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 

Dry Bones

Sermon Ezekiel 37:1-10 June 28, 2015 Ordinary time-away from lectionary.

Dry Bones

Every generation, in its own time, needs to hear that these bones will live!-Elie Wiesel.

Every generation, in its own time, needs to hear that it can change the world.

Every generation, in its own time, needs to hear that it has the foundation, it has direction, and it will take the action steps to live.

There are all kinds of ways we can describe the feeling of being in the valley of dry bones. We can be the only one looking on at a crowd and celebrating the joy of life while surrounded by doomsayers and feeling utterly alone. We can be one of the many dry bone bodies feeling completely disconnected from the world, others, and even ourselves.

Sometimes we feel left out in the dust and out of touch with all the things whirling around us and we sense that we are just a pile of disconnected bones.

I believe the Church feels that way today, as it is confused about the future, confused about the way of the world and confused about where God is in all the awful things that are happening to God’s people. There are more articles on the Internet about what’s wrong with the church, about the reasons why people are leaving the church, about why people think the church is irrelevant and out of date. It time we stop reading and listening to these words. Even the Church denominations are scrambling to save their jobs and they are acting like the valley of the dry bones. This is not the Church the way Christ intended, no the Church of Christ is a Risen, Resurrected Church.

Ezekiel the prophet describes four visions and this one about the dry bones is the third of four.

Finally, this prophet of doom- saying comes to the place where God

                                                     is placing him in a position to point out what is good,

                                                                      what is powerful,

                                what is beyond expectation and what is God’s way of doing.

God’s way of doing is one of power and might, of resurrection, of new life and new strength.

What does your life need?

What does your church experience need?

What does your faith need?

What gives you life now?

What experiences fill you,

                          energize you,

                                     and refresh you?

What encourages you,

establishes you with a solid sense of being,

and keeps you grounded?

What keeps you going and gives you hope?

Initially, all Ezekiel can see is a valley of bones, many of them, all laid to waste, all completely destroyed and devoid of any hope for life.

They are dry, they have lost any potential for reviving.

The bones are scattered in a way that it would take a forensic scientist weeks to figure out which bones belongs to which body.

And then God comes and puts Ezekiel in his grip.

                                                 “The hand of the Lord came upon me.”

God takes charge and God transports Ezekiel to see what God sees.

No one is null and void.

No one is a wasted being,

no one is without hope.

God takes Ezekiel and puts him to work.

“Prophesy”, God says, “Talk to the bones, tell them what to do”, God says.

Ezekiel tells the bones to hear God’s Word.

The bones,

              those wasted dried out disconnected pieces, hear God’s vision!

 They hear God’s purpose for them.

                          They hear God’s active Spirit of life.

                                  Something moves this waste land

                                            and the bones begin to move toward their appropriate parts. And as the song goes,

the foot bone connects to the leg bone,

to the knee and so on until all the skeletons are formed.

And then the tendons attach and the muscles and then the skin.

There is a vast valley of fully formed bodies.

And then God calls for the winds to come and life is breathed into them.

                               They are lifted up and are now a vast army ready to move for God,

                                                                         ready to renew the homeland,

                                                                                       ready to re-create the way they live.

Imagine being in Ezekiel’s shoes and being the one to witness a vision such as this! Thank goodness we have amazing media talent these days and they have recreated some very imaginative portrayals of this vision.-look it up on YouTube-you’ll be amazed.  

Sometimes that’s exactly what we need, an imagination so big and so beyond what could possibly be, so that God can work through it to create and show us what can and will happen beyond our expectations.

                       God’s vision is beyond what we can see and therefore we need

                                                             God’s hand to come upon us

                                                                and

                                 transport us to see what we couldn’t manage to see for ourselves.

It’s not easy to speak the words of God. Ezekiel had to go with God on this one and speak God’s word to a group that was beyond hope.

He had to speak to a group that had completely given up and were beyond reach.

He had to get up and put his trust fully in God’s sight of what could be and what would be and tell it as God saw it, not as he saw it.

Sometimes we cannot see God’s vision for us.

Sometimes it isn’t until we put ourselves in the hand of God that we begin to see what God wants us to see. And when we do, watch out!

God’s vision gives hope, or perhaps its hope that gives vision. A vision requires expectation. A vision requires that something will happen. A vision that requires expectation also requires a plan. And a plan requires action.

It is time for us to allow God’s breath and Spirit to enter our hearts.

It is time for us to see God’s vision.

It is time for us to stop the doom-sayers and start being part of the way of God recognizing God’s resurrection power.

We don’t need to feel out of touch or disconnected.

We don’t need to feel isolated and apart from others and God.

God’s vision for us is one united together to help each other and

                                                     to walk side by side across bridges

                                                                                     and

                                                                              down streets

                                                                     and into new lands.

Our thoughts, our ideas, our imaginations are God’s doing and God’s blessing for us.

I don’t have a one, two, three step process for how this happens, I wish I did. But, I think that’s why we have this valley of the dry bones story.

No matter how cut off we feel or out of sync, no matter how disconnected we think we are from life, God comes through to the present situation and with a command gets those bodies to quit laying around in nothingness and lifts them out of their wastefulness, and gets them on their feet.

We are all created and put together in the same way.

We are all connected by bones and tendons, muscles and skin.

We have the same Creator who comes from the four winds and breathes the breath of life in us.

We have the same God who stands us up and calls us a nation, an army.

And together God has placed a vision upon us.

Hear the Word of the Lord!

These are not easy, idle words that Ezekiel speaks

but the words of God who revives,

resurrects,

cuts thru death

and puts back life

and sets people up on their feet

and gets them moving

and shows them the way.

Hear the Word of the Lord! Watch what God does! Watch how God opens graves, revives, and sends out. Watch how God puts people to action to pull all things together for God’s glory.

Every generation, in its own time, needs to hear that these bones will live!-Elie Wiesel.
Amen.

Men of Faith-People of God!

Sermon 1 Samuel 16:1-5 June 21, 2015 Ordinary Time/Father’s Day/Departure from lectionary.

Men of Faith-People of God!

Ecumenical Benediction-World Day of Churches.
People of Faith-We stand United.

Samuel is a man of faith. And yet today we find him in the depth of a pity party. He had ‘one job’ and felt he had failed at the ‘one job’ given to him by God. He was probably listening to all the meme voices in his head saying, “You had One Job!”

He probably filled his head with images of complete-Fail!

We’ve all seen the memes across the internet and they are really funny. The one that shows the yellow stripe down the center of the highway as it curves everywhere and we laugh at the “You had One Job” failure.

Samuel was an anointer of kings and the very first king he anointed turned out to be a disappointment. Saul was dangerous. He was vindictive. He was more worried about himself and his power than he was about leading a nation.

God had had enough.

God had decided it was time for a new king.

And Samuel blamed himself. He was after all the anointer of kings and this one was a complete Fail job.

Perhaps what Samuel forgot was that he did have One Job-he was the anointer of kings-not the sustainer of them.

This story is perhaps the strongest example of how God works in our lives to keep us on task for God’s purposes. Samuel was a prophet. His way into the world was an answer to the prayer of his mother Hannah. He was dedicated to God before he was even born. His life was determined just as the psalmist wrote, “Your eyes beheld my unformed substance. In your book were written all the days formed for me, when none of them yet existed.”

His purpose was again set apart in his call story in chapter three. From that famous story we sing the song, “Here I am.” Yes, Samuel, was a man of faith. He was a man of God. He had lived his life fulfilling the purposes God had set before him. Yet, today we find him suffering. We find him deep in regret for his actions. We find him filled with grief. God promised Samuel a job to be done and Samuel fulfilled his role even though he felt it was not successful because the king turned out to be a failure-God did not count the failure to Samuel. Because the king’s success or failure was not Samuel’s job it was Saul’s job to be king and to follow God. Yet, Samuel could not hide his grief and could not help but feel responsible for the work he had done to bring Saul to power.

Perhaps we have served on committees or in political arenas or other positions where we supported the advancement of another. And when they rose to their position it did not work out well. We are embarrassed and grieved that the person we held up did not meet their end of the bargain. It can be a struggle for us. We might wonder about our decision making or about our ability to discern. We might completely rethink our value and our purpose. We might shy away from serving again. We might choose to dissociate ourselves from making any decisions. Perhaps our work cost us. Perhaps it took a piece of our dignity or worse-it cost us a loss of money or even our position. And then like Samuel we found ourselves deep in a pity party. We found ourselves lost in the grief of what could have been, what should have been and what we thought was meant to be. Perhaps we lost our faith and left the church.

To be honest, I have been in the depths of grief. I feel responsible for the Church of Jesus Christ. I feel a loss and a failure in the work I have been given because the world is still filled with hate and anger and suffering and pain. I feel at a loss when my friends are no longer safe in the sanctuary of God and are murdered as they welcome someone to join them for Bible study. The murders at the Mother Emmanuel AME Church has left each one of us as pastors stunned. It has left us with the sense that we have lost our purpose. It has left us wondering about the call God has placed on people of faith. “Where is the fruit of our labors?”, we cry out. How can we preach joy of the Word of God, the wonder and magnificence of God’s creation, the amazing power of the Lord at work in the world and in our lives when on Wednesday the safe, sacred, space was torn apart by gunfire?

Today’s Scripture speaks to us more loudly than ever to remember the Spirit of God in our lives.

Men of Faith you are called. People of Faith you are called. We pledged to love God with our heart and our soul and our minds. God has not abandoned that call on us. Even if the failures are all around us, God still has a claim on us. Our pledge, our promise to God is still valid. And even greater God’s pledge and promise to us is still valid.

We live beyond the gates of Eden and are pilgrims in this land. We will find that beyond the gates of Eden things are askew and not quite perfect yet. And yet, beyond the gates of Eden God is there. God is present with us. God continues to call us. God continues to call us out. We have tough choices, difficult situations, heart wrenching alliances of love and commitment and yet, it is these very things that propel us into the redeeming arms of the God who claims us and will never forsake us.

The voices of Samuel and others like him in Scripture remind us of the abundance of joy and the chaos of circumstance that meet us along the Way. In these stories we find assurance and hope as we continue to move forward holding on to hope and living in the presence of the love of friendship through God our Savior Jesus Christ, until he comes.

Samuel’s story continues as God lifts him out of his pity party and sends him on his way to anoint another king. God lifts us out of our grief sometimes with a swift kick, a two by four or a strong command, sometimes with a still small voice, a gentle touch and a soft leading by the hand. Whichever way God takes us, God reminds us we have a job to do and we must get out and do it.

When Samuel got up he went to the house of Jesse and there God had Samuel see David as the next king. There Samuel realized the power of God at work as he poured out the oil on David. There Samuel was renewed in his faith, renewed in his call and rejoiced in the joy of God.

Now more than ever, we are not to lament, but to respond to God. I praise God for all the "Men of Faith" who have shaped my life through the way they lived their lives.
You will never know the depth of the impact you have on one single person-make it count-it can and will change the future. God is concerned about the future and we are part of that future. This Father’s Day is a day to remember all those men of faith who have shaped our lives.

Let me offer to you today Men of Faith the power of God within you as I share these eight things for your take away today.

1.       Remember you are fearfully and wonderfully made.

2.      You have been called by God and you have a job to do.

3.      If you need time to grieve God will give it to you.

4.      God will lift you up and put you back on the Way.

5.      God knows the future and you are part of it.

6.      Your faith will impact others.

7.      Become part of a group of men of faith to sustain you-perhaps our “Faith meets Life’ group.

8.     Stay the course, have hope, and God will lead you in the paths of righteousness.

Our hope is secure in the God who loves us, through many dangers toils and snares God’s grace brings us through. Rejoice for the Lord is here. Rejoice for God is our King. Rejoice for you are our future through the power and love of Jesus Christ.

We will enter and leave God’s sanctuary, his courts, with praise and thanksgiving!!

Amen.

They Met to Read the Bible-Hymn By Carolyn Winfrey Gillette

My words are insufficient to the suffering that has occurred. My words cannot convey the aching in my chest. My words are nothing but words in the midst of all this pain. Who are we as the church if our people are not safe? Who are we as the church if welcome is not in our space? Who are we as the church if the sacred is not upon our hearts? Help us to hold on to the One who knows our fears and our tears, who knows how to lead us from here. But, God has gifted one who wrote the hymn for us to sing. A hymn to draw us together and to remind us of whose we are. Let us raise our voices in faith (even if we say we have no faith-sing with us anyway) Hear these words, sing this song and together we will offer the world God's peace.

Carolyn Winfrey Gillette composed this hymn early this morning. It came with permission to share on social media and Facebook. They Met to Read the Bible
ST. CHRISTOPHER 7.6.8.6.8.6.8.6 ("Beneath the Cross of Jesus")

They met to read the Bible,
they gathered for a prayer,
They worshiped God and shared with friends
and welcomed strangers there.
They went to church to speak of love,
To celebrate God’s grace.
O Lord, we tremble when we hear
What happened in that place.

O God of love and justice,
we thank you for the nine.
They served in their communities
and made the world more kind.
They preached and sang and coached and taught,
And cared for children, too.
They blessed your church and blessed your world
With gifts they used for you.

We grieve a wounded culture
Where fear and terror thrive,
Where some hate others for their race
And guns are glorified.
We grieve for sons and daughters lost,
For grandmas who are gone.
O God, we cry with broken hearts:
This can’t continue on!

God, may we keep on sowing
The seeds of justice here,
Till guns are silent, people sing,
And hope replaces fear.
May seeds of understanding grow
And flourish all our days.
May justice, love and mercy be
The banner that we raise.

Tune: Frederick Charles Maker, 1881
Text: Copyright © 2015 by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette. All rights reserved.
Email: bcgillette@comcast.net New Hymns: www.carolynshymns.com
Permission is given for free use by local churches and in ecumenical services

Crossings

Sermon Joshua 3:13-17 June 14, 2015 Ordinary Time-off lectionary

Crossings

There are all kinds of crossings; Railroad crossings come to mind, bridge crossings, airplane crossings of the world, ship crossings of oceans, boat crossings of bays, kids and adults crossing streets, and religious people crossing themselves.

Crossings used to be monumental.

Crossings used to be something the world paid attention to.

When airplanes made their debut, the world stopped to listen to the radio and be filled with amazement as it landed across the globe just a few hours later. When humans ventured into space generations were caught up in the possibilities of what was beyond the barriers of the atmosphere. Crossing into the dark mystery of space brought a new dimension of thinking about the future and being encouraged through this liberating event.

Crossings are a liberating event.

Crossings bring people into to new experiences and new life.

That is what happened for the people of Israel when they crossed the Jordan River.

They were brought into new life. That is what we say when we use the word redemption. New life has been given. New experiences and a new creative spirit has been born in people when they have crossed over into a new place. Joshua whose name means-The Lord Saves-has led the people into the liberating promise of God-the Land of Promise-the place of new life, a new creation.

God chose Joshua to lead the people. He was appointed by Moses to take them across the Jordan into the new land. Earlier in Joshua’s life he was one of the twelve spies who had entered the land of Canaan to scope the lay of the land and bring back a report on whether it was inhabitable and if the people could cross over into it a possess it. In Numbers 13 & 14 we read how Joshua and Caleb were outnumbered by their report. Ten of the twelve spies said it was impossible, it was dangerous and if they went into the land they would surely die. Joshua and Caleb had faith that if God was sending them into the land God would go before them and would fulfill the promise. The majority vote won that day and it cost the people 40 years in the desert and the loss of an entire generation before God would offer the opportunity for another crossing. The one thing Joshua had was faith in a BIG God, a Sovereign God. His faith never wavered even at the sight of giants and other obstacles. Joshua had faith that the God of promise would grant the people what they needed to break the boundaries that prevented them from going forward into new territory.

Sometimes I think we need reminders that we still have a big God today. These stories remind us that God’s actions prove God’s power and show us God’s nature. The nature of God is one that brings God’s people then and now into new dimensions and new opportunities.

God is living and active!

God brings us across great divides to reconcile us with the things that have kept us from advancing. God brings us across huge barriers to enter us into experiences we never dreamed of or thought possible.

In history we have sought equality of humanity and fought against slavery, we have sought equality for women by instilling rights of voting and property, we have continuously fought for those who have been discriminated against and offered ways to relate to our neighbor. Humanity has discovered technologies, medicines, manufacturing, agricultural capabilities that have been revolutionary in the advancement of the age. All of these actions were once revolutionary ideas and required crossing over into new territory to fight and to have courage to bring about a new creation, liberation, redemption.

Sometimes we get stuck, or paralyzed and have trouble finding the courage to do what we need to do to cross over into the next place of our life. And yet, if we look back earlier in our life we could find a place where we had someone help us in a time of need. We can ask, “Where did I see God in this?” And then it becomes clear how we made it through a difficult time because of God. And with that knowledge we recognize the other places in our lives and find the thread. Or we do this for someone else. And this is liberating to know that all along there has been God present and now the courage is there to cross into new territory again.

Looking closely at the crossing of the Jordan River we can see the power of God at work in the life of Joshua, the lives of the priests and the people that followed.

The river is at flood stage. It is the season of the harvest which means that the waters are flowing strong from the mountain and bringing the river to its fullest. The River Jordan flows from the Sea of Galilee to the Salt Sea or the Dead Sea. There are times in the seasons when the river is just a trickle and it is easy for people to cross over on foot without any trouble. But, the authors make it clear that is not the case this time. It will require an intervention from God to allow the people to pass.

The river is very deep and very wide.

These waters as many waters before are the center of attention for God’s miracle to take place. Just as God breathed across the waters of creation and God brought forth the waters of the flood and God parted the waters of the Red Sea, here God again encounters the waters for the sake of creation, God’s people. It is God who saves. It is God who brings the people to safety. To cross over requires a miracle. And God is the one to make the miracle happen.

The priests are the ones who carry the Ark of the Covenant. They hold the presence of God with them. The ark now holds the Law given by God that Moses brought down from Mount Sinai and all that is of God is present in the ark. The miracle of the parting of the waters of the Jordan will not take place until the presence of God steps into the river while it is still flowing. As long as the priests stand in the river with the presence of God the waters are held back on both sides like a wall.

1. The priests hold the presence of God. And they take the first step-without the step the presence of God will still be there but movement toward the miracle and movement to liberation won’t happen.

2. Joshua follows God and leads the people.

He is obedient.

He follows God’s instructions.

3. And when they reach the other side they build a monument of stones to remember. And they remember by the repetition of the story from generation to generation.

As New Testament people we have crossed over into new life through the waters of baptism. God crossed over into our hearts through the power of the Holy Spirit living in us and fully present in our lives day in and day out. These Old Testament stories remind us of the power of God to fulfill the promises then and now.

To make the crossing through all the barriers of life and faith requires action.

Again we need to take steps.

The first step is to take the step.

As long as those priests stood by edge of the river nothing was going to happen. It wasn’t until they put their feet into the river that the miracle happened. Do not fear God says, I am with you, I am your God.

The second step was to follow and to lead. Joshua was a follower of God and a leader of the people. We are followers of God and we can be leaders of the people into new territory for the sake of the world. Have courage, God says, for I am the one who saves and brings new life. The big question for us today is do we want to get there? Will we abandon ourselves to the presence of God and put our full trust in God to carry us over into new life?

The third step is to remember. Through the repetition of remembrance of what God has done in our lives we maintain liberating encouragement to continue to step out into new directions and cross over to new horizons.

There are all kinds of crossings. Crossings are liberating, redeeming events. Let the crossings of the new century be monumental, world changing and attention getting events. Let us go together following God, uniting together to lead the people into a new creation in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.