God’s Pursuit!

Sermon Psalm 23 April 26, 2015 Easter 4 Shepherd Sunday

God’s Pursuit!

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

² He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

³ He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

⁴ Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

⁵ Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Six verses.

                 That’s all there are.

                            The most famous six verses of the Bible in the King James Version.

Those who have never opened the Book or ever entered into the walls of the church know these six verses.

We heard these words recited at gravesides day after day. We know these words as they are shared at the bedside of those we love in hospitals and nursing homes. We know these words in dark shadows of the night as we whisper them to calm our fears.

Psalm 23 is a psalm we know for bad and sad times. Yet, it is more than that-it is also a psalm rich for life and for good times. In it we discover the very nature of God in a way might not have imagined before.

There is a radical nature of God exploding upon us at the very end in the last verse. And so that is where we’ll begin. “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.”

As I shared with the children, we have a God who we cannot shake. In the game of tag the end game is to catch the one we pursue. The end game is to keep chasing until we tag the intended target. Radaph or Radap in the Hebrew for follow is God’s active pursuit! God’s pursuit of us is active and unrelenting. God, like the hound of heaven, is nipping at our heels. God is chasing you and me all the days of our life!

And God’s pursuit is one of goodness and mercy.

Mercy in the Hebrew is written as Hesed. Here as we look at the letters-three letters-(to describe something about God that we lose in translation)-our English language cannot capture the fullness of this word about God.

God’s great and most amazing love, mercy, grace and kindness are all wrapped up in this one word Hesed. We aren’t being chased by judgment or a harsh God but by all that is good!

So, if we know from the beginning that God is in hot pursuit of us with goodness and hesed. God’s most fundamental nature is one of goodness and Hesed-mercy, grace, and love!!

It is then without a doubt that the psalmist could give God the most royal and kingly title of Shepherd. The Hebrew word for shepherd is ‘roi’ And so here in the very beginning this psalmist makes it clear who he is committed to and who he is loyal to-and how he is fully dependent on God. God is ours and we are God’s!

There are many names the Old Testament uses for God but in this psalm it is not Elohim or another name but the very name the Jews would not pronounce out of utter respect and awe God. The name for God used here is, the I AM, our Shepherd.

We have all learned about Shepherds and we know very well what they do and if don’t we know how to google it and find out. We heard in this morning’s reading from the gospel of John who Jesus is as the Good Shepherd and how he cares for his flock, his sheep, that he lays down his life for them.

A shepherd is responsible for a flock, to guide them and protect them. A shepherd does what it takes to keep the flock calm and keeps them from getting lost. They give their life to this occupation, they spend all day with them and if they have traveled too far to bring them home at night they will stay with them until morning. The prophet Ezekiel describes God as a loving shepherd. The prophet Isaiah also uses the shepherd to describe God’s protective care as well as God’s sacrificial love.

And isn’t that what we all need,

what we all want and

what we all hope for?

Just like children trust their parents to keep them from harm and we trust our doctors to keep us healthy and we trust our local and national leaders to keep us secure, we want to trust that our God can do the same and more.

But when bad and sad news comes close to home,

when it hits our family and our friends,

we need the promise of a psalm like this one to sustain us through these dark times.

The earthquake in Nepal,

a devastating church fire in Paris Tennessee,

a death of a child seeking a toilet in a country where homes do not have them,

a child who hurts herself because her pain within can’t find relief,

a child injured by people who are supposed to protect her,

the diagnosis of cancer,

the presence of illness and loss and pain

have done more than make the news,

they have been part of our personal family pain this week.

We need this psalm of promise to carry us through the unfairness of this world and to get us beyond the evil that seeks to prevail over us.

And that is one reason why the verse of darkness of the valley impacts us so strongly. The deep valley that has dark shadows and frightening circumstances perhaps even an abyss of threats where it seems there is no way out.

God speaks to us and affirms that even in the death shadow of the valley we do not need to fear because the I AM, t

he Good Shepherd carries a rod

that will ward off evil and knock

senseless the wild beasts who seek to attack us.

The people of Exodus remember Moses and his staff. They remember being guided through the wilderness without fail by God. The miracles of the past, the triumph over evil of the past, and the resurrection over death of the past, are the memories that strength our faith and restore our love.

Rabbi Harold Kushner tells of his son who was born with an incurable illness. He said looking back he wondered how he and his wife got through those times and he said that instead of this event shattering his faith it strengthened it. He said they used up all the resources within themselves and realized the only answer to the difficulties was to turn to God who restored their love and faith. He wrote the book “When bad things happen to good people” because of this experience. Just as God carried the people through the wilderness, God our Shepherd will bring us through our wilderness.

Jesus proclaimed that he is the Good Shepherd. He said he is the “I AM” the true shepherd that has come to gather his people and restore them to himself. As we look to God for our strength and renewal through this psalm we can also look to Christ and know that he has also been through the valley for our sake. He has come through on the other side. His death and resurrection assures us and gives us hope that he not only is there to greet us on the other side of the valley but he is with us every step of the way never letting us leave his side.

But we can’t stop here with the psalm because it is more than comfort in bad and sad times it is one that fills us with good things. So we can have a new way of using these words to refresh and fulfill us. We discover God as the one who provides us with food and drink and shelter, our most basic necessities.

We lack for nothing.

All is provided.

Our lives are fully dependent on God.

The imagery of green pastures and still waters are so strong to our senses that we can see and

feel and

even touch.

God brings us to places of healing and refreshment. The Hebrew word for lie down offers the image of being stretched out. Now those of you who do yoga, you understand this image. And those of you who have been part of one Debbie and Nina’s contemplative retreats, you get this idea of stretching out full before God.

It’s like lying on our backs, looking up at the fluffy clouds floating by in a bright blue sky while the green lush grass is beneath us filled with soft clover flowers cushioning us like a down comforter.

Some people I know who are much better at rest and quiet reflection than I am have shared with me how they have discovered the place where they can connect with God. They have a few places where they go and in those places God stretches them out and quiets their spirit.

One friend shares with me how her garden filled with flowers and working in the dirt is the way God enters as she kneels by the earth.

Another friend who goes fishing and he goes down to the river or creek he watches the water ebb and flow. He said it still his mind and refreshes him as well as a cool glass of sweet ice tea.

Another friend has an amazing workshop where he works and creates art with wood or canvas and in his workshop he finds the shelter of the Lord.

Yes, we are struck deeply by this psalm as it has become part of our own makeup, our very being ushered into the arms of a personal God. We’ve been drawn together as the flock of the Shepherd, the Church, the Body of Christ. God’s immeasurable abundant desire for us is set at the table. God brings our cups to overflowing.

God’s pursuit is unrelenting.

Goodness and mercy shall pursue me all the days of my life and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for days without end. Amen. 

You Are Witnesses!

Sermon Luke 24: 36-48 April 19, 2015 Easter 3

You Are Witnesses!

I have one of those this little garden flag holders in my yard. I like to put little flags for the different seasons of the year or share a phrase of good cheer. As I was mowing yesterday I realized I still had the Easter flag flying. And then as I rode around town I saw the crosses with the white drapes still out in the church lawns and I thought, “it’s two weeks since Easter Sunday and these things are still here reminding us of Easter. 

And I said in my heart, “Thank you for the visible reminders.”

We can forget so quickly.

Jesus said to the disciples, “You are witnesses to these things.”

Yes, they were witnesses to the resurrection 2000 years ago.

Two weeks ago, it might seem like an eternity ago now, yet there we were filled with activities to help us engage with the moment of Christ’s restoration to life.

And in those moments we too were witnesses to the resurrection.

We were witnesses to the presence of Christ among us.

We were witnesses to the joy of life among us,

                    the laughter,

                           the children,

                                          the music,

                                                and the air filled with energy and excitement.

So, here we are again this Sunday.

        And we are witnesses to the resurrection all over again.

              Each week when we gather we celebrate the risen Christ among us.

We celebrate the presence of Christ in our lives as we go from week to week.

            Each week we are greeted with the words of Jesus,

                                                                        “Peace be with you.”

 Yet, we forget so quickly.

And why wouldn’t we forget?

Our schedules are full, our lives are busy, our daily routines keep our heads turned in different directions.

Not to mention all the other bad stuff in the world that keeps our vision blocked and our witness of new life blinded.

Jesus said to the disciples’ “You are witnesses to the resurrection and everything that led up to it and everything that leads from it, share this with the world!”

New life occurred, along with suffering, death, reconciliation, forgiveness, hope, and promise.

It is important that we share with one another the moments that bring life,

            that breathe newness,

                     that offer hope,

                          that restore and reconcile,

                                         that refresh and replenish our souls.

I had printed the prayer of St Patrick, the whole prayer, (so you could have a copy of it to keep with you), but also as an opportunity for us to witness the life giving moment in him. His prayer as I said earlier is a statement of faith, one that we can hold on to.

A statement that spans the generations and holds power even today as people speak it and pray it as their own prayer of faith.

Patrick was 16 years old when he was taken captive from Britain and brought to Ireland to tend sheep. In his years of slavery he recognized the power of God in his life. After six years of captivity he escaped and returned to Britain. There he vowed a life of faith, entered the priesthood and after 12 years of study he returned as a missionary to Ireland. He chose to bring the love and grace of God to the people who had previously held him as a slave. Rather than bitterness for his experience of suffering he was filled with the love of God for the people who had held him. He lived his life as a witness to Christ.

We too in our lives are witnesses to Christ.

The power of Christ to call us his body; we are called the body of Christ, the Church.

As the church we are witnesses of the living Christ among us here today.

We are Easter people, people of the resurrection.

We have been equipped for the task as witnesses by the promise of God through the Spirit.

We’ve been given a direction, a mission and a vision from Christ here in this passage today. Jesus, said, “Go out and share

                               what you have seen

                                                          and heard

                                                                         and touched.”

Our calendars have been full these past two weeks since the Big Easter Sunday and I wonder as we look at the events and moments that took place if we are able to recognize the life giving moments that occurred?

·         Where have we seen the church at work in these moments, where have we seen love and grace, joy and hope?

·         Where have we offered those things?

·         We are the Church and we have all been at work in the world engaging with others.

Just showing up at a funeral, or making a call to check in on someone who has been ill, is the work of the church

and

if you did that this past week, then you can say you’ve not only seen the church at work but you have been the church at work.

As we witness baptisms, new members, participate in communion, we are witnesses to Christ at work in our lives.

When someone stops by to talk with us or interrupts their activities to help us with a project we are witnesses to the church at work in our lives.

When we see the groups of people from the county gather, no matter what they believe, what political persuasion, what church they are from, or what they think about each other,

yet they come to join together in a race or a raffle or a spaghetti dinner, they are witnesses to the church at work in the world.

So how do we forge ahead as the church?

How do we grow and become more like Christ?

How do we receive that contagious enthusiasm that transforms the lives?

Perhaps we need the challenge in our own life over the next few weeks to be alert,

            to be reminded,

to not let go or forget the risen Christ present with us wherever we go,

where ever we are,

 in whatever state we find ourselves.

Perhaps we need to be reminded of all the places we see and hear and touch the living Christ.

Perhaps, we need to ask ourselves these questions:

a weekly testimony as Easter people from now to Pentecost
1. Where have you seen the church at work this week?
2. How has the ministry of the church touched your life this week?
3. How has the church been the agent of the Spirit at work in the world, community, neighborhood?

Good things are happening. There are life giving moments all around us.

You shall be my witnesses, Jesus said.

So, let's testify to what God is doing!

Christ is Risen Indeed!

Sermon Mark 16:1-8 April 5, 2015 EASTER!

Christ is Risen Indeed!

Some of us like surprises; the moment that catches us off guard and fills our hearts with unexpected joy! Moments like final four basketball shots that take our breath away. Or gifts that come to us from a loved one fully out of the blue. We generally love surprises.

Today, this day-Easter Sunday is our greatest surprise!

It is the moment that no one thought God would or could win.

Today is the day when God is exalted.

God’s glory reigns over the world.

Today we not only remember God brought life and light back into a world that prefers the darkness, but we LIVE in the Light of Life who God raised up from the depths of death.

Today, as I shared with the children-the empty egg is our big surprise-the tomb is empty and we all say loud and clear-Christ is Alive!

Yet, today’s resurrection story told in Mark’s gospel-which the experts say end at verse 8-tells us about the women.

The women were filled with terror and amazement! How’s that possible?

 Imagine if we had been the women to first arrive at the tomb.

What would our reaction have been? How would we have responded to the surprise of finding the stone rolled away and the tomb empty?

How would we have heard the news of the man sitting inside-the guy sitting on the bench, just next to the empty grave cloths!?-Would we have even heard his words? Or would we have been so obsessed with the fact that the body of our Lord was gone?

Imagine our anxiety over the facts before us. They’d be so high we wouldn’t have heard a word this guy on the bench was trying to say to us. Perhaps we would have been so caught up with the facts that we were unable to see the miracle?

It is valuable to know that an empty tomb can fill us with both terror and amazement.

For in the terror of surprise our fears are recognized-

                                            life is not the same-death and the tomb no longer have the

                                                                          same hold on us as we have always understood.

And in the terror of thought of what should be or could be -God takes the fear and transforms it.

Today, there is a new way.

In our weakness and in our failures God has carved out a path for us that leads us to see him.

In a world that continues to thrive in darkness, a world that seeks to lay claim through the death of the innocent, we are filled with the surprise of terror that people can do that to one another.

And so we peer into the tomb of a missing Savior and

cry out where are you!

We cry out why are you not here where we expect you to be?

We cry out in our own despairs of loss and grief and seek him where he is not to be found.

AND then-we finally hear the words of the angel as we listen again. Yes, the guy sitting at the end of the bench is now clearly seen as an angel of God-we can not only hear his words-but we listen-we listen.

We hear the words of the promise of Jesus as he was with the disciples in the last days. We hear them again as an echo in our minds…I am with you always to the end of the age.

And the surprise of amazement hits us, they are no longer words; but the reality of God with us-we, by the power of God, have our Lord with and within us!

It is true!

And we like the women follow through, we don’t keep silent anymore we run and tell the others as we have been told to do.

We run, not out of fear, but out of wonder and amazement.

We run with joy in our hearts and clear conviction and the power in our feet seems to come from a place of energy we had not known existed.

It is a real and exhilarating feeling inside our bones that resurrects us from all our doubts and all our wonderings. We have been brought into the Light of new Life now and forever!

For we, like the disciples have been along the way with Jesus. We have encountered Jesus in the stories as he met Peter and Nicodemus, the blind man and the women and we have been with him as he was before Pilate. We have journeyed a long way with our Lord. We have sat at Table with him and asked the question, “Is it I?” And today we hear Jesus say to us, “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you, continue in my love…I have said these things to you that my joy may remain in you and that your joy may be full.” We are moved as we hear him call us friends! The amazement of all of who Jesus was and is and shall be are now with us and part of who we are. We turn to each other and see Christ!

We too have been raised up to new life.

Can we believe it?

Yes, we can!

Christ is Alive!

Let us rejoice and sing. Today is the festival of Thanksgiving!

Today is the renewal of the great surprise,

                                       the wonder of God,

                                          the joy of salvation,

                                                    the Light of Life is upon us and we will go out with joy!

                                                                                                                                     Alleluia! Amen!

Easter, Holy Week, Preschoolers & Dogs-how do we tell them?

Easter, Holy Week, Preschoolers & Dogs-how do we tell them?

She asked, “Is she going to come alive again too?” Her four year old face looked up at me with those large wondering eyes as if I could provide the answer she was seeking. Her hopeful question struck me and I was staring at her dumb and fumbling for an answer.

We, standing together on the back deck, watched as daddy buried our faithful dog in our pet cemetery yards away. It was Holy Week and of course she had heard about Jesus’ death and resurrection. She wanted to know if the dog we loved so much was going to come back to us in the same way Jesus who loved us so much came back to us. And I stood there not knowing what to say.

How do we share the news of the death and resurrection of Jesus to our little ones?

My mistake was assuming that since she had been raised on a farm she was familiar with the natural cycle of life and death. What I didn’t realize was that when the family pet died it was different from the animals that provided food for the table. The family pet was part of us. The family dog had been the one who snuggled close to our little girl. Our precious dog Sasha had allowed our daughter to dump sand on her, to put hats on her and had allowed her to tumble and roll all over her. It became clear that we had lost a member of our family. Sasha’s death hurt deeply. And to a four year old she wanted to make sense out of this loss. Don’t we all?

I think we all want to make sense out the loss of our loved ones. And in our hope to understand we turn to the story of Jesus. We look to his death and resurrection in the hope that this will bring us comfort. We assure ourselves that our loved ones are resting in the arms of our resurrected Lord.

So, here we are in Holy Week and as adults we too struggle to understand the death of our Lord Jesus. How do we share the news of the death and resurrection of Jesus to our little ones?

Probably the best way is the way in which we share all kinds of information with our children, a little bit at a time. Or as the experts call it-in age appropriate chunks.

For tiny toddlers, they know about happy and sad. They can hear that it was a sad day when Jesus died. They can hear that some people are very mean and do hurtful things. They can hear that Jesus died on a cross (which we do not need to show any gory pictures at this age) because people didn’t understand about love.

Carolyn C. Brown has written an entire book for educators on how to teach children about Lent and Easter. Her work is excellent and it holds many details of different tangible activities that can be done to help children put a grasp on this idea of death and resurrection. One suggestion she has for tiny toddlers is to play with plastic Easter eggs by opening and closing them and being surprised at the empty egg. This surprise is a happy event. Connecting the empty egg with joy and saying, ‘Happy Easter, Jesus is alive!’ is one small way to begin the journey of the Easter story with the little ones.

I think back to my four year old and the sadness she felt. I think about the reality in her mind of the power of God to raise up Jesus. She understood the power of God to bring life. She grasped that concept. So, if God could do that for Jesus wouldn’t God also do that for Sasha, the dog? It was the strongest statement of faith! The trust in God’s strength and love and power proclaimed by a little one!

When a parent hears these words they need not be afraid. They need not think, ‘how cute.’ But, they need to acknowledge the faith that comes from the child in these moments. If a parent fails to witness these questions as declarations of faith then we do harm to the furthering of their faith in the future.

A response to a child who asks this question would be, “Yes, God’s love for us is so strong that God can raise up and bring new life to all of God’s creatures. Isn’t that a blessing? Our Sasha isn’t with us anymore but I trust that God loves all of the creatures God has made. I trust that she is truly in God’s care now and forever.”

The importance of telling preschoolers about the death of Jesus is to connect his death directly to God’s love and power to overcome death. In other words they need to hear that God wins. God has power that is greater than all the bad and all the meanness in the world. They can understand at this age that flowers die in the winter and come alive again in the spring. They love to hear the same story over and over again. Choose to tell them about joy of Easter and the wonder of God’s love. We are all on a journey of faith.

Don’t be surprised at the questions your little ones ask, because in them you will discover a mighty depth of faith. Praise God for this Holy Week and the power of God to give us strength to parent, to tell the story and to be surprised on Easter as we say, Christ is Alive! Alleluia, Amen!