classified him as a good Jew. In fact they wouldn’t even think of associating with him.

Zacchaeus was being judged by others for being a tax collector. No one knew the real Zacchaeus. They didn’t know about his contributions to the poor.
How many folks have we misjudged without taking the risk to get to know them? How many have we talked about only to find out we were wrong in our assessment of them?
Was Zacchaeus a different man after Jesus ate at his house? Or were those who had misjudged him different after Jesus had dinner at his house? Who are we misjudging today? And what should we do about that?

Maybe we should invite ourselves to dinner at their house or, better yet, invite them to dinner at ours.

All of us have fallen short of God’s desire for us. We are all sinners in need of God’s grace. Maybe that’s the lesson for us today. Don’t worry about what our neighbors are doing or whom they are having to dinner. Maybe we should just concern ourselves with the log in our own eye before we judge our neighbor. Maybe we need extend an invitation to the Lord to come to our house for dinner. Maybe then we will receive the gift of God’s salvation and grace.

Thanks be to God for his loving grace. Amen.

Faithful Prayer

2010-10-17T11:37:00.000-05:00

What is Jesus talking about and who is he talking about? Who is this judge supposed to be? And this nagging, whining, widow woman, who is she?

Just when we think we understand what Jesus is saying he tells us this parable about a judge who doesn’t care one whit for God or people, a real curmudgeon. But yet he has his limits and because of this widow’s persistent nagging, day in and day out, he relents and grants her the justice she has been badgering him for.

So, do you suppose that means that we are to badger God with our prayers in the same way? There are times we might just do that but that’s probably not what Jesus intended us to learn from this parable.

Well, we do know that the parable is about prayer because that’s what Luke says in the beginning verse, “Jesus told them a story showing that it was necessary for them to pray consistently and never quit.”

And that’s the point we don’t want to lose sight of here. This parable is about prayer. So what is it about prayer that we humans have trouble with? Is it that we don’t know how to pray? Is it that we don’t have the time to pray? Or, is it that we don’t really believe that God will hear and answer our prayers? Maybe it’s all of these.

This story is about a judge who is the most obnoxious person in the world. You wonder how he ever got appointed to the bench. He makes no bones that he doesn’t believe in God and he really doesn’t like people.

And this widow had the unlucky misfortune to draw this particular judge, the one who hates God and people. This poor widow woman has nothing. She has no money with which to influence the judge. She doesn’t have a husband or any other male family member to speak for her in court. All she has is her tenacity and determination to get the justice she believes she deserves.

We shouldn’t say that she doesn’t have anything. She does have a determined spirit and, apparently, no fear that this judge may kick her out and bar her from his court forever. Nope, she comes everyday to the court and demands that he award her what she has coming to her. And it might even be that she follows him home or sends him letters or posts things about him on Facebook about how bad a judge he is. Who knows?

Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore. If he didn’t give in she was going to leave him black and blue. Can’t you just see her standing at his bench in the court room hammering her fist on the bench demanding justice? The judge may have feared for his well being if he didn’t give in to her demands.

So, friends, what’s Jesus saying to us? What do you think he’s saying? How do you interpret the Word to us today?

It sounds to me that if we are persistently faithful in our praying God will hear our prayers and answer them. But some might say, and they may be absolutely right, that they pray every day, all day, and still God doesn’t answer their prayers. How do we answer that?

As I read this passage a couple words stood out for me, persistence, consistent, and faith. This brings us back to the story I told the children. About this boy who wanted a musical instrument so he could learn to play in the band. Mom and Dad didn’t give in right away; in fact they didn’t even give in the second time he asked. It wasn’t until he had found out the cost of a used instrument and brought that information to their attention that they decided maybe he was ready.

It’s kind of like a story I read that Rev. Tom Long used in a sermon about two boys, a raft, and an island in the middle of the river. One of the boys was floating down the river on a raft and his friend saw him and asked, “What are you doing?” He said that he was trying to get to the island in the middle of the river. Well his friend dove in and swam to the raft so he could help him.

The current in the middle of the river was strong and it wasn’t doing the raft any favors as the boys struggled to get to the island. They did make it to the island but just as they did the raft completely fell apart and there they were stranded in the middle of the river with no way to get off the island.

It just so happens that a paddle boat is coming down the river and the second boy starts to jump up and down, hollering and waving at the boat. His friend tells him they can’t hear you and even if they could they’re not going to come over here and pick us up.

Well, the boat begins to turn toward the island and they can tell it’s coming to rescue them. The other boy wanted to know how he knew the boat would come and get them. He said, “My father is the captain. I knew he’d come and get me.”

I think that’s what Jesus is trying to teach us in the parable. God is our Father and he loves us so much he won’t leave us stranded.

As children we talked to our parents all the time, every day. Sometimes they probably wished for some peace and quiet because we never stopped talking. But didn’t they usually listen to us. And didn’t they usually give us what we needed.

God loves us way more than our parents and doesn’t want any of us to suffer. God is all about having an intimate relationship with us. And the way that happens is by praying to him all the time, consistently, persistently, all the time. When we do that we soon realize that we know God and he knows us.

The point that we don’t want to lose sight of is we are to pray continuously and don’t give up hope.

Thanks be to God for his loving grace. Amen.

Being in Exile; Saying Thank You

2010-10-10T08:17:00.000-05:00

Have you been listening to the news reports about the men trapped in the mine in Chile? Just for a little while this morning, imagine that you’re one of those miners. You’re alive and not injured but you’ve just learned that you’re not going to see day light, or your family, for awhile yet.

You’re in exile. You’ve received messages from above telling you that help is on the way. You might even be able to hear the sounds of the drill. And you remember God’s word that says, “Give thanks in all things.” And you hear God’s word through the prophet Jeremiah to make the best of the situation where you are because God is there too.

Okay, your there, it’s hot, it’s dirty, and you’ve been with the same smelly people for 67 days. How are you doing? How is your faith? Do you believe that God is with you in this foreign place? Are you really thankful for God’s blessings?

Good friends, you’re not really in that mine but imagine what that must be like for those miners, and their families. Do they really trust those who are doing the drilling? Are they still hopeful? Do they believe that God is there with them?

It’s hard to be thankful in situations like this. None of us are in that mine in Chile but we may, never the less, be in exile. Where we are right now today may not be the place that we really want to be; this may not be our home. And even if we are home we might not be physically able to enjoy it like we used to. Are we still able to remain thankful for God’s providence?

Even when we find it so very difficult to find the good in bad situations what happens to our soul when we are thankful for the infinitesimal blessings that come our way. Does our outlook change? Is the sun just little brighter? Does God seem a little closer?

What if every day when your eyes opened after a night’s rest you still didn’t feel God’s presence, would you still be thankful for God’s blessings? Would you still have hope if every day you prayed for just a little bit of joy and it never came? Can we still feel love when our prayers don’t seem to be answered the way we think they should? Someone we love dearly is still in pain and there’s absolutely nothing we can do for them but pray, do we still have hope, are we still thankful?

How did Paul and the other apostles keep their faith when they were in chains in jail, beaten and ridiculed for being followers of the Way of Jesus? How is it possible for any of us to relate to what that must have been like?

Friends, we are so blessed because we live where we do and have the advantages that many in the world have never experienced. And we take it all for granted. Do we remember to say thanks? How do we share our blessings? How are we encountering God where we are? Where’s the healing for us in all this? Have we been healed and haven’t noticed?

Do we sing praises to God everyday like the psalmist? I don’t know about you but I think we’re more like the nine lepers who were healed and never turned around and thanked Jesus. Yes, the leprosy was gone but what was the condition of their souls?

We may be blessed, we may be healed, but what’s the condition of our souls? Have we remembered to thank Jesus?

Jesus and Paul have both given us words to meditate on for this week. Paul said, “10 So I patiently accept all these troubles so that those whom God has chosen can have the salvation that is in Christ Jesus. With that salvation comes glory that never ends.

11 This teaching is true:

If we died with him, we will also live with him.

12 If we accept suffering, we will also rule with him.

If we say we don't know him, he will say he doesn't know us.

13 If we are not faithful, he will still be faithful,

because he must be true to who he is.

A Worker Pleasing to God

14 Continue teaching these things, warning people in God's presence not to argue about words. It does not help anyone, and it ruins those who listen. 15 Make every effort to give yourself to God as the kind of person he will approve. Be a worker who is not ashamed and who uses the true teaching in the right way.”

And Jesus told the Samaritan leper, "Get up. On your way. Your faith has healed and saved you.”

We are here to do the work God has called us to do. We are to accept what we’ve been given and continue sharing God’s love with everyone we meet so that they are able to experience salvation through Jesus Christ. May our little faith build up someone else’s faith so they can be healed and have joy in their hearts.

Friends, let’s decide this day to return to Jesus and fall on our knees and give him thanks for our healing. Let’s decide today to continue to teach people about Jesus and God and what salvation means to us. Let’s work to free them from their exile

Thanks be to God for his loving, forgiving grace. Amen.

A Life of Faith

2010-10-03T20:41:00.000-05:00

It’s not easy trying to live a life of faith. In the first place we tend to believe that there is nothing we can’t do or fix, and we don’t need God or anyone else to give us a hand. That might prove to be true until we get stuck in a quagmire of our own doing and no matter what we try we can’t fix it. We’re stuck. Everything we try fails and it’s not until we realize that we can’t do it alone that we cry for help.

We cry to God for help or relief or maybe just a lifeline because we’ve tried everything else and nothing helped.

The writer of Lamentations is in that spot. God had warned the people through the prophets that he was not happy with them following other idols and doing things that he had explicitly warned them against doing. When God gave the Law to Moses he told them that if they did what he commanded them then they would be blessed but if they didn’t they would be cursed. It seems that they didn’t hear that last part.

You know I can understand that. There are times when people tell me something and I hear the first part but I don’t hear the last part. Then, when whatever I’ve been trying to do doesn’t come out right it’s usually because I didn’t hear all the instructions. I could write a book about all the times I’ve messed up because I didn’t follow all the directions that were given to me. Or I didn’t hear all the directions given to me.

Maybe that’s why it’s so important for us to hear the Word read and proclaimed every Sunday, even though we’ve heard this particular passage a gazillion times before. Maybe we’ve missed hearing the most important part.

In the Hebrew Bible it sounds as if you keep all the commandments then you will be richly blessed and if you don’t then you will receive God’s discipline. Many of us believe today that if we keep God’s rules then we’ll be blessed. So, if we see someone who is struggling with life we assume that they’ve not been keeping God’s rules and he has punished them. We forget the words that talk about blessings falling on the just and the unjust.

We seem to forget Jesus’ words about believing in him, loving God and neighbor, and we completely missed the part about being servants. We think that if we just do this or that then God will bless us. Friends, it doesn’t work that way.

These lives we are living today in this place and at this time aren’t easy. There seems to be a great chasm between those who have and those who don’t. The ones who have are fearful that what they have will soon be gone. The ones who don’t have much are fearful that they will never, ever be able to have anything. They don’t see anyway out. No one has much faith, either in the society in which they live or in God.

The pastoral letter to Timothy sounds like the writer is afraid that Timothy may give up on his faith when things get tough and suffering comes. He is told to stay at it, keep his faith and love rooted in Christ just as he was taught.

Jesus had just told his disciples that hard times and temptations would come their way. And pity the one who gave any of the little ones a hard time. It would be better to have a boulder tied around their neck and tossed into the ocean than to do that. That’s when they realized that what Jesus was asking them to do was going to be more difficult than they imagined. They weren’t sure they could do it with the faith they had. They weren’t sure they would be successful walking in Jesus’ footsteps, living lives serving God’s children. So, they asked him to give them more faith.

I imagine Jesus looking at them with love in his eyes and saying, “More faith? You have all you need right now.”

Isn’t that how we all kind of feel when we step out on a new venture? Isn’t that how we feel when we decide to risk investing in a new career, or begin life together with the one God has chosen for us. We’re not sure we have enough of what’s needed to be successful.

But don’t we usually find, if we take the risk, that we had everything we needed. I think that’s what Jesus was saying to his disciples, “You have everything you need right now.” “You have just enough faith. Just live it.”

I think that’s the Message for us today. We have just enough faith. Just live it. Trust in the One who gave us this faith. It is sufficient for what He has called us to do.

I don’t believe he’s asking us to move trees or mountains but Jesus is asking us to trust him, to have faith in his Word and his love for us.

Our lives aren’t easy. Everyone, every family, has problems, everyone experiences some suffering. Jesus is telling us that our calling is to be ministers to each other using the gifts we have been given to serve others and to bring glory to Him. That is our calling; that is our purpose in this life. Just as those we work for expect us to give them an honest day’s work so God expects us to give him the same.

Do we expect a reward? Do we expect to be forgiven for our sins? Well maybe, but it all depends on God’s grace through Jesus’ sacrifice. And part of God’s grace is the faith we have received from him.

Friends, God sent his Son, Jesus, here because he loves us. He died for us because he loves us. He defeated death because he loves us. He gives us just enough faith because he loves us. All he asks us to do is just live it.

Friends, remember God does love you. Trust and believe. Have faith and then just live it.

Thanks be to God for his grace. Amen.

Evangeliving

2010-09-26T15:49:00.000-05:00

John 17:3-4, 1 Thessalonians 2:8
And this is the real and eternal life:
That they know you,
The one and only true God,
And Jesus Christ, whom you sent.

We loved you dearly. Not content to just pass on the Message, we wanted to give you our hearts. And we did.

What are the important things in our lives? Is there one thing we would give our very lives for? What is so vitally important in our lives that we can’t keep it just for ourselves? What do we possess that is so valuable that we have to share with everyone?

What is it? Is it your home? Is it the money you have sitting in your certificates of deposit? Is it the food you have stored in your pantry? Or is it something that no one can see?
Here we are sitting in our comfortable padded pews. Jeremiah is in jail, the rich man is in torment in Hades, Lazarus is resting in the bosom of Abraham, and Timothy is being told to live a life of rich simplicity. And we are being asked, what do we possess that is of the greatest value to us.

Whenever I ask myself these questions I always come back to a question I’ve asked for a long time, “Why am I here? What purpose does God have for me being here?”

Why do you think we’re here? What is your purpose for living? I don’t believe that we are all here to gain more possessions or great wealth. I don’t believe that we’re all here to raise families and work at jobs that pay us a good wage.

I have quite a few questions today. If you have answered the question why we’re here then let me ask you another. What is you’re greatest hope? Or this, “In what do you place all your trust?”

Have you placed all your trust in your financial investments? Or have you put all your trust in real estate? Or have you placed your trust in something that is intangible?

What are the lessons to be learned from today’s scriptures? Why is Jeremiah buying land when he’s been telling everyone in Jerusalem that someone from the north is going to defeat their armies and take everyone into captivity?

Could it be that God has told him that as bad as things are going to get it won’t stay that way forever. Someday it will all get better and they will be able to come home again. At least some of them will be able to come home.

He bought the land because God told him that he should do that. Not because it was a good time to buy land because the market was depressed. No, he was to buy the land because it gave him hope for an end to God’s punishment. He trusted in what God told him.

The Message from the epistle is that a devout life will bring us wealth but not the wealth that the world desires. The writer is saying that a life of rich simplicity being ourselves before God will bring us rewards beyond anything we can imagine.

This wealth doesn’t come easily. Timothy is told that he needs to run hard and fast in the faith and seize the eternal life he was called to. Anytime the words run and seize are used I just know there’s some strenuous physical activity involved.

So, what are we to do and how do we do it? That’s the real question isn’t it? Well, we know that we can’t do it like the world around us would have us do it. We know that we have to change our lives. We have to repent.

And once we do we have to spend time with God. We have to allow Him to become an intimate part of our lives. Once we do that we find that there is more we are compelled to do. We discover that we can’t keep quiet about what God has done and is doing in our life.

Our lives have changed. We act different. We talk different. Our attitude about everything isn’t like it used to be. Without realizing it we have become evangelists. We’ve started to evangelive.

Yes, you heard that right, evangelive. We have started to evangelize just by changing how we act and talk when we are out in the community. And people notice that. And they want to know why we’re different.

They might even be brave enough to come to us and ask what’s the reason for the change. And then we might have to use words to explain the transformation in our lives. That’s evangelizing. Telling our testimony, our story, of what God has done to change our priorities. What was number one isn’t any longer.

Because we’ve changed we also see people differently. We don’t classify people like we did before. We don’t think about the poor or the homeless or the aliens in our country as being any different from us. In fact they become our sisters and brothers and we begin to care about the things in their lives.

We actually notice them as the lay in our doorways. We pay more attention to them when we see them in Walmart or at garage sales. Their skin may be a different shade than ours but that doesn’t make any difference now.

Will any of these changes guarantee a place in eternity for us? No, they won’t. Our only guarantee is when we give our lives 100% to Jesus and pray that he will grant us his grace.

We have been commanded by Jesus to love God with our whole being and to love our neighbors as much as we love ourselves. We have the best chance of achieving eternal life if we keep these commandments and give our lives to Jesus asking him to forgive us for our sins, for turning our backs on him for so long.

Friends, those are the things we should be striving for. Those are the things that should be very most important to us. Will we ever get it right? I doubt that I ever will but I trust in Jesus to intercede for us before God. I trust in God’s good grace.

So good friends, let Jesus come into your heart and allow him to transform you. Go out into the world, tell God’s story, your story, to all who will listen. Pay attention to those who are struggling in this world. Feel their pain and take a risk. Invite them into your lives. Sit with them and listen to their story. Love them and care for them.

Friends, that’s why we’re here, that’s our calling, to be ministers to God’s children, to make disciples, and baptize them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Thanks be to God for his loving, forgiving grace. Amen.

Unjust, Dishonest, Prudent, or Shrewd

2010-09-19T15:32:00.000-05:00

Okay, you have just listened to a parable Jesus told to his disciples about a manager who had been taking advantage of his position in order to gain more wealth. You see the owner of the property may have been living in the big city, Jerusalem. That may be the reason he hired someone to oversee the mundane tasks of taking care of the orchards, the fields, and the livestock. He may have owned many such properties and wasn’t able to manage all of them so he hired managers to do that for him.

Because someone brought charges against the manager he decided to have the financial records audited and found to his surprise, or maybe he suspected, things didn’t quite add up. And so he told this dishonest manager to get his affairs in order and prepare to leave because he no longer had the authority to spend the manager’s money caring for the property. His employment was terminated immediately.

Jesus doesn’t explain why but this shrewd manager called in those who were indentured to the property owner and had them creatively change their liens, one was halved, another was reduced 20 percent. Of course that made those who owed the landlord much happier. And they may have assumed that it was the landlord who had authorized this reduction.

How would you feel if the mortgage on your house was reduced by half or your operating note at the bank was cut by 20 percent? You might begin to believe that the banker actually had a heart. You might begin to be happy to see him arrive because now it looks as if you might finally be able to get out from under this debt.

The manager in this parable had definitely been fired but he still had time to call in those who were renting the different parcels of ground and have them adjust their rental contracts. And that is what Jesus said that he did.

So when he took the financial records back to the landowner he knew that the shrewd manager had taken some liberties with the contracts. And he knew that the renters assumed that the manager was making these adjustments with the full authority of the owner.

The owner could have let the renters know that he wasn’t the one who had authorized these changes but then they would have been ready to hang him. And right now they thought he was a pretty decent landlord since he had reduced what they owed him when the harvest came in.

Being the astute businessman that he was he knew better than to get his renters all riled up and so he commended the unjust manager for what he had done.

So what is Jesus saying to us in this parable, that we should be shrewdly dishonest like the manager in this story? What do you think it says?

What was the manager doing exactly when he had the renters make the changes to their contracts? Wasn’t he forgiving them a portion of their debt to the Master? And by being generous in his forgiveness and not expecting anything else from them, at least at the present, he was protecting his position. It was a huge risk because he didn’t really know how the Master would react and if one of the servants had come in while he was transacting this business he could have been found out by the renters and he would have been out on his ear right away.. But it was a chance he was willing to take.

So the question for us is would we be willing to forgive people who owe us, or who we believe owe us, so unconditionally? What would happen to the community in which we live if we could forgive like this without condition? What would the world be like if people could forgive and grant mercy without condition to someone who, say, killed four people because he was four times over the legal limit? What would the world be like if forgiveness could have been given to those who are responsible for the oil spill in the Gulf? What if forgiveness had been offered in response to terrorists acts? What if? How would our world be different today?

Is that what Jesus is saying here? Is it about forgiveness? What does the unjust manager expect to get by being forgiving? He hopes that he doesn’t have to resort to digging or begging. Do you think he succeeded? Jesus doesn’t really tell us. He leaves it to our imagination.

So, do you suppose we could negotiate a deal like this with God? Or maybe it’s already been done for us in Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. Our debt has been paid and we have been forgiven.

Are we willing to let our Lord do that for us? Are we willing to risk everything to follow the One who paid our debt? What’s more important, our possessions or eternity? Each of us has to answer that question in our own hearts. That’s between us and our God.

Thankfully he is patiently waiting for us to make that decision. Thanks be to God for his patient, compassionate grace. Amen.

Lost? Who, Me?

2010-09-12T21:34:00.000-05:00

Have any of you ever been completely, totally lost? Have you ever been so turned around that you had no idea how to get to where you needed to be? Have you ever lost all sense of direction and couldn’t be certain where north, south, east or west were?

I’ll bet that everyone here is remembering a time when you were traveling somewhere and became turned around. You’re remembering sometime when you were so lost you couldn’t even find anyone who could tell you where to go.

I think we’ve all been there at one time or another. I have and it’s sure not any fun, especially if you’re all alone and no one speaks you’re language.

Every time it’s happened to me I feel so stupid. How could I not know where I was going? How come I can’t tell north from east? How come no one understands what I’m saying?

Are you lost today? Did you find your way here today hoping to get some directions that would get you home? Have you lost your point of reference?

I wonder if there’s anyone here who can help those of us who are lost. I wonder if there’s anyone here this morning that’s been in our predicament.

By now you’ve probably figured out that I’m not talking about being physically lost, though that can still happen to some of us. I’ve been told that Daniel Boone said that he’d never been lost but he’d wandered around for a few days before he came home.

Friends, I’ve been lost. I’ve been so lost that I thought I’d never find my way back. There have been times that I didn’t think God would ever find me. And still today, I get off the path. If it weren’t for God and his grace I’d probably not be here today.

I could very easily be one of those sinners that Jesus ate with. I could have been one of those the Pharisees were grumbling about.

You see I’ve not always followed Jesus’ footsteps like I should have. In fact I strayed a long way off the path a few times. If it wasn’t for God calling me home I wouldn’t be here today. I know there was nothing I did that helped me find my way back.

I’m not sure I could use Paul’s excuse that I didn’t know better. I knew better. Just like the Israelites I got stupid and went and did my own thing. I got lost.

So, are any of you lost today? Have you wandered off the path and don’t know where to go to get back on?

I believe that if you’re here today it’s because the One who created you, the One who loves you has been searching for you and in his own way has brought you to this sanctuary. Friend, God has found you and brought you here so he can help you get your bearings.

None of us have all the answers but together, like a family, we can help each other when we wander off the path. And we will stray. We’re not so much different than the sheep Jesus referred to in his parable. We put our heads down and go our way never looking up. And when we do we find we don’t know where we are or how we got here. Pretty much like sheep.

Friends, I don’t think we’re stupid but I do believe we can be pretty hard headed or hard hearted and that’s why we get lost so often.

I don’t get so scared anymore when I get lost because I have hope that the One who loves me will find me and bring me home. My trust is in the One who died to save me, the One who defeated death so I no longer have to fear it. I always hope that this is the last time but it isn’t.

Now there may be some here who have never been lost. And for you I’m eternally grateful because you are the ones God sends to help us who get lost all the time. I thank God for you.

Friends, if you never have been lost. If you’ve always known your directions, then I believe God has given you a great gift. You are the ones he uses to find the lost. You’re probably the ones who find us sinners and eat with us and love us unconditionally. Thank God he’s put you here. Or maybe it works this way, you know where you’re at when we’re lost and then when you’re lost we know where we’re at and therefore we help each other.

I don’t really know. I just trust in God’s grace to find me, and you, when I’m lost. And however that’s accomplished I’m grateful to the One who keeps me in the shadow of his wings.

Thanks be to God for his gracious love that finds us when we’re lost. Amen.

You Cannot Follow Jesus

2010-09-05T18:23:00.000-05:00

You cannot be my follower…Why can’t I be your follower? I love you! I’ll do anything you ask!

Put me first, Jesus says. Love me more than these, he says. Give up everything you have, he says; otherwise you cannot be my follower.

Put you first? But I have a family. Linda needs me. My children still need me. I have grandchildren who need me. Lord, you are first but I have to take care of my family too. Won’t you let me do both?

Lord, you know everything about me. Surely you understand the predicament this Message puts me in. What do you mean, give up everything, everything like my bike, my routers, my books, my computer, my dog, everything? I must be misunderstanding what Luke’s written, everything?

I cannot be your disciple unless I give it all up? Jesus, that doesn’t sound fair. How can I possibly give up everything?

Friends, these are questions I’ve asked Jesus many times. How do you understand the lesson from Luke today? What’s it saying to you? Does he really mean that we have to hate our parents and our siblings and our children, even our own lives? Hate is such a strong word and my mother taught me not to use that word. But Jesus uses it here. Hate, are we reading that right? We have to hate before we can be His follower? We must not be reading that right.

Following Jesus costs more than we realize, at first. And at first we think the cost is too much. We try to barter with Jesus. We try to negotiate an easier package but He won’t budge. It’s all or nothing. Jesus will not back down until we’ve consented to giving him all our attention, all our desire, all our love.

What does it mean to you to be a Christian, a disciple of Jesus? How much has it cost you? Who comes first in your life? If Jesus calls you and your spouse calls you at the same time, who do you follow? Where are your priorities?

Before you committed your life to Jesus did you sit down and calculate what it was going to cost you? If you’re following Him today is it what you expected it to be?

What’s happening to those who can’t give it all up? They cannot follow him, so what now?

I wouldn’t give up hope. God is like the potter. He made us and he can reshape us if we haven’t turned out like he planned. It isn’t without some pain and discomfort, this reshaping.

Have you ever watched a potter at work? They begin by cutting a chunk of clay from a big block. Then they add water and beat and hammer that lump with their fists until the block becomes a little more malleable. They add more water and beat and shape and hammer and push with fingers and fists until they have a ball.

Then they throw the ball onto the wheel. More water is added as they begin to spin the wheel keeping pressure on the ball with their fingers and palms. More water and the potter keeps the wheel spinning. Soon there is a cone. Fingers push into the center of the cone and, it’s a miracle how it happens, there’s a bowl.

Friends, it’s a whole lot of work. There’s a lot of pressure exerted on that lump of clay. And if it doesn’t turn out exactly as the potter planned he just pounds it down, reshapes it, and begins again until it comes out like he wants it.

So, good friends, there’s still hope for us. We may not be exactly as God planned for us but he’s just like that potter, he can and will reshape us. But it isn’t without a lot of pressure and not a little pain. If we give up and don’t let him shape/reshape us then, well we cannot follow him.

So, can we give it all up to follow Jesus? Are we willing to pay the price to be a follower? Do we trust the One who came to save us?

If we’re struggling with these questions what is it that we find so hard? Is it giving it all up? It’s not really ours you know. None of these things can we take with us when he calls us home. So why do we find it so hard to let them go? What’s it costing to hold onto them? That’s the real question, isn’t it.

Jesus says, “If you don’t give up everything you cannot follow me.” Tough love, but friends it is love. He has our best interests at heart. He loves us and he knows we aren’t able to do it right by ourselves.
Friends, Jesus wants our all, otherwise we cannot follow him. Are you ready to give him all of you? He’s waiting for our answer. What’s it going to be, yes or no?

My prayer is that you will be a follower of Jesus and give it all to him. Thanks be to God for his patient, forgiving, compassionate grace. Amen.

What’s for Dinner? Who’s Invited? Who’s Excluded?

2010-08-30T10:42:00.000-05:00

When you plan your meals do you make enough extra just in case some one knocks on the door or rings the doorbell just as you’re sitting down to lunch or supper? I wonder how many times that’s happened? How many times have we invited them in to sit down at the table with us?

Most times, if we’re honest with each other, we are a little peeved when the doorbell rings or the phone rings just as we’re getting ready to sit down to eat. Maybe you aren’t but I am. And then, what does Hebrews say to me, “Be ready with a meal or a bed when it's needed. Why, some have extended hospitality to angels without ever knowing it!”

I read that passage and I wonder how many angels have come to me for a meal and I have turned them away. Or I’ve been so grumpy that they chose to walk on down the street. I wonder.

Luke doesn’t make me feel any more comfortable. He tells of the time that Jesus told a parable about being invited to a wedding party and how everyone scrambled to seat themselves at the most prestigious spot at the table. I read that and I wonder how many times I have arrived at a dinner and tried to find a table where I could sit and be noticed. I wonder.

I wonder how many times I have failed to take the least conspicuous seat at the table. How many times have I forgotten the lesson that Jesus is teaching here? I wonder.

How many times have I heard these lessons read, how many times have I read these lessons and failed to heed God’s warning? How many more chances will God give me? I wonder.

I don’t think that I wake up everyday and intend to be exclusive. In fact, I like to think that I’d welcome anyone into my home but the facts are I haven’t. Therefore I’m convicted by these scriptures.

I know it’s not about me. I know that but I haven’t changed. I know that Jesus died and rose again so that I could be forgiven. How many more times is he going to say, “Son, you’re forgiven. Go and sin no more.” If I were God I think I’d be ready to right me off for a lost cause. I’d think, “He’s never going to change.”

Fortunately for me, God is forgiving and he gives me another chance to get it right. So, is today that day I might welcome an angel? Is today the day I will do the right thing? I wonder.

Jeremiah was called by God to prophesy to the people of Israel. They had been just like me. They had forgotten how He had delivered them from the oppression of the Egyptians and led them through the wilderness to the Promised Land flowing with milk and honey. They were seduced by the gods of the countries God helped them to conquer.

Maybe that’s my problem. I’ve been seduced by the things of the world that are all around me. Maybe I don’t want to share them with anyone who comes knocking on my door. I wonder if that’s it.

I know what I should do but every time an opportunity presents itself I do the wrong thing. The angels God sends have to go somewhere else to find their meal. And I’m the one who loses.

Friends, if a stranger walked in here today as we were worshipping how do you think we’d react? What if the stranger who came in was a little scruffy? What if the stranger had a lot of different piercings and tats? How would they be received? I wonder.

I believe that God’s lesson for us today is that we need to take the focus off of us and be more observant to how God is present in and around us in those who come to visit our churches and our homes.

We are called as God’s children to serve others, to love without reservation, without judgment, and care for those whom He sends our way. I, for one, haven’t always done that. And I’ve missed many opportunities to serve our Lord.

Friends, don’t be me. Pay attention to God’s presence in every person you meet. And welcome them wherever you may be because, you never know, they may be angels sent from God.

Thanks be to God for his patient, forgiving, compassionate grace. Amen.

Called, Shaken, Freed

2010-08-23T21:59:00.000-05:00

Jeremiah, the boy, was called by God to prophesy to Israel. Hebrews reminds us that God is going to give things one more good shake so that all that remains is what cannot be shaken. In the gospel of Luke a woman who has been bent over, not able to straighten up at all, for 18 years is released from the prison her body had put her in.

Called, shaken, and freed are key words for us today. All of us have heard the Message that we are called, all of us, to be ministers to God’s children. Friends, I believe that we aren’t only called to be ministers but we are called to serve God’s purpose in the world in various ways. Not everyone who is called wants to answer the call. Many of us, like Jeremiah, think we aren’t equipped with the tools we need to do the work God calls on us to do. Our weak, feeble excuses don’t carry much weight. God, I’ve found out, does what he’s going to do. And if he calls us to a particular work, no excuse we give is going to sway God from what he’s called us to do. If he’s called us to work then he will equip us with everything we need to accomplish what God has planned.

Often when we realize that it’s God who’s calling us we get a little worried. We know if God calls then sooner or later we’re going to have to get started. Our comfortable world is shaken by what God calls us to do, sometimes. Once in a while our world is turned completely upside down and everything we’ve grown comfortable with changes. Not only is our world shaken but so are we. We’re not exactly accustomed to having our lives changed so drastically. God has an agenda, a timetable, a plan, and the time for Christ’s return, even though some would not like to think about that, is getting closer. When Jesus does come back things will really be shaken.

In the meantime here we are bound up by the things of the world. We are so bent over with the burdens of our lives that we can’t even see the signs that Jesus’ return is imminent. We have been bent over with this infirmity for so long that we don’t know that there is any other view than the one we see right in front of our toes. We’re almost like those ponies that are trotters with their blinders on. All they can see of the world is what’s right in front of them.

We’re not much different than those trotters. We’re not so very different than the woman Jesus healed. I wonder if she had become so used to her condition that she accepted it; it was normal for her. I wonder if those who met her every day were so used to seeing her that way that they never thought about what it must be like for her. It was just the way she was. They may have assumed it was a punishment from God for some sin she had committed.

Jesus knew better. He knew she didn’t deserve to be trapped in that prison for the rest of her life. And so he called her over to him. He told her she was free from her ailment. I don’t think any of us can imagine what joy she must have felt when Jesus laid his hands on her and she stood up straight, able to see people eye to eye. What joy must have filled her heart.

God calls us. God shakes our world. When he lays his hands on us, when his Spirit comes into our souls we are freed from the chains of sin that have kept us bent over all our lives.

That’s just one more reason to heed God’s call to us. When we answer his call we find new freedom. Yes, we might be fearful of what God is asking of us but when we accept his call we soon experience exhilaration, joy and a certain peace and it’s all because we’ve invited God’s Spirit inside.

So, good friends, have you heard God’s call? Have you been hesitating to answer? Are you afraid to be set free because it’s different from what you’ve been used to seeing? Is God shaking your world?

Friends, maybe it’s time for us to let God keep on shaking. Maybe it’s time for us to let go of those things which have us bent over. Friends, it’s time to let Jesus lay his hands on you and be healed.

He’s calling our names. He knows each of us intimately. He’s known us since before we were conceived. Sure our world will change. But friends, isn’t that really what our souls desire. Our souls have been leading us to Jesus. We’ve just been so bent over we couldn’t see him. Listen to his voice. Let him touch you. Let him shake up your world.

Then go out and let the Spirit lead you in a dance of joy as you go to serve those God places on your path of life.

Thanks be to God for his compassionate grace. Amen.

The Garden

2010-08-16T15:37:00.001-05:00

I remember the very first garden I ever planted. I was probably 10-12 years old and the whole potato patch was my responsibility. I had to plow it, rake it, plant the potato eyes, hoe the weeds, and then dig up the produce just before school started. Oh yes, I also was responsible for bagging and marketing my produce.

Remember, I said was about 12 years old. Can you imagine what that garden looked like when it came time to dig the potatoes? Let me tell you I could barely make out the rows. In fact the vines had died down enough that most times I couldn’t find where to start digging.

Dad wouldn’t let me walk away from it though. I had to dig, pick up, clean the dirt off, put them into the baskets and then lug them to the basement storage room. How I wanted to quit, to just walk away from the whole thing. The weeds were too tall. It was too hot. The ground was too hard. I used every excuse I could think of. It was like Dad was deaf. Mom wasn’t sympathetic to my plight either. So I kept digging, without very much enthusiasm.

I had neglected my project to play in the creek or the barn or play hide and seek with my sisters. And so the weeds grew and my work at the end was way more difficult that it would have been if I had just done my job every week like Dad instructed me to.

The scripture readings from the Prophet Isaiah and the Psalms are about someone who had a garden, a vineyard. They tell about an owner who did everything as they were supposed to and still the harvest was terrible. It didn’t sound like the grapes even made good vinegar. So what did the owner do? He tore down the fence and let it grow up into brambles and thorns. He even asked the rain not to fall on it so that even if it wanted to it wasn’t going to live and produce even one grape.

As we hear this passage read we begin to understand that the owner is God and he’s talking about his chosen people, Israel. We hear this reading and we think, “I’m glad that wasn’t me.” What if we substitute Walnut or the United States in place of Israel or Judah? It brings it almost too close to home for us.

We can do the same thing with the reading from the Psalms. Read it and put Walnut or the United States in place of Israel and Iowa or New York or California in place of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh. It sounds a little too personal now.

This doesn’t sound anything like what we came here to listen to this morning. None of us came here this morning to be told that God doesn’t like what we’ve been doing with our lives, our blessings, or the grace he gave us.

Wait! We’re not finished yet. In the gospel reading Luke tells us that Jesus said that he came to cast fire on the earth and he wished it was started now. That doesn’t sound like the Jesus we normally hear preached on most Sundays. What happened to Jesus is love? What happened to the Jesus who healed the lepers, the blind, and who cast out our demons? Where did he go?

Jesus is talking about creating division in our lives, Father against son, mother against daughter, daughter-in-law against mother-in-law, 3 against 2, and 2 against 3. That sounds like a whole lot of trouble that we don’t want to get in the middle of. But that’s what Jesus says he came for. What happened to peace?

He was stressed and maybe that was it. Or maybe he was just tired. Maybe he’d just had enough of humanity and he let us have it with both barrels. I don’t know.

Jesus did say that he came to change everything, to put everything rightside up. If we do the same thing with this passage that we did with the other two and read it like Jesus is talking directly to us can we really, with all honesty, think that we aren’t at fault.

We can’t possibly read and hear the news and think that everything’s okay with the state of the world. Can we? We can’t put all the blame on President Obama or the Al Qaida or the Taliban or BP, can we?

You’re right, someone is to blame. If we think we’re not at fault I would have to disagree. As Jesus said we can look at the sky or Weather Bug and can pretty well tell what the weather is going to be like today or tomorrow and may the day after. But we seem to shut our eyes to the state of the world. We make jokes about global warming, oil spills; we don’t seem to notice how many single parent families there are or how many dysfunctional people there are living in our communities. We shake our heads at the deaths caused by people who are driving drunk. How could they do that? Why didn’t someone do something?

Friends, this world hasn’t changed significantly from Jesus’ day. People are still doing cruel things to other people. There is discrimination on many levels. There are so many folks who don’t have enough food or shelter or warm clothes. There are still people who kept from meaningful employment because they don’t meet the right social criteria. They’re not the right color or sex or age.

This all sounds pretty much like doom and gloom. So what’s the good news? Is there any good news? The answer’s yes.

The author of Hebrews is still talking about faith and gives some examples from the Hebrew Bible. He uses Israel crossing the Red Sea, walking around the walls of Jericho, and Rahab. By their acts of faith they were blessed.

But not everyone who had faith received what God promised them. Their faith wasn’t complete. But friends, that’s not a bad thing. God combines their faith with our faith and makes one complete faith.

What that means is that all those who have preceded us are watching and cheering for us to complete what they started. So if we aren’t already working at what God has called us to do we are told to get going right now. Get rid of the excess baggage and start working and don’t quit. There is no early retirement.

How, you might ask, are we to do any good at all? It’s simple. We are told to keep our eyes on Jesus. Study how he did it and do the same thing. He never lost sight of his goal. He was focused on the prize.

The good news, my friends, is that God created us, he is right beside us, and he’s not going to abandon us. And our friends who have gone on ahead are cheering for us to keep going.

The passage Jesus referred to when he was talking about the house divided was from Micah 7. If you go there and read the whole chapter to the end you will find that the prophet ended by saying, “Where is the god who can compare with you—wiping the slate clean of guilt, turning a blind eye, a deaf ear, to the past sins of your purged and precious people? You don't nurse your anger and don't stay angry long, for mercy is your specialty. That's what you love most. And compassion is on its way to us. You'll stamp out our wrongdoing. You'll sink our sins to the bottom of the ocean. You'll stay true to your word to Father Jacob and continue the compassion you showed Grandfather Abraham—everything you promised our ancestors from a long time ago. Micah 7:18-20

That’s the good news. Even though God is displeased with our actions he doesn’t stay angry forever. He is merciful and forgiving, especially since He sent his Son to die for us. God keeps his promises even those he made long ago.

Thanks be to God for his amazing grace and love. Amen.

Diary of an Old Soul-George Macdonald

2010-08-09T10:12:00.004-05:00

This morning I was reading a passage for August 5th in George Macdonald's book, Diary of an Old Soul. It went like this...

I have no choice, I must do what I can;
But you do to me, and all things else as well;
You will take care that your child grow a man.
Rouse thee, my faith; be king; with life be one;
To trust in God is action's highest kind;
Who trust in God, his heart with like does swell;
Faith open all the windows to God's wind.

This is my revised version without the thees, thys, dost's and so forth.

What struck me this morning was the last phrase, "Faith opens all the windows to God's wind (Spirit?)." Yesterday I talked about what we believe and why are we waiting. And then today I read a passage that I should have read last week but busyness kept me from it. What a wonderful God we worship who blesses us everyday even when we forget to thank him for his blessings.

Thanks be to God for his grace. Amen.

What Do We Believe? What Are We Waiting For?

2010-08-08T15:12:00.000-05:00

Everything has a beginning. Whatever we do, whatever project we are working on it all has a beginning. Before a project can be started a lot of planning has to take place. Before any building can be constructed a foundation has to be planned, dirt or rocks have to be moved, and the foundation laid.

Without any planning, without dirt and/or rocks being moved, without any foundation, no building is going to stand very long. Buildings need something solid to rest on, something that walls can be anchored to, so they won’t tilt or lean after a few years. You’ve all probably seen buildings that were built on poor foundations. After a while they begin to lean one way or the other or maybe both ways and pretty soon all the nails and screws just can’t keep it together any longer.

The writer of Hebrews says the same thing about our existence. “…trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see.” Just as buildings need a good foundation so do we. In order to understand why we are here, in order to make sense of life and make our time here worthwhile we need faith in the One who created us and everything around us.

Faith is trusting in God. Faith is believing that there is One who is in charge of everything. Faith is putting our trust in someone we can’t see, someone we can’t touch, someone we may have never heard speak. Faith is starting out on this journey of life believing that our God has thought of everything and we don’t have to worry one minute about the details.

What gives you confidence? What or Who do you trust? Why do you trust or believe what you do? Is there one thing that you can put your finger on that you can point to and say, “This is why I believe. This is why I have faith.” Is there one book you can pull off your shelves, is there one particular sentence that you have memorized that gives your faith the strength it needs to go on?

How do you define your faith? If you have faith is your life a success? Is faith about the present or is it about the future? Does your faith help you connect with God? These are all personal questions that we can only answer as individuals.

The author of Hebrews gives us examples of people whose lives exemplified faith, Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham and Sarah. Are there people you know who are examples for you of living by faith?

In Luke’s gospel we heard this morning Jesus tells his listeners to sell their possessions and give to the poor. That takes faith.

Most of us would have real difficulty selling our possessions let alone giving the proceeds to the poor. After all they probably wouldn’t use our gifts the way we think they should. We don’t have faith that they would be any better off after our gifts than before. And so we hold onto our possessions, our treasures. Our faith doesn’t extend to the poor because we don’t believe they can change.

Do we really believe Jesus is coming back? If our faith says that He is coming back are we expectantly waiting for Him? Are we prepared for his return? Are we faithful?

The NIV translation of Hebrews 11:1 says that, “…faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” My friends, are we hoping to see Jesus return, are we certain that he is coming back? If this is what we believe can our neighbors see our faith by how we live, by the things we treasure?

For me, faith is believing there is a God who loves us. My faith is based on God loving us enough to send his Son to live here on earth, to die for us, and to rise again so we could have the assurance of life eternal with our Creator, God. What I believe is bolstered by God’s Word for us in scripture. I can’t explain why. It’s a mystery to me and my only response is that it’s God’s grace.

Can any of us make our faith stronger? Can we get faith if we don’t have it now? Why do some seem to have stronger faith than others? I don’t know the answer. Faith comes from God and as someone told me this week He has given us the freedom to choose. So some choose to believe and some choose not to believe. Why, only God knows.

Friends, God has called us together as a community of faith. As a community of faith he has called us to go out into the world to care for those who are struggling to make it day by day. As a community of faith we strengthen each other by holding each other up in prayer every day and caring for each other as brothers and sisters, members of God’s family. By answering God’s call and caring for the poor and those who need a hand our faith grows and God’s love is evident to those who are helped. God’s kingdom is present when we share God’s love and faith with those we have been called to help.

What do we believe? What are we waiting for? Believe in God. Believe in Jesus, God’s only Son. Believe in the Holy Spirit, our Counselor, our Advocate. Believe in God’s one holy apostolic, universal church. Believe in God’s forgiveness of our sins through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. Believe in His resurrection. And don’t wait one more minute. Answer God’s call to serve his children. Have faith in the One who loves you more than anyone or anything else.

Thanks be to God for his amazing grace and love. Amen.

Doing Our Own Thing

2010-08-02T14:56:00.000-05:00

What is it that makes us want to have so much control over our own lives? Why is it that we find it so terribly hard to listen to God’s voice and God’s message? Why do we have to do our own thing? Why do we want more and more and more?

In Hosea’s day God’s children were attracted to what their neighbors had and they wanted it. So they imitated them and began to live life them. They even worshipped the same Gods. The culture of the world was pulling them away from God. They were doing their own thing.

Paul in his letter to the Colossians asked them to quit doing what they had been doing and to “Pursue the things over which Christ presides.” If they were going to call themselves Christians then they had to die to their old lives and live lives as Christ lived. Quit doing their own thing.

The brother in the gospel lesson from Luke wanted Jesus to mediate a dispute between him and his brother so they could get the estate settled and he could get his share of the inheritance. He wanted his own way; he wanted his own thing.

What did Jesus say? He said, "Take care! Protect yourself against the least bit of greed. Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot." Jesus taught that we should fill ourselves with God not fill our lives with doing our own thing.

I was asked this week what I preached and it made me think. What do I preach? What I preach may be different than what you preach and it’s probably different from what you might hear another person preach on the same words of Scripture.

I preach that God loved us so much he came to live among us as Jesus Christ. Jesus taught us that God is love and that we are to live lives of love, loving God and loving our neighbors. To me that means that I can no longer just do my own thing. I must be about doing what God is calling me to do, love him with all I have in me and love my neighbors caring for them as I would like to be cared for.

Our lives are not all about us and what we can accumulate. We have been blessed by God with lives so that we can share what we have with our friends and neighbors.

That’s the Message for us today. Our focus, our calling is not to do our own thing but to do what God has and is calling us to do, love Him and love our neighbors.

Friends, God has blessed us with much and it is our calling to be about doing his good work.

Thanks be to God for his amazing love and grace. Amen.

What's Your Distraction?

2010-07-18T13:06:00.000-05:00

Do you ever get anxious and/or distracted? I’m sure we all are anxious and/or distracted at one time or another. Maybe we are anxious more than we’re not or maybe we’re distracted most of the time. Maybe we have our priorities all turned around.

As Jesus was on the road to Jerusalem with his entourage of disciples and followers he decided to stop by Martha and Mary’s place. As was customary Martha set about preparing to feed all these folks. That’s what it meant to be hospitable in their culture. So whether it was Jesus and the Twelve or Jesus and the 70 he sent out to the villages and towns where he was going, it was going to take a lot of preparation to get a satisfying meal put together for all these hungry travelers. Martha may have been stressed out because she didn’t have enough of anything to prepare a sumptuous banquet for the Lord and his band of followers. Why was she alone? Where was her sister, Mary?

Mary was in the other room sitting at Jesus’ feet listening to him teach. Why didn’t she feel compelled to be in the other room helping her sister? Surely she knew the unwritten law that it was necessary to care for and provide hospitality for any guests or visitors who came to your door.

We can certainly understand why Martha came into the room and asked Jesus to tell her sister to come help with the meal preparations. But then the guest, who is really the host, turns it all around, “Martha, dear Martha, you're fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing.”

Was what Martha was doing wrong? Was it wrong for Mary to be sitting at the feet of Jesus as he taught? Neither was wrong. How were they to know what was the best things to do? How are we supposed to know what to do?

I believe the message for us today is that spending time at the feet of Jesus is important. Providing hospitality for those who come to our homes is important too. Being distracted and anxious all the time about doing and not focusing on the being can lead us away from the One who seeks to teach us about God and his kingdom.

This lesson isn’t about Martha and Mary and one being better than the other. It’s about choosing to let go of our distractions and anxieties and understanding the importance of sitting at Jesus’ feet so that we can be filled with his Spirit and Wisdom.

I think it’s a good exercise to every so often, maybe even daily, to look back at our day, or week, or month, and note how we used the time God gave us. How much time did we spend doing, feeding God’s children, and how much time did we spend being with Jesus? And how much time did we spend being anxious about not getting enough done? If we put it all in a pie chart what would be the biggest slice? Would they be equal in size or would our worrying and anxiety and distractions take up the lion’s share of our time?

I think that is what Jesus was trying to teach all of us. He had just told the lawyer that we should love our neighbor. He told the seventy that hospitality was important but now he is telling us that we need to be careful that we don’t make these our priorities. Our priority is to allow ourselves to be taught by the Master, Jesus. Our priority is to take time to be with Jesus before we go out into the world and do what we are called to do.

Mary chose the essential thing. What will we chose today and tomorrow and the day after? If we believe that we’re too busy to take time to sit at Jesus’ feet maybe we need to check our priorities. Maybe we need to reread today’s lesson in Luke’s gospel.

Let’s see where we spend our time this week. Let’s commit to spending more time at Jesus’ feet. Let’s get filled with Jesus’ love and Spirit before we go out to do his work. Let’s ask Jesus to remove our anxieties and distractions so we can focus on the essential thing.

Thanks be to God for his amazing grace and love. Amen.

I'm No Prophet

2010-07-11T08:17:00.000-05:00

I’m no prophet but things don’t look too good for the world we live in today. There are the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. There’s the New Horizon oil rig explosion. It was bad enough that 11 people died in the explosion but now the whole Gulf Coast is suffering from the oil that is washing up on their shores. There’s the genocide in Rwanda, Darfur, and South Africa and religious persecution in Myanmar, Indonesia, the Philippines, Pakistan, and China. There’s the border fence and people coming into the US illegally because they can’t support their families at home in Mexico or Columbia, or wherever they’ve come from. There are the shootings in Omaha everyday.

Friends, our world is hurting. People are hurting. Countries are hurting. We are hurting. We’ve been beaten, robbed of our possessions, and left for dead by the side of the road by, whom…?

Our world is hurting and there doesn’t seem to be any Samaritan, good or bad, who is willing to stop and bind up our wounds. There aren’t any prophets like Amos who are answering the call from God to hold those in power accountable for what’s happening to our world. Everyone who could help is angling across to the other side of the road. At least that’s what it feels like.

I’m no prophet. I’m just a tool and die maker that God has called to preach here in Walnut. Sometimes I wonder what I’m doing. I worry that sometimes I might say something that will upset people. I don’t have answers to these problems in the world but I have quite a few questions, why, how, what, when.

God called Amos to speak for those who were being oppressed by the kings of Israel and Judah. He wasn’t a prophet either. He was a farmer who cared for sheep and he trimmed trees. He knew nothing about prophesying but still God spoke to him in visions and sent him to prophesy.

He wasn’t liked by the leaders. In fact one of them told him to pack it up and go back home. They didn’t appreciate the Message God had given him for them. Sometimes what God calls us to do is just not very popular with the rest of the world.

Jesus’ parable, of the man who was left lying by the side of the road by robbers and who was cared for by the Samaritan, wasn’t well received either. When the lawyer asked him who his neighbor was I think he expected Jesus to answer that his neighbors were his Jewish brothers and sisters. Wrong. The neighbor in Jesus’ story was the one who stopped and helped the man lying on the side of the road. The man who showed mercy to the stranded traveler was one who had himself probably suffered rejection and ridicule because of his heritage. He wasn’t the one the lawyer would have chosen for his neighbor.

I’m no prophet but I believe the Message for us today is the same as it was when Jesus was asked by the lawyer how he might achieve eternal life. We all know the answer, Love God with all our power and being; love our neighbors as much as we love ourselves.

Two short but very powerful sentences love God and love our neighbors. It’s not so easy to love the Supreme Being when we have never seen Him. Some people aren’t sure God even is. The second commandment to love our neighbors sounds easy but the world hasn’t done so well keeping it either.

Friends, I don’t know what else to say. We, the human race, have made a mess of things. Our world is in pretty bad shape and I wonder if it will ever be made right. I really believe that there is nothing any human being can do to fix the things that are wrong.

So, what should we do? I believe that we need to admit that we are at a loss for answers and take it to God in prayer. We need confess that we have made a terrible mess of it all and we need God’s help. We need to go to our knees in prayer and ask God to use us however he wills to do his work.

As Paul told us in his letter to the Romans, “Who in the world do we think we are to second-guess God? Do we for one moment suppose any of us knows enough to call God into question? (Romans 9:20)

The Message for us today is to remember everyday what Jesus commanded, “Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and muscle and intelligence—and that you love your neighbor as well as you love yourself.” (Luke 10:27) Treat those we find lying on the side of the road with kindness and mercy even if they aren’t like us, even if they might be our enemy.

Thanks be to God for his amazing grace and love. Amen.

What's On Your Doorstep?

2010-07-05T15:29:00.000-05:00

What’s on your doorstep? Did you go outside this morning to see if there was something new outside your door?

The seventy disciples Jesus sent out in pairs were to tell those they were sent to that ‘God’s kingdom is right on your doorstep!’ Did these people the disciples visited know what that meant for them? Did the disciples understand what Jesus meant?

What does it mean to us that ‘God’s kingdom is on our doorstep?’ Do we understand what that means any better than the people in the countries of Judea and Samaria? It’s hard for us to imagine what a kingdom is since we don’t live in a country someone in power rules. Jesus knew what it was and so did the people where he lived and taught.

The kingdom where they lived wasn’t so great. Someone always wanted more of their income to support the infrastructure and, maybe, line their own pockets. Men were conscripted into military service fighting for something they didn’t believe in against people they had no beef against.

Wait a minute! That could almost be us today. Someone always wants some more of our income to support the programs implemented by those we’ve elected into office. Sometimes we wonder if some of it isn’t going into their bank accounts.

Is God’s kingdom on our doorsteps? If it was would we know what it was? What is God’s kingdom?

Don’t feel bad if you don’t have an answer. Theologians have been debating that very statement for longer than you and I have been around.

The people of Jesus’ time were waiting for a savior, someone who would finally give them some respite from their oppressors. Jesus said that the kingdom of God was right on their doorsteps but things didn’t seem any different to them. Not much was changing. The Romans were still there, they still had to work very hard to scrape up enough money to support their families. After Jesus was crucified and resurrected was the world any different than before. It didn’t look or feel any different.

If God’s kingdom is here on our doorstep have any of you seen any difference? It doesn’t seem any different to me. There is still the war in Iraq and Afghanistan and Korea, and the Sudan. People are still without work and some aren’t able to provide shelter or food for their families. The oil spill still isn’t cleaned up. People are still homeless. So what’s it mean that God’s kingdom is here today?

Does the fact that God’s kingdom is here today, right in our midst, make any difference to us? If we believe that God’s kingdom is here now why do we believe? If we don’t believe that God’s kingdom is here now why not?

Jesus said God’s kingdom arrived because he was here. Paul said that God’s kingdom was here because of God’s gift to the world in Jesus the Christ. What does it take for us to know and believe?

I think that in order for us to know the kingdom of God is right here, right now, we need faith. We must believe in God. We must believe in Jesus the Christ as God’s Son, the Savior of the world. We must believe that God sent us his Spirit to be our Advocate and our Interpreter. We must believe.

Believing in God requires faith. And faith comes from God. So what do we do if our faith is weak? Can we make our faith stronger by ourselves?

Friends, there is nothing we can accomplish on our own. But through Jesus as our intermediary we can do anything. Our faith can be made stronger when Jesus intercedes for us before the Father. God’s kingdom is on our doorstep.

If we go looking for it we might miss it but if we listen to Paul’s words and follow his advice, then we might catch a glimpse of God’s kingdom here on Earth.

1-3 Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day's out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ's law… 4-5Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don't be impressed with yourself. Don't compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.
6Be very sure now, you who have been trained to a self-sufficient maturity, that you enter into a generous common life with those who have trained you, sharing all the good things that you have and experience.

God’s kingdom is on our doorstep. But we might not be able to see it because we’re too focused on our own needs and wants. Naaman didn’t want to do what Elisha told him to do because it was too simple, not elaborate enough for him. He expected a show.

God’s kingdom is on our doorstep. In order to truly experience it we must be willing to share God’s love and peace with everyone, the illegals, the foreigners, people who aren’t like us at all, and those we can hardly stand to be around. We must be willing to stoop down and help those who aren’t able to help themselves. Even when we believe they should be able to.

Friends, God’s kingdom is on our doorstep. We have been sent to minister to the world and we are to begin right here in Walnut, Iowa. By caring for those God sends to us and trusting in his providence for us and them we will see the kingdom of God on our doorstep.

Free Life

2010-06-27T15:13:00.000-05:00

Galatians 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.

Anything at all? Some people would say yes. At one time I would have been one of those. I didn’t think anyone could tell me what to do, ever. Then I went to school, and then to work, and then to the U.S. Army, and then I found Linda and she agreed to spend the rest of her life with me, and then we had children, and then and then and then.

Even with all those and then’s I still think I’m free. It’s all in our perceptions of freedom. What Paul is talking about in his letter to the Galatians is being free from the Law with all its jots and tittles. Former leaders of the church in Galatia came in after Paul left and said that in order to be Christian, a follower of the Way, they had to abide by the old Jewish rules. You know washing, circumcision, eating kosher foods, etc. Paul told them they were free from all those former restrictions but to be careful. They weren’t free to do whatever they wanted or they might destroy their freedom. So, were they really free?

Paul came back to what Jesus answered when he was asked what the most important commandments were. He said, “…Love others as you love yourself.” Sounds easy, doesn’t it.

The problem is we know it’s not so easy to love others. We can love some people some of the time and maybe, some of the time we might find it in our hearts to love all people. But we find it extremely difficult to love everyone all the time.

I don’t think there are many people who are truly free like Paul talks about. How many people do you know who are “living freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit? I know a few who succeed sometimes. But they are human and just like me they fall back into their old habits.

I think our problem is that we want to be in control. We think that’s what it means to be free. We want to make the decisions who we’re going to help, who we’re going to befriend, who we’re going to give food and money to. We want to free to choose and I think that’s our problem. We aren’t really trying it God’s way.

Just think what this community would be like if we did what Paul suggested. What would it be like if we acknowledged the gifts God brought into our lives, things like “affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity? What would it be like to develop a willingness to stick with things, to have a sense of compassion in our hearts, and such a conviction that there was a basic holiness throughout all things and people? Paul thinks that if we really try it God’s way that we would find ourselves in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. Wow! What kind of life would that be? What kind of freedom would we experience?

I think that if we would put our focus on the things to do rather than the things not to do we would soon find that the things of the world no longer hold an important place in our hearts. That’s what I think. I think it’s worth trying.

Friends, this is really important stuff. Really important stuff! It’s so important that I believe we shouldn’t wait to repent, to change how we’re living. Really, why are we waiting? What’s the harm in trying to love others as much as we love ourselves? It’s certainly not going to hurt anything to give it a try. If people turn their backs on us then remember what Jesus told the twelve when he sent them out, “If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them. Mk 6:11”

We can only do what God allows us to do. God doesn’t force his will upon us and we can’t force our will upon those we minister to either.

Have you ever wondered whether you’re making any difference in the world when you tell others how God has made your life so much more free? Have you ever been frustrated by how no one seems to be changing? Have you ever wondered why God still asks us to tell our stories? Is anyone listening?

I only ask these questions because they pop up in my mind every so often. But then I remember that it’s not important what I think it’s all about what God is calling me to do. I’m not in control, God is. When I realize that then I’m free. My burdens and worries are gone. All I have to remember is to love others as much as I love myself.

We each have been given gifts of the Spirit like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. None of us have received all of them but we have been given the ones that complement the work God has given us to do.

You say you don’t know what gift you’ve received. Go home and ask your spouse or your friends what your gifts are, they know. Listen to them and work to cultivate those particular gifts in loving others in the only way you possibly can as a child of God.

Remember what Paul said, “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.” That means we shouldn’t just nod our heads in agreement when we hear the Word of God but we should take it to heart and change our lives to love others as we love ourselves.

Let’s try it this week. Let’s see if we can change ourselves and our world. Let’s see if we can’t live our lives more freely, animated and motivated by God’s love for us.

Thanks be to God for his amazing grace. Amen.

Where Is God Asking You to Go?

2010-06-20T15:37:00.000-05:00

God called to Elijah and instructed him to go to Ahab and then he would send rain. I don’t think we heard everything that God told Elijah to do. When he met Ahab he told him to call all the people of Israel and meet him on Mount Carmel. Oh yeah, also invite all 450 of the prophets of Baal and Asherah to come too.

This is after Jezebel had all the prophets killed except the ones Obadiah hid in the caves. Elijah was the lone prophet left to confront the atrocities of Ahab and Jezebel.

Elijah goes into competition against 450 prophets and allows them to go first. All they had to do was get their god to light the fire on the altar where they had laid the slaughtered bull. They danced and called and cut themselves, all to no avail. Nothing happened.

Elijah rebuilt the altar of the Lord with twelve stones symbolizing the twelve tribes of Israel. The wood was arranged on the altar and then the slaughtered bull. Then Elijah had the people fill four jars with water and pour them on the meat, the wood, and the altar. They did this three times until the whole thing was drenched and the trench around the altar was filled with water.

Elijah stepped forward and prayed to God to let it be known that he was God in Israel and that he, Elijah, was his servant and had done all the things God had commanded him to do. He prayed that God would answer him so that the people would know that God was Lord and then they would turn their hearts back to God.

The fire of the Lord fell and burned up everything, the meat, the wood, the stones, the soil, and also evaporated all the water in the trench.

The people fell to the ground and worshipped God. They knew who their God was. Then Elijah commanded the people to seize the prophets of Baal and Asherah and bring them down to the Kishon Valley and slaughter them there. This they did and Jezebel was not happy. She issued her ultimatum to Elijah and so he fled into the wilderness where he was cared for by an angel of the Lord.

Elijah had really had enough and just wanted to die and get it all over with. Maybe some of us have felt that way at one time or another. We can maybe understand what Elijah desired. But God wasn’t done with him yet. And so he was fed with the food God’s angels provided for him.

He was energized by this food and so he was able to travel for 40 days and nights to Mount Horeb where he found a cave and went inside to spend the night. I think he thought he might be able to get some much needed rest. God had other plans for Elijah.

Rest wasn’t part of the plans God had for Elijah. God woke him and asked him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Elijah gave him the whole spiel. He told him how hard he had been working for the Lord. But now he was the only one left and Jezebel was trying to do him in too.

Maybe Elijah thought then he might be able to go back and lie down and get some rest, but no, God had something else for him. He wanted him to go out on the mountain and wait for the Lord to pass by.

A hurricane wind came up and moved boulders, an earthquake came and shook the mountain, and then fire came down but God wasn’t in any of these. And Elijah hadn’t come out of the cave either.

But then there was that gentle whisper and Elijah heard it. He pulled his cloak over his face and came out of the cave. Again God asked him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Again Elijah listed all that he had been doing for the Lord. After all this where does God ask him to go? He tells him to go back the way he came and go to the desert of Damascus.

What questions has God been asking you? Has he asked you the question he asked Elijah, “What are you doing here?” Did you answer like Elijah telling Him how zealous you had been in doing the work of the Lord? Were you hiding in a cave hoping to escape from the world but God found you there? Did he ask you to come out on the mountain to be in His presence because that’s where he was?

Were you afraid to step out of the cave for fear of where God might be asking you to go or were you afraid of all the noise outside and you were just waiting for it to calm down? And when it got still did you hear him whisper your name and so then you came out. Is that what you did?

Where has God asked you to go? Where is he asking us to go? Where is God asking his Church to go? These are questions people struggle with every day. I wonder every day where God is sending me. I wonder if I am doing what he wants me to do.

I ask myself the question why has God sent me here to do this? Why am I here in this place at this particular time? Where is he going to ask me to go next? Sometimes the uncertainty of it all worries me.

The man of Gerasene who had the host of demons removed from him wanted to go with Jesus. But that wasn’t what God had planned for him. Jesus told him to stay at home. Jesus told him to stay and evangelize his friends. He was to tell them what God had done for him. God asked him to stay home. That’s not what he wanted but it’s where God wanted him.

God doesn’t put us where we want but where he needs us. We don’t get to choose. And sometimes, in fact most times, that can be pretty frightening.

So good friends, where is God asking you to go today? Are you expecting fanfare and trumpets? Are you expecting fire and wind? Fire and wind scares us and it’s usually not until it’s quiet that we come out of our caves to listen to God.

We are so very fortunate that our God is patient and waits for us to come to Him. If we would only take time to go to our quiet places on the mountain then we would hear God’s voice speaking to us. And then, friends, we would know where God is asking to go and what he desires for us to be doing. And sometimes we have to go back the way we came. And sometimes we are asked to stay home and tell our story of what God has done in our lives to our friends. Even when we would rather go to a more exotic and exciting place.

So my friends, my message for you today is to pay attention to what God is doing around you. Listen for his voice to speak to you not as you expect but as you least expect. And friends be prepared to go back the way you came, maybe doing the same things you’ve always done but this time doing them for the Lord.

Isn’t God’s grace amazing? Thanks be to God for his forgiving grace. Amen.

They Deserved What They Got

2010-06-13T17:16:00.001-05:00

Whenever I read the story of Ahab and Naboth I can’t believe that anybody would put up with these kinds of actions. I mean how many of you would go up to your neighbor and tell them to sell you their garden just because it would be more convenient for you to gather fresh vegetables for your kitchen? Or how many of you would find people to lie about someone else to discredit them in the community so you could get their property without having to pay for it? That’s what Ahab and Jezebel did and they were brazen enough to think that they could get away with it.

Even when Elijah confronted Ahab and let him know that God wouldn’t stand for such actions it didn’t phase Ahab one bit. Apparently he didn’t believe that God could or would do what he said he’d do. Boy, was he wrong.

This time it seems as if those who deserved it got what they had coming to them. And we’re okay with that.

But what about us? Are we okay with God punishing us when we go against God’s will? How would we react if some prophet came to us and gave us the ultimatum that Elijah gave Ahab? Would we believe that God would follow through with his promise?

Something to ponder I think. We read the story of Jezebel and Ahab and we don’t believe that we could or would do anything near as bad as what they did. But are we any better than they were?

In Luke’s gospel another woman, one of not so stellar a reputation, comes in to the dining room where Jesus is seated waiting to have dinner with one of the more prominent Pharisees in town. I don’t know if she was already in the house or if she came in from the street when she found out Jesus was there. I guess it doesn’t really make any difference.

The fact is she came in where she was probably not very welcome. Can’t you just see the looks and the whispers as she came in and stood behind Jesus weeping? And then she stoops and wipes his feet that have been wet with her tears with her hair. Now the whispering is really going in earnest. Those who aren’t gossiping are thinking the same things others are saying. Why is he letting her do this? Why isn’t he stopping her? Doesn’t he know who she is? What kind of prophet is he?

Okay, so now we are filled with self-righteousness because we know that Jesus knows what everyone is saying and thinking and pretty soon he’s going to let them have it with both barrels. And we think, “Now they’re getting what they deserve.” Are we so pure? Are we really without sin?

Let’s take a look at ourselves. Let’s talk about the oil spill in the Gulf. Who’s responsible for the accident? Who’s responsible for the cleanup? Whose problem is it, British Petroleum’s, our Democratic government?

Sounds like the right answer doesn’t it? The news media would have us believe that all the blame is on BP’s shoulders. And others are blaming the Democratic government for not responding quickly enough. Or maybe it’s the Admiral who’s providing oversight of the whole mess down in the Gulf. Maybe it’s all a big conspiracy and it’s all these entities I named. The blame is all theirs. Right?

Let me ask you something. How many of us have a car or a pickup or a lawnmower or a motorcycle or a gas-powered string trimmer or something else that needs a petroleum product to operate? I’d wager that most of us have at least one of these and some of us have more than one. How many of us have air conditioners in our homes? Do any of us not have electricity in our homes or where we work?

We all have these luxuries. Of course we don’t think they’re luxuries we call them necessities. All of them use some form of power in order to make them useable for us. Most of them require some form of petroleum product or natural gas. How would our lives be different if we didn’t have gasoline or diesel or natural gas? We wouldn’t be able to hear ourselves think for all the whining if we didn’t have these things.

So, who’s responsible? It’s my belief that we are all responsible for the oil spill, the cleanup, the damage to the environment, and the lost jobs. We, and this includes me, believe that it’s our right to have all these conveniences. We couldn’t survive without them.

Friends, we are not without sin. We aren’t without blame. We are responsible and we probably shouldn’t be talking too loudly about how BP is totally to blame for this tragedy. None of us is reducing the amount that we drive or mow our lawns. Our demand for petroleum products is just as high as it’s ever been even with higher prices.

We are no different than Ahab or the Pharisee. We want all the oil we can get so we can have gas and diesel for our vehicles. We want it all and we don’t really care what’s happened in the Gulf. That’s BP’s problem not ours. They were the ones pushing their people to work harder and faster, not us. They’re the ones with deep pockets. It’s not our fault they used faulty materials. It’s not our problem.

Friends, we aren’t without blame. We are sinners. We worship other idols. We don’t accept responsibility for any of these problems. But we are responsible.

So what are we going to do? Hop in our cars and go down and join the cleanup effort? There are some who have done that and it’s some help. But is that really what’s needed?

What if, and this is a big what-if, we supported those who were working to clean up this mess? What if we let the news media know that we don’t agree with where they are placing all this blame? What if we let our governing leaders know, whether they’re Democrat or Republican, that we really want them to work together to solve this problem instead of pointing the finger at the other guy. They all are part of the problem too. What if we all worked together to make a positive difference? What if the head of BP knew that everybody didn’t place all the blame on him? Would that make a difference?

Maybe it is just one corporation’s or one political party’s fault, then shouldn’t we forgive them and work together to solve the problem and quit being so ready to have them sentenced to death or life imprison?

I think we’ve all contributed to the mess the world’s in. And we are all responsible for getting it straightened out, if it can be straightened out. But first we have to realize who’s in control. It’s not us. It’s God.

If we go to him first, begging forgiveness for the mess we’ve made of things, that’s would be a good start. Friends, it’s time we opened our eyes to the fact that we haven’t done such a good job taking care of our environment and maybe we should ask God’s help. After all he created it all. Wouldn’t he know how to make it right again?

Power corrupted Ahab. The Law or thinking that he was and could keep every one of God’s laws corrupted the Pharisee. They neither one believed they needed forgiveness or absolution. They never did any wrong.

Neither was justified in their thinking. Paul said, “…we are justified by faith in Christ, and not by doing the works of the law…” We aren’t any different. We aren’t justified by what we think is right or wrong. We are only made right by the sacrifice Jesus made for us on the cross.

It’s time we came to that realization and maybe get down on our knees and beg for God’s forgiving grace. The wonder of it all is God will forgive us. He has forgiven us. His grace is amazing.

Even with this big mess we’ve made of our world if we go to him he will forgive us.

Thanks be to God for his amazing grace. Amen.

What Now?

2010-06-06T20:24:00.000-05:00

Two boys are resuscitated. One grown man is transformed. Did any of them earn the gift they received? It was a gift, wasn’t it?

Who was the beneficiary of this free gift? Was it the boys and the man or the mothers of the two boys and the people who were no longer persecuted? Who benefited from this gift of God’s grace? Why were they chosen to receive this grace?

For that matter why does God grant any of us his grace? We surely don’t deserve it. But God gives us grace anyway. What do we do now?

Two widows got their sons back. Without their sons they would have had no one to provide for them. They could have ended up homeless or slaves to some wealthy Roman or Jew. And then they may have thought it would have been better to die.

Saul was on the road to Damascus to catch some more people of the Way doing what he felt was blasphemy against God’s chosen church, and his chosen people. On the way he encountered Jesus. What took place on the road and later is a real mystery but Saul was definitely changed. No longer did he seek to persecute people of the Way but he became one of their strongest advocates as he preached the gospel all over the East and Middle East; wherever God directed and nudged him to go. Not only was his name changed but he was recreated into the man God always planned for him to be, doing what God had prepared him for.

So, what now? What do we do now? God grants his grace whenever, wherever, to whoever he deems to give it. I believe everyone, all of us, still tries to earn this gift. I believe that each of us, when we receive God’s grace, try to imagine how we can repay God for the gift. We can’t believe that God would give us his grace because we know, deep in our souls, that we aren’t worthy to receive it. So, what do we do now?

The widows probably asked themselves that question. Paul may have been asking himself that question until Ananias explained to him what God had told him. Paul was the chosen one to go out and preach the gospel to the Gentiles. Because Paul accepted that responsibility we are blessed with God’s grace right here in Walnut, Iowa. If he had refused the assignment God gave him I wonder what the world would be like today.

What do we do now with God’s gift of grace to us? What do we do when God gives us his free gift of grace? What did these folks do when they received God’s grace? The gospel lesson says that the boy sat up and talked. I wonder what he said. The people who witnessed his resuscitation were quietly worshipful and then noisily grateful. They were excited to discover that God was there, right there in their presence.

The widow from Zarephath was also grateful and afterwards was sure that God listened when Elijah spoke to him. She wasn’t a Jew and still she believed and was grateful for God’s gift.

Saul knew that he had encountered God and he didn’t even question what he should do. He just got up and used what he knew to be true from the Hebrew scriptures and went out and began preaching the Good News. I don’t believe he was trying to repay God for his transformation. I believe he was driven by the Spirit of God much like Jesus was driven into the wilderness to be tested. Saul/Paul couldn’t do anything else. He was driven to do what he did.

So, good friends, what do we do now? God has blessed us with his grace. What do we do with it?

You may be asking yourselves, “Grace? I’m not sure about that.” Friends, I’m sure we have been given God’s free gift of grace otherwise I don’t believe we would be here on such a fine day. I believe that everyone who spent even one day here this week with the Vacation Bible School children was given grace beyond anything they ever imagined. What do they do now? I think there is only one answer. They just need to pay it all forward. Pass it on to those others who are desperate need of grace.

I believe that the answer to, “What do we do now?” We use the gifts God’s Spirit has given us to help others in ways that only God can know how. That’s what we do now. We give to others in the only way we can as only each of us can.

It begins by accepting God’s grace for us and then sharing it with those we meet while we are blessed to be here as long as we are here.

We complain about the state of affairs we find our country and our world in and wonder why someone doesn’t do something. Why doesn’t God do something? Friends, he has. He has given all of us a commission. Go out, make disciples, baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Care for the widows, the poor, the weak and the lame, and the imprisoned. Friends, as Jesus told the disciples, “The harvest is great but the laborers are few.” Nothing’s changed. The harvest is still great and the laborers are still few, but today you now have the answer to what we all should do now. Go out and serve. Go out and minister to those who need what we have to give. Just go.

Thanks be to God for his amazing grace. Amen.

How Do We Know God/How Is God's Being Made Known to Us?

2010-05-30T15:16:00.000-05:00

How do we “know” God? Don’t go telling me to pick up a Bible and begin reading. I know that I can find out about God by reading but I want to hear how we “know” God. Another way to put the same question might be, “How is God’s being made known to us?”

I’m trying very hard not to form my questions by using any gender specific pronouns. That’s not very easy. I grew up reading the King James version of the Bible and every pronoun used the masculine reference and it’s very hard for me to not use that reference. So if I slip and say “Him” or “His” please forgive me. I know that God doesn’t have a gender. I know that God is, was, and yet to be but I am after all just a male human being and it’s very hard to change what has been programmed into my brain.

So, back to the original question, “How do we know God or how is God’s being made know to us?” The only point of reference I have is from my own experience as a human being. How do we get to know others?

We get to know others by talking with them, by hanging out with them, by spending time with them. After a while we “know” them, kind of. Actually we only know what people allow us access to. What we know about each other is probably pretty superficial.

Remember the old television program The Newly Weds. We all laughed when they were asked questions to see how well they really “knew” each other. Today the shoe’s on the other foot. The question is, “How do we know God?”

Now, when your friends ask you to tell them about God what descriptive words or phrases do you use? I believe the answers we would give depend on our relationship with God.

I haven’t even got to what today is all about yet, the Trinity. And I don’t think I will. I think, if we’re all honest, we all “know” God in different ways and some of them are gender specific. Why’s that? I don’t have a good answer because to be honest it’s all a mystery to me. It’s kind of like calculus. I know what it is but there’s no way that I can begin to describe what it is or how it works or what it’s used for. Trying to explain God is about the same for me.

A lot of words have been written in the Confessions and in church doctrine in an attempt to more clearly understand and define God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. I think, and it’s only my opinion, that God will reveal everything we need to know in his good time. And how that is accomplished is another mystery.

We “know” God through the life of Jesus as recorded for us in the Bible. And we come to understand it through the power of the Holy Spirit as the Word is interpreted to us, as we read, ponder, and reflect on its Message for each of us.

How you “know” God, how God is revealed to you is, more than likely, different for each of us. Basically I believe it depends on our faith which is what Paul was speaking about in his letter to the Romans. We are “justified by faith” and “we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand.”

So, there you have it. We “know” God through our faith and we have our faith because God has granted us access by his grace. It’s all grace. We know God by being in relationship with God. We know God by how willing we are to believe, by how willing we are to let go of the things that tie us down to this world. The more we relieve ourselves of our burdens the more God is revealed to us.

The more we give or give up the more we receive. I don’t know why that’s just how it seems to work. And it’s different for every one of us. Why, ask God. Only God can answer these questions.

Theologians have spent years and years trying to answer this question. If they can’t come up with something simple that everyone can understand then I’m certainly not going to try. As I said it’s all about our faith and God’s grace.

So, now what do we do? I think the most important action any of us can take is to work on our relationship with God. Relationships take a whole lot of work. At least human relationships take a lot work. And we don’t always do so well in that area. I’m always stubbing my toe or biting my tongue, or putting my foot in my mouth and I don’t think I do so well with God either.

At least I know that God will forgive me, humans find it much harder to forgive our slips of the tongue. I think the psalmist has the question right, “Who is this God, that he is even mindful of us humans?” We’re just a speck in the universe, actually less than a speck. Yet here we are and he loves us.

So shouldn’t we get to know our Creator? Shouldn’t we be in some kind of relationship with the one who redeems us?

We all know what we need to do. Now we just need to do it. We need to intentionally spend time with our God. As we do we will begin to know God in many different ways, in many different roles. God may be our Father, our Mother, our Counselor, our Confidante, our Advocate, our Friend, our Brother, our Sister, our Confessor, our…you fill in the blank.

The thing is in order to “know” God we have to begin to develop our relationships. It all begins with us. Our relationships with God won’t improve; we won’t know God any better unless we take the step. The sooner we make a start the sooner we will “know” more about our God. And it won’t seem like such a chore once we take that first step. That’s because God will be right there with us all the way from the very beginning as always.

What's Happening Here?

2010-05-23T10:52:00.000-05:00

What’s happening here? That may have been the question Jesus’ disciples asked each other when the Holy Spirit descended on/in them. Just imagine what it must have been like. What if the same thing happened here today?

We are all gathering in this room to worship. We’re visiting with each, we’re talking about what went on in the community last night, we’re complaining about the weather, but we’re not ready for what God is about to do. We’re not expecting anything different to happen than what happened last Sunday. We’re not prepared for what’s coming next.

All of a sudden without warning there’s this sound like a tornado approaching but the other signs aren’t showing themselves, no green sky, no trees moving, not even a leaf, but there’s still that sound. You look around at your friends and you notice that something else strange is happening. Something that looks like tongues of fire is settling down above everyone’s heads. What’s happening here? That’s the question going through your mind, maybe. Or you might be just too surprised to even know what to think.

Then it gets quiet and then you think, “What just happened here?” The next thing that happens is even weirder. Everyone begins to talk, but no one is speaking in their own native tongue. They are speaking in the languages of all those who have immigrated to Jerusalem. It’s all very confusing. There’s so much noise. Everyone’s talking at once.

And then it gets quiet again. People are gathering outside and we’re all inside. They’re probably wondering the same thing we are, “What’s happening here?” And we’re not sure either.

There are some who believe we’ve been filled with God’s Spirit but there are others who think we been drinking too much new wine even though it’s only nine o’clock in the morning. And we ask ourselves again, “What just happened here?”

Today we know what happened there. Luke did a pretty good job describing what took place. My question is, since we know what happened there, do we come to worship expecting the same thing to happen? Do we come to worship expecting the Holy Spirit to fill the room and baptize everyone with his power?

Do we expect anything extraordinary to happen in this room when we come to worship, when we come to praise this great God who created everything we see, when we come to thank Him for sending his Son, Jesus, here to teach us and show us what God is like? Do we expect to be surprised by God when we come to worship? Do we come to worship and expect to leave different from what we were when we came inside? Do we want to be changed?

Do you think the disciples had any idea what Jesus meant when he told them God was going to send an Advocate to them after Jesus ascended into heaven? I think the disciples were no different than you and me. I don’t think they fully understood what Jesus meant or what was going to happen. One thing is for certain they trusted him but they didn’t really get it until he left them and the Holy Spirit showed up. Then they got it, the Holy Spirit and understanding.

So they were inside waiting, watching, worrying and the others were outside waiting, watching, and worrying. Kind of like us, we’re inside and others are outside. We’re worrying about numbers and finances and those outside are worrying about food and money.

Then the Advocate came and they were filled with his power. But their problems didn’t go away. Actually it was like they had new problems added on top of the old ones. Now they were compelled by the Spirit to go out and tell the story, to tell their story to the world, God’s Good News for the world.

When they were filled with the Spirit of Jesus they just had to go out and teach, and preach, and listen, and heal, and tell their stories. And it wasn’t easy. It isn’t easy today. But because they were driven by the Spirit because they weren’t scared silly by the wind and the fire and the noise because they felt compelled to tell their stories we are here today.

And sometimes, we say to ourselves, “What’s happening here?” Maybe we don’t ask the question often enough though. When we get up out of the pews do we feel the compulsion to go out and tell our stories? Do we feel driven to share the Good News with the community? Do we even speak their language?

“What’s happening here?” Are we hiding inside like the disciples were waiting, watching, worrying, fretting about what’s going on outside? What do we expect to happen?

Jesus Prays for Us

2010-05-17T10:34:00.001-05:00

Just before Jesus went to the garden to pray, before he was kissed by Judas and arrested by the High Priest’s soldiers, Jesus prayed for his disciples. He knew that the time of his arrest, the time of his torment and suffering was very close. If he was going to pray for them this was the time for it.

You know I’ve wondered if the disciples were like us. I mean, when someone begins to pray and I know they’re going to go on for a while, my body just kind of goes into a meditative trance. Some people would say I’m sleeping but I think it’s a form of meditation. Anyway, when Jesus prayed for his disciples were they all listening to his words or were they in a meditative trance, like I’ve been known to go into? Have you ever wondered about that? I have, especially when I know that some of my own prayers get kind of long during worship and I’m sure some in the congregation have gone into their own meditative trance.

I’ve just been wondering were they really listening to what Jesus prayed or was John the only one who got it all down. Do we need to remember every word that someone prays when we’re present or is it okay for us to just be there quietly with them, even if we are in a trance? What do you think?

Jesus made some very important statements. Some of it was just letting God know he was aware of all that God had done for him and his disciples. God gave the disciples to Jesus. We’ve always thought Jesus chose them as he walked along the beach and through town but today we learn that God had chosen them a long time ago and gave them to Jesus to be his core group to carry on God’s work after Jesus ascended into heaven.

He wasn’t just praying for the disciples, he was praying for everyone who would believe in him through the Word. He was praying that they would all be one, so that the world would know for sure that God had sent him to save the world.

It sounds to me as if Jesus was praying for the Church to be one, God’s love in his children and Jesus in his children. Has his prayer been answered yet? Are we one church? Are we filled with God’s love and Jesus?

Jesus’ prayer was for all of us to be completely one. I don’t think we’re there yet. I’m really not sure if we’ll ever get there in my lifetime. But I trust that God will one day make us one with him and each other.

So, if we’re not there yet and since we are sometimes referred to as “the hands and feet of Jesus” shouldn’t we be working towards being united with all the other churches? What is it that we should be doing? Is there anything that we can do that would make a difference, that would bring us closer together?

I think the early church struggled with this very same problem. Peter and the disciples were doing their thing in Jerusalem and Paul and his cohorts were doing their thing in the part of the world outside the bounds of Jerusalem.

Peter, James, and John were preaching and teaching to other Jews, and a few Gentiles, while Paul and friends were preaching primarily to Gentiles and a few Jews. I think each group probably alienated those on the fringes. Even the disciples didn’t agree with how Paul was doing things and Paul thought Peter and the disciples were making a few mistakes too.

We have the same things going on today. There are Lutherans, Pentecostals, Baptists, United Methodist, Brethren, Friends, Roman Catholics, Jehovah Witness, and Latter Day Saints. There are so many it’s difficult to get a count. And there seems to be one or two theological differences that keep us from all getting together as one church.

But that didn’t keep Jesus from praying for us to be one in unity. It didn’t keep Paul and Silas from singing their hymns in the jail. It didn’t keep the psalmist from writing his psalms praising this great God we come here to worship today. And it shouldn’t keep us from working toward reconciliation with our sisters and brothers of other faiths and denominations.

I believe that Jesus is still praying for us. I believe he’s praying for us right now. I believe he’s praying for us right now as we worship inside this church, First Presbyterian, in Walnut, Iowa. I believe he’s praying for us to be one with our adopted brothers and sisters who are worshipping at Calvary and Peace and Our Savior and Monroe and St. Patrick’s. That’s what I believe. What do you believe?

Do you believe that we can all be one? Can we be one diversified church? I believe that is Jesus’ prayer for us.

I believe it can happen if we will join Jesus in praying for unity within our denomination and with all denominations and faiths in the world. I believe it takes faith, it takes time in prayer, and it depends on God’s grace. Actually, when I think about it, it’s all about God’s grace.

We pray and petition God and God in his grace will bring it all about. As John said in Revelation, “Come, Lord Jesus! Amen.”

Thanks be to God for his amazing grace. Amen.

A New Heaven, A New Earth, A New Commandment

2010-05-03T10:35:00.000-05:00

Peter experiences a vision, not just once but three times. In the vision God shows him every living thing he ever created. Then he told him to “kill and eat.” Now this went against everything that Peter had been taught by the teachers in the synagogue.

In the reading from Revelation John has a vision where he sees a “new heaven and a new earth and a ne Jerusalem.” In the vision he saw that God had moved into the neighborhood and was living among the men and women. He was shown in the vision that God was indeed in the world. What Jesus had told his disciples about the kingdom of God being right here, right now was in fact true.

This new heaven and earth was a place where there were no more tears, no more death, no more sorrow. Everything the human race thought they had all figured out was being tossed out the window with the wash water. All the rules, all the laws of nature, everything that scientists and mathematicians thought they had figured out, all that was gone. Everything was being made new. There was a new dimension being revealed that no one ever knew existed. God was showing it first to John in a vision.

As if this isn’t enough “new” for us John tells us in his gospel of the “new commandment” Jesus gave them before he departed this world. That commandment was to love one another as he had loved them. Love everyone as Jesus had demonstrated to them by his teaching and his actions.

If they lived by his commandment showing love for everyone as Jesus had then everyone would know that they were truly his disciples.

On top of all that the psalmist reminds us that the whole world should be giving God praise for all that he provides.

So where should we begin? What’s the most important lesson for us today?

I think that the key point in the scriptures heard from the Word today is that God is love. Jesus was the perfect example for his disciples and for us. He lived his life in love for his Father, God, and love for all God’s children.

It did not matter what their station in life was. It did not make any difference to him what mistakes they had made or were still making in the lives. He invited himself to dinner. He invited them to join him wherever he was. He shared his love, God’s love, with them even before they had asked forgiveness for their sins. He just loved them as there were, where they were, unconditionally.

Just imagine what this world would be like if we were perfect examples of Jesus to the world where we live. But we aren’t perfect. We make mistakes. We turn our backs on folks who are begging for handouts. We try to not see those people who are scrounging through the garbage we set out at the curb to be picked up. We think that all the government agencies, all the non-profits, will take care of those who can’t find employment, who can’t afford the same health insurance we have.

But friends, is that love? Is that the example Jesus was to his disciples? He said, “Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another.”

How are we to love those who are doing the killing in Omaha? How are we to love those who abuse children and spouses? How are we to love those who are trying to destroy this country we call home?

Friends, it’s definitely not easy and it’s not something we can do through our own will power. In fact, if we try to do it all by ourselves we will fail miserably. We will make a terrible mess of everything.

The only way it’s possible to live lives of love as Jesus lived is to first off develop a close relationship with God. The only way to begin is by accepting God’s grace. God’s gift to us was given to us in the life and death of his Son, Jesus the Messiah.

God doesn’t ask anything of us because he knows it’s impossible for any of us to earn his grace. His grace is a free gift to us. He doesn’t expect anything from us except our acceptance of his Son, Jesus.

Will we ever get it right? Will we ever be able to perfectly love everyone? What do you think? Have you tried? How are you doing at loving everyone? I’m not doing so well. In fact, some days I fail so miserably that I wonder if God hasn’t given up on me.

By God’s grace I know that I’m forgiven. By God’s good grace we are all forgiven. We can’t give up. We must keep on trying. We must keep on loving. We must lean on God for stronger faith, more persistence, more stamina to continue the race we are running.

The goal is the new heaven, the new earth, the New Jerusalem and eternal life with the Triune God. We need to be reminded that God is love.

He is cheering us on. He is rooting for us to succeed. Friends, in his photo album your picture is on the front page. God has many front pages.

By God’s grace we will be filled with his love through his love for us in Jesus the Messiah. By God’s grace we will be enabled to share his love with all who come to us for nurture and help and love.

God loves you my friends and so do I. Amen.

Can You Relate?

2010-04-19T10:51:00.000-05:00

Can you relate to the way the disciples felt after Jesus' death and resurrection? Have you ever had the rug pulled out from under your feet? How did that make you feel? Were you ready to give up? How were you able to get past your grief? Have you ever felt so lost and in such despair that you thought there was no way you could recover? But then you did and joy came into your life.

Maybe it happened bit by bit, a little ray of light breaking into the darkness just a little further everyday. Or maybe you experienced what the disciples did when Jesus suddenly appeared in the room when they were behind locked doors. One day you are lower than your shoe laces and the next day sunlight bursts through the darkness and you’re almost blinded by its brilliance.

And you wonder, how’d this happen? And the next thing you knew the light was gone and you were plunged into the depths of darkness again. The roller coaster ride was almost too much to take. You just wanted one or the other.

What do you do when life is tough or where do you go? Do you go to bed, pull the covers over your head and hope that when you wake up you’ll find out it was all a bad dream. It never is you know. Or do you run away and hope that you can outrun the darkness that has invaded your world. What do you do?

Do you go to your knees in prayer? Do you seek out your best friend? Do you rail against God? Do you look for answers in the clouds, alcohol, books, or The Bible? What do you do?

Or do you give up on God or maybe just think about giving up on God? Maybe you’ve done both. Did it help? Or were you so lost and so empty that you never thought you’d find your way back to God?

When we get to that point will God call us back? When you got to that point did God call you back or is he calling for you today? How did you recognize his voice? Where were you when you heard him calling you? What did you hear him say? Did he chastise you or were his words soft and kind, filled with love?

These are all the emotions the disciples felt. How do you think Peter felt? Listen for a moment to what Peter has to say…(Monologue written by Rev. Ann Scull)

I've made some big mistakes in my time! ... but nothing like the ones I made on the night when Jesus was arrested. It all started to go wrong when the soldiers came to arrest him. I couldn't believe it was happening! I jumped in like a real life Rambo and took a swipe at one of the arresting soldiers - but I only managed to remove his ear and before I could have another go, Jesus reached out and healed him. I was astounded. And as the crowd started to snigger, I felt big and stupid and clumsy. So I stood and watched them lead him away as it hit me that after three years I still didn't really understand what he was on about. But I couldn't abandon him. I followed the soldiers at a distance till they reached a courtyard. I tried my best to blend in but it was difficult. They all recognized me, the servant girl, the gatekeeper, and a big bloke who was a relative of the soldier whose ear I had removed! He recognized me in a flash!! And if they didn't recognize my face then my Galilean accent gave me away. They were all having a go at me - trying to make me admit I was one of his friends. But I couldn't do it. Three times I denied that I even knew him! I was so scared of what they would do to me. I caved in like a house of cards.
But that's not the worst of it. Jesus knew what I was doing! As the soldiers led him away he looked straight at me, our eyes locked through an open doorway.... and I could tell. He knew all right. And ....and there was nothing I could do! And I remember his words telling me I would do this awful thing. I felt ill just thinking about it. I ran outside and cried like a baby. It was as if my heart was breaking. In a matter of minutes, my whole world was in shatters.
After he was crucified, strange things happened. I was one of the first to see his empty tomb. He appeared to us all one Sunday when we met together in secret. But for me, life became even more difficult as the dark cloud of my denial of him spoilt any of the joy. It was as if there was a wall between us - a wall which I had built - which I didn't know how to remove. I was dying to speak to him but it was also the thing I dreaded most.
So I went back to my boats and the fishing. What else could I do? I didn't have the heart for it any more but it kept my hands busy. I conned a few of the others into fishing with me. And one morning as we returned home, there was Jesus - on the beach. I was so intent on speaking to him that I couldn't wait for the boat - instead I dived straight in and swam to shore. But I was tongue- tied. I couldn't say all the things that were on my heart. Instead I ran around doing everything he asked with all the enthusiasm I possessed. And my business and eagerness hid the wall between us - but could not break it down.
After breakfast, he took me for a little walk along the beach. I didn't know what he was going to say. The weight of my guilt blotted out any other thought. I couldn't think how to even start to say all the things I wanted to say. If I had tried to say that I loved him it would have sounded trite and hypercritical after all that had happened. But I didn't have to. Instead he asked me if I loved him! Three times I had said he was not my friend on that terrible night. Three times on the beach he asked me if I loved him. Three times I said yes with my whole heart. And I knew he believed me because he gave me a job to do - to look after his followers for him - a job that proved to me that he trusted me and that the past was forgotten and that the wall between us was gone.

Let’s go to the stations set up here in the sanctuary. What do you need? Who are you like? Are you like…

Station 1. Paul and his need for a new direction?

Station 2. Ananias and his need for courage?

Station 3. The disciples and their need for a new perspective?

Station 4. Peter and his need for forgiveness?

No adults came forward with any artistic creations on the "arrows" but the children certainly enjoyed the "barby" by the lectern.

Thanks to Ann Scull from somewhere in Australia for the ideas for this worship experience.

How Do We Know Jesus?

2010-04-12T10:42:00.002-05:00

Jesus’ disciples were the first to witness the risen Lord. When he first appeared to them they were frightened and didn’t believe what they were seeing. And who could blame them? How many people has anyone ever seen come back from the grave? No one has ever done that that I know of, except Jesus.

The first time Jesus was present with the disciples Thomas wasn’t there. We don’t know where he was, but when the others told him they had seen Jesus he said that he wouldn’t believe it unless he saw with his own eyes the wounds caused by the nails in his hands and his feet, or the wound made by the soldier’s spear.

Later, when the disciples were gathered together in the same room where they had celebrated the Passover with Jesus, Thomas was there. Jesus again appeared among them even though the doors were locked.

This time he headed straight for Thomas and showing him his hands, feet, and side invited him to put his fingers there. Jesus told him to stick his hand in his side. John doesn’t tell us whether he actually touched Jesus or not but he did record Thomas’ response, “My Master, My God!”

He believed this was Jesus when he saw the wounds with his own eyes. This begs the question, “How do we know Jesus, the Christ?” Do we need to see his wounds? Wounds he received because he took upon himself all our sins. Do we need to put our fingers on his scars? What do we need so we believe?

How does God make Christ known to you? The Nicene Creed says…
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary
and became truly human.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.

The confessions, written by men and women, try to put into words the how and the why of it. In the Scot’s Confession we read… rebirth is wrought by the power of the Holy Ghost creating in the hearts of God’s chosen ones an assured faith in the promise of God revealed to us in his Word; by this faith we grasp Christ Jesus with the graces and blessings promised in him.

The Scots believed that it was by faith brought about by the power of the Holy Spirit that we know, grasp, Christ Jesus. We know that his resurrection was confirmed by the testimony of his enemies, and by the resurrection of the dead, whose sepulchres did open, and they did rise and appear to many within the city of Jerusalem. It was also confirmed by the testimony of his angels, and by the senses and judgment of his apostles and of others, who had conversation, and did eat and drink with him after his resurrection. (Scots 3.10)

They believed and so we believe because there were credible witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection. Everything they witnessed was recorded and passed down through the generations to all of us who are sitting here today.

But there still are many who have doubts. And, friends, it’s not a bad thing to have doubts. In fact it’s in our human nature to doubt things unless they can be proved. We need to confirm them with all our senses and in some instances things must be proved with logical calculations.

So how do we know Jesus? How do we prove him? Can we say beyond the shadow of a doubt that he is real? Can we confirm Jesus’ presence with our senses? Can we prove that he existed and still exists with any logical calculations? I don’t think so. But, what do you think? Can you prove Christ?

The disciples, and Thomas, had it easier; they were there. They saw his wounds. They saw him eat, and cook, and they heard him teach. But, then he disappeared. How did they prove to those who never witnessed his reappearance that he actually was raised from the grave? How do we prove it?

I believe that it’s all up to God. I believe that God, through his Holy Spirit, grants his grace to people in their faith, in the Word, and in the distribution of the Sacraments at the Table and the Fount.

So, we believe by faith not our senses? What did our ancestors say? The Heidelberg Confession says…It is not only a certain knowledge by which I accept as true all that God has revealed to us in his Word, but also a wholehearted trust which the Holy Spirit creates in me through the gospel, that, not only to others, but to me also God has given the forgiveness of sins, everlasting righteousness and salvation, out of sheer grace solely for the sake of Christ’s saving work. (Heidelberg Confession 4.021)

It’s not an easy thing to be a Christian. Especially when a friend puts us on the spot and says, “How do you know Jesus rose from the grave?” How do we prove it? How do we know Jesus and how can we prove him to others?

Friends, as I’ve said I believe God does all the work. Without his grace we aren’t able to do anything. So, I contend that we explain how God in Jesus and the Holy Spirit has worked, is working, and will continue to work in our lives. In other words, we tell our story and let them see and believe for themselves trusting in God to open their heart to him.

That’s what I believe, that’s how I know the Christ. How do you know Him? What do you believe and what do you base your belief on? What supports your belief? It’s not easy being a follower of the risen Christ but there are rewards, eternal life is one.

So, good friends, how do you “know” Jesus? That is the question I would like you to meditate, reflect on, and contemplate this week. Yes, you have homework and maybe there’ll be a test. Go to God’s Word, ask God in prayer to show you how he makes himself known to you in Jesus and the Holy Spirit, and then wait in silence for God’s response. Trust in God to reveal his answer to you.

Friends, we serve a risen Savior. He defeated death for us. He died on the cross for our sins and rose from the grave so we would no longer have to fear the grave. It doesn’t end there for us.

The tough thing for us is explaining to ourselves, and others, why we believe that. It’s all faith and faith comes from God by his grace. Pray that all will receive God’s grace.

Thanks be to God for his revealing, saving grace. Amen.

You're the Witnessess

2010-04-05T09:18:00.000-05:00

The women went to the tomb where they had seen Joseph and Nicodemus and John place the body of Jesus. They went there to anoint the body with the burial spices and perfumes they had purchased and prepared.

Joseph had purchased the linens to wrap Jesus' body and Nicodemus had brought 75 pounds of spices to wrap in the linens. But they were only men and they wouldn't have prepared his body like the women would have.

There just wasn't time to do everything properly after they took Jesus' body down from the cross. The Sabbath was only a few hours away and it took time to do everything the way it should be done. So, they let the men do their thing and they planned on coming back on Sunday.

But when they arrived there they noticed that the stone had been rolled back; a stone that was so heavy and constructed in such a way that it would take three strong men to roll it back and put a chock in place to hold it. That was very strange in itself but when they bent over to look inside the tomb all they saw was two angels sitting there as if they were waiting for them.

You've heard the scriptures read this morning. You know the story they told. But isn't it typical of men that they didn't believe them when they told them what they had found? Of course, one of them had to go there to verify that what they had told them was in fact true.

Only Peter didn't see anything, not even one angel. All he found was an empty tomb. He was a little perplexed. It was all very confusing.

Why didn't they remember? Jesus had told them what was going to happen. He had told them how the prophets predicted the coming of the Messiah and what would happen to him. But it was like their ears were plugged with wax. And they went brain dead.

As the two who talked with Jesus on the road to Emmaus were telling their story Jesus appeared right there with them in the Upper Room. They were scared, almost to death. They were certain he was a ghost.

He showed them his hands and his feet. And then he asked for something to eat. Some leftover fish was all they had and he ate it in front of them.

How do we know all this? How can we believe what we are hearing is true? We can believe because those who were there were witnesses to what happened, first hand witnesses.

Jesus took advantage of the opportunity to tell them again what he had told them before. He taught them one more time what was written about him in the Laws of Moses, and in the Prophets and the Psalms.

Because they experienced this all first hand and then had it all explained to them again it became crystal clear to them that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, the Son of God. He was resurrected. He was alive! He was the real deal.

We know this today because they were there and they took the Great Commission to heart. They went into all the world making disciples and baptizing all nations in the name of the Trinity.

God sent Jesus into the world because he loved the world. He didn't send him because he condemned them but because he loved them so much. But he didn't come just for the Jews but for the whole world, all the nations. He came so that we might have life eternal.

So now you're the witnesses. It's your turn to go out into your world and make disciples by telling your story, sharing with others how Jesus has changed you. You are here today because of God's love for the world and the sacrifice Jesus made by giving his life for the sins of the world.

Friends, you are witnesses to God's love, God's joy, God's peace. You are witnesses to God's kingdom here on earth.

Believe what your heart tells you is true. Believe what you read in the Word. Jesus came into the world and died for our sins and rose again as proof that God defeated death. He went to hell for us and came back. Believe it!

Friends, listen to God's voice. Be a witness today to God's love for the world.

Give your heart to him and share God's good news with those you meet on your journey.

Thanks be to God for his wondrous love. Amen.

From Dancing in the Streets to the Road of Grief

2010-03-28T12:06:00.002-05:00

We have just traveled with Jesus into Jerusalem as rode into that crowded city on the back of a small donkey. People laid their coats on the street and shouted “hosannas” as he came in with his band of followers.

The joyous mood quickly turned somber as they sat at the table to celebrate the Passover. Jesus took the cup and the bread, blessed them, and then instructed them to take these elements, eat and drink, and to remember him each and every time they did this. The full impact of Jesus’ words didn’t hit them until he came back to them from the grave.

I don’t think any of us here today can really understand the burden Jesus was carrying in his soul as he came into the city and then as he sat at the table with his apostles. All of us have had worries that weighed down upon us but nothing like the suffering and torment he was facing.

Try to imagine what it must have been like for Jesus to know that he was going to be betrayed by one of his chosen twelve. One of those sitting at the table celebrating the Passover with him was going to betray him with a kiss.

I wonder if he knew then just how much suffering and pain he was going to have to endure. If he did know exactly what his body and mind were going to go through it’s even more amazing that he went through clear to the end. Only because he was the Son of God was he able to endure the ridicule and abuse, the whipping and the beating, and the physical and mental torment. He did it all for you and me so that we could be forgiven.

Friends, none of us can go from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday without going through Good Friday. Jesus suffered just as the Prophet said he would. He stood there and took everything because we couldn’t. No way could any human have done what Jesus did for us through the power of the Holy Spirit.

As you walk with Jesus this week reread these chapters from Luke and reflect on what it was exactly that God did for us through Jesus’ sacrifice. And then we will all truly be ready to celebrate together on Easter Sunday.

Thanks be to God for his abundant grace. Amen.

What's God Doing Now?

2010-03-23T08:22:00.000-05:00

If you knew that you only had a week to live where would you be and what would you be doing? Not many of us ever think about this; at least until we hear the words spoken loud enough that they get our attention.

In our gospel lesson from John Jesus is at dinner with his close friend Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha. It’s implied that other disciples are there too. So you know the house is bustling with activity. Martha and Mary and maybe some servants are working to get the meal prepared. The men are probably reclining on the floor around a table set up for the meal. We can assume that the house is filled with many different odors, some pleasant and some maybe not so.

What could be better for hungry appetites than the smell of roasting lamb, freshly baked bread, and new bottles of wine? And what could be worse than the body odors of people who had just come in from walking on hot, dusty Galilean roads, dirty feet and perspiring bodies?

And into all this walks Mary with an expensive bottle of fragrant perfume she had been saving, probably for her brother, Lazarus’ burial. She falls to the floor at Jesus’ feet; she deliberately breaks the bottle open and the contents flow all over his feet. The overpowering aroma of the most exotic, precious perfume soon fills the room.

Mary uses her long hair to wipe the oil all over Jesus’ feet. You just know that every eye in the room is focused on Mary and Jesus. Every one is questioning in their minds, “What’s she doing?” We might also have questions. Mine would be, “What’s God doing now!”

You can be sure that none of the people who were there in that room ever forgot what happened. Every time just a whiff of that smell touched their nostrils the memories of that day came flooding back. And they were reminded of the significance of Mary’s actions. As they reflected and remembered they understood a little better what God was doing at that particular moment.

Each of our senses trigger deep seated memories but none is more powerful than our olfactory sense. You guys may not remember the name of the perfume you wife was wearing on your first date or on the day you were married but your nose will never forget. Every time you encounter that scent you’re reminded of day in your life.

You know how it is when you walk into a home and you run square into the smell of fresh baked chocolate chip cookies. You’re immediately transported back in time to another time in your life that was especially meaningful to you.

It’s entirely possible to experience the same transformation in worship. It might be the smell of candles, or burning incense, or fresh cut flowers that reminds of a certain worship experience or a special spiritual happening. The sensual memories are so strong that we’re flooded with remembering.

What Mary did with the perfume was considered extravagant. Judas thought it was wasteful. And he probably wasn’t alone in his opinion. But Jesus squelched all of that thinking in the bud when he said, “Leave her alone.”
Jesus knew what God’s plans for him were. He knew his death sentence was imminent so why not let Mary anoint his feet. Jesus knew what God was doing. We, on the other hand just like the disciples, aren’t always as intuitive. We often ask ourselves, “What’s God doing now?” Or we ask, “What’s God going to do now?”

The Prophet reminds us God’s doing a new thing. We’re told not to look back. Don’t think about the old days; they’re over and done with. God is doing a new thing. He has new plans and it’s nothing like he’s done before. So, what’s God doing now?

You know, that’s a really good question. What do you think God is doing now? The session has been reflecting on that question for three or four months now. It’s not always easy to know what God’s up to.

Our Old Testament lessons remind us that God does things way beyond anything we can ever imagine. The wilderness their ancestors lived in for 40 years was going to be transformed with water, rivers flowing through them. Whatever it is God does it’s always a surprise, way beyond our wildest dreams.

Everyday when I wake up and stumble out of bed I wonder, “What’s God going to do today?” Sometimes as the day progresses the question changes to, “What’s He doing now?”

Friends, Mary gave a very extravagant gift to her rabbi and her friend. I wonder what it felt like to give such a precious gift and pour it out on Jesus.

I asked the young folks to think about their most precious possessions now it’s our turn. What are our most precious possessions? What is God planning to do with them if we give them up to Him? Is it possible for us to let go of them and let Him have them?

If we did would we stop asking, “What’s God doing now?” I don’t know. Maybe we’d be filled with awesome wonder and unable to put our experiences into words. It might be that our senses would be better at remembering and knowing what our Creator is up to.

I was reminded as I read these passages that just as Jesus was journeying to the cross and his death so are we moving toward death. Every day brings us closer to that moment. Can we with Paul give it all to Jesus so that we can experience the resurrection? Is it possible for us to give Him our most precious and costly possessions trusting in God’s providence? That was Paul’s plan. Everything else he used to think had value was just rubbish now compared to what Christ offered. He wasn’t looking back. He wanted to be in on whatever God was doing at that moment without question.
The question for us today is, “Are we ready to give it all to Him who died so that we might be free?” Are we ready to join God in whatever he’s doing today, without question?

Our old sinful natures will call our decisions “rubbish” just like the Pharisees said about the things Jesus did, but not our Father. He will take the meager offerings of our lives and transform them into gems that are too precious to put a price to.

What’s God doing now? He doing wondrous, new things that we never imagined were possible. That’s what God’s doing now. And he ready to take our lives and change them too. Can we take the first step and commit our all to Him?

Friends, God loves you and is waiting for you to come to Him. Thanks be to God. Amen.