Why Armor?

Sermon Ephesians 6:10-20 August 23, 2015 Ordinary Time B

Why Armor?

Battle language! Words about armor! Words like Victory and Conqueror! Strong words, words that perhaps we do not like to hear; perhaps words that we are no longer familiar hearing in the church! These powerful words are the words the Ephesians heard as Paul preached a final word to them in this letter. They were strong words of confidence that filled a vulnerable people with a reality of Christ’s work alive in them and for them.

As 21^st century Christians we don’t like this kind of language. We’ve removed the battle hymns from our hymnbooks. Why? Because as Christians beyond the 4^th century we have done damage to one another in the name of Christ. We have cried heresy at the different understandings of Christ. We have battled against other religions in the name of Christ and maimed and killed. Even today we continue to use the name of Christ in battle for economic and political gain.

We have not understood Paul’s original proclamation to don armor and go forth.

Yet, I believe we should not shy away from Paul, his letters, or his language. There is much we can still learn in a violent and chaotic world that Paul’s passionate and persistent language can guide us and aid us.

Paul was pragmatic, he was a realist, and he knew that the world Christians lived in was a world of “already, but not yet.” In other words, they have already triumphed in Christ, AND they are not yet beyond the battle of the brokenness of this world. Paul points out the battle against the world of pain, strife, suffering, disease, anger, prejudice, inhumanity, chaos, conformity, selfishness, and other ways that demean the ‘other’ and cause continued destruction is still going on.

He reminds those who are in the midst of this battle of life are not wrestling alone but are clothed and fully covered with the confidence of Christ’s triumph.

That is how the armor of God imagery takes hold and provides vivid pictures of how to walk in God’s ways.

‘Be strong’ and ‘put on’ and ‘clothe yourselves’ are reflexive verbs in Greek. They are not words just for individuals but for the whole church. So, the whole church can stand together and create a wall of strength.

We often say there is power in numbers. I’ve done that at crowded street corners when trying to cross. I discovered that cars are less likely to keep driving through a cross walk when a large group is crossing together. We’ve done that crossing bridges linked together arm in arm.

In these verses the church is called to do three things: Be strong, Get dressed and Pray!!

John Bunyan points out in Pilgrim’s Progress, that this armor is defensive armor, it has no back. Imagine putting on those plastic suits for kids and discover it only covers the front of your body. But, that’s how they were in those days.  You see, the purpose was to stand firm and hold the line, there was no turning back or going out on one’s own. Because if someone turns away or goes out on their own the line becomes vulnerable. It is hard work to stand up against all those powers and principalities of chaos and destruction.

Standing firm and standing up however,

is not a call to be stubborn

or controlling

or demanding

or a call to wear armor to go around pushing oneself on others.

When people read about armor and protection it often gets misinterpreted and becomes a weapon of battle to conquer others or to win for ourselves.

It’s tough in a corporate world. And those of you who are there and have been there understand. It’s challenging in a world where it seems that if we don’t go after dreams and visions at a cut throat pace they might not be there. It’s grueling to grasp for basic needs.

I know parents want the very best for their children. Don’t come near a mamma bear and her cubs. I can relate to wanting to growl at anyone or anything that would stand in the way of my children. That protective armor is out in full strength. But I’m worried about a generation of children who have missed out from a confusion over what protective parenting is all about. There are helicopter and lawnmower parents who have put on the armor of protecting their kids and they have gone out to clear huge paths and mowed down territories pushing away all things they find as obstacles all so their child will win and be successful.

THIS is NOT the protective clothing Paul is talking about. These children have been micromanaged and hovered over. They have been pushed into believing the world is all about them that they themselves are left without protection. They have been caught without the protection to know what failure and opposition feels like. They are unable to stand firm along the line with others.

Teachers, counselors, coaches and even churches have witnessed parents making sure their child is the best, the first and at the top. The challenge these children miss is the ability to fight the battle to become human.

Getting dressed in the armor of God makes it so one’s strength is through the power of Christ’s love. Buechner says the battle is not a battle to conquer at all. It is a battle to become whole, to live into the freedom of Christ, it is the battle to become human-to be as bright and beautiful as God originally created humans-complete, whole and fully present with God.

We ‘put on’ and ‘clothe ourselves’ with the helmet of salvation, the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, and we carry the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit (God’s Word) as we go into classrooms and courtrooms, as we cross streets and carve new ways. We pray as we go and we keep alert for the sake of others not ourselves. We pray for boldness and courage to become ambassadors for Christ as we spread the gospel of peace.  

How we carry ourselves speaks volumes about who we are and testifies to others about the God we serve. Paul says do not be afraid to speak the truth about Christ, do not be afraid to show love. Do not be afraid to offer the greatest gift of forgiveness because this gift is stronger than any other.

I was speaking with a friend of mine this week and she reminded me of the strength it takes to stand firm and to hold fast. She was in Charleston SC for the baptism of her grandson the week of the murders at the AME Church. She speaks with great emotion because the Presbyterian Church where her grandson (an adopted child from Africa) was being baptized was just one block from Emmanuel AME. She did not know on that Sunday morning if they would be able to get to church. She did not know if Emmanuel was holding services. She did not know what the media was going to make out of this event. What she witnessed was a church and community clothed in the armor of God as they resisted attempts to respond with violence. She witnessed the power of standing up by being bold in forgiveness and mercy. She witnessed much that day as her grandson was clothed with the waters of baptism as the church stood firm to proclaim God’s grace for another generation. Yes, today wearing the armor of God, singing about it and talking about it is as important as it was in the days of Paul.

Let us be about putting on our shoes to get ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. Perhaps we can take Frederick Buechner’s suggestions and put on steel toed shoes since spreading the gospel of peace is really hard work. But, it is clear Paul doesn’t command a particular style of shoe. It could be sandals, or heels or, sneakers, because there is not one style of

shoe that is most appropriate for spreading the gospel of peace.

Christ has won the victory but there is still much work to be done-let us form the line, stand firm and get going. Amen. 

Strength for the Journey

Sermon 1 Kings 19:1-12 August 9, 2015 Ordinary Time

Strength for the Journey

Today I’m sharing another one of those stories from Scripture, from the Old Testament, that reveals for us again that we are not so different from our human ancestors of thousands of years ago. I know that the young people who call themselves Millenniums, Gen X and Gen Z have often said there is little in Scripture with which they can identify. They have made it clear to me on more than one occasion that The Bible has no relevance in the world today.  But, each time I read a story such as this one, I cannot help myself but to discover, and of course, then share with those who will hear, the incredible relevance God’s Word has for us in any age. J (smiley face)

Elijah, the great prophet has been there for God and has preached God’s Word to the people. He has stood the test of time and is well known; by today’s standards he is quite the celebrity. 

He would probably have a twitter account and have sent out Instagram pictures of his slaying the priests of Baal. He is not everyone’s favorite as we read that Jezebel is after him. She wants his life for destroying her gods and her priests. 

So, like any good prophet, Elijah knows when to run. He returns to the borders of his homeland. He runs for his life and he is filled with fear. 

He is so filled with fear that he has had enough. 

He has had enough of this life of prophet. 

He has had enough of risking himself in his career. 

He has had enough of giving up all relationships for this one job. 

He has had enough of being lonely in his fame. 

We find him out in the desert sprawled out under a single broom tree 

totally spent and 

completely undone. 

He has said to God, “It is enough!” 

The Hebrew for Elijah’s complaint is ‘rab’ which means ‘too much’. 

And so he asks God to take his life and then he falls asleep.

There are of course, many times when life is going just fine. Perhaps, even excellent, with promotions at work, the ability to pay all the bills and put some away in savings or even build up that retirement account. There are times when things are going well enough to take that long dreamed vacation. Those times are wonderful and we should spend time focusing on all the good and the fabulous. 

But there are times, even when life is going better than we could ever have imagined, that ‘life tumbles in.’ 

Years ago, Cynthia Bolbach had been named moderator of the PCUSA’ general assembly. Not long after her rise to this position, it was discovered that she had cancer. She let the people know that no one is immune to ‘life that tumbles in.’

We are always surrounded by things that threaten to undo us. Storms, earthquakes, tsunamis, tornados, financial collapse, family disruptions, diseases are all things that dare to tumble in and threaten our very framework of who we are. And we too might cry out with Elijah to God saying, “It is too much for me.” As we run and find safety from all those things that threaten us, we discover as did Elijah that we are not alone.

Elijah is wakened from his sleep by an angel who comes to minister to his need. He is not rebuked by God for his feelings. God does not chastise him for running back toward his homeland. God does not punish him for being overwhelmed. God doesn’t do any of things that we do to ourselves when we think we are not good enough or that we have failed or that we have had enough. God sends an angel to meet him where he is, in the manner in which he finds himself-God is there.

And at this moment an angel comes alongside and provides him with nourishment. When we find ourselves undone, the first thing we do is neglect our most basic needs. Here the angel comes and wakes him up and commands him to eat. 

He receives basic provisions, practical, tangible things that will nourish him and sustain him. 

The angel explains to Elijah on his second round of eating, that he must eat ‘because the way is too much for you.’ The angel uses the same word he did, ‘rab’ too much. The angel does not sugar coat the future for him. The angel does not say that the way will be easy and life will now be filled with great success. The angel gives a frank assessment of the future and let him know he must eat to receive the strength for the journey.

And this is the message for the church, for families, for kids about to start another year of school, for anyone who has ever found themselves in a position of feeling that life is sometimes overwhelming. God shows up and meets us where we are. God shows up and provides the gentle touch of an angel. God shows up and makes sure we have our basic needs. God shows up and commands us to get up and get going. Jesus told those he healed to get up and be on their way. 

The power of words and a touch are as much food for those in need as a banquet table spread for them. I have heard people say that the cards they receive, phone calls and visits when they are ill or in a slump in life are the embrace they need. 

They share how those kind words and gentle touches are sustenance for the journey that lies ahead. Jesus is the living bread that came down from heaven. Surely the bread of Jesus gives us strength for the journeys of our lives as we rise and go our ways.

It was only after this encounter with reality that Elijah had what he needed for the rest of his journey. He went from there for forty days and forty nights to Mount Horeb. There at the mountain he came face to face with God. There at the mountain God appeared in a still small voice. And in that small voice, we listen and find our way.

Take time to read the stories, to listen to them, to find how they are always relevant for our life. They are God’s promises for us. They are food for our journey. Let us rise and be on our way.

Amen. 

Celebration!

Sermon 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 Psalm 16:5-11 August 2, 2015 Ordinary time

Celebration!

We say on the Sundays when we share the Lord’s Supper that we celebrate the Lord’s Supper. Have you ever wondered what celebrate means? We’re here this Sunday ready to gather at this Lord’s Table as we do once a month and so I wonder again, ‘How can we celebrate little pieces of bread and a small taste of juice?’

What does the word mean and how in the world do we do that?

I believe celebration begins with joy.

1.  Chara which is the Greek which means: joy, gladness
1. the joy received from you
2. the cause or occasion of joy
1. of persons who are one's joy

(While in Greece this summer I realized all my seminary training of Baby Bible Greek wasn’t a match for modern Greek. I had no clue what people were saying and when I thought I understood something said or read I was way off. I kept hearing people saying, ‘Kaliméra’ as they greeted one another and I thought they were talking about squid (calamari) not, ‘good morning.’ Kalos in Greek means good and imera is day. Good morning, good day, is the greeting people share with each other.)

Joy is something that God wants us to experience through God’s love for us.

Joy is a song of confidence, a song of wonder and a song of assurance.

Listen again to the words of the psalmist in Psalm 16, “The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup, you hold my lot…I keep the Lord always before me, because he is at my right hand I shall not be moved, Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices, my body rests secure…in your presence there is fullness of joy, in your right hand are pleasures forever more.” The psalmist reflects on the story of his life and chooses to praise God for all of his life. He rejoices because of his confidence in God’s presence and because he recognizes God’s presence he rejoices.  

When we enter into God’s courts and into worship we enter with praise. We enter to come to worship God and offer ourselves to God for this one hour a week. In his ‘Wishful Thinking’ book Frederick Buechner says, “To worship God means to serve him. Basically there are two ways to do it.

One way is to do things for him that he needs to have done-run errands for him, carry messages for him, fight on his side, feed his lambs, and so on.

The other way is to do things for him that you need to do-sing songs for him,

create beautiful things for him,

give things up for him,

tell him what’s on your mind and in your heart,

in general rejoice in him

and make a fool of yourself for him

the way lovers have always made fools of themselves for the one they love.”

While we sing and pray and do foolish things for God something happens to us.

We become open to the power of the Spirit to change us,

to fill us

and to move our hearts

into new directions.

Our hearts get that feeling of joy inside,

a deep sense of confidence that in all things God will be with us

and somehow that is enough.

I have just returned from a month of extraordinary joy.

A dream of visiting the country of Greece has finally been realized.

Taking time to be fully engaged with the one God gave me in marriage and to be foolish together with the things we love to do as sailors reminded me again of what it means to give oneself over to another.

That is what God wants from us!

God wants us to be fully engaged with the life God has given us.

God wants us to be fully wrapped up in the grace poured out upon us through the love of Jesus Christ.

It is a love so powerful that it has turned the world upside down and will continue to do so. Crazy love is one way to look at our relationship with God. And that is something to celebrate!

·         

      And when we gather for the Lord’s Supper it is in the spirit of joy, the spirit of that crazy love for God and that foolishness of the cross of God’s love for us that we partake.

·         Our taking part in the Lord’s Supper is a proclamation.

It is an announcement.

It is a declaration.

We tell the story of Christ and it is no longer a story of two thousand years ago it is a story of today.

It is our story of God’s love for us today that we carry into tomorrow.

Those little pieces of bread that we break off the loaf or are already cut for us into nice bite size shapes are our remembering.

Christ said his body is given for us.

Our bodies are members of Christ.

In the Lord’s Supper we receive our identity

as belonging to Christ and to one another.

In this identity we live our lives, we live our stories.

We can live our stories in a way of infectious zeal,

in way of sound confidence,

in a way of incredible joy,

in a way of serious testimony,

in a way of crazy celebration.

Friends everything about us is a living testimony,

let us begin today and celebrate the new life offered to us in Jesus Christ through the gift of grace as we receive the bread and the cup.

To God be the glory.

Amen.

Benediction Romans 15:13 (NIV)
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the