Sent Out in Jesus’ Name

Sermon Mark 6:1-13 July 8, 2018 Ordinary Time

Sent Out in Jesus’ Name

Sometimes we come to Scripture texts like this one in Mark chapter 6, and we prefer to listen to another story about Jesus. But, it is times like these when we need to gather to the hard lessons. It’s always easier to learn about a Jesus who was not only loving but also loved. It is always easier to learn about disciples who turned the world upside down and brought thousands to faith in Jesus, and not notice the times of rejection. Yet, we need to hear about the tough times, the rough times, and the especially about those moments of being turned away, unloved, and unappreciated.

We are not what others proclaim us to be,

but who God has called us to be.

We are children of God,

loved and redeemed.

Called and sent out in Jesus’ name.

These words-

Control, faith,

rejection, love,

reputation, mercy,

power, grace

come into our life, into our being, into our vocabulary, into our response to a world out there and a soul within.

These words and actions in our life can come to us to guide us,

help us,

hinder us,

deny us,

and/or heal and hold us.

We spend a lot of energy worrying about what people think of us and how we make them feel or how they make us feel.

Our hearts can be bursting with anxiety, fear, and worry hoping we can control the thoughts of others about who we are. It is a serious concern in today’s society as social media has a way of wrapping people up in the power of the opinions of others.

Today, we witness Jesus in his hometown-imagine what Instagram, or twitter would have said about him!

Jesus had a mission to tell all the world about the love of God.

And not everyone wants to hear that message.

Not everyone is happy about Jesus-the carpenter’s son-being the messiah with power and wisdom.

His own people mock him.

His family who one would hope would embrace him, rejects him too.

We want people to know about the love of God.

But, it is not in our control who receives it or who rejects it.

It is not in our control how people feel about us, or our message.

What is in our control is how we love and show compassion.

One of the greatest lessons in pastoral care in seminary was from a professor who said, “If you think you can get everyone to like you in ministry and that is how you function in the church of your calling, you will be doomed. Because, you will have made the ministry a mockery about yourself and not about God.” There was quite a bit of arguing with the professor. But, he held his ground. He made it clear that to be called out in Jesus Name meant that is the name on our lips as we offer love at every turn. It is the name that drives us to reach out and help without judgment. It is the name that calls us to open our arms with peace even when the rocks are being hurled at us.

There are a few things to notice of in this Scripture text of Mark 6. One-Jesus is unwelcome in his home town because they remember him as the boy of the carpenter. He is rendered powerless in the face of rejection.

 

Stoning of Stephen-museum-Corfu, Greece

It makes me wonder;

how do we limit those around us

because we expect them to be the same

as we have known them in their past?

How do we render people powerless because we judge

they are not worthy or not ‘good enough’

to be able to do the powerful and miraculous

things we expect others to do?

A second thing to notice - immediately following his not so pleasant going home experience, Jesus sends out the twelve on a mission to other villages to preach the good news. He gives them instructions about shaking the dust off their feet. This was an old Jewish custom to shake off the unclean gentile dust before they entered their clean homes.

Jesus gives the action another context.

Leave the rejection at the doorstep,

do not carry it with you to the next house.

Leave it at the doorstep,

wipe your feet and remember

this is not about you it is about them.

This rejection does not define you.

You have more places to go. You are mine.

Jesus didn’t differentiate between mission and evangelism. Doing and telling were one in the same. Perhaps, that’s what we’re most afraid of, the telling. Perhaps, we’re as unsure about our faith story as the disciples were. They didn’t know quite what to say or what to do. Jesus sent them out with little instruction. He sent them out to tell the good news and heal the sick and have power of unclean spirits.

So, the twelve went as Jesus sent them. Even with their anxiety, they went. Even with the fear of their reputation, they went. Even with the looming possibilities of all that could go wrong, they went. And perhaps, that’s the message for us. Even with all our frailties and our inabilities, Jesus is still sending us out.

I recently watched the movie Sully. It was the movie about the pilot who landed the plane on the Hudson River and all 155 souls on board were saved. The movie told the story of what happened after the flight. It told about the investigation and the probability of pilot error. Sully said, “I’ve flown for forty years and delivered a million people safely to their destination but, my entire career, my life and reputation will be based on 208 seconds.”

A woman pastor was upset because she was unable to do the funeral of young man who passed away. Only later she found out the man was the grandson of one of the members of her church. People in her congregation were upset at her for not showing the compassion they expected her to show. She did what she could to make amends explaining it was difficult to reach out when she was unaware. She became worried about her reputation among the congregation and the community. She was given sage advice from other pastors- “Your reputation-It was never in your power to control what other people thought of you anyway.”

We can’t let fear of what others think of us deter us from doing what we believe is right.

Sully landed that plane because he knew it was the only choice he had to save the lives of the people on the plane. And later the safety board agreed with him. The pastor did what she understood was right at the time with the information she was given. And the congregation embraced her with new understanding.

The truth is, both these people-Sully & the woman pastor-

acted out of love and compassion before, 

during, and after their situations.

And isn’t that what God asks of us.

God asks for our faithfulness,

our love,

our compassion

to be lived and to shared.

God asks us to be steadfast,

to not be afraid,

to speak the truth,

to not worry about those

who are not ready to hear they are loved,

to go out anyway,

in Jesus name

and proclaim the gospel.

We are not what others proclaim us to be,

but who God has called us to be.

We are children of God,

loved and redeemed.

Called and sent out in Jesus’ name.

Go and do likewise. Amen.

Resources: Feasting on the Word, NIB. Working Preacher, me

Kingdom Work

Sermon Mark 5:21-43 July 1, 2018 Ordinary Time Communion both churches

Kingdom Work

Twice on his way to somewhere Jesus is interrupted by pressing needs. How can he choose which one is greater and which one he should attend to? Kingdom work was what Jesus came to do, how does he manage, and how do we learn?

I asked the kids, “How do choose who to help and who gets your attention?” You’re doing your homework that is due the next day and is complicated, you get a call from your friend to come help him research his project, you get a text from a friend who’s freaking out because her boyfriend dumped her, and then you your mom calls you from the backyard to help get the mower out of the ditch. How do you choose one over the other? Who do you help? How do you know which is most important?

As parents of little children, or children of ailing parents, or leaders in the community and the church, or those struggling to rise up; the urgent demands come from all directions and it is really hard to hold it together. It’s really hard to know which way to turn.

We read this story and recognize that Jesus was faced with the same dilemmas and urgencies as we are. Jesus was interrupted a lot. And he changed and altered his direction for the sake of others a lot. It didn’t change the final outcome of where he was headed. He still made it to the cross and he still poured out his love on Calvary for our salvation. Along the way his path twisted and turned and went all different ways in order to meet the needs of those who sought him. 

Perhaps, we find our strength and courage in knowing that our path of life might be altered from what we thought it could be. Our needs are sometimes a matter of life itself, but Jesus is there in the middle of it all and we won’t go unnoticed.

As God’s people we have many dreams and hopes for now and for the future. As a community of faith we create a place where it is safe to share our needs as well as our dreams. We share a place where it’s safe to air our doubts and fears.

In this space there is room for the needs of Jairus and the needs of the unknown. Even when we don’t have it all together we know we can be like Jesus.

Just think about all the times we had plans and they didn’t quite work out.

Just last year both our churches were in a situation with a leaky roof and a smoked out sanctuary. It was hard at first but something happened and we adjusted, we didn’t lose our members or our energy. Something happened in the middle of the situation that turned us toward the Savior and we found peace. As we look back we really can say, “Our course was altered but we handled it well.”

In the altering we discovered and continue to discover the power of the Kingdom of God on earth-the one who saves and the One who gives new life. Jesus Christ.

This story about Jairus and his daughter and of the suffering woman is another one of the great examples of the gospel writers giving a picture of what it was really like for Jesus walking that road on earth.

There is tension and drama that builds as we read about the desperation in the words of a daddy who will do anything for his little girl to get better.

There is suspense as the woman approaches Jesus just to touch the fringe of his garment with the absolute certainty that it will be enough to make her whole.

There is mockery from the disciples when Jesus wants to know who touched him. And mockery from the crowd of mourners outside the house of the little girl who died. Jesus is not only caught in the throes of pushing and shoving crowds, but in the throes of doubt, despair, and disruption. 

Mark gives us the greatest detail to this story. We know it’s an important story because Luke and Matthew also share this account. In the gospel of Mark this story happens just after Jesus has calmed the storm and healed the man of the demoniac. Jesus has shown power over the physical and spiritual world and will now show power over disease and death. All who are present are witnesses to the power of God to save. The Greek word sothe-is used for the request for healing-it means to heal as well as to save.

Jesus is the one who performs miracles and does great wonders. However, it is clear that his miracles were not the result of magic, this gospel points to Jesus not as a magic man, but as the One bringing the power of the Kingdom of God present on earth.

Jesus doesn’t get caught up with doubt, despair and disruption but lives into the moment given to him. He responds to it with love and grace and his full attention. Jairus is a leader of the synagogue. He is known in the community as the guy who keeps the building running, he is in charge of the school that teaches the boys to become men, he is responsible for the finances to cover the costs of the visiting rabbis. He is a respected and honorable person in the community. Jesus pays attention to him when he falls on his knees begging for the life of his little girl. Jesus is filled with compassion and changes direction and heads to his house.

A woman is in the crowd, one who shouldn’t be around others because she is ill. She too draws the attention of Jesus.

Compassion flows from him as she is healed and he realizes that he must stop and acknowledge her faith.

Two people with needs of saving grace and neither is too proud to publicly show their need.

Jesus doesn’t get rattled by the disruption of the path he is walking but lives into it and is fully present with the gathered people-even the ones who doubt and mock.

Twice on his way to somewhere Jesus is interrupted by pressing needs. He allowed himself to live into the moment offered to him. He allowed the power of the Kingdom work to be done. We can do the same. Amen.

Resources: NIB Mark

Liturgy theme: Sacraments

Here is a liturgy when the theme of worship is focused on the Sacraments. Resources for this liturgy are from the PCUSA Book of Order 2017-2019 edition; PCUSA Book of Common Worship 2018 edition. This liturgy will be used at a presbytery assembly meeting.

Call to Worship

L: God is truly present and active among us today!

P: Jesus Christ, the living Word, draws us together as his church.

L: Through Word and Sacrament, we hear the Church proclaim the mystery of faith.

P: We are God’s people, we offer our gratitude, we proclaim God’s love, we rejoice in new life.

L: Through grace, God imparts and sustains our faith, orders our life and transforms the world.

P: We share in the life of the Spirit, through Christ our Lord, we give all glory to God, alleluia, Amen!

*Hymn #442 The Church’s One Foundation

Call to Confession

Beloved, we are made in the divine image, and God called us good. Yet, we go our own way, causing harm to all. Confident in the mercy of the One who made us and saved us, let us confess our sin to God and to another.

Confession

Merciful God, in baptism you promise forgiveness and new life, making us part of the body of Christ. We confess that we remain preoccupied with ourselves, separated from one another. We cling to destructive habits, hold grudges and show reluctance to welcome one another. In your loving kindness have mercy on us, and free us from sin. Fulfill the promises of our baptism so that we may rise to new life, and live together in grace. Amen

Assurance

In the waters of baptism, God pours out mercy and blessing. Through the celebration of the festival of our Lord, we are nourished with love. Know that in Jesus Christ we are forgiven, and be at peace. Amen.

Passing of the Peace

The Word

Prayer for Illumination

Saving God, source of our calling, your Word is full of power and glory. Pour out your Holy Spirit upon us so that we may receive your grace and live as your beloved children; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Scripture: 

Sermon: 

Affirmation of Faith

We believe God’s gifts of Word and Sacrament establish and equip the Church as the body of Christ in the world. We believe the mission of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church flows from Baptism and is nourished at the Lord’s Supper, and serves to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to all. We believe the Church’s ministry emerges from the font, arises from the table, and takes its shape from the Word of the Lord. We believe the worship of the triune God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is the center of our common life and our primary way of witness to the faith, hope, and love we have in Jesus Christ. Amen. (W-1.0107)

*Hymn #495 We Know that Christ is Raised

Offering, Offertory, offering prayer

*Hymn of Preparation (if there is time) #504 Draw Us in the Spirit’s Tether

Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper

*Hymn #432 Song of Hope

Blessing and Adjournment

Caught in the Storm

Sermon Mark 4:35-41 June 24, 2018 Ordinary Time/Pentecost 4

Caught in the Storm

“Dear God, be good to me, the sea is so wide and my boat is so small.”

A very old sailor prayer. 

It is simple. 

It is direct. 

It speaks truth.

Jesus tells his disciples after a very long day of teaching and preaching to get in the boat and head to the other side.

Out on the lake, the Sea of Galilee, late at night the wind kicks up, the waves crash over the bow of the boat and the disciples begin to panic in the dark.

Have any of you ever experienced boating in the dark? Or boating on the lake, or the bay, or out at sea? Imagine if you will, close your eyes if you like, being on a fishing vessel-one large enough for about a dozen people, what kind of boat do you imagine? Remember, these boats were not equipped with running lights, or GPS, or VHF radios, or autopilots, or an AIS system, or any navigation electronics that we rely on today.

Most of the paintings we see about Jesus and his disciples look like a small row boat. Some look like large row boats but mostly they look like boats incapable of dealing with rough weather.

But, the truth is these boats were quite sea worthy. They were about 27-30 feet long, had a wide beam, a single mast, and a shallow keel. They were part of the ongoing generational tradition of living off the sea.

The sea is a large fresh water lake. The Sea of Galilee is also known as Lake Genneraset, or Lake Tiberias. It measures 8 miles wide and 13 miles long a total of 64 square miles. Consider our ESVA is 15 miles wide and 60 miles long. The Sea of Galilee has a shoreline of about 33 miles and is 141 feet deep. It’s a lake fed by underground springs unlike many glacial formed lakes.

All of this information is to help put in perspective the storm the gospel of Mark is describing.

Storms come in all kinds of forms and being aware of the variety of storms helps us to understand how to respond.

Beyond the Sea of Galilee this world experiences hurricanes, tornadoes, monsoons, nor’ easters, sheer winds, and summer thunder storms.

If we are to be caught in any of these types of storms we best be educated on the way to behave in them.

For example my first experience in a tornado I was completely unaware of the tells of the storm to know when it was time to seek shelter. My Tornado Ally friends knew the look of the clouds, the smell of the air, and the feel of the wind as their guide to know at which split second to run for cover. My first tornado, the storm was raging outside and I was standing at the window mesmerized by the stop sign shaking in the wind. Had it not been for a church member admonishing me to get to the basement, I would not have known when to seek refuge. I didn’t even know to panic because I didn’t understand the storm.

It is so important in our experiences to know the storms we are in, to know the vessel, and to know how well the vessel is equipped going through the storm.

There are several storm stories in the Bible.

The people of the Bible have been sea farers and traders for thousands of years. S

o, they know how to build boats for the large Sea and for the large lakes.

These boats were storm worthy.

But, when a storm is raging and the chaos of the wind and waves surge around one’s focus can easily be distracted.

We are the same.

We can lose sight of the capability of our vessel and our strength to get through.

Fear plays an important role in many of our decisions, our actions, conversations and our belief. (paraphrase of David Lose) Fear is our healthy response. Panic on the other hand…

Panic causes people to yell, to blame and to criticize.

The disciples were so angry at Jesus because he didn’t react to the storm the way they did.

They accused him of not caring.

Panic grips people and paralyzes them.

It causes people to run in a multitude of directions grabbing everyone and everything to draw them into the same panic they experience. Panic wants us to join in the panic party.

Panic causes people to reach out and accuse others for not fixing their problem.

Panic cause people to be angry at a God who sleeps through the crisis.

How many times have we been angry at God or a loved one because they didn’t join us in our crisis behavior? How could they not understand the situation we are in and how could they be so calm or so uncaring?

Perhaps, Jesus trusted the vessel and the disciples to know what to do.

Perhaps, the disciples expected the crossing with Jesus to always be smooth sailing.

Perhaps, because of their new found faith in the Master who has been telling amazing stories about the Kingdom of God, the disciples thought that crossing that Kingdom would be easy and would not require their attention or their skills.

Perhaps, they underestimated their commitment to the Kingdom and the effort it would take to be part of it.

We are God’s vessel in this journey of faith across the kingdom of God.

It is so important for us to understand who we are

and how we are built

and what we are capable of

in the middle of the chaos and crises of life.

There is more resilience and strength and capacity within us than we realize.

Sometimes it takes a storm to learn what we’ve got.

 If we have been trained, if we have been made familiar with all the equipment around us, when the storm comes we have the opportunity to use it.

There is a fine line between fear and panic.

Panic keeps us from being able to make the quick decisions that will save us.

Panic puts us in more danger

because all we can see is loss of life

or loss of hope

and complete lack of trust.

Fear on the other hand can propel us forward to utilize all that is around us to trust the equipment and the crew to get this vessel to the other side. Panic causes us to sit and do not nothing and yell at Jesus and say, “Do something!”

Fear gets us using every ounce of our being to trim the sails to push through the waves, or to heave to until the storm passes.

You’ve heard me tell the story of our encounter with the storm off the southern coast of Crete last summer. It was the turning point for me in my sailing career. Always, when we had encountered storms or challenges with our boat that required quick thinking or immediate decisions or moments of choosing to go forward or call for help. I erred on the latter-I would hesitate and not trust my skills or the skills of my captain to get us through-panic won every time. But, this storm got me stirred up. And I remembered many things-the boat was sea worthy and in excellent condition, the captain knew where he wanted to go and he knew what he was doing. I, as first mate, had one thing that would get us through, an attitude of trust, of healthy fear, and not to panic. I realized I had everything I needed and all the training necessary to get up and do my part. I took tether of my harness and hanked on to the life lines and pulled in the torn sail, climbed up on the pulpit rail and adjusted the loosened line on the dingy davits, and became an active crew member. It was the defining moment to get me from panic to fear and trust the vessel and its members to keep us safe and get us to our destination.

 

Jesus wakes up at the scolding of the disciples, stops the storm, and has a scolding of his own.

Just because Jesus didn’t join in on the panic party didn’t mean he didn’t care,

perhaps,

he trusted the capabilities of the vessel 

and the crew more 

than they trusted themselves.

One thing is certain, 

it was Jesus who asked them to cross the sea at night.

It was Jesus who chose to travel with them.

It was Jesus who had faith in them to get him to the other side no matter what the conditions of the travel.

Perhaps, if Jesus had that much faith in them it was time for them to have the same faith in him.

I suggest our take away today is to think on these questions:

Are we aware of the faith Jesus has in us to carry the Kingdom of God across stormy seas?

Are we aware of the faith Jesus has in us to handle the vessel well built for the journey?

We are the vessel of Christ.

We are the well-equipped ships of grace and love.

We are the vessels called to carry Christ from one shore to the other wherever we go.

Jesus has enough faith in us to go the whole way that he is willing to step in the our vessel, in our boat!!

Let us have a little trust in Jesus to hang with us in our boat.

Let’s not get mad at him if chooses not to join in our panic party.

Let’s trust him to believe in us. In turn we will believe in him. 

And together we can say the sailor prayer with a new tone:

Dear God, the sea is so wide and our boat is so small. 

Grant us that the wake we make are ripples of grace 

so your Kingdom of Peace will come. Amen.

Resources: NIB, excerpts from sermon June 24, 2012

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.