The Voice of the Lord

Sermon Isaiah 6: 1-8 May 27, 2018 Trinity Sunday/Memorial Day weekend

The Voice of the Lord

“In the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord.” This classic opener line to the call story of Isaiah grabs our attention, holds on to us and gets us to read the rest of the story. It’s a classic capture phrase as good as any classic novel we have read. “Call me Ishmael” from Moby Dick is one that almost everyone knows even if they’ve never read the book, they know the phrase that famously draws readers into an adventure of a man and his adventure with the whale hunting obsession of Captain Ahab. “In the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord,” draws us into an adventure with Isaiah and his experience with the voice of the Lord and the people of Judah.

                                  King Uzziah was the king for a little more than 45 years when he was struck                                       with leprosy and had to have someone else rule in his place. When he died                                             everything that had been rather relaxed and comfortable for the people of Judah                                   was thrown into uncertainty. Judah was always under the threat of invasion by                                       the Assyrians and now with the death of the king that threat became more of a                                        reality. The king died, an era has ended, things change.

We mark our lives and our history books by significant events. 

Where were we on the day Kennedy was shot, the Challenger exploded, the bombing of Pearl Harbor or on 9/11? 

Those particular events in history are events that signaled an end of an era and the beginning of something else. 

We can recall the tiniest details of those moments in our lives and we can repeat them to others over and over.

It is in this moment in history that the people of Judah can recall the details of when everything changed for them. It was all in the year King Uzziah died. And in that year, something else happened, one young man had his life turned upside down. One young man heard the voice of the Lord and his life changed direction forever. It was an event that he could recall the tiniest details because they marked him and took him to a place he could not have done on his own.

God called him into service. God called him to a life committed to prophesy, to be a prophet.

After Uzziah died his son Jotham was on the throne and Israel had allied with the Syrians and were making advances against Judah. The crisis continued as Jotham’s son Ahaz took to the throne. And there through the readings of Isaiah we discover how he tried to convince Ahaz to resist these advances. But, he chose an alliance with Assyria. Through the power of this alliance they were able to defeat the Syrian-Israeli advance. But, they were eventually bound to an intolerable alliance with Assyria which ended in the invasion of Judah by their allies under the reign of Hezekiah. Thus, fulfilling the prophecies given by God to Isaiah.

And so, for Isaiah, that very significant moment in history, that moment in the Temple, when sci-fi creatures approached him, and the Temple filled with smoke, God’s presence was very clear.

God enters and intervenes in moments of history to declare that all is not lost and purpose is not nullified.

It’s interesting to note that this passage of chapter 6 verses 1 through 8, interrupts the section of Scripture where the prophet Isaiah is already speaking to the people. Some would say it is out of order and yet others say it is inserted at just the right time to bring attention to the fact that Isaiah has been called by God to do this job.

An essential piece about this text is that it claims a particular order of worship. If we pay attention to the verses we can observe that verses 1-4 are words of praise, verse 5 confession, verse 6-7 forgiveness, and verse 8 a sending or commissioning.

In significant events in our life, the call of God and God’s claim on who we are become essential. We often ask ourselves the question, “Why am I here?”  We wonder about our purpose and if we can make a difference even as we age. Isaiah’s story reminds us that especially in the events of history God calls us out and uses us for God’s glory. God call us to serve even if our world is just one small room. It is God who takes out of our comfort zone and sends us into the world of the people.

In the midst of what was happening, in the upheaval of events around him, Isaiah went to church, he went to worship, he went to the Temple. Perhaps, he went because he wanted comfort, or perhaps as an obligation or he went out of habit. But, he went. In the midst of the events that are happening around us today in the world, in our country, in our community, and in our own homes, are we aware of the desire or the need to go to church, to go and find an opportunity for worship?

Greek Orthodox Church, Corfu, Greece

As Isaiah entered that Temple on that day, it filled with smoke and seraphs, and the very presence of God scared the living daylights out him. He was overwhelmed by the presence of God.

I’m not sure how I would feel if this sanctuary filled up with smoke. I look up at these rafters and wonder how it would be to watch billowing smoke filling this place. Okay, not like it did that recent January, not that kind of smoke. But, the incense kind of smoke that our Episcopalian or our Orthodox friends use, yes, like that a room filled with incense smoke. And then if a bunch of creatures started coming down from the rafters, giant winged things, I’m not sure if I would recognize any of it as the work of the Lord. I might think I’d been captured by aliens. 

For this story of Isaiah, this appearance of God fully present was his experience of the power of God to engulf him and claim him for a life of service. He was in the holy place of the presence of God and God came to him and all he could do was cry out to God in his own sense of inadequacy.

Immediately God intervenes and touches the lips of Isaiah,

purifies him,

and makes him whole.

We, too, can have an experience in the presence of God that throws us into a sense of inadequacy. Also, in the presence of big events, major world happenings, national crises, community tragedies, or personal challenges we can get overwhelmed and think we are inadequate.

We have a sense of helplessness

or distress of purpose,

or a sense of a loss of direction. We lose hope. We wonder when God will show up for us.

For some God’s voice comes as it is for Isaiah,

God reaches down and touches us,

calls us,

sets us apart,

and sends us out.

 For some the claim God makes on us is much quieter. God comes with the still small voice. Or God comes in the silence.

The heart of the matter is that in any event,

whether major earth shaking historical moments,

or individual trials,

God shows up.

And God calls us as witnesses to the awe and wonder of the presence of the One who holds us and binds us together with heaven and earth; binds us to the saints, the saints before us and the saints present with us; binds us to the work of the Lord.

When the voice of the Lord fills our lives in the presence of worship we are overwhelmed, 

and we are caught in the moment and there is no turning back. 

We are changed forever. 

An era has ended and things change. 

We are caught in the grip of the love of God that will not let us go. 

It does not let us go.

When we leave the sanctuary of our experience with God, our lives are changed and all our encounters with the world are changed. God’s presence, 

God’s love has altered the course of our personal history. 

And by our own personal historical change 

we can change the course of the history of the world.

Through the love of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we are brought to new life. How will we alters the course of the world’s history? 

In the year 2018, I saw the Lord…whom shall I send…here I am, send me. Amen.

The Advocate has your Back!

Sermon John 15:26-27; 16:4-15 May 20, 2018 Pentecost

The Advocate has your Back!

We all love the story in the Acts of the Apostle’s where the Spirit rushes in like a mighty wind and takes center stage for all to hear and understand the message of Christ. This Pentecost experience was a holy moment in the history of the church. It was one step of many steps, many acts of the Holy Spirit. It was the power of God to transform many lives.

We mark this occasion in Acts chapter 2 as the first day of the assembly of the church. And from that day the church has grown to where we are today. The church is all over the world and in every corner of it. Large and small, rich and poor, the church is still very much alive.

The day of Pentecost is not the only day to celebrate the Holy Spirit. In the gospel of John, Jesus spends a long time through his final discourse telling the disciples what to expect about the Spirit who will come to them. John is the one who helps us to recognize the fullness of the presence of the Spirit in our lives. He gives us some details to look out for and to embrace.

If we use the example in Acts chapter 2 as the way the Spirit works in the church, we will all become sorely disappointed. Because the church rarely grows 3000 souls at a time. But, if we go further in Acts and become witnesses to the varying ways the Spirit worked in the lives of the people we will discover the strength of the church to work one person at a time for the glory of God and for the power of love to create a new world. There might be a few churches in this world where there are thousands coming in droves and growing beyond the ability to keep up with the numbers. But, there are millions of churches across this globe who are small faithful, sustaining powers of the Spirit working the gospel one person at a time.

Most often the changes that happen in a big way in the world (for good or bad) started with one small spark. The embers of love and of hate can erupt rather quickly when the breeze blows.

Each and every relationship matters.

How we live and what we say makes a difference to everyone we encounter.

Our church and the churches around us are witnesses to everyone who sees us. And it is up to us to respond to the Spirit within us so we can hear and understand the words of those who speak to us.

Our relationships with each other are put to the test every day. 

That’s why the words about the Spirit from Jesus are so important to us. 

Jesus says he is sending us the Spirit of truth. 

The Spirit of truth is coming to make a home within us. 

The Advocate is coming to us and has our back!

The Advocate or (Paraclete in Greek) is the real presence of God in a special personal role. The literal definition of Paraclete means to ‘come alongside’.

An advocate is also a lawyer.

One who advocates for you,

who is on your side,

who has your back.

That’s one of the ways the Holy Spirit is important to me. I am constantly in need of a presence to keep me on track and to keep my heart in the right place.

Too quickly I jump to the negative or to inappropriate judging. I count on the Spirit to put my heart to the test and keep it straight in caring for others and to keep it in alignment to the promise of Jesus when he asked us to ‘abide in his love.’

The power of the Spirit offers us the real presence of the love of Jesus to fulfill our lives and to move in the direction of creating a new world. 

Are we willing to allow room for the Spirit’s disruption? 

Once we grant permission for the upheaval of the Spirit’s power 

there is no turning back. 

The Spirit will take us to uncomfortable places 

and have us testify to Christ’s love and to the Kingdom of peace.

When we enter into muddy waters, grey areas, fuzzy ideas, the Spirit is the One who brings clarity. The Spirit is the One who guides us through and provides us with acute hearing and understanding. 

We need the Advocate who has our back as we are thrust into a world where the way is not so clear. People who are policy makers understand there are several sides to an issue and all of them are worthy or at least can be made to look that way. That’s often why there are disagreements even among Christians as we look to the variety ways of living in this world. As we look to the ways of right and wrong. As we look to the ways of caring for the poor and the sick and the dying. It’s not that my right is more right than yours. But, my right according to my understanding of the Spirit working in me is…

And it is here exactly here…

where those who are listening to the Spirit will 

be willing to pause, 

to hear one another, 

to hear the abiding love of Jesus 

working to the power of God to create, 

to imagine, 

to cause a new way 

that had never been thought of before.

When the Spirit enters our life 

as we grow in God’s love 

we begin to recognize 

and see things 

in a way we never have before. 

We discover a changing within us. 

A power we cannot describe stirs up in us. 

We notice God in the details of life. 

We find ourselves in an awakening. 

We experience a freshness of our soul. 

And somehow, some way, our life is unfolding into a truth we come to embrace and live.

 The Advocate has our back through all this and more. 

Let us grant the Spirit center stage today. Let us be open to let the Spirit get the fire going and spread God’s love to everyone and let us pass it on. Amen.

Resources: Feasting on the Word.

Press On, Dear Sisters

Sermon Ephesians 1:15-23 May 13, 2018 Ascension/7^th Sunday Easter

Press On, Dear Sisters

It is always a joy to hear uplifting words of praise. Today’s letter from Paul to the Ephesians is one such letter. Listen to the words and let us see how God moves within us…

Some of you who were around in the 1970s might remember a pop singing group called the Carpenters. They had a song out that was a real hit. It became the go to song for couples to have sung at their wedding. Marriage was just the beginning, it was the kick-off to a long life together.

The words went like this: 

We've only just begun to live

White lace and promises

A kiss for luck and we're on our way

(We've only begun)

Before the risin' sun, we fly

So many roads to choose

We'll start out walkin' and learn to run

(And yes, we've just begun)

Sharing horizons that are new to us

Watching the signs along the way

Talkin' it over, just the two of us

Workin' together day to day

Together

And when the evening comes, we smile

So much of life ahead

We'll find a place where there's room to grow

(And yes, we've just begun)

Sharing horizons that are new to us

Watching the signs along the way

Talkin' it over, just the two of us

Workin' together day to day

Together

Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is that kind of song. It is a hymn, proclaiming the death, resurrection, and now the ascension of Christ as only the beginning for the followers of Jesus, for the church. The cross might be where Jesus died, but the hope of people of faith lies, not in his death, but in the fullness of his being-his birth (his incarnation), death, resurrection, & ascension. Paul writes it’s the future hope and the present reality of those who believe.

Paul makes what we might call a ‘prayer wish’ for the readers of this letter. He make a prayer wish for the eyes of their heart to be opened, for the riches of Christ’s glorious inheritance be among the saints, and for the immeasurable power of Christ who fills all in all be in them.

I find that prayer wish so powerful and so comforting. Isn’t that what we all would like for ourselves and for those we love?

In the story of our life and our journey of faith we are met with crossroads and as we enter into the unknown of those experiences, we discover it is a new beginning and the words, ‘we’ve only just begun’ echo through our first few steps of this new adventure.

The words of this letter to the Ephesians are timeless. We need those prayer wish words of Paul to fill our lives. 

How do we find answers to those age old questions that linger in our heads, or perhaps our children ask us and we have no clue how to answer. One such question about our future hope is, “If all of us go to heaven when we die and people from the beginning of time are there, including gramma and grampa, isn’t it really crowded; how would we find them?”

It sounds like a funny question that we would brush off-because who among us knows the answer? But, I’m sure we’ve all wondered about things such as these. The questions that come to us that stump us, "Did Adam and Eve have belly buttons?"

It’s the sort of question mothers and fathers get as they are trying to tuck the children in to bed at night. It’s the sort of question we struggle with as we come home from the funeral of a friend. We have a need to be comforted about the future and we have a need to be assured here and now about our present life.

I think women through the ages have given us a ray of sunshine as we witness how they have coped and been strengthened through all kinds of adversity.

In the book Dance of the Dissident Daughters, Sue Monk Kidd describes her awakening to the God she thought she had known all her life. She enters into a journey about her faith, religion, and life as a woman. She becomes shocked, disenchanted, fearful, and finally at peace with her discovery of who God is in her life. 

She recognizes the power of women to stick together through so much. She says this, “Solidarity is identifying with one another without feeling like you have to agree on every issue. It’s unity, not uniformity. It’s listening without rushing in to fix the problem. It’s going deeper than typical ways of talking and sharing—going down to the place where souls meet and love comes, where separateness drops away and you know these women because you are these women.”

 She urges women to “Press On, Dear Sisters” Press on in life, press on in faith, press on in all that encompasses women, press on through all things and know that no matter what, we are not alone, we will stick together.

The stories of the strength of women in Scripture are filled with those who have led a people, who have fed a crowd, and who have challenged God, and carried God.

But, this prayer wish from Paul is for the church men and women, old and young, rich and poor, of all nations and tribes. Paul encourages them through this prayer for insight and vision. At every crossroad of our life we need the eyes of our hearts to be opened.

Our hearts are seat of knowledge and wisdom. May the days, months and years ahead begin with the eyes of our hearts opened so we can have the hope of our calling; so we can experience the riches of Christ’s inheritance; be filled and live with the immeasurable greatness of his power.

On this Mother’s Day I think of all my sisters in the world.

I think of all the women who are powerhouses of strength,

forces to be reckoned with;

who have challenged and been challenged in the workforce,

who experienced motherhood, daughterhood, and sisterhood.

I think of the prayer warriors,

the casserole makers,

the card writers,

the stay at home woman,

the go to work woman,

the everything to everyone woman.

I think of how as women,

daughters of God,

we’ve only just begun,

and yet,

we’ve been so far.

And I pray the prayer wish

for all of you

as Paul did

and I say Press On, Dear Sisters,

Press On.

Amen.

Resources: NIB Ephesians; Dance of the Dissident Daughter; Working Preacher.

Twelve Disciples of Christ-the Women!

Twelve Disciples of Christ

A reading for Mother’s Day 2018 adapted from Wild Goose Worship Group from Iona.

Monica: Let us remember and celebrate twelve disciples of Jesus, people who were touched by and tended him.

Pam: Remember Mary, the girl from the country town, the poet and the singer, who became pregnant with God, by God, for God’s sake.

Anne: Remember Elizabeth, Mary’s older cousin, who shared Mary’s excitement who herself bore John, the friend of the and baptizer of Jesus.

Joan: Remember Anna, the old widow and faithful believer, who saw an eight day old baby and recognized that the Messiah had come.

Carol: Remember Martha, the cook and housekeeper, the plain speaker, who gave Jesus her anger, so he could give her his love.

Pam: Remember Joanna, who with Susanna, and many other women provided the hospitality which Jesus saw as crucial to the gospel.

Anne: Remember Peter’s mother-in-law, who was so grateful to be healed, that her first act after recovery was to make a meal for Jesus.

Joan: Remember the Samaritan woman, whose conversation with Jesus was full of double entendres, but whose life was so changed by him, that she became the first real evangelist.

Carol: Remember the Canaanite woman, who gave Jesus a hard time, taking his exclusive language to task, until he saw and admired her toughness, and devotion.

Pam: Remember the hemorrhagic woman, who contaminated countless men, or so they thought, in order to touch Jesus, who named her faith as the root of her cure.  

Anne: Remember the poor widowed woman, who, in giving the smallest coins to God, gave Jesus his model for generosity.

Joan: Remember the woman caught in adultery, who let Jesus show how the grace of God is greater then the moralizing of men.

Carol: Remember her, whose perfume filled a room with fragrance, yet, who let her costliest gift be offered, in love, to God.

Pam: Remember the woman, who mothered many children not her own, the woman who taught in schools and watched a generation graduate to new life.

Anne: Remember the woman, who sacrificed her dreams, so her daughter could realize hers.

Joan: Remember the woman, who was known as the church lady, who taught Sunday school, watched babies, baked cookies, pies, and casseroles, who was an elder, acted as clerk, treasurer, communion server, usher, choir member, preacher, pastor, teacher, bell ringer, and was a pillar of the church.

Carol: Remember the women, who touched our lives because of their bravery, their courage, their intelligence, their joy, who helped us see Jesus in the face of others.

Monica: Remember the women who we have loved and who loved us, our mothers, grandmothers, sisters, aunts, daughters, and cousins. Remember the women who are no longer here, who have gone before us, whose energy, imagination, tenacity, witness, and joy provide us with warmed hearts and renewed hope. Amen.

Fruit that Lasts.

Sermon John 15:9-17 May 6, 2018 Easter 6B

Fruit that Lasts.

Last month was science fair month in many of the local schools. Charlie worked on a project about fruit. He wanted to know how long fruit lasts. More accurately he wanted to what lasted longer-whole fruit or cut up fruit.

How long fruits lasts is an important question if you pack your lunch for school or work. It is also an important question if you buy fruit from the store. Stocking up on tons of bananas when there is only one person in the house that eats bananas would not be wise if they all rot before they can be eaten.

It’s helpful to know how long fruit lasts and how long anything lasts.

Here in the gospel of John, Jesus is talking to his disciples and to a whole crowd of followers. He wants to give his final thoughts on how they should be living after he goes away.

When I hear Jesus talking to his disciples like this it reminds me of my dad. It reminds me of my grandfather. It reminds me of a teacher from long ago. It also reminds me of my pastor-who really wanted me to understand how to live out this amazing faith that gripped me and made me so in love with Jesus. He really wanted me to grasp what it meant to live in abiding love.

Have any of you ever thought on those words of Jesus-abide in my love?

It sounds a lot like something that happens when tow people marry.

It sounds a lot like this: marriage is not the culmination of love, but only the beginning.

Love remains and deepens, but its form changes. Or, more accurately, it renews itself in a different way. Less and less does it draw its waters from the old springs of romance, and you should not worry if over time these dimensions fade or are seen less frequently. More and more, love draws its replenishment from love itself: from the practice of conscious love, expressed in your mutual servanthood to one another. . . .

It will transform your lives and through its power in your own lives will reach out to touch the world. . . . But how to stay in touch with that power? At those times when stress mounts and romance seems far away, how do you practice that conscious love that will renew itself and renew your relationship? . . . CAC core faculty member, Cynthia Bourgeault

Those words are beautiful and they are words to seek to live by.

But, if we always use these beautiful words of Jesus about abiding in his love as they relate to girlfriends, boyfriends, husbands and wives, we might never get the idea that these words of abiding in his love about you and me and the church and everyone outside the church. 

Jesus says abide in my love because that’s the only way to be able to be consistent in love. It’s the only way to have the strength of love when we are angry and when we are crazy excited. Love in the way Jesus tells us here is not a feeling but an action. “Love seeks the well-being of others and is expressed in concrete efforts on their behalf. Thus love can be commanded.”

Love is not about us, but about the other.

It is about the surrender of our will.

It is about the giving in to God and the giving up of things that would be obstacles to another’s receipt of love.

Regardless of how we feel we move forward and show love towards another.

That’s why Jesus can say to us that our joy may be complete. The unity of the love of Christ within us makes it possible to move our way into new relationships, to strengthen old ones and sustain the ones we have now-all these leads to joy made complete.

Love is shown in ways of doing that are not always noticed as love when it comes to teaching responsibility, or saying no, or using time out. Love comes in ways that are difficult when we walk with someone through disease, illness or loss. Love is really challenging when those we love go a different way from what had hoped for them.

Henri Nouwen writes, “If we wait for a feeling of love before loving, we may never learn to love well…Mostly we know what the loving thing to do is. When we ‘do love’, even if others are not able to respond with love, we will discover that our feelings catch up with our acts.’ Joy complete!

Jesus reminds these amazing followers that they are his friends. It is so important to have friends. Jesus also reminds them that he is the one who chose them. It is so terrific when we discover someone who wants to be our friend. We have the choice to receive the gift of their friendship or turn on our heels and walk away. We have the extreme gift of the power of God’s love in us to choose friendships as he chose us-undergirded with genuine love.

How often have we gone out of our way to seek new friendship or sustain the current ones?

Are we tired?

Are we too busy?

Are we just exhausted from even the idea of one more task, esp. talking to someone?

And yet, Jesus points out that it is through his initiative that these friendships exist.

Perhaps that is our main lesson about fruit that lasts.

Perhaps, we are reminded again through the words of Jesus to abide with him and seek out others to share his love. 

Yes, that’s it. 

Abide in Jesus, 

do love, 

seek friends, 

and so our joy is complete.

The science experiment shows us how fruit lasts. 

Thank you, Charlie. 

Cut up fruit doesn’t last. 

Whole fruit such as bananas and strawberries last longest when they are kept in the bunch or on the vine. 

And mostly, we know it lasts best when it is shared. Amen.