A House Full

Sermon Acts 2:1-21 (1-14) May 31, 2020 Pentecost yr A in the time of Covid19

A House Full

It is Pentecost Sunday.

It is the day we all gather together as the church from near and far.

It is the last hurrah before summer. It is the time of year when we celebrate graduates, from PreK, Kindergarten, fifth grade, eighth grade, high school and college. It is a time we celebrate our youth through confirmation as they enter into the voting rights of the church and become full participating members taking on responsibilities and offering their gifts.

It is the time of year we plan to leave our homes and head off on vacation to distant states, across the globe, to the beach, the mountains, the lakes and the national parks.

It is the time of year when summer sports take over, the swim teams, the little leagues, the travel teams, all keep our lives bustling and full of energy. Our houses are usually so full this time of year with the business of busyness. In the church this time of year on this Pentecost day we are full of excitement to celebrate the power of God alive in us through the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

And this year, it feels like none of that.

We’re not even together.

None of what I’ve mentioned has been possible.

It’s as if the breath of life has been taken out of us.

It’s as if the energy and enthusiasm of this time of year has been drained away from us.

The violence of the virus to steal our breath and

the violence of one man to steal the breath of another

have left us empty, hopeless, and alone.

We cry out to the Lord and ask, “When Lord, when?”

Where is your church now?

Where is your gathered people?

Where is your power?

We can’t breathe and you have left us alone.

We have nothing left.

And perhaps this year in our state of being we can understand being in the room with the disciples as if for the first time.

They were gathered in one place,

lost,

alone,

waiting,

uncertain about any future,

uncertain about life itself,

uncertain if the promises

they were given would really happen.

Fifty days from the resurrection they had been without Jesus. Ten days since his ascension and they had  no idea of what’s next. Of course they’d been told.

But, Jesus told them about his death and resurrection and that still came as a surprise to them. And now Jesus has told them about the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, the Power of God within them to stir them and to equip them.

And even with all that information, it seemed impossible and it seemed unbelievable, and it seemed foolish.

Many of them in their house full of people sitting and waiting were just hoping to find a way to get their life back.

How could they find their old boats and start fishing again.

How could they get back to any of the things they did before?

And so on this Pentecost, just as promised, the Spirit shows up.

There was no mistaking the sound of the presence of the Spirit being poured out upon the people gathered there in Jerusalem.

There was the roar of the mighty wind, there was the rush of the breath of the Spirit.

All the noise and the force appearing to the crowd created an uprising of sound, a sound finally understood, a sound finally spoken and claimed and shared.

They were in one accord speaking of God and the presence with one another became the language they could all share and learn from.

All of a sudden through the breath of the Holy Spirit, the people of God moved into another mode of existence.

They became united in thought and united in purpose and united in action.

May we who are gathered together on this day, you in your rooms at home and we here (by the Spirit’s power we are all together) may we hear the rush of the mighty wind of Pentecost today!

May the Holy Spirit descend upon us as was done thousands of years ago and unite us through the language of understanding and the purpose of God’s love for all life.

May the Spirit fill our houses full of wonder and grace in every corner,

in every crack,

in every space,

may the power

of the presence

of the Holy Spirit with you all

be so incredibly noticed

that you too become full in your hearts,

your whole body be renewed

and refreshed

with new purpose and

new breath of life.

When I was a young mother living in our 10X50 trailer I remember reading about the Holy Spirit power to fill homes and hearts. So I walked through our home with a baby on my hip and started praying from one corner of the house to the other. “Enter our home, fill our lives, fill our spaces, fill all of every corner, every nook, with the power of your presence, so we may live and we may be guided by your love. Come Holy Spirit, come”

God gave us the Spirit to help us in our weakness, to release us from our timidity, and to give us the power to love, to be disciplined in the gifts poured out upon us for ministry. This is  not for personal gain but as the community of faith to further the truth of God’s love for all people. They are poured out upon us to guide us to refresh us to show us a new way of life that draws us all closer together. We may be shy, or introverts, but gives us the voice to speak.

As we read through the New Testament and the Book of the Acts of the Apostles we learn through their stories how the early church was open to so many new ways of being the church.

It was all brand new.

It was all something they had never done before.

It was all something they had to experiment with and be fluid in.

They almost seemed at ease in the way the Spirit guided them to new experiences.

There were so many variables in those days about the whats, wheres, hows, and whos of the day that the only thing they could do was to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to direct them.

As the church today in the last twelve weeks we have been faced with the same need to go back to the days of the early church. We had to learn fast how to be ‘live’ in worship.

We have had to look more than ever to the power of the Holy Spirit to direct and guide us. We have had to learn to accept the rush of the breath of the Spirit to fill our lungs and to open our ears to hear.

We are reminded again when we look to the early church the magnitude and scope of the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the disciples.

We’ve discovered that our houses are full. 2000+ years and we’re still here!

Yes, the church as then, is now in more than one place.

Our houses are full because the church is there.

Our houses are full because the energy is there,

the enthusiasm to discover and do and learn new ways is there.

Life has been fluid at every turn new

and refreshing ways of being have

found us united in hope and united in faith.

It doesn’t feel anything like Pentecosts of the past.

It doesn’t feel anything like the beginning of summer of the past.

But, today unlike any Pentecost we have ever known

the Holy Spirit is descending

upon us like fire and wind

can you see it,

can you hear it?

Look, listen, it will change us,

it will ignite us,

it will stir us to action,

it will get our house full

in ways we can’t even imagine yet.

Be alert, be open.

Swim team, little league, vacations will happen, they will come, not in the way we imagined, but they will come again.

The sound of laughter united together, united in purpose, united in life are emerging…

just listen…

God is here…

just listen…

the breath of life is here…

just listen…

like a mighty wind…

we are filled.

Praise to the Lord. Amen.

Resources: NIB Acts, How to be Filled by the Holy Spirit by AW Tozer, Feasting on the Word year A David Gushee, My old sermons 2015,2017.

Whole Armor of God

Sermon Ephesians 6:10-20 May 24, 2020 Memorial Day Service.

Whole Armor of God

On this Memorial Day weekend we remember those who died for their service to this country. “Established in 1868 as a day to honor the fallen soldiers of the just concluded Civil War, Memorial Day has grown to become a solemn recognition of all of our nation's war dead and the high price of our freedoms. There is the sense in which the dead, though silent, still speak -- the quality and character of their lives lingering long after they have gone.” 

Anonymous quote.

It is more than appropriate for us to spend time in worship, in reflection, in silence, in meditation, in a church service remembering those who fought for justice, peace, reconciliation, and freedom. Because the struggle and conflict is real in this world and God is the God of all nations. God is the God of peace, righteousness, love, tenderness and compassion. God seeks for those who follow in faith to live their lives serving to fight against oppression, to break the chains of human trafficking, to release the captives, to bring about equality, to work so the whole world is fed and people live in places where the rulers provide a safe haven for all their people.

We remember the lives lost in the most recent conflicts of war in Afghanistan and Iraq; in conflicts forgotten, Kosovo, Bosnia, Somalia; in wars short in duration, Gulf War, Panama, Granada, Lebanon, Dominican Republic; in wars of controversy, Bay of Pigs, Vietnam, Korea; in the great wars, WWI & WWII; in wars of regret, the Indian wars, and the Civil war. People chose to go to war, were drafted into war, tried to flee from war, ran straight into war. All, no matter the reason, gave their lives and this one weekend, just this one weekend we remember them and their families. In November we remember & honor all who served, but this weekend we remember those who are gone.

Why does it matter some may ask?

Others may say this has no place in the church worship.

Some may have conflicted ideals with war and the military.

Others may have high and lofty ideals of sovereignty.

But, in the church, God helps us to recognize that life and love are most important.

How do we seek to serve to make sure that all life receives the love God has ordained?

How do we walk through war torn cities and nations without being impacted and moved to help, to renew, to provide?

These are the words of those who have gone to foreign lands. Soldiers and Chaplains have shared with me how their lives have been touched beyond measure. They speak of the unthinkable that happened.

Those who have served in the military in front lines have seen so much, have been changed by all they have witnessed for the hope to bring dignity back to the lives of those they have fought for. Perhaps, that’s what’s most important to share with our next generation. The importance of serving, the importance of integrity, the importance of a well lived life. They speak of how they have also fought here at home for the freedom of those held captive, those being tortured and maimed, those who had lost everything.

 

Art By Marsh Ryon

Paul is speaking to the people of Ephesus to give them courage. Paul wants them to remember first of all that they are a new creation in Christ Jesus.

Paul knew that these new Christians felt powerless.

They felt their lives were filled with instability.

He was worried they lacked resolve.

He was most concerned that they did not fully understand their identity in Christ. Paul assists the Ephesians in understanding their new identity by uniting them no longer as Jew and Gentile but as new creations in Jesus.

Paul emphasizes that their identity is in the risen Lord.

Unity is key.

And the fact that all authority and powers are subject to Christ.

It is important to let them know that God will free them from the powers of darkness. God will provide for them in times of fear and confusion,

in times of frustration,

and lack of understanding.

When ignorance and sin are at the forefront,

Paul guides the Ephesians in finding truth and peace.

In his final appeal to the Ephesians, he admonishes them to stand firm.

Just as any officer would do for his/her troops a firm grip of confidence is key just prior to entering dangerous territory.

It was not easy for the Ephesians living a faith that was as radical as Christianity.

It didn’t make sense.

It created turmoil.

People lost work, and even lost lives because of their faith.

The gospel message of love and peace has been dangerous for so many.

And Paul’s words to don the whole armor of God fit well for these early people of faith.

As it also fits well for us.

To know our bodies are clothed in the protection we need when we are facing the unknown, the things beyond our control, the powers of darkness and danger, gives us the inner strength to stand firm, to move forward, to engage in the rigors of life and not be afraid.

God is with us.

We are called upon to be active in our faith and active in our life.

Our military heroes have gone into battle in places where the assault was great. It required a firm confidence to get them through to do what had to be done.

There have been many times that the world has been grateful to the United States joining the allied forces. If it had not been for the decisions to enter into these global conflicts many more lives would have been lost and the tables of global power would have been very different. It is important that each generation remember this truth and choose to do the same.

Paul is advocating for a defensive armor to protect oneself in the conflict of the ages. We could all do with a little bit of armor in the conflict of life. Armor is not a bad thing. Protecting oneself from harm is not a bad thing. Using military language synonymously with our faith in the love of Christ is not a bad thing. Armor is a form of resilience. It is a testimony of being able to face the enemies of our life, whether they be real physical entities or the demons of our imagination, or the darkness that lies within our own hearts, or the reality of oppression, or the cruelty of language, or the pain of disease, or the sorrow of death, or the seriousness of loss.

Wearing things as real as a helmet of salvation,

a belt of truth,

a breastplate of righteousness,

a shield of faith,

shoes ready to proclaim the gospel of peace,

and the sword of Spirit, make us prepared for anything and ready to be bold in all things.

We need that language today.

We need our resilience if Christ to stand firm as we go forward. 

Hold on to hope. 

Hold on to love. 

Hold on to peace.

Every part of our body covered to face forward to whatever is coming our way.

Let us always remember our battle is to come to the fullness of our identity in the newness offered us in the risen Christ. The emptiness in our heart filled with floods of peace. The sorrow in our soul filled with the real presence of Jesus.   

Yes.

Today we remember the sacrifice of so many for us here today as the future generation of freedom and peace. We too will don the whole armor of God and stand together in the love of Christ for the future generations.

May we never forget.

Amen.

Resources: NIB Ephesians. 

When This Germ Goes Away

Sermon Jeremiah 29 & 1 Peter 3:13-22 May 17, 2020

When This Germ Goes Away

“When this germ goes away, will you come see me?” this was a question from a five year old living today in the reality of pandemic. 

From the mouths of babes we witness the truth of our lack of control of the world we live in. We hear the desires and the dream uttered from their lips. We hear from them what this life looks through their eyes.

On Wednesday, hearing this from my granddaughter threw me. 

It was finally a confrontation with the truth of the way we are living today. 

It was the truth that we are living in exile. We are not a people sent to the desert as Jesus was to confront for 40 days the identity of who we are. We are not a people who has left a land of slavery and are wandering in the desert for 40 years prior to entering a promised land. We a not a people of an ark for 40 days being lifted up out of chaos and dropped off into a brave new world. While we are the descendants of all of these people, our story today goes well with our Scriptures for today which are letters written to believers in unknown territories.

With this pandemic,

we are more like a people carried off

into a land that’s not our own.

A people in world out of our control.

A people in captivity.

A people caught in the whirlwind of life

of which we have no say.

We can’t travel.

We can’t work.

We can’t get the supplies we need.

We can’t seek the medical, social, religious, economic engagement we need.

We are a people without a future that we can see or plan.  

The truth today is just how hard life can be.

Just because we claim Christ as our Lord doesn’t guarantee us or anyone else this perfect window into a perfect world. But, what we do get, that makes it so hard to define or to describe, is a sense of peace in adversity and a sense of hope in times of trouble, a sense of truth to get us through.

What has been so difficult with this situation we have been living though is the not knowing. At first we thought we would be inconvenienced for a couple of weeks. Then we saw it was a little longer and we hunkered down to hold on until it was over. We thought we could hold on to our plans, hold our breath and then come up for air and go on as we did before.

The Israelites thought the same thing when they were carried off to Babylon. First it was a short stay, not too long and then they’ll get to go back home. But, there was no relief or peace in sight. Then they chose to live in their dwellings as temporary dwellings knowing this was not their home and they would wait until they were back in Jerusalem before they carried on with their life the way they used to.

But, Jeremiah hits them with the reality of living in the present. He tells them how they can live their best life now.

It’s not about giving up or giving in. but about putting action to hope.

If we can’t live our best life now with the cards we’ve been dealt then how will we live it when we have everything?

Jeremiah isn’t asking the exiles to give up and act like slaves or submit to the masters of their captivity.

He’s giving them the courage to take the lot they’ve been cast and look it in the eye and move to action.

Plant gardens.

Build homes.

Get married.

Have kids.

Live your best life.

Look your captors in the eye and show them that even though they have control you have ability to live the best life possible now, even in adversity.

This idea is not a pipe dream. Ask anyone who has been through disease or mental illness or chronic conditions. They will tell you the only way to move forward and out of the despair of something that took over their life was to say to the disease or the condition or the mental illness (anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder etc), you may have control of my body and mind, but I will live my best life either in spite of you or despite you. You may ravage my body but, I can make my life matter. Why? Because the power of God to act in our lives is just as strong in exile as it is in abundance.

Both the letter of Jeremiah and I Peter are pragmatic. They are pointing out the possibilities for life in Babylon and in Asia Minor, these places not their home but where God can act in their life. These letter writers were declaring a path forward by digging in, getting dirty, and creating space for joy. The best hope for the future is to live in the present. The hope for the future is to settle in for the long haul.

By doing this, hope takes action.

By doing this hope anticipates and moves towards an amazing future of possibility built in the present.

If we sit at home and can’t go out, how can our best life be lived in that circumstance? If we have to go to work in hazmat conditions, how can our best life be lived in that circumstance?

One reality is that like the early Christians of Asia Minor we are dispersed far from one another. We are beyond the community in which we find our comfort and collectiveness. Yet, as we discover, our community in this time has grown beyond these walls and beyond our familiar groups. We have a following of those who worship with us that were not able to before. We are not just dispersed throughout the ESVA but now we are a community in nine different states and sometimes three other countries. By the power of the resurrection of Jesus and his ascension, we have a unity unknown to us before. How can we live our best life (as Kate Bowler, podcaster, insists) when living this life with where we are and how we are is all we have?

God’s action is in our life now. It’s not waiting to act tomorrow when we will all get back together. God’s action is showing us and training us within this context for the way things can be rich and fulfilled right now. It’s our turn to pay attention to the good things, take note, and build on it. It’s our turn to look at where the needs are and assist in helping. We can’t do it all. We can’t fix it all. We can’t be like everyone else. But, we can impact one small space of our life, right where we are. We can hear God’s voice propelling us into an action that shows us we are alive and well. Let’s listen together and discover together and work together.

My life experiences and careers have always been within the power of touch.

As a nurse to sit cradling a child receiving dialysis treatments or as a pastor holding the hands of the dying, touch has been the crucial, sacred element of these moments to heal and comfort.

When that became no longer possible,

I lost my way.

I did not know how to act.

And yet…In my despair,

God is still fully present.

In my deepest sadness,

God is acting.

God is paving a path of knowledge

and ways of living never known before.

God is moving us into a future

not of frustration but of discovery.

How can the things we have counted on that no longer exist become the avenue for a new way to emerge?

I am comforted and renewed by the power of God through the resurrection of Jesus to sustain us and to stir us. We can do this! We will keep worshiping together this way. We will take the service to those who cannot watch. We will visit one another from a distance. We will have car parades. We will have Zoom fellowship. We will have doorstep tea times. We will resume our ordinary activities and God will show us his presence in them.

Who knows if the tales of the future from our children will be they remember these days as the best days of their life…we won’t know, but for now…

We are not alone.

We don’t know when this germ will go away.

We can’t plan for it.

But, we will choose to live our best life now.

Because we have the greatest promise of truth from God.

We have a hope in Jesus, a hope that is active, that pulls us and gets us up, and holds us when no one else can, and carries us, and heals us, and just loves us so much it pulls us forward to a marvelous future.

These are not dream words, these are truth words.

Amen.

Let us pray, Father we worship you today. We love you for our life in Jesus Christ who you raised up to glory. We offer ourselves to you again today to work within us by the power of your Holy Spirit to transform us. Move us forward in our resurrection life, fill us with your hope that doesn’t wait but moves in anticipation, and action. Renew our spirits to a right mind with you. Refresh our hearts with the fullness of love, now and forevermore. Amen.

Resources: NIB Jeremiah 29 & 1 Peter; Working Preacher-Preach This Week; Kate Bowler Podcast.

The Best of Times

Sermon Ruth 1:1-22 May 10, 2020 Mother’s Day

The Best of Times

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.

This opening paragraph from Charles Dickens A Tale of Two Cities is remarkable. As we listen to these words from the paragraph we wonder at what age of the world they were written. We wonder at what age of the world was it and is it still applicable.

When we enter into the story of Ruth and Naomi it becomes clear that it too is a tale by which we wonder if it is a season of light or darkness, a spring of hope, or winter of despair.

Now I know you’re looking at me and saying, “Look, it’s Mother’s Day, you’re supposed to say sappy, happy, things, so we can all feel good about the women in our lives and then go eat a yummy lunch.”

We’ll get to that part. But, for now, this is a remarkable tale of stubbornness, loss, suffering, courage, commitment, triumph, grace, and redemption.

Life in Bethlehem of Judah had become the worst of times, full of famine, suffering, loss, and death. Naomi and her husband chose to leave in the hopes of life being better somewhere else. As famine would have it, it also occurred in the new country. There was no escape from suffering and loss and it found its way into the life of Naomi. She witnessed her husband die and her two sons. She lost everything. She was at a loss. She had no idea what to do next except to go back home and beg for survival.

Perhaps, that’s the hard part,

witnessing the devastation

and then

being the one experiencing it as well.

 

When tragedy hits home somehow everything changes.

All the suffering surrounding the family has become their suffering as and they are overwhelmed.

Joy has no place in this moment.

Laughter was long gone.

Peace does not exist.

And in this moment Naomi feels completely abandoned.

How could a God of love allow this to happen in her life. Her faith seemed as though it wasn’t enough to keep her family alive.

She is mad.

She is sad.

She is bitter.

Worse, her misery has left her unrecognizable by her people.

 

It’s here where we come in with our judgment lens and say, “If she had faith she would be able to thank God for her situation.”

The truth of the tale is that Naomi did have faith. And so did Orpah and Ruth.

It is their strength of faith that guided them.

It is their strength of faith that gave them the courage to be truthful.

It is their strength of faith that moved them all forward on the path to redemption.

We have this idea that one of these women was faithful and the others weren’t.

But, faith shows itself in many ways and is acted upon in many ways, and when guided by the Spirit is manifested in many ways.

We’ve chastised Naomi in our commentaries for being a bitter woman. But, I appreciate her truth. Her name means sweet. And when she returns to her home she tells everyone to call her Mara which means bitter. She lets everyone around her know exactly how she feels. Wouldn’t that be great if we could be honest enough to share our real feelings?

God wants us to own up to our truths.

If we feel really bad about our situations then let’s share that. When we can be honest about how devastated we are in loss, or how miserable it feels to suffer then we can be surrounded by compassion.

If we pretend things are fine, we lose out on the chance to receive comfort.

If we hold back our tears or cries of pain, those around us aren’t able to learn how to express their pain and loss.

These three women are wonderful women of faith. They express the faith of truth, the faith of obedience, and the faith of stubbornness. All these expression are who God calls us to be in various times of our life.

Orpah is left out of the story near the beginning and we really have neglected the power of her presence in the scene. She was a faithful daughter in law willing to go anywhere with her mother in law including returning to a homeland that was not hers. Yet, at the insistence of Naomi to return to find comfort within her own family, she obeys. Orpah loves Naomi dearly. Orpah wants to be faithful to the requests of the one she loves. And the path she is sent on is the one back home. Sometimes that’s exactly what God wants us to do. Naomi offers both women an act of grace which is to go home and start again.

God knows us better than we know ourselves and we all have capabilities and capacities and we also all have limits. Orpah’s faithful obedience to return home has a story of grace that we are not privy to. She is to be honored.

Ruth on the other hand clings to Naomi and declares her faith.

It’s a stubborn faith.

It’s an unwillingness to be obedient.

It’s a hands on her hips, defiant, determined and audacious faith.

In the face of Naomi’s truth to want to be left alone to return to her country, Ruth recognizes a call of God to hold fast, to stay the course, to remain rooted in place with Naomi.

Its almost as if she says something like this, “Hey, I’ve been with you, your son, your God who is mine and now you want me to abandon it all…no way. You can’t make me go back. You’re stuck with me.”

Ruth has clearly been called by God to assert herself and her faith upon Naomi.

They have lived together and worshiped together for ten years and Ruth is not willing to give any of that up.

We do not know how unhappy or how pleased Naomi is with Ruth’s decision.

But, we do know she could not shake her and so they went together to Bethlehem of Judah.  

 

There are times in our life that God calls us to have the faith of Ruth.

It’s not always easy to live this faith.

When the one you love just wants you to go away

or to disappear or to stop bothering them,

it can be difficult to remain at their side.

Sometimes though its in these very moments that we need someone to refuse to listen to us because we need them more than we know.

When Jesus says I will never leave you or forsake you, it is a stubborn faith. Peter denied him and Jesus stayed by him. Jesus does not leave us. Even when we turn our backs his love pursues us. And stays the course with us.

Ruth saw Naomi’s needs and she was able to be practical.

She was able to guide Naomi through her grief to help her find her way again to restoration and renewal and reconciliation with God.

In the end the beauty is the birth of son named Obed became the ancestor of Jesus. and so they could say it was the best of times, a spring of hope, a season  of light.

Today reach out to the women in your life who have been the truth tellers,

the obedient ones,

the stubborn ones

and thank them.

 

Thank you for believing in us.

Thank them for being women of faith.

Thank them for showing you the way to live life fully.

Thank them for their beauty.

Thank them for their courage.

Thank them for their tirelessness to serve.

Thank them for just being who they are.

And with our thanks, we will rise up and call them blessed. Amen.

 Resources: NIB Book of Ruth

Jesus is the Gate

Sermon John 10:1-11 May 3, 2020 Good Shepherd Sunday Easter 4A

Jesus is the Gate

Good morning. As you saw me share with the children about support animals; we lean on God’s special creation of critters for comfort, company and courage. 

We pour our emotions into them. We hug them tighter than they can manage. 

We pull them into our covers to protect us at night. 

We depend on them to be our friend. 

Its no wonder that God created the world full of amazing creatures. As humans we are nothing without them.

We know Jesus is not a squishy critter for us to hug and adore, yet, sometimes, just sometimes, when we are deep down in a funk, in a miserable mess, it’s nice to know he’s there with us as we hide under the covers. Sometimes, we think of Jesus our shepherd like that.

 Jesus is our shepherd. He is our guard and guide. He is the one we run to when we’re in need. He is the very one we trust with our whole heart. And we do whisper our secrets to him so no one else can know. Today, on Good Shepherd Sunday we think about all the ways Jesus is for us.

Photo from HK Farms in Florida. A real gift they offer their community. Look them up.

Before Jesus tells us he is the Shepherd he starts out telling us that he is the Gate.

Which considering how all of us are feeling these days, that’s a really appropriate description. “Jesus, be the gate for us and let us out, keep us in”. Which really, really, makes me glad that I can count on Jesus to be the one standing there holding the Gate that he says is his, not mine, but his.

What is a gate? In order to have a gate it means it is attached to some kind of boundary. Fences, walls, hedges, personal space are boundaries. They surround, define, protect, keep out, and keep in. Our boundaries all possess the presence of a gate.

Can you think of any boundary that does not also have a way of entrance and exit? I can’t.

Even when Berlin was divided by a wall there was a gate to open one way or another. Even the most negative way we can look at things that create barriers have a way in or out. Countries have borders. Boundaries and Gates seem rather exclusionary.

Do we look to Jesus as this kind of gate; exclusionary?

I like to think of gates as gates of welcome. Garden gates reinforce that for me. A beautiful gate made of pickets covered in English ivy swinging on a barely fastened hinge. Barely touching it causes it swing wide open as one gazes on beds of flowers bursting in full bloom. I remember reading ‘The Secret Garden’ and being carried away by the scent of the flowers in the story.

Jesus is in control of the gate. Jesus is the one who manages grace. Jesus is the one who makes the invitation swinging wide open the gates of heaven. Jesus welcomes us all.

And that’s important to know as these words are shared after he has healed the blind man. The blind man was not welcome in the sanctuary while he was disabled. And then when he was healed and should have been allowed in the sanctuary of worship he was forced out by the leadership for speaking the truth.

Jesus wants us to know that he does not exclude and that his sanctuary gate is open to all. Jesus does not engage with us through religious rhetoric or political stigmas, or social justice, or moral, or educational ideals. Jesus turns us upside down and inside out with his grace. It is continuously paradoxical.

So here we are: Every country and state has had challenges with this pandemic. Every community. Every home. Every one. Not one of us is alone in this crisis, yet all of us are facing different challenges because of it.

How will we understand Jesus as the Gate in times like this?

I know there are those who are putting their lives in danger every day. 

How do we respond to them? 

Do we seek to protect them? Do we remain at home while they risk their lives? 

What do we do?

How do we wrestle with this dilemma and wonder what Jesus wants us to do?

It’s so hard. 

I wish we had hard solid answers as we live our lives of faith. 

I wish Jesus would come directly to each of us and tell us how to make decisions. 

Jesus tell me which team to be on. 

Jesus tell me which job to take. 

Jesus tell me who to trust. 

But, Jesus doesn’t it make it that easy for us. And, that’s the challenge of our faith…to discern, to pray, to hope, to trust and to act as God has called us to.

That’s it, we can all be followers of Jesus with varying opinions about the world in which we live. 

And Jesus welcomes us in. 

I just love that more than anything about Jesus. 

He lets my neighbor who I’ve disagreed with for years about how to trim the hedge in through the same gate as me.

We are all at home anxious to return to be together. 

Some of us more eager than others. 

Yet, all us are loving Jesus and each other more than we’ve ever known or realized.

We don’t need to let the gate of our life be so locked and fastened that we only see out through the peephole.

Let Jesus really be Lord of our conscience. 

Let go of our control of the gates of our life and listen to Jesus for a bit. 

Talk to him. 

Ask him to enter our thoughts. 

Ask him to enter our habits. 

Ask him to be with us as we do our chores. 

I guarantee you that you may not still have the answers your seeking. 

But, you will know he’s there. 

You’ll get a sense of comfort. 

You’ll get a stirring in your heart. 

You’ll get a conflicting feeling in your mind about your views. 

You’ll get that Holy Spirit turning you topsy turvy tugging at everything you’ve always believed and causing you to think hard again. 

Our hard heartedness to others and our digging in our heals to each other and the world; gets hammered by the love of Jesus-look out. 

It’s true this Gate-this Jesus Gate-is welcoming and challenging, it is full of grace and full of love and full of transformation. 

Be on the lookout to your heart ‘cause God’s gonna open it up and welcome you.

Jesus is our shepherd. 

He is our guard and guide. 

He is the one we run to when we’re in need. 

He is the very one we trust with our whole heart. 

It’s true friends, no storm can shake our inmost calm, 

We hear the music ringing, since Christ is lord of heaven and earth, how can we keep from singing?  Amen.

Reverend Monica Gould 

Resources: NIB John, NRSV Bible translation.