tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-986640789273907712024-02-18T21:07:20.984-08:00GOD'S WORDCross of Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18256164192898499440noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98664078927390771.post-79596284207940985702010-12-19T16:35:00.000-08:002010-12-19T16:42:55.130-08:00“How’s Our Faith?”<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYGQo8-L5Z-A9RBVra2zMGbplNA19pIJdjvJ4oqqw9-Xf7EAIPw5XPEhAOuGmeLY5xvOtqhOYyUVlEcXtUV5Lz5kl2qbNRJypW0WHvknrsiNPuH6BFMSyi9-CF9HcPyj55wnFEc2AddpoV/s1600/Joseph.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552556951129196162" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 184px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYGQo8-L5Z-A9RBVra2zMGbplNA19pIJdjvJ4oqqw9-Xf7EAIPw5XPEhAOuGmeLY5xvOtqhOYyUVlEcXtUV5Lz5kl2qbNRJypW0WHvknrsiNPuH6BFMSyi9-CF9HcPyj55wnFEc2AddpoV/s200/Joseph.jpg" border="0" /></a> <strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">Matthew 1:18-25<br /></span></strong><em>Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:<br />"Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,<br />and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means, "God is with us." When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.<br /></em><br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">A Message from the Pastor<br /></span></strong>He was tired. He was very tired. He hadn’t slept for two days. And now he was lying on his bed of straw in the corner of his one and one-half room house, tossing and turning. It was dark. There was one window in the house, but there was no candle lighted. After all, he couldn’t read so he tried to sleep as soon as it was dark.<br /><br />He had found out a couple of days ago that the woman to whom he was betrothed was pregnant. And he knew it wasn’t him. He also knew that if he had found out, other people in the community would have, also. He was a pious man and respected his culture. Yet, he was also a kind man. While he didn’t know Mary well since the arranged marriage, he liked her and didn’t want harm done to her. He knew if he married her, he would be shunned by the community, possibly his whole life. It was shameful for a man to marry a woman who was pregnant by another man. In this culture of honor or shame, it would be more than he could tolerate. Yet, if he obeyed the laws of his religion and brought her to court, she could be stoned to death as an adulteress. He didn’t like either option.<br /><br />As he lay there, he finally came to the conclusion that he would send her off to a distant relative in the Northern part of the nation. While her life would not be very good, if would be better than if she stayed here. She probably would be held in servant hood for the rest of her life, and the child inside her might end up the same way. This seemed to be the best alternative. Reaching that conclusion, he began to sleep, albeit fitfully.<br /><br />While he was sleeping, he had a dream. A man came to him whom he identified as an angel. The angel told Joseph not to be afraid, but to take Mary as his wife, for the baby who was within her was the one the nation had been waiting for. He was the Messiah. And Joseph was told, that because he was from the lineage of David, he was to name the child Jesus. For Joseph knew that if he named the child, the child would officially be adopted by Joseph and adopted into the lineage of David. He was to name the child Jesus for that name meant “to save us from our sins.” He was the one identified as “Emmanuel,” by the prophesies, God with us. This is the one all the people of God were waiting for. Then Joseph went back into sleep again. When he awoke, he took Mary for his wife and had no sexual relations with her until she delivered the child. Joseph named the boy Jesus.<br /><br />Okay men what would you do? What would you do if you found out your finance was pregnant, and it wasn’t you? What would you do, then, if you had a dream and were told, by what seemed to be an angel, that what was happening was holy and you were to marry your finance? Would you have the faith of Joseph? Remember what faith means: the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.<br /><br />And just in case the women may be a little smug right now, do you remember what happened to Mary? She was visited by the angel Gabriel. She was told that she would become pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Mary had to know that for the rest of her life she would be an outcast and labeled an adulteress and the child she bore would be shunned in shame because he was illegitimate. Would you do what Mary did when she visited her relative Mary? Would you praise and thank God for choosing her?<br /><br />Just think about these two people, Mary and Joseph. Just think about how faithful and pious they were. Just think about how Jesus was surrounded by two parents who had such a faith in God that they were willing to literally risk all to follow what God wished them to do. Do we ever stop to think about what all this means? It’s not only the faithfulness of Jesus’, parents but the reality that Jesus came to save us from our sins and that God came to us in the form of Jesus to be with us.<br /><br />Here we are with similar circumstances. We are led by the culture and our religion. We hear the songs, “I’m dreaming of a White Christmas” and “Jingle Bells.” We are told to shop until we drop. We are to spend, spend, spend. And our religion tells us that, “Jesus is the reason for the season.” and, “Let’s put Christ back in Christmas,” whatever those sayings mean.<br /><br />While we do all the cultural things and are influenced by the sayings from our religion, do we really think about what Christmas is all about? Do we take in the significance that this child came to make us one with God and that God loved us so much that God became one of us?<br /><br />Furthermore, we need to think about “he came to save US.” We need to consider the words, “God with US.” What about Jesus? After all, Jesus lost his life for the sake of the gospel. He picked up the cross. He died to self as he came from God and became one of us. He asks us to do the same.<br /><br />Can we really sing, “O Come, O Come Emmanuel?”</div>Cross of Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18256164192898499440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98664078927390771.post-4744090242491615152010-12-12T14:03:00.001-08:002010-12-12T14:06:32.110-08:00“What Are We Looking For”<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTx4Pa9-Bl9moOw-cTRlbKJMWYX49lD6PYLtbBJKumIiDC8VVnpdTXV5iuxCiqvLE91VMOnqcgsyUU8kXzo0b1KUwgpPRPe9LZtT-_aK91fAmL4rE3caXH7CAAqyNikgrXdkPBxaSN7Qtz/s1600/Looking.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549920130627213970" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 141px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 98px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTx4Pa9-Bl9moOw-cTRlbKJMWYX49lD6PYLtbBJKumIiDC8VVnpdTXV5iuxCiqvLE91VMOnqcgsyUU8kXzo0b1KUwgpPRPe9LZtT-_aK91fAmL4rE3caXH7CAAqyNikgrXdkPBxaSN7Qtz/s200/Looking.jpg" border="0" /></a> <strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">Matthew 11:2-11<br /></span></strong>When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, "Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?" Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me."<br /><br />As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written,<br />'See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,<br />who will prepare your way before you.'<br />Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">A Message from the Pastor</span></strong><br />December 12 and it’s the Third Sunday in Advent. Fifteen days have expired of this Advent season. There are twelve days remaining. We’re right in the middle of the season. So far we’ve heard hopeful comments from the prophet Isaiah. We heard comments from Paul, and today from James. Our first gospel reading had us listening to the words of Jesus as he spoke of the last days. Last week and today we heard about John the Baptist.<br /><br />Where’s the baby Jesus? Where’s the Christ child? That’s who we’re waiting for. That’s what all this Advent season is about, isn’t it? We are preparing for the coming of Jesus, aren’t we?<br /><br />Well, with these readings in Advent, what are we waiting for? What are we looking for?<br /><br />Do you remember last week’s gospel reading? John the Baptist was in the river Jordan preaching a baptism of repentance. Remember what he said about Jesus? “There is one coming more powerful than I. He has his winnowing fork in his hand. He is clearing the threshing floor. His wheat he will store in the granary. The chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire. Wow! That sounds like fire and brimstone. Now, John is not so sure. He’s sent his disciples from where he is in prison, asking Jesus, “Are you the one we are waiting for? Or should we look for another?” Jesus says to him, “The blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them.” What is John waiting for? What is John looking for.<br /><br />Let’s recall the story of Jesus up until the reading for today from the Gospel of Matthew. Jesus is baptized by John. He is tempted in the desert and then he begins his ministry. We read about all the powerful things that he does. The blind do see. The lame do walk. The lepers are cleansed. The deaf do hear. The dead are raised. Good news is brought to the poor. I’m sure John heard about that. He probably also heard about some of the things Jesus said. Perhaps that is what confused him.<br /><br />In most of my years, as I read and heard scripture, I could remember all the miracles of Jesus. I could also remember how he challenged the authorities. (I could hear myself say, “Go get ‘em Jesus!”) Yes, and with that memory of what I read and heard, I would pray for healing of people I knew and loved. I would pray for those who were having difficult relationships. I would pray for those who lost jobs. I would be asking for the same kind of miracles.<br /><br />I wonder if John heard about Jesus, which happened early in Jesus’ ministry, when he went up the mountain and talked to the people. I wonder if John heard what he said. What I didn’t hear, or I used selective hearing, is what Jesus was saying, either to the people directly or through his parables. “Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.” That sure doesn’t sound like fire and brimstone to me. But that’s not all. Jesus also said, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, pray for those who curse you.” And, if that isn’t enough, he also said that if you lust for someone, it is the same as committing adultery. Also, he told the people that if you have anger in your heart, you are a murderer. Is that who we are waiting for? Is that who we are looking for?<br /><br />When I began to think about the whole story of Jesus, his comments shouldn’t have surprised me. He was born to a fourteen year girl. He was born out of wedlock. He had to be an outcast in his community. Then he was born in a feeding trough in a shelter for animals. Let’s be realistic; there would have been a lot of manure, mixed with the straw. Vermin would be there, mice, rats, and the like, along with mosquitoes and flies. Then he and his family had to flee for their lives to Egypt. Is that our Messiah? Is that who we are waiting for? Is that who we are looking for?<br /><br />Yes, during his ministry he challenged the authorities. Those who followed him loved it, but when he was arrested, they all left him. He was brutally beaten and whipped, and with a bloody crown of thorns on his head, he was hanged naked from a cross. Again, is that our Messiah? Is that who we are looking for? Is that who we are waiting for.<br /><br />We want someone with power. We want someone with influence. We want someone who can rescue us from political, social, and economic tyranny.<br /><br />Well, there is one thing we can consider. There is one thing that means all the difference. God loves us so much that God was willing to send his son to us. He was willing to have Jesus become a human. He was willing to have the Son of God become one of us. Jesus knew about being rejected. He knew about being abandoned. He knew about suffering. He knew about broken relationships. He knew about the need for healing. He knew it all because he was fully human besides being fully divine.<br /><br />As we continue our preparation for the coming of Jesus to the manger, we are also aware of Jesus who will come into the manger of our hearts.<a href="http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5pW9XsUp7Rt7DI0e0AbxpMXmT9v_frWJ2Nic2wliBCbFdm6n1id21GyxaEpSmLxFhbPCYt2ruKr62iwZTOeQFIriUPlsq_x_hEI9-s4HofKwIC6Ff3JrmqV7fJsBo-_yOKyXyLLXxY1A/s1600/magnify%252Bquestion%252Bmark.gif&imgrefurl=http://dekalbschoolwatch.blogspot.com/&usg=__LmuHhrgq87VLoXA3QM8MS6qJsBs=&h=522&w=750&sz=85&hl=en&start=28&zoom=1&itbs=1&tbnid=v7aVMCuG91v3WM:&tbnh=98&tbnw=141&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dwhat%2Bare%2Bwe%2Blooking%2Bfor%26start%3D20%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D20%26tbs%3Disch:1"></a></div>Cross of Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18256164192898499440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98664078927390771.post-85557337265015756632010-12-05T19:09:00.000-08:002010-12-05T19:15:18.941-08:00"Hope, Repentance, Fire"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhejaRn6Hf3EiewqM9HOeQ5ggC00hek5IByeYaesBX36orG9zNsU8MznywOjb7T-wL_blPE-VYPJ1qYU7SRgeXBtzJUf9S56bbTmRAMC-7w7yeNmpmO7UhQY7VayOKEs1kshk4DPBcs1bj1/s1600/Root.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547402479395184530" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 154px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhejaRn6Hf3EiewqM9HOeQ5ggC00hek5IByeYaesBX36orG9zNsU8MznywOjb7T-wL_blPE-VYPJ1qYU7SRgeXBtzJUf9S56bbTmRAMC-7w7yeNmpmO7UhQY7VayOKEs1kshk4DPBcs1bj1/s200/Root.jpg" border="0" /></a> <strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">Isaiah 11:1-10</span></strong><br /><em>A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,<br />and a branch shall grow out of his roots.<br />The spirit of the LORD shall rest on him,<br />the spirit of wisdom and understanding,<br />the spirit of counsel and might,<br />the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.<br />His delight shall be in the fear of the LORD.<br />He shall not judge by what his eyes see,<br />or decide by what his ears hear;<br />but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,<br />and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;<br />he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,<br />and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.<br />Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist,<br />and faithfulness the belt around his loins.<br />The wolf shall live with the lamb,<br />the leopard shall lie down with the kid,<br />the calf and the lion and the fatling together,<br />and a little child shall lead them.<br />The cow and the bear shall graze,<br />their young shall lie down together;<br />and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.<br />The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,<br />and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder's den.<br />They will not hurt or destroy<br />on all my holy mountain;<br />for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD<br />as the waters cover the sea.<br />On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.</em><br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">Romans 15:4-13<br /></span></strong><em>For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.<br /></em><br /><div align="justify"><em>Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of the truth of God in order that he might confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,<br />"Therefore I will confess you among the Gentiles,<br />and sing praises to your name";<br />and again he says,<br />"Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people";<br />and again,<br />"Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,<br />and let all the peoples praise him";<br />and again Isaiah says,<br />"The root of Jesse shall come,<br />the one who rises to rule the Gentiles;<br />in him the Gentiles shall hope."<br /></em></div><br /><div align="justify"><em>May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.<br /></em><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">Matthew 3:1-12</span></strong><br /><em>In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said,<br />"The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:<br />'Prepare the way of the Lord,<br />make his paths straight.'"<br /></em></div><br /><div align="justify"><em>Now John wore clothing of camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.<br /></em></div><br /><div align="justify"><em>But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.<br /></em></div><br /><div align="justify"><em>I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."</em><br /><br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">A Message from the Pastor<br /></span></strong>You brood of vipers, who told you that you could flee from the wrath to come. Bear fruit worthy of repentance. The axe is lying at the root of the tree. Those trees that do not bear fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. One more powerful than I is coming. His winnowing fork is in his hand. He will clear the threshing floor and gather his wheat into the granary. The chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.<br /><br />Merry Christmas everyone! Aren’t those just wonderful comments? It makes you wonder about the season of Advent, doesn’t it? Well, there is significance about what John the Baptist had to say. He was talking about the kingdom of heaven drawing near and that it is a time for repentance. It is one of the three thoughts we will discuss today as we prepare for the coming of Christ: hope, repentance, and fire.<br /><br />When I read the first lesson, I began to think about an experience I had soon after Frankie and I moved to Jonesborough. We had a red bud tree on our property. I was growing close to a rather large white pine tree, the latter beginning to crowd it out. The redbud was not in good shape. A couple years afterward we had to cut down another white pine because it was infested with beetles. I suggested to the one with the chainsaw to cut down the redbud also. After all, I believed we would have to do so sooner or later. The next year, as I was mowing the yard, I saw a small shoot coming out of the stump of the redbud tree. I was tempted to ride right over it. However, something told me not to. I watched that shoot grow a little each year. Finally, a year or so later, it began to bloom. Tiny red flowers appeared that spring that represented the hope that comes with the spring of every year. The next year, the other white pine was diseased and we had to cut it down. That year the redbud had grown some more. This past spring, with the absence of the white pine, the redbud began to shape itself into a beautiful young tree and bloomed beautifully. Now every year I will think of the Isaiah text and remember not only the hope of spring time but the hope that the shoot of the Jesse tree represents, the coming of Jesus.<br /><br />When we read the whole Isaiah text we wonder if what Isaiah said could really occur. Personally, it’s easy for me to be cynical. However, when we believe that anything is possible with God, then it brings hope into our hearts, that possibly the kingdom of heaven will continue to draw near.<br /><br />Paul also talked about hope. His comments related to the situation with the church in Rome. It represented both Jewish and Gentile Christians. There were differences over perspectives on how one acted as Christians. Yet, in the hope that comes from Jesus, we have the hope that our relationship with one another will be in love, with understanding and acceptance of one another.<br /><br />When we speak of repentance, many times we understand that word to mean our need to be remorseful about how we act and think. In our remorsefulness, we say, “Oh God, I can change. Oh God, be patient with me. I know I can do better.” However, the Greek word for repentance means that we change our way of thinking, we change our perspective of life, and we change our value system. We recognize that the first personal singular is not the subject. God is. What we do say is, Oh God, no matter how hard I try, I can’t. God, you can. God, empower me with the Spirit so that I will be willing to let you. After all, life is about God, not about us.<br /><br />In the gospel reading for today, there are three references to fire. John says that the tree that does not bear fruit will be thrown into the fire. John also said that Jesus would come and provide a baptism of the Spirit and fire. At the end of the reading, John says that Jesus will burn the chaff with unquenchable fire. Fire can purify. Fire can make clean.<br /><br />There is a story I heard, which is supposed to be true, of a team of engineers that went to a South American country to attempt to extract minerals or other materials for their company. They were constantly thwarted by epidemics of malaria. Finally, they thought the only solution was to burn the land to its roots in order to rid it of the lethal mosquitoes. They did so. A couple of years later they returned. They found the land had a ground cover that they had never seen before. The ground cover produced an exquisite blue flower. They cut specimens and took them back with them and showed them to the people at the Botanical Gardens in Washington, D.C. The botanists confirmed what they thought. They had never seen that species before. It appeared to be something entirely new. The fire had purified the ground and created something new and beautiful.<br /><br />So it is with us that began with our baptism. It is the fire of purification from the Spirit that enters us. As the Spirit opens us to the presence of God, through Jesus, the purification process continues each day as we remember our baptism. We are created new and beautiful, made in the image of God to serve God’s desire to have the kingdom of heaven come near.<br />As we continue our Advent journey, we have the opportunity to embrace our relationship with God through repentance, which is strengthened by the purification of the Spirit’s fire, and produces the joy of hope as we await the coming of Jesus.</div>Cross of Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18256164192898499440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98664078927390771.post-22538083448410834962010-11-28T13:39:00.001-08:002010-11-28T13:43:50.820-08:00"One Day at a Time"<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzXfaD6F7CyM5Sjj6rnO5a6lD2a1umqE7jqkns8qCA1eN0Q-pWnMwLsWbE0QL0Q82JcVaC2b_pD-9I_yVLlZhcp4nIFTe27oXrSFzo2Uh_BcK0y9fWbtsZmsIH0LddSj2q8t2o0Q3r80o_/s1600/odaat.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544718807980346114" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 124px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 93px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzXfaD6F7CyM5Sjj6rnO5a6lD2a1umqE7jqkns8qCA1eN0Q-pWnMwLsWbE0QL0Q82JcVaC2b_pD-9I_yVLlZhcp4nIFTe27oXrSFzo2Uh_BcK0y9fWbtsZmsIH0LddSj2q8t2o0Q3r80o_/s200/odaat.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="color:#ffff33;"><strong>Romans 13:11-14</strong></span><br /><em>Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. <br /></em><br /><span style="color:#ffff33;"><strong>Matthew 24:36–44<br /></strong></span>But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">A Message from the Pastor</span></strong><br />Happy New Year, everyone! Yes, it’s the beginning of the New Year for the Church. It’s the beginning of Advent. It is the season of waiting, expectation, and hope. The paraments on the altar are blue to symbolize our hope. We wait, are expectant, hope for the coming of Christ. I like to think that there are three ways that we prepare for the coming of Christ, with our expectancy, our waiting, and our hope.<br /><br />Of course, we are waiting for the coming of the Christ child into the manger, not a palace or a fine home. Jesus comes to us in squalor as he is laid in a feeding trough in a stable. He comes to us as one of us. He comes to us as a common person, living among us. God changes the concept of humanity forever as God becomes part of humanity in the form of his son.<br /><br />Another way we think of Jesus coming to us is that he does so every day. He comes to us when we are open to his coming. He lives within us.<br /><br />The third way that we consider Jesus coming is on the “last day.” It is when he comes, so to speak, in the clouds. We think of this each time we confess our faith in the words of the Apostles’ Creed, “He will come again to judge the living and the dead.”<br /><br />Now I must confess that I have trouble discussing or talking about this final “coming.” First of all, when we ponder his coming again on the “last day,” we focus on the future, not on the present where it is best to find and relate to God. When we think about the future, we move ourselves out of the present. Secondly, many times when we think of the “last day,” we find ourselves listening to the concept of the rapture, which is that philosophy, that concept, that Jesus will come again as part of a cataclysmic event when he will snatch up those who are true believers, take them to heaven, and leave the rest for one thousand years of trial and tribulation. This is not good theology. Although there is scripture that reminds us of his coming and that he could come in the clouds, there is nothing that says he will come in some dramatic event. The concept of the rapture comes from taking snippets of scripture from different places in the Bible and developing a rapture theology. I believe that scripture should be read recognizing that each author wrote to the people of the time for specific situations that existed at the time. We need to understand that and relate it to our present situation. The theology of the rapture didn’t develop until the late nineteenth century.<br /><br />As we read these texts, I would rather consider the reality that Jesus comes to us all the time, one day at a time. As we read the gospel story for today, we find that Jesus is saying that he will come again under the most ordinary of circumstances. He will come when they are eating and drinking and marrying and giving in marriage. He will come when men are in the field and women are grinding meal together. These are things that happen as part of ordinary living, not anything cataclysmic. He comes in the common, everyday part of life. He comes one day at a time.<br /><br />Jesus does come to us all the time. He comes to us as part of the means of grace and word and sacrament. He comes to us when Polly read scripture this morning. He comes to us when we are baptized and we remember that when we are baptized, it is no longer we who live but Christ who lives within us. He comes to us when we come to this altar to receive bread and wine and you hear me say, “The body of Christ for you,” and a fellow worshipper says, “This is the blood of Christ for you.” Jesus comes to us every time we pray, whether intentionally or otherwise, one day at a time. Jesus comes to us, not only in this worship, but each day as we worship him. Jesus comes to us one day at a time when we open the book of faith and find Jesus. He comes to us as we joyously serve, remembering his words, “When you do this to the least of my brethren, you do it to me.” The same comments from Jesus apply when we generously give. Furthermore, even when we have fellowship after worship and we share with one another our lives, Jesus is with us for he said, “Where two or more are gathered in my name, there I am in your midst.<br /></div><div align="justify">Jesus is always coming to us. And he comes to us one day at a time.</div>Cross of Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18256164192898499440noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98664078927390771.post-35205543274129065232010-11-21T16:01:00.001-08:002010-11-21T16:09:02.334-08:00"He's a King?"<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdn7sTuXM20E7k6oH8-IqC_Ck7kourV0TAppiCdh2v5jxzQ-EgF0b55dM-ARkxnGdOHBL2s6L5Ydw8MnSlBOEhngTm9Rg6x2pr2Q_lzFCUzIi7HWKbtmoj65daFctE5sHmbs5dXYQL6y1r/s1600/King.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542157613580374450" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdn7sTuXM20E7k6oH8-IqC_Ck7kourV0TAppiCdh2v5jxzQ-EgF0b55dM-ARkxnGdOHBL2s6L5Ydw8MnSlBOEhngTm9Rg6x2pr2Q_lzFCUzIi7HWKbtmoj65daFctE5sHmbs5dXYQL6y1r/s200/King.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">Colossians 1:11–20</span></strong><br /><em>May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.<br /><br />He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers — all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.<br /><br /><br /></em><strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">Luke 23:33-43<br /></span></strong><em>When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." And they cast lots to divide his clothing. And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!" The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!" There was also an inscription over him, "This is the King of the Jews."<br /><br />One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, "Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!" But the other rebuked him, saying, "Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." He replied, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise."<br /></em><br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">A Message from the Pastor (As told by a stranger from the past)<br /></span></strong>I’ve been watching all of you for over one hundred years. I have been watching how you live, where you live, how you work, how you play, what values you have, and how you relate to others. One of the peculiar things I found has to do with your jewelry. Did you know that the most popular jewelry item is a cross? Besides wearing them hanging from your neck, I’ve seen them dangling from ear lobes, attached to a wrist bracelet, and worn on a lapel. I’ve even seen a few of them hanging from a nose or from a lip. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to be disrespectful of the cross. I know how important it is to you. It is the symbol of your religion and what you believe.<br /><br />What is interesting is that they are always shining and bright. Many times they are covered with jewels or etched with a fancy design. I seldom see one with Jesus hanging from it.<br /><br />I’d like to ask you a question? Would you be willing to wear an electric chair around your neck, or as other kinds of jewelry? After all, that’s what the cross was. It was the principal means of execution at the time of the Roman Empire, just like an electric chair is a popular means of execution today. You see, I wore a cross when I was on earth at the time of Jesus. I was wearing the means of execution as I proclaimed my faith in Jesus.<br /><br />In this culture, the world focuses on success. It wants to display things that are shining and bright, not those items that display truly what God is all about as Jesus hangs and dies on a cross. We want to think positively from the world’s point of view. We want to feel good as the world sees it. Humorously, this culture likes to think of Jesus in a similar way to one of your comic book heroes, Superman. He comes to this earth in a strange way, he wanders the earth for thirty-three years and he is almost done in by a Kryptonite Kross. Then he struggles into a phone booth of an empty tomb, comes out with his Easter clothes, and wonderfully leaps into heaven. You like to always think of the Christ as was describe in the second reading for today. He is the image of the invisible God, first born of creation. All things are made through him. He is the head of the body. The fullness of God dwells in him. We like to think of Christ in this heavenly way. We forget about the human Jesus.<br /><br />In the gospel story for today, we read that, “The people stood by, watching . . .” I was one of those people. I saw him virtually crawling up the hill with the cross over his shoulder. I saw and heard him cry out in pain as they laid him on top of the cross and drove the nails into his hands and his feet. I saw as they hoisted the cross up on pulleys and dropped it into the hole. Is this the kind of king that you want? Do you want a common criminal for a king?<br /><br />They placed a crown of thorns on his head. I saw the blood from that and the birds pecking at his head because of it while the wild dogs were nipping at his feet. I saw his bruises and stripes from the beating he took. The interesting thing that happened occurred when they were hoisting him up. With all that ugly treatment that he received, he said, “Forgive them, Father, for they do not know what they are doing.” Imagine that. After all that treatment he wants them forgiven. Is that the kind of king you want, one that forgives unconditionally? Do you, as his follower, want to be the same?<br /><br />What is ironical, is that all those around him, the leaders, the soldiers, and even one of the criminals, while scoffing at him and mocking him, called him a king or the Messiah of God. Isn’t that interesting? While, I’m sure, they didn’t believe it, they called him what we consider him to be.<br /><br />Then the most amazing thing happened. There next to Jesus was the other criminal. He looked over at Jesus and said, “Remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Imagine that! Here is a man who is suffering greatly. Who knows what kind of person he is. He has to be in utter agony hanging from that cross. Yet, he recognizes Jesus as king. He recognizes that Jesus is coming into his power. He recognizes that Jesus’ reign is about to begin. How can that be? Does it take suffering, hopelessness, helplessness, and a recognizing that he totally lost all control to see who Jesus was? Is that the hiddeness of God? Does God reveal himself most vividly in times of suffering, agony, and defeat? Is that the kind of king that you want?<br /><br />After all, when one reads about Jesus walking this earth during his three years of ministry, he/she finds him eating with the losers. He eats with sinners, tax collectors, and even prostitutes. He feeds those who are hungry. He has compassion on the ill, the lame, and the broken people. He reaches out to those who are marginalized. Is that the kind of king you want? As followers of a king, do you want to do the same?<br /><br />This is the end of the church year. It is the time that a person can acknowledge that Christ is King. It is a good time to think about this king we wish to follow. Next week begins Advent. Each has an opportunity to prepare for the coming of the king. No, he wasn’t born in a palace. He was born in a stable and placed In a feeding trough, where manure and other things of a stable would be. Follow him from Nazareth to Jerusalem. Follow him to the cross and then to the empty tomb. But it doesn’t end there. Go into the world and tell others the kind of king he is and how he reveals God’s love to all.</div>Cross of Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18256164192898499440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98664078927390771.post-40999066896923774752010-11-14T19:18:00.000-08:002010-11-14T19:22:22.556-08:00“Past, Present, Future”<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioWs3lI4UyESQi91i8au3JUu0joPjr5FxtqMiC0BXgo_cranlf8s1xni1JIecqWNl_gxBipEN_kykzXpExIeVvEH17J0RWxjZ5Ce4M7XkenPxHKI4gWbi9FUSeb0pkm6igkcdV4oaYR31h/s1600/Last+Days.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539611391474481490" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 190px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioWs3lI4UyESQi91i8au3JUu0joPjr5FxtqMiC0BXgo_cranlf8s1xni1JIecqWNl_gxBipEN_kykzXpExIeVvEH17J0RWxjZ5Ce4M7XkenPxHKI4gWbi9FUSeb0pkm6igkcdV4oaYR31h/s200/Last+Days.jpg" border="0" /></a> <strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">Malachi 4:1-2a<br /></span></strong><em>See, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble; the day that comes shall burn them up, says the LORD of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who revere my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings.<br /></em><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">2 Thessalonians 3:6–13</span></strong><br /><em>Now we command you, beloved, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from believers who are living in idleness and not according to the tradition that they received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us; we were not idle when we were with you, and we did not eat anyone's bread without paying for it; but with toil and labor we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you. This was not because we do not have that right, but in order to give you an example to imitate. For even when we were with you, we gave you this command: Anyone unwilling to work should not eat. For we hear that some of you are living in idleness, mere busybodies, not doing any work. Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. Brothers and sisters, do not be weary in doing what is right.</em><br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">Luke 21:5-19</span></strong><br /><em>When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, Jesus said, “As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.”<br /><br />They asked him, "Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?" And he said, "Beware that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name and say, 'I am he!' and, 'The time is near!' Do not go after them.<br /><br />When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately. Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven.<br /><br />But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. This will give you an opportunity to testify. So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance; for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your souls.<br /></em><br /><br /><br />A Message from the Pastor<br />Well, this church year is quickly coming to a close. Today is the Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost. There is only one Sunday left after this Sunday; it is Christ the King Sunday when we acknowledge the reign of God through Christ. As we come to the close of the church year, the readings always address the “end times,” or so it seems. The Malachi reading for today mentions that, “the day is coming.” Then the writer recites ominous events that will occur. In the Second Letter to the Thessalonians, the writer is also talking about the end times. Unfortunately some people read this text and refer to it as a message against such things as welfare payments, unemployment compensation, food stamps, and the like. However, what had been happening was that there were many who believed that Jesus was coming again, soon. (Even Paul believed that Jesus would come again before he died.) Some of the believers stopped working. The thought process was that there was no reason to work if Jesus would come soon. Some, of course, used the time to be busy bodies and practice idle gossip. The writer of the letter was admonishing them to continue living in an appropriate way. (Martin Luther said that if he knew the Second Coming would happen the next day, he would plant a tree today.)<br /><br />Then we have the gospel reading for today in which Jesus responds to comments about the temple, its beauty and magnificence. He told them that nothing would be left standing. There would be no stone standing upon another. He talked of wars and insurrections, nations against nations, kingdoms against kingdoms, great earthquakes, famine and plagues, and dread portents and signs from heaven. They were all ominous to hear. When we read this text we can think about the past, present, and the future.<br /><br />We focus on the past by considering when Jesus spoke these words. When we read more deeply into his comments, we find that Jesus was not predicting the end of the world, but was talking about how to deal with what they would face. We’ve always had wars, nations against nations, great earthquakes, famines, plagues, dreadful “signs,” and great developments in the heavens. What he did say was not to be fearful, and, then, the critical comment, “By your endurance you will gain your souls.” That last comment does not necessarily say that by endurance you will go to heaven. In speaking of our souls, I believe Jesus is talking about knowing who we are and whose we are. Our “soul” represents all of who we are and what we are about.<br /><br />The past continues when we think about the time this gospel was written, which was circa 90 AD. The readers were being persecuted as Christians. In 70 AD, Jerusalem was laid waste and the temple was completely destroyed with no stone left upon another. Furthermore, before this gospel was written, Mt. Vesuvius had erupted. If we remember the results of Mt. Helena, we know that such an event can be seen from great distances. The people in the Mediterranean Basin would have been well aware of the utter destruction this natural disaster caused. It would give one pause to think that the world was coming to an end. The gospel writer was reminding them what Jesus said that we are to endure and to testify to our relationship with God, through Christ.<br /><br />When we skip to the future, this is what some people use to predict what is going to happen in the near future. They use fear to bring us to think the way they wish. When we are fearful, we change the way we think. We change our perspectives, our priorities, and our values. People use the words of Malachi and the Gospel of Luke to evoke that fear.<br /><br />When we think of the present, I suggest we remind ourselves that God is the creator of time and space. As such, God is always in the present. To God there is no past or future. And it is in the present where we meet God and develop a relationship with God. We are reminded that, in the present, God will be there to help us testify and to strengthen us in our endurance through life.<br /><br />When we hear the words of Jesus in this gospel text for today, it may not be easy to relate to what Jesus said. None of us are persecuted. Families, friends, or other relatives do not betray us. We will not be put to death. We will not be brought to trial because of our belief. However, we do need to remember that God will give us the words to speak and that we need to endure.<br /><br />We have our own wars that we fight as we struggle with life. We have our own personal earthquakes as events shatter us. We have our own famines as we sense our starving for attention or love. In the midst of all this, we are called to testify, although differently than the early Christians. In fact, we have all known people who have had a difficult life dealt to them. It seems to me that this is when we see God more clearly, if we are open. God reveals himself at such times. There is a person in a church I was serving. She lost her husband at age fifty-five. She has a son who is mentally ill and a daughter who deals with certain issues. In addition, if I had a large sheet of paper, I could fill it with the list of diseases and illnesses that she experiences. Yet, whenever I talked to her, she would always demonstrate her great love, faith, and hope in God. She was positive about life. This is how she testified.<br /><br />In addition, anyone I have talked to, who has had difficult times in life and has been connected to God in a strong personal relationship always talks about the blessings they receive through such experiences. For example, when I was serving a congregation in Florence, there was a group of people “out to get me.” It was not a fun time. In the midst of it, Frankie developed situational depression. A month later, I did the same. (It was really a fun time in our home.) In the midst of it, a friend of mine said at a meeting that blessings would come out of it. She told me to endure and walk through it. About a year later, exactly on Easter Sunday, at the sunrise service, I knew the depression had left me. It was true, blessings did come. I had gained my soul in another way.<br /><br />I’m certainly not suggesting that we look for misery or catastrophes so we can be blessed or can testify. However, by revering God as Malachi says, and doing what is appropriate, we can, by our endurance, know who we are and whose we are. We will gain our souls.</div>Cross of Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18256164192898499440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98664078927390771.post-35047167174732326742010-11-07T17:48:00.000-08:002010-11-07T17:53:12.596-08:00“Being a Saint in the Church”<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgroW11NJfTXDqKMe4BJUWvstWHmkmz06DLGsv14i-Wn_zA4V6i8AXRgGKNxW8HGMywzusuix3TxSXVX6liPZm1mDJZJI7meUkiwcVyozurUWZd4KtNtTTNHMb332E9czEHCGsry2nTd2pg/s1600/saints.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536990704483505666" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 178px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgroW11NJfTXDqKMe4BJUWvstWHmkmz06DLGsv14i-Wn_zA4V6i8AXRgGKNxW8HGMywzusuix3TxSXVX6liPZm1mDJZJI7meUkiwcVyozurUWZd4KtNtTTNHMb332E9czEHCGsry2nTd2pg/s200/saints.jpg" border="0" /></a> <strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">Ephesians 1:11–23</span></strong><br />In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God's own people, to the praise of his glory.<br /><br />I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.<br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">Luke 6:20-31</span></strong><br />Then he looked up at his disciples and said:<br />"Blessed are you who are poor,<br />for yours is the kingdom of God.<br />"Blessed are you who are hungry now,<br />for you will be filled.<br />"Blessed are you who weep now,<br />for you will laugh.<br />Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.<br />"But woe to you who are rich,<br />for you have received your consolation.<br />"Woe to you who are full now,<br />for you will be hungry.<br />"Woe to you who are laughing now,<br />for you will mourn and weep.<br />Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.<br /><br />But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you.<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">A Message from the Pastor</span></strong><br />It was not easy to prepare for the message today for two reasons. First of all, there are some “cradle Lutherans” here today that have no problem recognizing All Saints Sunday and what it means. It happens every year, the first Sunday after All Saints Day, which is always on November 1. However, there could be some who are worshipping who are not used to a liturgical service. They could have picked up today’s bulletin, saw that it was All Saints Sunday, and wondered what the heck this was all about. Well, we do celebrate and commemorate those who have gone before us. However, we also acknowledge that we are saints. Yes, we are sinners. That’s why we make confession at the beginning of every worship service. But we are saints. Martin Luther said that we are saints and sinners at the same time. Well, what is a saint all about?<br /><br />The other challenge was the readings for today. How do those readings connect with being a saint? The first one, from Daniel, is prophetic. There are some people who believe that this reading prophesizes the end of the world in the near future. The second reading, from Ephesians, is a glorious description of God’s relationship to us and ours to God through Jesus Christ. However, the Ephesians text is not the easiest to read. The author writes as if it’s a stream of consciousness. Then we have the Gospel of Luke, and what do we hear? Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor.” How does that connect with being a saint?<br /><br />Let me begin by reading from the Letter to the Ephesians as written by Eugene Peterson, in The Message.<br />It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the over-all purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.<br /><br />It’s in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this Message of your salvation), found yourselves home free – signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. This signet from God is the first installment on what’s coming, a reminder that we’ll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life.<br /><br />That’s why, when I heard of the solid trust you have in the Master Jesus and your outpouring of love to all the Saints (these are believers who are alive), I couldn’t stop thanking God for you – every time I prayed. I’d think of you and give thanks. But I do more than thank, I ask – ask the God of our Master Jesus Christ, the God of glory – to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, [the) eyes [of your heart] focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for [Saints], oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him – endless energy, boundless strength!<br /><br />All this energy issues from Christ: God raised him from death and set him on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule. And not just for the time being, but forever. He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. At the center of all this, Christ rules the church. (Folks, that’s us. We are the church.) The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ’s body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence.<br /><br />We are the church. We are the body of Christ. Yes, we are sinners. That’s why we confess our sinfulness every time we worship. However we are also saints. We are at the center of God’s world, through Christ. This world is on the edge of God’s world, the one to which we belong; although I’m sure it doesn’t always feel like that. You see, we have been marked with the cross of Christ forever, since we are signed, sealed, and delivered through the Holy Spirit. What has happened to us, through Christ, doesn’t wash off. We are marked forever as a saint.<br /><br />Well, if we are saints then what is all this about in the gospel when Jesus says the poor, hungry, and mournful are blessed. What connection does that make? Well, as we develop and maintain a more personal relationship with God, we begin to see the world through Jesus’ eyes. We begin to see how God might perceive God’s kingdom.<br /><br />The word “poor” used by Jesus in this reading is the description of the poorest of the poor. If someone is poor but knows that there is someone poorer than him/her, then it isn’t her/him that Jesus is talking about. And why are they blessed? When you have nothing, when you are utterly empty, all you can depend upon is God. It is then that you might realize and experience God’s reign breaking through. And being poor brings on sorrow and hunger. God promises that such people will laugh and be filled. That’s what we begin to understand as saints. Unfortunately, in the world, we “automatically” think, when we see people who have material goods, who appear to be wealthy, and are in good spirits, that they are blessed. Not so, says Jesus. Jesus helps us to understand that God turns our perception of life upside down.<br /><br />And with that understanding, Jesus continues to make everything “topsy turvey” from the world’s perspective. He says we are to love our enemies, do good to those who hate us, bless those who curse us, and pray for those who abuse us. What kind of silliness is that?<br /><br />The world doesn’t think that way. Just think of this last election campaign. Did you ever hear about loving our enemies? Was it ever suggested that we do good to those who hurt us? Did we see anyone blessing those who curse them? Or did any candidate pray for those who abused them? That’s not the way the world operates.<br /><br />However, as we become closer to God, through Christ, we begin to see how God’s world operates and how we are to become. Oh, yes, we are sinners. There’s no doubt about that. But, we are also saints.</div>Cross of Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18256164192898499440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98664078927390771.post-10417583645576420652010-10-31T17:29:00.000-07:002010-10-31T17:31:48.792-07:00“Law, Gospel, Freedom”<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPaOXPsMZkZ8GOCrV3kPjXbouQjBD_M4GqAt5fR-Mkj9Jyq9vpko4yivFg4oIoZtqgnSjWVSki1Vq24HTySpHwFczOmoIFWmlEKiCgNu39T_jDl40EL56NOO64XyXDT-hE7lkzbJePRK-T/s1600/Law,+Gospel,+Freedom.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534372369198617586" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 118px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPaOXPsMZkZ8GOCrV3kPjXbouQjBD_M4GqAt5fR-Mkj9Jyq9vpko4yivFg4oIoZtqgnSjWVSki1Vq24HTySpHwFczOmoIFWmlEKiCgNu39T_jDl40EL56NOO64XyXDT-hE7lkzbJePRK-T/s200/Law,+Gospel,+Freedom.jpg" border="0" /></a> <strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">Jeremiah 31:31-34<br /></span></strong><em>The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt — a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the LORD. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, "Know the LORD," for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.</em><br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">Romans 3:19-28</span></strong><br />Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For "no human being will be justified in his sight" by deeds prescribed by the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.<br /><br />But now, apart from law, the righteousness of God has been disclosed, and is attested by the law and the prophets, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith. He did this to show his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed; it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies the one who has faith in Jesus.<br /><br />Then what becomes of boasting? It is excluded. By what law? By that of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law.<br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">John 8:31-36</span></strong><br />Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." They answered him, "We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, 'You will be made free'?"<br /><br />Jesus answered them, "Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there forever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.<br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">A Message from the Pastor<br /></span></strong>Today is October 31, 2010. It is the Day of Reformation. Today is the day that Martin Luther nailed 95 theses to the door of the Wittenburg Cathedral, in 1517, seven years short of the 500th anniversary of that event. We always celebrate this festival either on the day, if it falls on Sunday, or on the Sunday before October 31.<br /><br />The readings for today are always read on this day, the 31st chapter of Jeremiah, the 3rd chapter of Romans, and the 8th chapter of John. They are read for a good reason. The readings for this festival day represent many of the thoughts that Martin Luther had as he challenged the church of his time. Two of those thoughts are basic pillars of the Reformation. They are the law and the gospel. It is the law that convicts us of our sin and drives us to the cross. It is at the foot of the cross where we experience the gospel. It is at the foot of the cross where we experience the love of Jesus Christ who redeemed us and made us one with God through his death and resurrection. Every time we hear or read scripture, we should sense the presence of the law and the gospel. The three readings for today are outstanding examples of this.<br /><br />Jeremiah was a prophet who had the continuous task of reminding the people of God that they were turning their backs on God by their disobedience to the law. God, through Jeremiah, reminded the people in the reading today. That was the law. But this part of Jeremiah’s writings is different than most of his comments. God, through Jeremiah, provided consolation for the people as they were being led into exile to Babylon. God provided them with the gospel, besides the law. God told the people that he was making a new covenant with them, a covenant that would be written on their hearts. He would forgive them their iniquities and remember their sin no more. God was prophesying about the coming of Jesus, although the people at the time did not realize it.<br /><br />The law was given to the people of God as they traveled to freedom from Egypt to the Promised Land. They were given the Ten Commandments, along with 639 laws on how to relate, work, and act. As we think about the Ten Commandments, think about how well we keep them. Thou shall have no other gods before me. Do not take my name in vain. Remember the Sabbath. Honor your parents. Do not murder, steal, or commit adultery. Do not defame another person’s character. Do not covet.<br /><br />I don’t know about you, but I have broken all of them and continue to do so.<br /><br />Let me share a personal experience. Some years ago, I was sharing the change in my life’s journey with a friend who had been my counselor. In my enthusiasm for this new found life, I shared much of my insights. After I had finished, he looked at me and said, “Ed, I don’t think you ever got past the first commandment.” And so it is with all of us. I would suspect that everyone of us in this room has had other gods before God.<br /><br />In the Romans reading, Paul’s comments also reflect the law and the gospel. He reminds the people that no one will be one with God because of their deeds prescribed by the law. All are sinners and fall short of the glory of God. That’s law. But then there is the gospel. Paul reminds them that because of the redemptive power of Jesus Christ, because of the cross and the blood shed by Jesus, we have been reconciled to God. It is not our “works” that do it. We are justified by faith through grace. It is our faith in Jesus and his redemptive act that reconciles us to God.<br /><br />Jesus also brings us the law and the gospel from the reading today. Because we are sinners, we are slaves to sin. That’s the law. However, if we abide in Jesus’ word, we will know the truth, and the truth will make us free. That’s the gospel, and continuing with those comments, Jesus tells us that if the Son makes us free, we are free indeed.<br /><br />There is a difference between right and wrong and the truth. In our finite minds we can define what’s right or wrong. We can understand the law. If we have the power, such as being responsible for our family, our work, or in other capacities, we can define what’s right or wrong and take to task those who disagree. The truth is bigger than that. The truth is bigger than us and, more often than not, we cannot fully grasp it.<br /><br />Let me share with you another personal experience. When I was in treatment, I had an “aha.” For thirty-five years I had wrestled with the notion whether it was right or wrong for me to drink. I could rationalize both ways, along with those who were close to me. During treatment, I realized that this was not the issue. It didn’t matter whether I was right or wrong. The truth was that I couldn’t or I would die. That truth helped set me on the course of freedom from addiction.<br /><br />Martin Luther understood that. In his search of the scriptures and his new understanding of what God was saying through the Word, he knew a new kind of freedom that permitted him to do what he did. He was able and willing to nail 95 theses on the cathedral door at Wittenburg, knowing that he could incur the wrath of the church at Rome. He could write documents, such as the Augsburg Confession, along with the other documents that make up the Book of Concord to declare what he, and those who understood their relationship with Christ, believed as God’s written and living word. He could realize that his life was always in jeopardy. That’s why he was placed in hiding for two years. He knew what to do with his freedom.<br /><br />The law will always convict us of our sinfulness. The law will always demonstrate that we are addicted to the life of the world. The truth is that we cannot, by our own reason or strength come to our God and believe in him. The truth is that it was Jesus’ death on the cross and his resurrection that brought us into a right relationship with God. It was because of Jesus and the cross that reconciled us to God. In faith, we come to embrace that truth.<br /><br />The question is, if we truly believe the truth, through faith, that Jesus Christ is the sole reason for our relationship with God and that we are truly free, then what are we going to do with this freedom?</div>Cross of Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18256164192898499440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98664078927390771.post-11809664165551821752010-10-24T17:03:00.001-07:002010-10-24T17:05:24.834-07:00“The Pastor and the Pimp”<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmLzy941I5aAdfDGZuyL71Xl0S2vrCoyZMcNdJvaxAhMVJlv-dPiOlRVROuEJCmyO_T8fCWawRxsX2tRzEkMMkby461aN-n3m-Ood5t6Qnx20wcF9VpOQ1EKFlEmvJcKjejQz44bcYiRzi/s1600/Pharisee+%26+Tax+Guy.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531767653013886946" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 149px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmLzy941I5aAdfDGZuyL71Xl0S2vrCoyZMcNdJvaxAhMVJlv-dPiOlRVROuEJCmyO_T8fCWawRxsX2tRzEkMMkby461aN-n3m-Ood5t6Qnx20wcF9VpOQ1EKFlEmvJcKjejQz44bcYiRzi/s200/Pharisee+%26+Tax+Guy.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">Luke 18:9-14</span></strong><br /><em>[Jesus] also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, 'God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.' But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted."<br /></em><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">A Message from the Pastor<br /></span></strong>Today, we hear about the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. It is one of the most well known parables in the Gospel of Luke.<br /><br />I have heard this parable so many times in my life in the church. Every time I hear the parable, and hear Jesus say, “Two men went up to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee. The other was a tax collector,” I immediately tell myself that the Pharisee is the bad guy. The tax collector is the good guy. That’s how I’ve been trained. Then when I hear the prayer of the Pharisee, “Thank you God, that I’m not like other people, thieves, rogues, adulterers, and even this tax collector,” I identify the Pharisee as pompous. When I hear the tax collector say, “Oh God, have mercy on me, a sinner,” I say to myself, “Yes,”that’s how we’re supposed to pray. The tax collector knows how.” And finally, when Jesus said, “those who exalt themselves will be humbled and those who humble themselves will be exalted,” I know I’m supposed to have humility. Being humble has been pounded into my head since I was a little boy. That’s how good Christian boys are supposed to act. I know that I am supposed to be humble. In fact, there was a time in my life that I was so humble, I was proud of it.<br /><br />But let’s go back to the time when Jesus told this story. Let’s return to the time of Jesus and think about what the people heard. Pharisees were highly respected and admired. They followed the letter of the law. They were people who loved God and wanted to demonstrate that love by doing everything the law said. They were supposed to fast once a week and tithe a certain part of their income. This Pharisee fasted twice a week. He tithed all of his income, not just that which was dictated by the law. He was dedicated. (My seminary professor told us that we would lust to have a dozen Pharisees in our congregation. They would work hard, get a lot done, and give generous offerings for the sake of the church.) And let’s look at the Pharisee’s prayer. I don’t think he was being pompous. He believed what he said. He was sincerely thankful that God had created him to be who he was and to do what he was able to do. His prayer could have said, “There, for the grace of God, go I.” Haven’t we all said that at one time or another?<br /><br />The tax collector was hated. He was considered a traitor and a heretic. He was a pariah on the community. Although he was one of God’s people, he had sold himself to the enemy. He collected the taxes for the conquerors. He collected all the money that went to Rome. It was understood that he could assess any additional taxes that he wanted to, and the extra tax money he could keep. He became wealthy on the backs of his own people. His prayer would not be acceptable to the people because he didn’t even ask for forgiveness or indicate a desire to repent.<br /><br />At the time of Jesus, the people would have been shocked at Jesus’ ending comments. How could the tax collector, a heretic and traitor, go home justified? How could a model of the Godly life not go home justified?<br /><br />Let’s take Jesus’ parable and move it from the time of Jesus to the twenty-first century.<br /><br />Two people went into the sanctuary of a Lutheran church to pray. One was the pastor and the other was a pimp. The pastor went up to the chancel and knelt at the communion rail. He prayed, “Oh God, I thank you that I am not a drug dealer, someone greedy, or someone like this pimp. I am thankful that I had the opportunity to be the person I am. I work hard as a pastor. I attend most of the committee meetings, visit all the sick, take time to hear what my parishioners are concerned about, and tend to the shut-ins. I tithe 12% of my income.” The pimp was seated in the back row of the sanctuary. His head was on the back of the pew in front of him. You could see his shoulders shake as he was sobbing and said, “Oh God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”<br /><br />The operative words of this parable are not focusing on the Pharisee (or pastor), the tax collector (or pimp), or hearing Jesus’ words about being exalted or being humble. The operative words are “trusted in themselves.”<br /><br />I don’t know about you, but there are many times when I believe that I am doing what I am doing on my own accord. I am the one in charge. In other words, I can be good on my own. That’s what the Pharisee, or pastor, were saying, even though they were thankful and loved God. The tax collector, or pimp, on the other hand, knew who he was. He was a sinner. He wanted the material life that the world had to offer, and he prostituted himself to get it. Even though he knew he was sinning, even though he couldn’t help himself, he continued to do what the world provided, namely, the material things of life. Did you notice? The tax collector didn’t even ask for forgiveness, nor did he indicate a desire to repent. All he did was ask for mercy. He said God, in so many words, I can’t. You can. You have to do it.<br /><br />Are we any different? We are caught up in issues of life in which we trust ourselves. We don’t realize it many times. In our relationship with God, through Jesus Christ, we can begin by recognizing that, even though we know that on our own we can’t change. We need to say to God, “I can’t. You can. You have to do it.”</div>Cross of Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18256164192898499440noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98664078927390771.post-84392634791668710172010-10-17T12:04:00.000-07:002010-10-17T12:06:57.407-07:00“Persistence”<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjndqoVTXgAsmTMqJixCu6FDIRHT4R3DjfjxGMeEf2gTLoJUtxkuc2aYnNgiUmue9Y1KKoWOcnlzxMpq3r3-6BgXKty_xkpAbA7O_AcieBMT0bIFbI61VTZiNLTBjVTXoKLeBxhwZH_eR5d/s1600/judge.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529093485544814530" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 173px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjndqoVTXgAsmTMqJixCu6FDIRHT4R3DjfjxGMeEf2gTLoJUtxkuc2aYnNgiUmue9Y1KKoWOcnlzxMpq3r3-6BgXKty_xkpAbA7O_AcieBMT0bIFbI61VTZiNLTBjVTXoKLeBxhwZH_eR5d/s200/judge.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify"><span style="color:#ffffcc;"><strong>Genesis 32:22-31</strong><br /></span><em>The same night he got up and took his two wives, his two maids, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. He took them and sent them across the stream, and likewise everything that he had. Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he struck him on the hip socket; and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, "Let me go, for the day is breaking." But Jacob said, "I will not let you go, unless you bless me." So he said to him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob." Then the man said, "You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed." Then Jacob asked him, "Please tell me your name." But he said, "Why is it that you ask my name?" And there he blessed him. So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, "For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life is preserved." The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip.<br /></em><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">Luke 18:1-8</span><br /></strong><em>Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. He said, "In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, 'Grant me justice against my opponent.' For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, 'Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.'" And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"<br /></em><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">A Message from the Pastor</span></strong><br />Jesus’ parable today from the gospel reading is peculiar. We left Jesus last week healing the ten lepers. Today, the author is telling us that Jesus told this story so that the disciples would pray always and not lose heart. However, the parable ended with Jesus asking the question, “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” What’s going on here? We need to know what happened when Jesus left the lepers.<br /><br />Well, Jesus is approached by Pharisees asking the question, “When will the kingdom, or reign, of God come?” It’s understandable why they would ask that. Jesus began his ministry proclaiming, “The time is fulfilled, the reign of God has drawn near, repent and believe.” Jesus talks about the reign of God throughout his ministry. In fact, in the Gospel of Luke, he mentions it forty-seven times. Jesus responds to the Pharisees saying that it will come in a way different than any expectations. He then said that the reign of God is among them. In other words, wherever Jesus is, the reign of God is present. This keeps us from losing heart and wanting to pray since, when we were baptized, it is not we who live, but Jesus who lives within us.<br /><br />Jesus turns to his disciples, after responding to the Pharisees, and tells them what to expect and not expect when the Son of Man comes. The disciples end up by asking where. Jesus responds that the action will begin around his dead body. Because of the concern when the Son of Man will return, Jesus comments about the need to pray always and not to lose heart. Jesus is encouraging the disciples to be persistent in their faith. And faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.<br /><br />We have a good example of how to be persistent with the first reading for today. Jacob was persistent from the day of his birth. He came out of the womb holding on to the foot of his older twin brother Esau. Then, when Esau had a weak moment, Jacob bought his birthright for a bowl of soup. Later, with the help of his mother, he went to his blind father, Isaac, dressed in animal skin to appear to be hairy like Esau and got Esau’s blessing. However, the latter did not come without a price. When Esau found out, he sought out Jacob to kill him. Jacob fled.<br /><br />Jacob’s persistence continued. He went to his grandfather’s home and connected with his great uncle, Laban. Laban had two daughters, Leah and Rachel. He fell in love with Rachel and worked for seven years to marry her. However, after the wedding, he realized he had married Leah. He had to work seven more years for Rachel to be his wife. Then, through persistence, he developed large flocks of sheep and goats. He became very wealthy. He left to return home.<br /><br />However, his troubles were not over. He still had to face Esau. As he drew closer, scouts returned and reported to Jacob that Esau was coming toward him with four hundred men. (That would concern me greatly.) Jacob separated from his wives, maidens, and children. He was left alone that night before he faced Esau. That’s when he met the man who we believe was God. Jacob remained persistent, wrestling with him until daybreak to get a blessing. Although Jacob’s hip socket was forever out of joint, he received a new name and the blessing he wanted. Jacob was persistent, “praying” always and never losing heart.<br /><br />I don’t know how many in this holy space pray frequently or persistently or how many sense they have a difficulty praying. I want to note that nowhere in scriptures is there any manual on how to pray. There are no written guidelines. The closest we come is in the Gospel of Luke when Jesus’ disciples ask Jesus how to pray, and he provides them with a shortened version of the Lord’s Prayer.<br /><br />I can suggest a simple way to pray. All you need is one word, “Help!”<br /><br />There is no correct way to pray. However, let’s think about a new born child. I have never heard a situation where the parents provided the baby with instructions on how to talk – oral or written. The baby started out by saying, “mama,” or “dada,” or “no!” And, the parents didn’t get upset because of the primitive way the baby talked. The parents were delighted that the baby talked to them, however he/she could. As time passed and the baby grew, the conversation between parents and child developed. There was communication. There was conversation. The relationship between them increased. It’s no different with prayer. God will take us at whatever level we are able to pray. God is delighted that we know him, we identify with him, we desire to converse with him. God wants conversation. God wants communication. God wants to have an intimate relationship with us. God wants us to grow in our faith, the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.<br /><br />There’s so much we can talk about. There’s the global situation with wars, terrorism, poverty, starvation, and human rights. There’s our national situation with polarization, a fragile economy, the national debt, and bigotry. There are the local issues of poverty, education, and single-parent families. Besides that, there are our personal issues of relationships, economic hardship, and physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual sickness. God wants us to be in conversation, to communicate, and to be in an intimate relationship with all of this. God wants us to be persistent, praying always, and not to lose heart.<br /><br />Who knows? With our persistence in praying and not losing heart, the Son of Man might find faith on earth.</div>Cross of Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18256164192898499440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98664078927390771.post-18166726685309764612010-10-10T15:31:00.001-07:002010-10-10T15:33:34.319-07:00“Believing Is Seeing”<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin14XtbVZKKyy6P6sz0sf-_Yqc0XPzai3xuDQffyt1_ppQFlTeNYWEjykKACutCttaEGrGr54dX896ZUg0Ohfv0Y0oQLjFDJL4rQqX6dK8_ybmEMfbE2e9FVuCY4OWkrnsswnkDvekKs7J/s1600/Leper.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526548773378451954" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 198px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin14XtbVZKKyy6P6sz0sf-_Yqc0XPzai3xuDQffyt1_ppQFlTeNYWEjykKACutCttaEGrGr54dX896ZUg0Ohfv0Y0oQLjFDJL4rQqX6dK8_ybmEMfbE2e9FVuCY4OWkrnsswnkDvekKs7J/s200/Leper.jpg" border="0" /></a> <strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">Luke 17:11-19</span></strong><br /><em>On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" When he saw them, he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. 16He prostrated himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, "Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" Then he said to him, "Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well."<br /></em><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">A Message from the Pastor<br /></span></strong>Many, if not most, of us are familiar with the story of Jesus and the ten lepers. It’s a story of Jesus while he is on his way to Jerusalem. He is in the territory that separates Galilee from Samaria. The Galileans are associated with the people of God who worship in the temple in Jerusalem. The Samaritans’ religion is different, symbolized by their worshipping on Mt. Gerazin. Several hundred years before this, the Assyrians had defeated the Northern nation of Israel. They dispersed the people and replaced them with people from other conquered nations. The ones that came to the territory brought their own gods and perspectives. The Assyrians purposely did this to destroy the national identity. So, the Samaritans were the result. They believed differently and thought differently than the Jewish people. The Samaritans detested the Galileans and the Galileans detested the Samaritans. However, this was the territory in between the two peoples. Boundaries weren’t as clear. It would not be surprising to find a Samaritan with the Galileans, especially since they had a common problem of leprosy.<br /><br />Jesus entered a village there, and the lepers, off at a distance, must have known who Jesus was. They called him by name. The called, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” Besides our understanding of mercy, the word could have indicated they were asking for money since they couldn’t fend for themselves.” With their calling out, Jesus saw them.<br /><br />I wonder what he saw. I’m sure he saw ten pathetic human beings huddled together, suffering from leprosy. Jesus probably saw ten ragtag humans covered with cloth to hide the erosion of their skin. Yet, as the Son of God, Jesus certainly believed. And, in his belief, I wonder what he saw. I think he saw ten children of God suffering. Ten people created by God out of love who were experiencing the brokenness of this world. He saw ten human beings who were helpless and hopeless with their disease.<br /><br />Jesus had a simple answer, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” Jesus didn’t say, “You’re cured.” He didn’t say, “I heal you.” He simply said, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And, the lepers obeyed. The story does not indicate that they asked any questions. And on the way to the priests, they were healed.<br /><br />It is then that the one leper, the Samaritan, the foreigner, saw that he was healed. What did he really see? I’m sure he saw that his skin was back to normal. All the leprous skin was gone. But what did he really see? What did he believe and in his believing, what did he see? I wonder if, in his belief, he realized the power of God, and, through that power, the love and mercy of God. I wonder if he saw Jesus as the incarnation of God and realized that through Jesus the reign of God was breaking through.<br /><br />And through that belief all he could do was thank and praise God. He did not quietly do so. He shouted out his praise and thanks. And he came before Jesus and prostrated himself on the ground. He fell before Jesus with his stomach on the ground, feet extended outward, and his arms stretched out before him. This was not even close to an ideal way of worshipping. He didn’t wait until he could find a comfortable place. He didn’t just praise him with acceptable words with an appropriate setting. This leper was eating dust and had his nose at the feet of Jesus who had been walking a long distance. It didn’t matter, he had to worship God and thank Jesus because in believing he saw.<br /><br />Then Jesus asked where the other nine were. I wonder about this comment. Humorously, I can see the Samaritan looking up to Jesus and saying, “Well, Jesus, they’re just doing what you said for them to do. They’re showing themselves to the priests.”<br /><br />Jesus acknowledged that the Samaritan, in his believing, realized the presence of God, and because of this believing, this faith, he had been made whole. (The word in the original language could mean “saved,” “healed,” “cured,” or “made whole.” Because of the context, I believe the last translation fits the situation best.)<br /><br />In our belief, we are able to see. In our belief, we are able to see the power and love of God as we recognize that God sent his son, out of love, to die on the cross so that we may be one with God and in that oneness, we are healed, we are made whole.<br /><br />That’s the first priority of worship. That’s the most significant meaning of worship. Yes, we are nourished and fed by the means of grace, word and sacrament. However, first and foremost, we believe and, in our believing, we come to a holy place to praise and thank God for his power, his mercy, and his love. It is in our believing that we can recognize the reign of God breaking through. It is in our faith – the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen – that we are made whole.</div>Cross of Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18256164192898499440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98664078927390771.post-46432864867310541202010-10-03T13:12:00.000-07:002010-10-03T13:15:40.529-07:00“Faith”<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJGvAniQegrbltGA-87DcXOB-GFyeFiClGSUJ2DcD98ClXiDLem2qsWfzZGD9OBrHIK60YbMPnOcVg4r_oeVfE6VvxzK5TELqGoVpzY9-YGgaxobr0ON9oGzVAMvvpyoMds9bI7DuErsI5/s1600/Faith+2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523915887931477826" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 186px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJGvAniQegrbltGA-87DcXOB-GFyeFiClGSUJ2DcD98ClXiDLem2qsWfzZGD9OBrHIK60YbMPnOcVg4r_oeVfE6VvxzK5TELqGoVpzY9-YGgaxobr0ON9oGzVAMvvpyoMds9bI7DuErsI5/s200/Faith+2.jpg" border="0" /></a> <strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">Habakkuk 1:1–4; 2:1–4<br /></span></strong><em>The oracle that the prophet Habakkuk saw.<br />O LORD, how long shall I cry for help,<br />and you will not listen?<br />Or cry to you "Violence!"<br />and you will not save?<br />Why do you make me see wrongdoing<br />and look at trouble?<br />Destruction and violence are before me;<br />strife and contention arise.<br />So the law becomes slack<br />and justice never prevails.<br />The wicked surround the righteous —<br />therefore judgment comes forth perverted.<br /><br />I will stand at my watchpost,<br />and station myself on the rampart;<br />I will keep watch to see what he will say to me,<br />and what he will answer concerning my complaint.<br />Then the LORD answered me and said:<br />Write the vision;<br />make it plain on tablets,<br />so that a runner may read it.<br />For there is still a vision for the appointed time;<br />it speaks of the end, and does not lie.<br />If it seems to tarry, wait for it;<br />it will surely come, it will not delay.<br />Look at the proud!<br />Their spirit is not right in them,<br />but the righteous live by their faith.<br /></em><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">2 Timothy 1:1-14</span></strong><br /><em>Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, for the sake of the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,<br />To Timothy, my beloved child:<br />Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.<br /><br />I am grateful to God — whom I worship with a clear conscience, as my ancestors did — when I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. Recalling your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you. For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.</em><br /></div><em><div align="justify"><br />Do not be ashamed, then, of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace. This grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. For this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher, and for this reason I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know the one in whom I have put my trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard until that day what I have entrusted to him. Hold to the standard of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard the good treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us.<br /></em><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">Luke 17:1-10<br /></span></strong><em>Jesus said to his disciples, "Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to anyone by whom they come! It would be better for you if a millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea than for you to cause one of these little ones to stumble. Be on your guard! If another disciple sins, you must rebuke the offender, and if there is repentance, you must forgive. And if the same person sins against you seven times a day, and turns back to you seven times and says, 'I repent,' you must forgive."<br /><br />The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" The Lord replied, "If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.<br /><br />Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, 'Come here at once and take your place at the table'? Would you not rather say to him, 'Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink'? Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, 'We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!'"</em><br /><br /><br /><strong>A Message from the Pastor</strong><br />As we follow Jesus during his earthly ministry, we remember the author’s comment about Jesus setting his face to Jerusalem and then beginning his journey from Capernaum in Galilee, through Samaria, and then wending his way toward Jerusalem. We have heard many of Jesus’ comments, his parables, and his admonition to people along the way. They are challenging, thought-provoking, and many times bring into question whether or not we can follow Jesus when we hear Jesus talking to us.<br /><br />Here is some of what we have read. Jesus told the rich man to sell all that he had and follow him. As Jesus was eating with Pharisees, his feet were washed by a woman’s tears and dried with her hair. We believe she was a prostitute. At that dinner, Jesus told those present that he came for the lost. In another dinner meeting with the Pharisees, he suggested they humble themselves by going to the end of the table. Furthermore, he said that we should invite those who can’t repay us – the poor, the lame, and the crippled – those on the margin of society. He told the parable of the Prodigal Son and demonstrated the need for forgiveness. He told the confusing parable of the dishonest manager who used forgiveness to shrewdly take care of himself. And, just before the gospel for the day, he told us of the rich man and Lazarus, instructing us to use whatever wealth we have to serve those in need. Jesus gave us tough instructions if we wanted to be his disciples.<br /><br />What we read today seems like a group of sayings of Jesus that were inserted because the writer couldn’t find another place to write them down. However, they do have sequential meaning as we read the story of Jesus, according to the Gospel of Luke. Jesus reminded the disciples to beware of letting others stumble because of us. He then provided more instructions on forgiveness when he said we must always forgive those who repent, no matter how often they have sinned.<br /><br />With all that Jesus said before, and now what he said today, the apostles can do no more than ask Jesus to increase their faith. It is as if they could do what he said by gaining a greater quantity of faith.<br /><br />Jesus answered, I believe, with a tongue-in cheek response. When you understand the phraseology of the Greek, you would have heard Jesus say, “If you had the faith of a mustard seed, and I know you do, then you can plant this mulberry bush, which has roots sixty feet deep, in the sea, and I know you can’t. I believe he is reminding them that faith is about quality and not quantity. He is saying that through faith, we do what we do in our daily human journey, not asking for accolades or praise. We do what we do because of our faith.<br /><br />So what is faith, anyway? The best definition of faith I have found is from Hebrews, chapter eleven, beginning with verse one. “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” It is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Let us return to the first reading to find ourselves an example.<br /><br />Now, I would not be surprised if many of you could not pronounce Habakkuk. Furthermore, many may not even have heard of his name before today. He was a prophet who lived around 600 B.C. He lived after the Assyrians completely destroyed the Northern Kingdom of Israel, sending the people to other lands and bringing other people into the territory so that the ten tribes could not be indentified. He lived just before the Babylonians, who had defeated the Assyrians, conquered the Southern Kingdom of Judah. The Babylonians were building their war machine to the north. The Egyptians were building their armies to the south. In between was this small nation of Judah.<br /><br />Habakkuk cried out for help to God but Habakkuk felt like God was not listening. He saw the violence and yet couldn’t understand why God would not save the people. Furthermore, he noticed the injustice in his nation of Judah. The rich were taking advantage of the poor. The rich were using the poor to their own advantage. Habakkuk cried out that the law was slack and injustice prevailed. He wanted to hear from God.<br /><br />God initially answered him in the section of Habakkuk’s writing that we did not read. God told him what would happen to Judah, how it would be destroyed and the people carried off to Babylon. However, here is what was amazing. Habakkuk did not falter. He did not continue to cry out in despair. He said, metaphorically, that he would go to the watchtower and wait to hear what God had to say. He believed in God.<br /><br />God did answer. God did say he had a vision. God said that vision was for the end times. He told Habakkuk that even if the vision tarried, he was to wait. There is a suggestion that he might not see the vision in his lifetime. Then, God had the critical comment, “The righteous live by their faith.” In other words, God said to Habakkuk that righteousness is not a matter of doing good, nor a matter of high morals. Righteousness is not what we do; it is relational. Righteousness is to have a personal relationship with God. The righteous, in that relationship with God, live by their faith. That faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.<br /><br />After God’s comments, Habakkuk said that he would continue to put his trust in God, no matter what terrible things occurred and that he experienced.<br /><br />When we consider today’s second reading we again find an issue of faith. The writer talked to Timothy. Timothy was a bishop of the early church. It appears that Timothy was having a struggle. It could have been a faith issue. It could have been persecution. It could have been other sufferings. We don’t know. We do know that the writer reminded Timothy of his faith. He reminded him of his grandmother’s, Lois, faith and that of his mother Eunice. He reminded Timothy of the blessings he received when the writer laid his hands upon him. He noted that God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline. It is through faith, no matter what the circumstances, that we will endure. Again, faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.<br /><br />Well, we all have been in that place where we cry out to God wondering if God hears us. There are people in this holy space who suffer physically, mentally, and emotionally. There are those of us who have had relational struggles, economic challenges, and other concerns. Furthermore, we know of local issues affecting education and the poor. Nationally, we recognize that our nation is polarized and the economy is weak. Worldwide there is terrorism. Just yesterday we heard that our government has issued a concern to Americans in Europe that they must be vigilant because of the potential for experiencing terrorism. We could easily say, “God, I cry out to you, why won’t you listen?”<br /><br />Our struggles are all around us. We need to recall the story of Habakkuk and the struggles of Timothy, remembering how they lived by faith each day. We hear God say that the righteous live by faith. We live being assured of the things hope for, the conviction of things not seen.</div>Cross of Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18256164192898499440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98664078927390771.post-8782773348027718932010-09-26T17:05:00.001-07:002010-09-26T17:10:42.362-07:00“Rich and Poor”<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiypoLsWRxXgFV-MiSkochniKMQD-cR9fQ6rzpO4kTlheqBc_EXIATJl_CDkMqfX9H5NUXwqUjzpV8coEn62awee2WKtNtcxWgEFL6zwjP5MuIbhvg-TNX2dnvMe1yBSU8LnfyhqyZdpMqq/s1600/Lazarus.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521377953923218514" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiypoLsWRxXgFV-MiSkochniKMQD-cR9fQ6rzpO4kTlheqBc_EXIATJl_CDkMqfX9H5NUXwqUjzpV8coEn62awee2WKtNtcxWgEFL6zwjP5MuIbhvg-TNX2dnvMe1yBSU8LnfyhqyZdpMqq/s200/Lazarus.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="color:#ffff33;"><strong> Amos 6:1a, 4-7</strong></span><br /><em>Alas for those who are at ease in Zion,<br /> and for those who feel secure on Mount Samaria, Alas for those who lie on beds of ivory,<br /> and lounge on their couches,<br /> and eat lambs from the flock,<br /> and calves from the stall;<br />who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp,<br /> and like David improvise on instruments of music;<br />who drink wine from bowls,<br /> and anoint themselves with the finest oils,<br /> but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph!<br />Therefore they shall now be the first to go into exile,<br /> and the revelry of the loungers shall pass away.<br /></em><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">1 Timothy 6:6-19</span></strong><br /><em>Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; 7for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 0For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.<br /><br />But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep the commandment without spot or blame until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will bring about at the right time — he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords. It is he alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see; to him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.<br /><br />As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life.<br /></em><br /><br /><span style="color:#ffff33;"><strong>Luke 16:19-31<br /></strong></span><em>There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man's table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. He called out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.' But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.' He said, 'Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father's house — for I have five brothers — that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.' Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.' He said, 'No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'"<br /></em><br /><br />A Message from the Pastor<br />I don’t think there is any doubt about what the subject of the readings are all about. The scripture is talking about the rich and the poor. The question for us is, “Where is God in all this? Furthermore, what is God calling us to do as God’s disciples?<br /><br />The first reading has Amos admonishing the people of God of the Northern Kingdom. (It was called Israel while the Southern Kingdom was called Judah.) Israel was industrial, powerful, and successful. The nation was powerful and highly influential in the region. The elite of the nation enjoyed the wealth that emanated from its position. However, as history reveals, when nations develop this status, the wealthy, many times, enjoy the benefits on the backs of the poor. God was upset with that and called Amos. Amos was not a “professional” prophet. He was neither a priest nor a Rabbi. Amos was a dresser of sycamore trees. (Now, don’t ask me what that was all about. I have no idea.) Amos was involved with agriculture.<br /><br />Amos went to the wealthy and powerful and noted about how they lived. Who needs ivory beds to get a good night sleep? That wealth could be put to better use. For most of the people of Israel, calves and lambs could not be slaughtered. That would be unwise since the mature animals provided the necessary by-products for life. Then, who drank wine from bowls? This was an indication of over indulging. Amos also was critical of self-indulgence through entertainment.<br /><br />Please note that God did not criticize wealth. He was critical of how it was used by the wealthy of Israel.<br /><br />The writer of the letter to Timothy was reminding Timothy of his priority, namely, to focus on God and the resulting contentment. After all, said the writer, we come into the world with nothing and leave with nothing. The important fact is that we have clothing and food for a life with God. Furthermore we focus on our faith, fighting the good fight. The result is love, godliness, endurance, and goodness. These are what are important.<br /><br />The problem with money is when someone loves it. With that attitude, and the desire for more, we turn from God and turn to money. Money becomes our God and turns us from God. Again, it is not wealth that is the problem, but the attitude toward it.<br /><br />We don’t need to reiterate the story of the rich man and Lazarus. It is self-explanatory. What we can think about is the rich man’s attitude towards Lazarus. Obviously, he knew Lazarus. He called him by name. In addition, Lazarus was at his gate, hoping for crumbs from the table. Every time the rich man left or returned to his house, he would see Lazarus. He would see how emaciated he was from hunger and the skin ulcers that were licked by the wild dogs that surrounded Lazarus.<br /><br />What also tells much about the rich man was his attitude toward Lazarus. Even though he was in Hades and Lazarus was with God, he still considered Lazarus his lackey. He asked Abraham (he didn’t even ask Lazarus directly) for Lazarus to touch his tongue with cool water. When that was not possible, he asked Lazarus to go to his five brothers to warm them.<br /><br />Notice, again, the parable does not criticize riches. The parable notes the attitude towards assisting the poor.<br /><br />I think I know most of the worshippers and safely say that there are very few, if any, of us who could be classified as wealthy. So, when we hear the readings for today, we’re more likely to identify with the poor than the rich. However, we need to think about this.<br /><br />First of all, we live in the wealthiest nation this world has ever known. We benefit from this wealth in a myriad of ways. However, if I have my statistics close to correct, while this nation represents 3% of the world’s population, it uses over 60% of its resources. In addition, the percentage of the population that is classified below the poverty level continues to increase while the number of millionaires continues to grow; however, while the number of those who benefit from this wealthy country continue to lessen. Furthermore, in major league sports, a certain city just built a one billion dollar sports center. At the same time sports personalities and entertainers continue to receive more and more wealth. Yet, it is difficult for us to put our arms around the challenges that this represents because of its nationwide impact. It is difficult for us to hear how we, as Christians, can respond positively to this dilemma.<br /><br />However, we can look closer to home. While Tennessee is not the richest state in the nation, it is certainly not the poorest. Yet, its educational impact ranks near the bottom. The number of children affected by obesity is the highest in the nation, and those who use prescription drugs ranks near the top, in relationship to other states. All of this is an indication of the poverty issue. Lately, the basketball coach of UT was penalized by the school for acting improperly with the NCAA. He was penalized $1,500,000. (I wonder what his salary is!)<br /><br />Washington County is the tenth wealthiest county in the state. Yet, it ranks low on the effect the educational system has on the young people. The educational system of the county could not balance the budget in the amount of $1,800,000. However, just a couple of years ago, a new multi-million dollar justice center was erected. Two new elementary schools were constructed without consideration of the cost of maintenance and the need for staffing.<br /><br />If you are like me, and my garbage collection from the town was unsatisfactory, I would, pardon the pun, raise a stink. If my water bill seemed high, I would complain and be critical of higher water and sewage rates. I would want good roads and other infrastructural needs for my benefit. I would let local officials know if it wasn’t satisfactory. I would want to be taken care of. Yet, do we ask our local leaders about addressing the poverty issues? Do we talk to them about the need for better education? We also know about the issue of increasing property taxes. We wouldn’t like that. Yet, an increase per family with property would represent about one family meal at McDonalds per month.<br /><br />I hope you don’t consider this to be a personal political message. I am not in a position to impose my values on anyone. I hope I am presenting facts. Then, each of us has to connect with God, as disciples of Jesus, and discern for ourselves what Christ is calling us to do.<br /><br />We need to remember that Christ calls us out of love. And, in that love, he wishes for us contentment, faith, gentleness, love, and goodness. It comes from focusing our priorities on God. </div>Cross of Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18256164192898499440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98664078927390771.post-33148184886736792562010-09-19T15:03:00.001-07:002010-09-19T15:07:24.803-07:00“How Dishonest Can We Be?”<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZDRcbeVV8LBGxibzXJLC7EmHcrt5_p0A9JFfo1delwlLBuoHRoVUqGZ9cyz8TJbex_iVPye3006Fo6y1UIxVs_GMeTCNfMAmjeQfgAo-xzi_wNec1LrdBWHMkJQ2duzju-C1VNeEGQqwy/s1600/shrewd.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518748850497957602" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 103px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 140px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZDRcbeVV8LBGxibzXJLC7EmHcrt5_p0A9JFfo1delwlLBuoHRoVUqGZ9cyz8TJbex_iVPye3006Fo6y1UIxVs_GMeTCNfMAmjeQfgAo-xzi_wNec1LrdBWHMkJQ2duzju-C1VNeEGQqwy/s200/shrewd.jpg" border="0" /></a> <strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">Amos 8:4-7</span></strong><br /><em>Hear this, you that trample on the needy,<br />and bring to ruin the poor of the land,<br />saying, "When will the new moon be over<br />so that we may sell grain;<br />and the sabbath,<br />so that we may offer wheat for sale?<br />We will make the ephah small and the shekel great,<br />and practice deceit with false balances,<br />buying the poor for silver<br />and the needy for a pair of sandals,<br />and selling the sweepings of the wheat."<br />The LORD has sworn by the pride of Jacob:<br />Surely I will never forget any of their deeds</em>.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">1 Timothy 2:1-7</span></strong><br /><em>First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For<br />there is one God;<br /> there is also one mediator between God and humankind,<br /> Christ Jesus, himself human,<br /> who gave himself a ransom for all —<br />this was attested at the right time. For this I was appointed a herald and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.</em><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">Luke 16:1-13</span></strong><br /><em>Then Jesus said to the disciples, "There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was squandering his property. So he summoned him and said to him, 'What is this that I hear about you? Give me an accounting of your management, because you cannot be my manager any longer.' Then the manager said to himself, 'What will I do, now that my master is taking the position away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do so that, when I am dismissed as manager, people may welcome me into their homes.' So, summoning his master's debtors one by one, he asked the first, 'How much do you owe my master?' He answered, 'A hundred jugs of olive oil.' He said to him, 'Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it fifty.' Then he asked another, 'And how much do you owe?' He replied, 'A hundred containers of wheat.' He said to him, 'Take your bill and make it eighty.' And his master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal homes.<br />Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. If then you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own? No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth."<br /></div></em><br /><div align="justify"><strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">A Message from the Pastor</span></strong><br />The parable in today’s gospel reading is challenging and confusing. It is difficult to understand.<br /><br />The manager has been “found out” by his boss. The manager has been squandering, or reckless with, his master’s property. Obviously, the boss has lost some of his property. People have reported this to the master. He came to the manager, asked for an accounting and terminated him with a grace period.<br /><br />The manager is devastated. He appears to be at his wits’ end. He is not strong enough to do physical labor. He is too proud to beg. So, he comes up with the scheme of talking to the debtors of his boss and getting them to reduce the amount owed to the master. In one case, it is reduced 50 jugs of olive oil. In another situation, it is 20 containers of wheat. The master does not condemn the manager but commends him for his shrewdness.<br /><br />Now, in all of Jesus’ parables, the master, lord, ruler, king, or owner of property represents God. The challenge and difficulty, then, is that God is commending a dishonest person. (However, we need to remember that the master is not condemning this latest action, but the fact that he squandered the master’s property.)<br /><br />To help us understand what Jesus is saying, we need to remember the stories before and after this parable. Last week, if we remember, the influential businessmen and attorneys identified Jesus as “the fellow who welcomes low-life and eats with them.” Jesus responded to this comment by telling them three parables. We heard the first two last week when he talked about repentance and the 100 sheep and the 10 coins, when one of each is lost. The third parable was about the Prodigal Son. We heard that story during Lent.<br /><br />If you remember, the Prodigal Son was devastated and at his wits' end when he found himself in a pig sty eating the slop of the pigs. The Prodigal Son remembered, then, that his father’s slaves were treated better than he was and he headed for home.<br /><br />Next week, the scriptures will be about Jesus being reminded that the Pharisees were lovers of money and he told the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man was suffering in Hades and Lazarus was in the bosom of Abraham. The rich man was devastated and at his wits' end. He wanted someone to return to his brothers and let them know how they were to act toward those in poverty.<br /><br />There are parallels in these three parables. As noted all three principal characters were at their wits’ ends. Nothing was working the way they wanted it. They were struggling for survival. The Prodigal Son returned to his father as a slave. The manager forgave debts of the master’s debtors. The rich man could not experience forgiveness in any form. (That’s something for us to think about in our life as Christians and consider where forgiveness fits in to our responses to life.) Secondly, the main characters responded to life in the world. The Prodigal Son squandered his inheritance with high living in low places. The manager squandered his master’s property. The rich man kept his worldly goods for himself. In addition, they began to think differently because of trying circumstances and experiences. Both the Prodigal Son and the manager acted shrewdly to survive.<br /><br />In the case of today’s parable, Jesus reflected on this shrewdness and indicated that the people of the world act more shrewdly than people of God. It’s something to think about.<br /><br />Jesus is also saying that we are not isolated. We don’t come to worship on Sundays and separate that experience from the experience of our daily life in the world . Karl Barth, a renown theologian of the middle Twentieth Century, suggested that followers of Jesus need to carry a Bible in one hand and a newspaper in the other. (Today we would include television, the internet, web sites, and blogs.) So, let’s look at this morning’s paper and consider how we live in the world, yet are not of the world.<br /><br />The major headline refers to hoarding. It is a mental disorder for some people. The headline draws our attention to the article. Yet, when we read the article, we find it is more about the reality show on A&E and the local person who assisted in its production, and less about the actual mental illness of hoarding. Is that shrewdness on the part of the newspaper that we should model or is it deception. Where is God in all this?<br /><br />The next article, on the front page, talks about the possibility that the oil spill off the coast is finally over. The leak is “dead.” What do we think about that as children of the light, living as an oil dependent nation and the possible need to protect our earth, along with the people who gain a livelihood from the ocean? Has BP been shrewd or has it focused only on material wealth. Should there be condemnation similar to Amos’ comments to the people of Israel. (History has demonstrated that when nations become wealthy and powerful, they ignore those in need, those marginalized, and those who are outcasts.) Where is God in all this?<br /><br />In an inside article, we read about the Pope’s visit to England, where protests continue to arise. In addition, we read about the assassination attempt of the Pope. The Pope has entered a protestant/secular nation. He is the first Pope to worship at Westminster Abbey. His message is heard by Tony Blair, Margaret Thatcher, John Majors, and Gordon Brown, current and previous prime ministers. While the Pope does not say that the nation should combine church and state, he does suggest that faith is necessary in secular dialogue. He also meets with Muslims and Jews and mentions that we need to be respectful of others’ religious views. Is this a shrewdness that Jesus is talking about? Is this how we are to live in the world while not being of the world? Where is God in all this?<br /><br />When all is said and done, Jesus reminded his disciples that if we can’t handle the small things, how can we handle the important issues? If we can’t deal shrewdly with dishonest wealth, how can we deal with eternal issues?<br /><br />And finally, however we respond in the world, we need to remember that we cannot serve worldly wealth, which is what the world is all about, and God. Life in this world is about God, not about us or others.</div>Cross of Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18256164192898499440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98664078927390771.post-16747103743995254782010-09-12T17:13:00.000-07:002010-09-12T17:17:09.619-07:00“Success/Failure, Lost/Found”<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9rLa7vfX_eQ7FEPdJ5xR4_Ocpoq7i28EQq1bcarBfR-hN3QLwRNVSxhBTi__OQsmPd89-UVKxzj60jGhO07yOF2a6PMdePHooSI5SVY1ZofXQtCkS8NHfIufJsi0H0-yh7yeuFRjnzp_1/s1600/lost+sheep.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516185341385785218" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 84px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 127px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9rLa7vfX_eQ7FEPdJ5xR4_Ocpoq7i28EQq1bcarBfR-hN3QLwRNVSxhBTi__OQsmPd89-UVKxzj60jGhO07yOF2a6PMdePHooSI5SVY1ZofXQtCkS8NHfIufJsi0H0-yh7yeuFRjnzp_1/s200/lost+sheep.jpg" border="0" /></a> <strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">Luke 15:1-10<br /></span></strong><em>Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them."<br /><br />So he told them this parable: Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.' Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.<br /><br />Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.' Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."<br /></em><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">A Message from the Pastor<br /></span></strong>“This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” That’s how Jesus was identified. But let’s put that in contemporary language. “This fellow welcomes the low life and eats with them.” That would not exactly be called an identification that was connected to success. And, let’s use another contextual example. The people who said that were the religious business leaders of the community and the lawyers. That is what the Pharisees and the scribes were.<br /><br />And since we are disciples – followers of Jesus – is that how we would be identified? Would we like that comment made on our tombstone or the plaque where our ashes reside? I think people would see that comment and say, “He/She certainly was a failure.”<br /><br />But why does this classification of Jesus surprise us? After all, just read scripture and see how God and Jesus act. Abel’s offering to God pleased God. Yet, when Cain killed Abel, God put a mark on Cain so that he could not be killed as he wandered the earth. I don’t think God would be called successful by the world’s standards. God selected a mama’s boy to be the father of God’s nation. This boy was a twin. He conned his brother out of his birthright and then did the same to his father so that he would get his brother’s blessing. The people of God were named after him. I don’t think God would be called successful by the world’s standards. Then, when God’s people were enslaved, he selected a person to lead them to freedom who had killed an Egyptian. And when God approached him, he argued with him that he was not capable. And who were these people of God? God called them “stiff-necked” and they constantly rebelled against God. I don’t think God would be called successful by the world’s standards. God selected the youngest of seven brothers to be king of his people. He united all of the twelve tribes and brought them together as one nation. They were prosperous and wealthy. What did this king do to say “thank you?” He murdered the husband of the woman with whom he committed adultery. I don’t think God would be called successful by the world’s standards.<br /><br />And if that isn’t enough, God sent his son to be “low life.” He sent him to be a human. And how did he end up? He was hanged naked from a cross in a garbage dump, shamed and humiliated. The world would certainly call that a failure. And, he had a three year ministry, cleansing, healing and curing. He demonstrated this incredible power. After his resurrection, he visited people to show he was alive. How many people were there? At the most there were two hundred. He sent the twelve out to proclaim the gospel and we only heard from several of them. Again, it’s a worldly failure.<br /><br />Jesus had Plan B. He found an evangelist to spread the gospel. Who was he? He was a person who had been heretical and violent towards this new faith. He wanted to kill all the Christians. God chalked up another failure.<br /><br />Let me provide a few examples. I participated in UTO, Urban Training Organization of Atlanta. I toured the under belly of Atlanta during my spring break in 1993. One of the places we visited was a non-profit organization that was developed because of the work of several communities of faith. Their purpose was to bring people back into the mainstream of society. The organization coached them, helped them with resumes, and provided other services. They told us the percentage of success. Someone asked what happened to those who weren’t part of that percentage. We were told by our leader that they fell through the cracks. However, when communities of faith were performing this service, the faith community kept connected with all. However, the world deals in numbers to determine success.<br /><br />When I was a transition pastor in Hartsville, SC, we went on initial calls one Saturday each month. During a couple of council meetings, the President said that he couldn’t understand why we did it. No one ever responded. The program was a failure. At another meeting, another council member reminded us that, at the same time, the number of first time worshippers increased. She also said that we are supposed to do what God calls us to do. God does what God does. Sometimes the dots don’t connect.<br /><br />Let’s get closer to home. Since April 16, 2009, Cross of Grace has made close to 2,000 initial calls. The results are that eleven people have become worshippers. Statistically, in the eyes of the world, the program is a failure. Yet, in the eyes of the church, we are joyful and celebrate.<br /><br />God calls us to be faithful, not successful. God looks at each one of us, one at a time. Each one is special. Each one is unique. Each one has the full attention of God.<br /><br />I have one other thought. There are the ninety-nine and the one. Who do we identify with? The ninety-nine? Or, the one? Personally, I identify with the ninety-nine. I consider myself to be in the flock, and my concern is for the one who is lost. Well, that’s true. But, when I think about it, I am also the one. I am lost every day. Every time I forget that the world is about God and not about me, I’m lost. Every time I think about what I want, I am lost. Every time I do not pray, I am lost. Every time I do not worship, I am lost. Every time I don’t read scripture, I am lost. Every time I fail to joyously serve out of my love for Christ, I am lost. Every time I do not generously give, I am lost. Every time I do not seek friendships that spiritually strengthen me, I am lost. And, every time I return to Christ, there is joy and celebration in heaven, because Christ has found me. And so it is with each of us.<br /><br />It’s a little confusing. Last week Jesus told us the challenges we have in order to be his disciple. This week we find out that he accepts us just the way we are as he welcomes and eats with us. Jesus loves us; however, he loves us too much to let us stay the way we are.</div>Cross of Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18256164192898499440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98664078927390771.post-82277345315710312392010-09-05T16:36:00.000-07:002010-09-05T16:40:15.411-07:00“Choosing Discipleship”<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVHRWxhRBhfgFeIWpA8d_K7P-A9QG5VitvfkSSfw8EYBlL90pvEoVts_Qt6H4Xeva87PlPGrEFrNXRH-9NXro2b0chfdCaC_GQm1BXAEv2sMdAYy5q1c9FZcsVFo6bqwHqaSoRgL5B4uCV/s1600/disicpleship.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513577839102254418" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 116px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 106px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVHRWxhRBhfgFeIWpA8d_K7P-A9QG5VitvfkSSfw8EYBlL90pvEoVts_Qt6H4Xeva87PlPGrEFrNXRH-9NXro2b0chfdCaC_GQm1BXAEv2sMdAYy5q1c9FZcsVFo6bqwHqaSoRgL5B4uCV/s200/disicpleship.jpg" border="0" /></a> <strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">Deuteronomy 30:15–20</span></strong><br /><em>See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity. If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God that I am commanding you today, by loving the LORD your God, walking in his ways, and observing his commandments, decrees, and ordinances, then you shall live and become numerous, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to possess. 7But if your heart turns away and you do not hear, but are led astray to bow down to other gods and serve them, I declare to you today that you shall perish; you shall not live long in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, loving the LORD your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him; for that means life to you and length of days, so that you may live in the land that the LORD swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.<br /></em><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">Philemon 1:1–21<br /></span></strong><em>Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,<br /><br />To Philemon our dear friend and co-worker, to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:<br /><br />Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.<br /><br />When I remember you in my prayers, I always thank my God because I hear of your love for all the saints and your faith toward the Lord Jesus. I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective when you perceive all the good that we may do for Christ. I have indeed received much joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, my brother.<br /><br />For this reason, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do your duty, yet I would rather appeal to you on the basis of love — and I, Paul, do this as an old man, and now also as a prisoner of Christ Jesus. I am appealing to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I have become during my imprisonment. Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful both to you and to me. I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you. I wanted to keep him with me, so that he might be of service to me in your place during my imprisonment for the gospel; but I preferred to do nothing without your consent, in order that your good deed might be voluntary and not something forced. Perhaps this is the reason he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back forever, no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a beloved brother — especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.<br /><br />So if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. If he has wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand: I will repay it. I say nothing about your owing me even your own self. Yes, brother, let me have this benefit from you in the Lord! Refresh my heart in Christ. Confident of your obedience, I am writing to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.<br /></em><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">Luke 14:25-33</span><br /></strong><em>Now large crowds were traveling with him; and he turned and said to them, 2Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.' Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.<br /></em><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">A Message from the Pastor<br /></span></strong>To use a metaphor, I wish I were a fly on the wall of people’s brains who hear or read the gospel text for today. I wonder what their thinking could be. Some could be saying, “Well, we believe in Jesus. We’re Christians. John 3:16 says, ’whoever believes in me will have eternal life.’ Or one could say, “Look, I worship, do good, and help others. I’m a Christian.” Yet, others might say, “Jesus said this before the resurrection. After all what he says could be interpreted as “works righteousness” and we believe we are justified by faith through grace.” Then, others might say that these words of Jesus are too difficult and walk away. However, some might say they wish to be disciples of Jesus, what Jesus asks is very difficult, but I am willing to follow him.”<br /><br />As we think of these words from the gospel, let’s consider the context of what Jesus is saying. Many weeks ago, we heard the author of Luke say that Jesus “set his face to go to Jerusalem.” Jesus knew where he was going, he knew what his ministry was all about, and he knew where God was leading him. Yet, he wouldn’t be deterred. As the author of Luke reported, he left Galilee, walked through Samaria and entered Judea as he travelled toward Jerusalem. He met a lot of folks along the way. Several people said they wanted to follow him; however, when he said what it required, they faded into the background. He healed, cured, and cleansed. He challenged the authorities. He had challenging words for all the people, and for us. He visited a group of righteous Pharisees and permitted a sinful woman to wash his feet with her tears. He told parables. One parable suggested that we are to love our enemies; they are our neighbors. He talked about living in an “even playing field.” He suggested we invite the poor, the cripple, the lame, and the blind to dinner.<br /><br />In spite of everything he said, and all that he did, the crowds grew and followed him. We don’t know why. It could have been out of curiosity. It could have been because of his miracles. It could have been because he challenged the authority. It could have been that he had charisma. Whatever the reason, Jesus turned to them and told them what it meant to really follow him.<br /><br />This is what he said, according to The Message, the Bible written in contemporary language by Eugene Peterson.<br /><br />“One day when large groups of people were walking along with him, Jesus turned and told them, ‘Anyone who comes to me but refuses to let go of father, mother, spouse, children, brothers, sisters – yes, even one’s own self – can’t be my disciple. Anyone who won’t shoulder his own cross and follow behind me can’t be my disciple.<br /><br />“‘Is there anyone here who, planning to build a new house, doesn’t first sit down and figure the cost so you’ll know if you can complete it? If you only get the foundation laid and then run out of money you’re going to look pretty foolish. Everyone passing by will poke fun at you: “He started something he couldn’t finish”<br /><br />“’Or can you imagine a king going into battle against another king without first deciding whether it is possible with his ten thousand troops to face the twenty thousand troops of the other? And if he decides he can’t, won’t he send an emissary and work out a truce?<br /><br />“’Simply put, if you’re not willing to take what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it good-bye, you can’t be my disciple.’”<br /><br />When we read the Biblical texts for today, there seems to be an overriding theme. The theme is that we have a choice. In Deuteronomy, we find Moses bringing the people to the Promised Land. While Moses will not join them in the new land, he is preparing them, and he identifies the choice they have; life and prosperity or death and adversity, life or death, blessings or curses. He suggests that they choose life, that they love the Lord their God, obey him, and hold fast to him. This text focuses on the choices we have as we relate to God.<br /><br />The second reading helps us to understand the choices we have as we relate to one another. Paul is writing to Philemon. His slave has run away and some scholars suggest that Onesimus even stole money. Running away, alone, could bring severe consequences. Both could bring an end to his life. If not, his remaining life would not be worth living, according to the culture of the time. Onesimus found his way to Paul. In their relationship with each other, as fellow believers, Paul and Onesimus developed a strong relationship. Paul was his mentor. However, Paul sent Onesimus back to his owner. While Paul did not suggest giving Onesimus freedom, he did ask Philemon to accept Onesimus as a beloved brother. It was Philemon’s choice as to how he related to another person.<br /><br />Jesus is asking us to choose. And he says that if we want to be his disciple, we need to make Jesus our only priority. We are to detach, or let go, of all other people and things. That is the cost of discipleship. That’s not easy. To detach from other people, places, and things is to make life uncomfortable. In fact, it’s painful.<br /><br />This is what is called shouldering our own cross. People, friends and relatives, don’t understand; they may be offended. And as you “wear the lens of Christ,” you will discover that your priorities change and don’t fit with the priorities of the world. Again, the world does not understand and life becomes painful.<br /><br />The most painful is to detach from self. Life has been about you. Everything might be based upon self-centered fear. We are afraid that we will lose what we have and/or not get what we want. We see what we’re all about, our shortcomings and character defects, along with the gifts for ministry. Our use of our gifts and the desire to eliminate our shortcomings and character defects take precedent over feeling comfortable. It is very painful.<br /><br />We do have choices. We can believe we are Christians because we believe in Jesus. We can be good and worship and consider that doing such is enough. We can recognize that we are justified by faith and grace and that’s enough. We can walk away from Jesus because we decide we can’t be Jesus’ disciple. Or, we can choose to be willing to be a disciple, powered by the Holy Spirit. We are willing to accept the reality that we will “kiss the world good-bye.” However, in doing so, we may begin to recognize that the reign of God, rather than the reign of the world, is drawing near. We find the peace and love that Jesus promised.</div>Cross of Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18256164192898499440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98664078927390771.post-22946802769148185602010-08-29T17:47:00.000-07:002010-08-29T17:51:34.855-07:00"Humility"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5u6dbAuapPNVaE8X63z4y6qdXb0QkeznLdBnfiIYnTeD2-902SV_gjz8iBWpsrwqLJdPBf0rMfBM93QjPW7chBJ0xkDRmxBQimU60-cGL7V4IT9oH7fkSBkoSD5P5tDVFEq90_AtnuZUQ/s1600/humility.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510999084683531426" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 115px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 108px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5u6dbAuapPNVaE8X63z4y6qdXb0QkeznLdBnfiIYnTeD2-902SV_gjz8iBWpsrwqLJdPBf0rMfBM93QjPW7chBJ0xkDRmxBQimU60-cGL7V4IT9oH7fkSBkoSD5P5tDVFEq90_AtnuZUQ/s200/humility.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="color:#ffff33;"><strong>Proverbs 25:6-7<br /></strong></span><em>Do not put yourself forward in the king's presence<br />or stand in the place of the great;<br />for it is better to be told, "Come up here,"<br />than to be put lower in the presence of a noble.</em><br /><div align="justify"><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">Hebrews 13:1–8, 15–16<br /></span></strong><em>Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured. Let marriage be held in honor by all, and let the marriage bed be kept undefiled; for God will judge fornicators and adulterers. Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, "I will never leave you or forsake you." So we can say with confidence,<br />"The Lord is my helper;<br />I will not be afraid.<br />What can anyone do to me?"<br />Remember your leaders, those who spoke the word of God to you; consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Through him, then, let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.</em></div><br /><div align="justify"><br /><span style="color:#ffff33;"><strong>Luke 14:1, 7–14</strong></span><br /><em>On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the sabbath, they were watching him closely. When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, 'Give this person your place,' and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, 'Friend, move up higher'; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."</em></div><br /><div align="justify"><em><br />He said also to the one who had invited him, "When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."<br /></em><br /><br /><span style="color:#ffff33;"><strong>A Message from the Pastor<br /></strong></span>As I read the texts for this Sunday and considered a message I might bring, I found myself struggling with them, especially the gospel reading for today.<br /><br />When we read these texts, literally – and many people do that – we might think these texts to be highly irrelevant. The first part of the gospel story of Jesus has people jostling for position at seats of honor at the dinner. First of all, I don’t think you would find many of us having dinners of that size, except maybe a wedding dinner. And at such events, we know how the pecking order, or hierarchy, is arranged. Oh yes, there may be a couple of people who are upset where they are placed, but normally its no big deal. It’s difficult for us to put ourselves in that position. Furthermore, when we read Jesus’ suggestion that we humble ourselves to be rewarded, it sounds like “works righteous,” in other words, if you do this, then this will happen. That’s contradictory to the doctrine of justification which says we are justified by faith through grace. Luther said that if we do something in order to get to heaven, we’ll probably end up in hell. Also, it might encourage false humility. We think to ourselves that if we act humble, we can be exalted. We all know people like that, including ourselves.<br /><br />As far as the other part of Jesus’ comments, I know of no one who has intentionally invited the poor, the lame, the crippled, and the blind into their homes. It just doesn’t happen. Furthermore, this again sounds like “works righteousness.” We can expect to get to heaven, if we take Jesus’ words literally.<br /><br />I don’t think Jesus meant what he said in a literal way. I begin to understand the meaning of this gospel text when I hear and embrace the first sentence of the second reading, “Let mutual love continue.” For that’s who and what God is all about, as demonstrated by Jesus and the cross. When we look at all of scripture and follow God’s interaction with humanity through history, the story comes to its peak with the crucifixion of Jesus. We read about God’s love throughout history and then we find it demonstrated at and on the cross. God’s love is poured out through Jesus as he humbly submits to death on the cross. God’s love is poured out as God raises Jesus from death. We also hear Jesus say,”Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind,” and,”Love one another as I have loved you.”<br /><br />With that in mind, we find that the operative word for these texts for today is humility. It is our humility that allows us to demonstrate a love that is slightly similar to Jesus’ love. It is in humility that we are to express an unconditional love, a sacrificial love, and/or an understanding love. Yet, in that love we do not become door mats. We know who we are and whose we are. We also know that life is about God, not about us. It is not about you. It is not about me, it is not about Cross of Grace, it is not about the ELCA. Life is about God, and with that understanding we are able to develop some humility that shapes our demonstration of love.<br /><br />In our humility, we are able to accept life on life’s terms. In our humility, we are able to demonstrate hospitality. In our humility, we are able to lead a sacrificial life. In our humility we are able to stand with those in bondage and those who have been abused.<br /><br />In another book, I read a definition of humility. “Absolute humility (which is not humanly possible) would consist of a state of complete freedom from self, freedom from all the claims that my defects of character (also known as sin) now lay so heavily upon me. Perfect humility (which is not humanly possible) would be full willingness, in all times and places, to find and to do the will of God.” (I added the words in parentheses.)<br /><br />If we accept that definition, it can develop two problems. First of all, if you are like me, you want to be perfect. Therefore, you beat yourself up when you are not perfect. Otherwise, you realize you cannot be perfect so you tell yourself, “Why try?”<br /><br />In all of Jesus’ comments, as he talks about discipleship, I think he realizes we are not perfect. He is asking for progress, not perfection.<br /><br />I have personally observed that progress. I witnessed it at last week’s retreat.<br /><br />Nancy Christensen observed that what we said, as we wrestled with how God is leading us, is that we don’t want to just serve the community. We want to live in and with the community, that we are part of the community. For example, as we discussed the reality that the southern part of Washington County has a 60% poverty level, one person reminded us that many of them don’t think that they’re poor and that we need to honor and respect where they are as we serve them and they serve us.<br /><br />During the discussion we talked about “growing” the community of faith. One person asked who that included, since all of us there were “lily white.” Does it include people of color, the poor, the blind, the crippled, and the lame, along with brothers, friends, neighbors, and the rich? Does it include such people as the undocumented immigrants and gays and Lesbians? The answer was loud and clear, it includes all people.<br /><br />In our humility, mutual love continues. In our humility, we are genuinely hospitable. And who knows, we may be entertaining angels unaware. </div>Cross of Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18256164192898499440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98664078927390771.post-10537755088143676672010-08-15T13:15:00.000-07:002010-08-15T13:18:57.345-07:00“Division”<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGbr5rjQSlVQDtvCQLvHcjU4Um8QNgtaABWLZu6aDtD7WB7kNt3yB6yP9UfOVqBuzZOOBN1fJZ8PDWOiavB4zvSP2qASnpS_K0gZRBozOdEpyHBfj_5yYc4UjuvBRoMQ9pxPnZMLBjeJ5v/s1600/Division.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505733377810244050" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 111px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 113px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGbr5rjQSlVQDtvCQLvHcjU4Um8QNgtaABWLZu6aDtD7WB7kNt3yB6yP9UfOVqBuzZOOBN1fJZ8PDWOiavB4zvSP2qASnpS_K0gZRBozOdEpyHBfj_5yYc4UjuvBRoMQ9pxPnZMLBjeJ5v/s200/Division.jpg" border="0" /></a> <strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">Luke 12:49-56<br /></span></strong><em>I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed! Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! From now on five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three; they will be divided:<br />father against son<br />and son against father,<br />mother against daughter<br />and daughter against mother,<br />mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law<br />and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."<br /><br />He also said to the crowds, "When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, 'It is going to rain'; and so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, 'There will be scorching heat'; and it happens. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?</em><br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">A Message from the Pastor</span></strong><br />Every now and then, I will ask people what their favorite Bible verses are. Not surprisingly many people will cite John 3:16, the Bible in a nutshell – “For God so loved the world . . . . . Others might mention Psalm 23. Then there are the verses from Jesus’ discourse in the upper room from the Gospel of John: In my Father’s house there are many rooms. I go to prepare a place for you.” Or, “I am the vine, you are the branches.” Some people cite comments by Paul from Romans, “Neither life or death, or anything else, can separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ.” Personally, one of my favorite verses is, “All things happen for good who love God and are called to his purpose.”<br /><br />I have yet to find one person who has as their favorite verse, “Do you think that I came to bring peace to the earth? No, I say, but rather division.” Not one person has identified that verse as the favorite. And, I can understand why. Jesus’ comment does not exactly evoke warm fuzzies, give comfort, or provide a positive atmosphere. Furthermore, when we remember the beginning of the Gospel of Luke, the second chapter, which is the nativity story, it begins by the angels saying to the shepherds, “Glory to God in the highest and peace to God’s people on earth.” Jesus isn’t talking about peace here, is he? Is this counter to other Biblical comments?<br /><br />Let’s remember what happened according to the Gospel of Luke’s story of Jesus’ ministry. Just before his transfiguration, Jesus is with his disciples and tells them that they must die to self, pick up their cross daily and follow him, and lose their lives for the sake of the gospel. That isn’t exactly a positive statement. That statement doesn’t give one warm fuzzies either. Who wants to lose their ego? Who wants to give up the way they live?<br /><br />Then, after the transfiguration, the author of Luke says that Jesus “set his face toward Jerusalem.” No one was going to deter him from his mission in Jerusalem, namely to die on the cross. And as we follow the story of Jesus after he “set his face,” we find him challenging many customs, ways of living, and value systems. His comments and demeanor would cause division, or, one might say, conflict.<br /><br />Let’s consider something else. In the first three gospels, Jesus’ mission is to proclaim that the reign of God is drawing near, to change our way of thinking and believe. That’s different. That can cause conflict. After all, the “kingdom” of this world operates out of power and control. When we think about Jesus’ proclamations, we realize that one of the criteria of the reign of God is humility. They are opposed to one another. Remember the verse from our second reading today. Jesus, who is the pioneer and perfector of our faith, in joy endured the cross and the shame that went with it.<br /><br />When we are in the world, we are seeking what is right and what is wrong. Furthermore, those with the most ”toys” on the table, those with the most authority, those who speak the loudest, or those who can debate the best have the power and the control to determine what is right and what is wrong. In the reign of God, we seek the truth. Remember? Jesus said, “I am the truth.” When we speak the truth we can cause division; we can cause conflict.<br /><br />Let me share with you a brief personal experience. When I had been in treatment a few days, something came to my attention. For more years than I could remember, I wrestled with whether it was right or wrong for me to drink. The truth was that I could not drink and live. Truth can bring a totally different perspective.<br /><br />To help us understand more about the nature of conflict, let me share with you a little about its dynamics. At its lowest level, conflict is seen as a problem. Problems always arise because people see things from different perspectives and do not like the issues or circumstances that have arisen. The next level up is disagreement. This is when people voice their personal perspectives on problems that have arisen and see it differently from one another. The next level is when we choose sides. We talk with people who agree with our perspective. We avoid those who do not. Those who do not, respond in a similar manner. At the next level we have an organizational fight. In organized meetings, or otherwise, the discussion becomes heated. At level five, the conflict becomes intractable. No one remembers or cares about the issue any more. They just know they disagree. Finally, at level six the participants become apathetic. No one cares.<br /><br />What’s interesting is that at level one or two, there is an opportunity to wrestle with the conflict, and a desire to seek the truth, rather than use power and control to determine what’s right. However, at level three Jesus, who is the truth, is longer present. This happens when sides are chosen. The issue becomes, “who is right and who is wrong,” and Jesus fades from being among us. (Remember, “Where two or more are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them?)<br /><br />However, there is a paradox to all this, as we consider Jesus saying that he creates division. While I was at seminary, I would talk, from time-to-time, with the director of Lutheran Family Services of South Carolina. One time he mentioned to me that there are the three “C’s” of relationships, be they individual or corporate. They are communication, commitment, and conflict. Yes, conflict is necessary for good relationships. Just think about those times you have been in conflict with people close to you. It is during those times that you have the possibility at arriving at a greater understanding of the other person. Of course, this occurs when Jesus is in our midst as we seek the truth, rather than be right.<br /><br />Yes, it is the truth that Jesus came to bring division, not peace. However, when we seek the pioneer and perfector of our faith, division, or conflict, can turn into peace.</div>Cross of Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18256164192898499440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98664078927390771.post-68788663405932208642010-08-01T14:25:00.001-07:002010-08-01T14:28:54.777-07:00“What’s It All About”<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDlSwNEEDaTjOW1dUftJi3KHiNaUV9SxNE20NUZxVXymtrVyPk8JxMTEIIQeAKrqyH8_qQ7JMHn4hU8gADSSXCdT3boZ1o6f3PX4JLtqSMcXqnxV6czIkLyZsjj3mXTAaIaEpM8dm0fpbI/s1600/life.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500555877938999138" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 103px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 140px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDlSwNEEDaTjOW1dUftJi3KHiNaUV9SxNE20NUZxVXymtrVyPk8JxMTEIIQeAKrqyH8_qQ7JMHn4hU8gADSSXCdT3boZ1o6f3PX4JLtqSMcXqnxV6czIkLyZsjj3mXTAaIaEpM8dm0fpbI/s200/life.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12–14; 2:18–23<br /></span></strong><em>Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher,<br />vanity of vanities! All is vanity.<br />I, the Teacher, when king over Israel in Jerusalem, applied my mind to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven; it is an unhappy business that God has given to human beings to be busy with. I saw all the deeds that are done under the sun; and see, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.<br /><br />I hated all my toil in which I had toiled under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to those who come after me — and who knows whether they will be wise or foolish? Yet they will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity. So I turned and gave my heart up to despair concerning all the toil of my labors under the sun, because sometimes one who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave all to be enjoyed by another who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. What do mortals get from all the toil and strain with which they toil under the sun? For all their days are full of pain, and their work is a vexation; even at night their minds do not rest. This also is vanity.<br /></em><br /><br /><span style="color:#ffff33;"><strong>Colossians 3:1–11</strong><br /></span><em>So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.<br /><br />Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry). On account of these the wrath of God is coming on those who are disobedient. These are the ways you also once followed, when you were living that life. But now you must get rid of all such things — anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator. In that renewal there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all!<br /></em><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">Luke 12:13-21</span></strong><br /><em>Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me." But he said to him, "Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?" And he said to them, "Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions." Then he told them a parable: "The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, 'What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?' Then he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.' But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God."</em><br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">A Message from the Pastor</span></strong><br />Well, the first reading for today has some words that we might not understand using today’s language. Let me read Ecclesiastes from The Message, by Eugene Peterson, written in contemporary language.<br /><br />“Smoke, nothing but smoke. (That’s what the Quester says.) There’s nothing to anything – it’s all smoke.”<br /><br />“Call me “the Quester.” I’ve been king over Israel in Jerusalem. I looked most carefully into everything, searched out all that is done on this earth. And let me tell you, there’s not much to write home about. God hasn’t made it easy for us. I’ve seen it all and it’s nothing but smoke – smoke , and spitting into the wind.”<br /><br />Then the author talks about all he has done, which is not part of our text for today. “Oh, I did great things: built houses, planted vineyards, designed gardens and parks, . . . made pools of water, . . . I bought slaves, male and female, . . . then I acquired large herds and flocks, . . . I piled up silver and gold, . . . I gathered a chorus of singers to entertain me with song, and -- most exquisite of all pleasures -- voluptuous maidens for my bed.”<br /><br />“And I hated everything I’d accomplished and accumulated on this earth. I can’t take it with me – no, I have to leave it to whoever comes after me. Whether they’re worthy or worthless -- and who’s to tell? – they’ll take over the earthly results of my intense thinking and hard work. Smoke.”<br /><br />“That’s when I called it quits, gave up on anything that could be hoped for on this earth. What’s the point of working your fingers to the bone if you hand over what you worked for to someone who never lifted a finger for it? Smoke, that’s what it is. A bad business from start to finish. So what do you get from a life of hard labor? Pain and grief from dawn to dusk. Never a decent night’s rest. Nothing but smoke.”<br /><br />Now that guy had an attitude!<br /><br />I don’t know about you, but I’ve felt and thought that way before. I’ve looked at what’s happened and attempted to look into the future, and I have to ask myself, “What’s it all about?’ In fact as I read this text, I heard myself singing (for you older folks), “What’s it all about, Alfie?” I see what has gone on and I look into the future and none of it seems very bright. I wonder if it’s worth it when I look at what I’ve done and speculated what I could look forward to.<br /><br />The “Quester’s” problem was that he knew death would come and there was nothing he could do about it.<br /><br />The rich man in Jesus’ parable had somewhat the same challenge, only from a different perspective. He didn’t think about death and it’s impact. He saw all that he had accumulated and wanted to wallow in luxury. There is a saying, “Eat, drink, be merry, and then you die.” He didn’t add the last part to what he thought. He didn’t want to just add buildings to keep his crops, grain, and goods. He was going to tear them all down and build new ones so he and everybody else could look at how much he had.<br /><br />Jesus used this parable to talk about greed and the need for worldly possessions. I could take up a great share of this message by talking about that. However, I think there is also another issue that is more basic. This issue was in common for “the Quester” and the rich man. They wanted to be in control. The “Quester knew he was not in control of death. The rich man didn’t think about death and thought he control the enjoyment of all that he accumulated and be able to show it off to all around him.<br /><br />I moved to Charleston, SC two years into my recovery. I selected a new sponsor. He believed in the Twelve Steps and had me begin at the beginning. He asked me to identify all that I was unable to control. Well, I knew I was powerless over alcohol. There was no doubt that my life was unmanageable, and still is. But then I began to think about all I could not control. I could not control my wife. I could not control my employer. I could not control my employees. I could not control my children. I could not control the culture. Virtually, I could not control anything.<br /><br />I realized that there was one thing I could control by giving up control. I could, through the Holy Spirit, make a decision to turn my will and my life over to the care of God. I could be responsive by letting God lead my life. You see, the opposite of control is love. Through the Holy Spirit, I could be open to develop a loving, personal relationship with God and have God lead and guide me. I finally understood what it’s all about. Life is not about me. It’s about God.<br /><br />That’s what can happen, as suggested by the second reading for today. It all begins with baptism. It all begins when we are washed in the waters of baptism. The author of Colossians commented that we have died and are hidden with Christ in God. That’s baptismal talk. Paul said, in Romans, that when we are baptized, we are baptized into a death like Christ and raised to a new life in Christ. When we are baptized, it is no longer we who live, but Christ who lives within us.<br /><br />When there is a love relationship with God, things change. The old ways that are cited in the second reading fade away. We begin to lose the worldly interest, including greed and the desire for worldly possessions. We begin to lose our anger, wrath, resentments, and other worldly responses to live. We begin to experience the fruit of the Spirit – peace, patience, joy, generosity, gentleness, and self-control.<br /><br />We begin to understand what it means to be with Christ in God. And when we begin to experience that, we begin to recognize that the reign of God is drawing near. With that, we find ourselves getting out of ourselves and come to recognize that life is all about God.<br /><br />Death is no longer a controlling factor. For in our life in Christ, the fear of death or the denial of death is taken away.<br /><br />We can understand “What it’s all about.”</div>Cross of Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18256164192898499440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98664078927390771.post-65375196492641183632010-07-25T11:21:00.000-07:002010-07-25T11:23:41.465-07:00“Let’s Pray”<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWFg3BFmnQ1rTlbrFMAknfS8jEnyN1igKQ05Y46unp8R6uia5wK8IUqAentrdovBWisyvuNnuaAcfcd7ERznHvbXo-LV9bfQ_0bBbzk9fnU0VytNqwkmbVsyBeZEHIMKu-X0y1RB9hTEkI/s1600/Pray.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497911113076974850" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 94px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 125px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWFg3BFmnQ1rTlbrFMAknfS8jEnyN1igKQ05Y46unp8R6uia5wK8IUqAentrdovBWisyvuNnuaAcfcd7ERznHvbXo-LV9bfQ_0bBbzk9fnU0VytNqwkmbVsyBeZEHIMKu-X0y1RB9hTEkI/s200/Pray.jpg" border="0" /></a> <strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">Luke 11:1-13</span></strong><br />He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples." He said to them, "When you pray, say:<br />Father, hallowed be your name.<br />Your kingdom come.<br />Give us each day our daily bread.<br />And forgive us our sins,<br />for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us.<br />And do not bring us to the time of trial."<br /><br />And he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.' And he answers from within, 'Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.' I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.<br /><br />So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"<br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#ffff33;"><strong>A Message from the Pastor</strong></span><br />Let’s pray. That’s what the gospel story is all about. It’s about praying.<br /><br />Let us pray is what we say in communal prayer when we come together to worship. It is a little different than personal prayer. And when we come together in communal prayer, the leader is the one who prays. If someone were asked to pray during communal prayer, many of us would become uncomfortable and hope we are not called upon, since we might be concerned about the words we use and how we sound.<br /><br />Personal prayer is somewhat different. Personal prayer is about relationship. Personal prayer is about being in relationship with our God. Let me give some examples of what personal prayer might look like.<br /><br />When we go to some big event or party, we will see people who we might not know or are just acquainted with on a name basis. The conversation is usually about such things as the weather, general experiences, or such things as sports. This is an example of being relational, even though it is somewhat shallow. Prayer can be shallow, also.<br /><br />Let’s imagine we’re talking to God in prayer. Sometimes we might think that we are talking to a traffic cop. We want God to guide “things” forward or stop them. We want God to let us move in the direction we want to move. Sometimes we might think that God is a judge. There is someone we are having a problem with and we want God to “zap” him/her. Or, we’re having some problems and we might want God to go easy on us. Then, there are times we might think God is Santa Claus and we want God to respond to our long list of needs and wants. This is also relational. It can be somewhat intimate, also.<br /><br />Let’s also picture ourselves in relationship with someone. There are times we may talk to the individual briefly, just to let them know we are thinking about them. That can be prayer. There are times we may talk to that person with whom we are close to let him/her know what’s going on as the day unfolds. That can be prayer. Then, the day ends, and we find ourselves sharing the events of the day. That can be prayer. Also, there are times when we need to discern issues, work through them, consider all the alternatives and possible consequences. That is also prayer. Other times, in our closeness, have a “pink cloud” experience. That can be prayer with God. Consider times you might walk a mountain trail and enjoy the scenery and the beauty of creation. The trail may be narrow and you might not be able to walk side by side. During the walk, nobody says anything. There is no need to. That also can be prayer.<br /><br />When the disciple asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, we need to consider that, although they were uneducated, they knew how to pray. They had been taught that. They knew how to position themselves. They knew the kind of prayers they were told to pray. But they had watched Jesus. They knew he was very close to God. (The author of the gospel of Luke reported more about Jesus in prayer than any of the other gospel writers.) They wanted that closeness.<br /><br />Jesus knew what they were asking. That’s why Jesus told the parable. Picture the people living at that time. Their homes were not ranch style or two story homes with several bedrooms, a kitchen, a living room, and possibly a dining room. Their homes were made from earthen materials, with a straw roof and mud, and the most rooms they had were probably three – one for everyone to sleep in, a living and eating room, and a room for the animals. When the neighbor/friend came at midnight, he knew that when he knocked on the door, everyone would be awakened, even the animals. However, he was desperate. In the culture of the time, hospitality was important. When someone came to visit, you welcomed them in your home, no matter what time, and you fed them. (Notice the neighbor/friend did not ask, as we would, to help him out. He had a specific request; he wanted three loaves of bread.) He was in a very vulnerable position. The one whom he woke knew that something significant was happening that the neighbor/friend would come so late at night and awaken everyone. He knew he needed to respond. Jesus was giving an example of a close, or intimate, relationship and the need to respond.<br /><br />Jesus talks about how that dialogue in a relationship might look. The prayer that he provided was not just a prayer that they could recite. It was an example of how one might come to God in prayer. First of all, the word used by Jesus for “Father” was the word “Daddy,” to denote a close, intimate relationship. Then he also indicated that we need to recognize God’s holiness and our need to honor that. When we ask for God’s kingdom, or reign, to come, we are asking God to bring into our lives his way of living, not the world’s way. The next three requests in prayer are representative of how God’s reign might look. We ask for daily “bread.” As Martin Luther said, “daily bread” means everything we need to live a life in God – food, shelter, family, government, etc. Then, we ask for a kind of life that develops reconciliation. We ask to be forgiven and the ability to forgive. And, then we ask for a life that is free from trials and temptation. All of these are the kind of life we live under the reign of God.<br /><br />In this gospel story, Jesus ends it by reminding us to ask, search, and knock. We will receive, find, and doors will be opened. However, he does tell us what we will receive or find or what doors will be opened. However, he leaves us with an incredible promise. When we openly pray, seeking to be in relationship with God, we will receive the Holy Spirit. That’s quite a promise.<br /><br />But how do we develop this intimate relationship? This is hard work, just as it is hard work to have a healthy relationship with someone we are close to. Well, we remain in prayer. We develop our relationship by talking and listening to God. We also worship regularly, coming together with people as a community sharing in the means of grace which is the word of God along with feeding on Jesus, we are nourished by word and sacrament, the means of grace. But we also read scripture, for in scripture we find Jesus and how he relates to us.<br /><br />Prayer is relational. Prayer is coming into the presence of God. Prayer can bring us closer to God. Prayer can open us to the Holy Spirit.<br /><br />So, let’s pray.</div>Cross of Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18256164192898499440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98664078927390771.post-87653869306211059092010-07-19T14:28:00.000-07:002010-07-19T14:31:17.091-07:00"Distracted?"<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxzUCdEnUz6Lu77jTqsuZsb7uA1GBXArdaryldgVQdek4mJOUETeYoiyxplcFtkZu4sGJLahoNo8vvhuh10AUJDRclGpdJ0H7DCZt22kCDXUn9l4eIvwl7xJE-8-_vOAKALsb36lWBiPNr/s1600/mary+and+martha.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495732958219089314" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 116px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 106px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxzUCdEnUz6Lu77jTqsuZsb7uA1GBXArdaryldgVQdek4mJOUETeYoiyxplcFtkZu4sGJLahoNo8vvhuh10AUJDRclGpdJ0H7DCZt22kCDXUn9l4eIvwl7xJE-8-_vOAKALsb36lWBiPNr/s200/mary+and+martha.jpg" border="0" /></a> <strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">Worship Leader's Message for Sunday, July 18</span></strong></div><div align="justify">When I was teaching my daughter to drive, in addition to talking about and teaching her how to navigate the road, when to turn on signals and lights, and how to park, we spent time talking about the dangers of using a cell phone while driving, listening to music while driving, and talking to her sister while driving. In other words, we talked a lot about all the activities that can distract us from driving safely. Of course, being a teenager, she knew everything there was to know about the dangers of driving while distracted by the panoply of stuff that can distract a teenager these days. I knew how much she knew by how much more drawn out the “Oh, mom” got every time we talked about it.<br /><br />Nonetheless, just a few days after getting her license, she decided, while alone, that she was experienced enough to navigate through the thousands of songs on her iPod and drive at the same time, or at least wait for the traffic signal to turn green. Imagine her embarrassment when she was honked at because she had become so absorbed in picking the right song she didn’t realize the light had turned green. Fortunately, the only damage done was the annoyance of the driver behind her and the wound to her pride at being a safe driver. But the fact is we all have done to one degree or another what my daughter did, whether it’s fiddling with the radio, taking just a quick call on the cell phone, or zoning out while driving long distances. However, distractions don’t just happen when we’re driving. In fact, in this day and age we are surrounded by distractions of every kind. Many of you likely remember a time when, if your phone rang while you were out of the house, you were blissfully unaware that anyone was trying to reach you. Or a time when, after midnight or so, the TV only showed a screen of snow static.<br /><br />We have to admit that the distractions of this world leave us unable, or unwilling, to find time for what’s truly important. How often have we scolded ourselves for not spending more time in Bible study, more time playing with our children, more time walking and talking with our spouse, more time having lunch with friends?<br /><br />So, at first, we may understand Jesus’ rebuke of Martha, to not busy herself with preparing a meal but to spend her time as Mary did at the feet of Jesus. But wait a minute, just what exactly is Jesus advocating here? Yes, we admit that there are unnecessary distractions that take us away from what’s truly important. But fixing a meal for a guest in our home? Doing work that benefits our community and contributes to others’ well-being? Cleaning up after a potluck or attending a knitting group that makes prayer shawls? Are these symptoms of a Martha attitude rather than a Mary-like devotedness? It is more than curious that this story of Jesus seeming to chide Martha for her hospitality appears where it does in the gospel of Luke, because the last two Sundays we have heard, at least in the background of the gospel stories, the importance hospitality plays in the reign of God’s kingdom. Two weeks ago, we heard the story of Jesus sending out 70 disciples telling them, in addition to not worrying about the distractions of clothing or money, to rely on the kindness of strangers. If you enter a house and are welcomed, stay there until you leave. If you are not welcomed, shake the dust of that town off your feet and go on to the next place. In other words, the message of God’s coming kingdom will only be heard by those who first respond with hospitality. Then, last week, we heard the parable of the Good Samaritan who not only showed the grievously injured robbery victim mercy, he also showed him hospitality by opening his purse to pay for the man’s continued care. In fact, the often-overlooked innkeeper also showed hospitality by accepting this injured stranger and providing for his care on the word and promise of a Samaritan, who, remember, was not exactly welcome in that part of Judea.<br /><br />So, does Jesus, when he comes to the home of his friends, simply abandon his emphasis on the need for hospitality as a foundation for proclaiming the word of God? That certainly seems to be the case on the face of it, doesn’t it? But let’s look a little deeper at this story. What, first of all, is the better part that Mary has chosen?<br /><br />In his book, The Practice of Godliness, Jerry Bridges defines godliness as a desire for God. He sees having a desire for God as the pinnacle of human experience for a desire for God will diminish or eliminate all those desires that lead us away from God and will enhance the relationships and heighten the experiences that God has chosen for us to enjoy and grow from. But desire for God is not something that just happens. The author of The Practice of Godliness says that desire for God is arrived at through acknowledging the fear of God and the love of God, which lead to a devotion to God and ultimately results in a desire for God.<br /><br />Now “fear of God” is a tricky term. Does it mean we should be afraid of God, of His judgment, of His disciplining us? While that certainly occurs throughout the Old Testament, through the new covenant made by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, the judgment of God has been covered by the blood of the Christ. We have been brought into a new, intimate relationship with God as His children and have nothing to be afraid of. However, and this is a big however, we cannot let this new relationship diminish in any way how we view God. For He still is almighty, immortal, transcendent God. It is His glory alone that illuminates heaven. We cannot, no matter how hard we try, fully comprehend God. In the end, we have to come to terms with the reality that God is God and we are not. And in that reality we can acknowledge God as Who He is and give him the appropriate reverence and awe — the fear — that is His alone.<br /><br />The other foundation that leads to a desire for God is love of God. Now, that may seem obvious. Of course, we love God. That’s why we’re in church on Sunday morning rather than out doing something else. God has created us, redeemed us through His Son and sanctified us through His Spirit. Yes, loving God is the right and good response to all He has done for us. But this is not all that Jerry Bridges means when he talks about love of God. No, he’s describing a top-down relationship. God loved us first. God will always love us better than we can ever love Him. No matter how far we try to run from Him, despite our sinful behavior and our failings, God loves us. Now, we may have to pay a price for our misbehavior, but that does not diminish or end God’s love for us.<br /><br />It is these two building blocks — our reverence and awe of God, and knowing deep in our hearts that God loves us and always will love us — that allows us to build a life of devotion to God, a life that puts the troubles of this world in perspective and lets us focus solely on the lives God would have us lead. And by coming closer to that ideal, though because of our sinful nature we will never fully reach it this side of heaven, we gain a desire to truly live for God and God alone, a desire for God.<br /><br />There is much more to discover along the way to a godly life, but I won’t spend more time on that now. If you are interested in pursuing these ideas, I commend to you The Practice of Godliness by Jerry Bridges for your personal study.<br /><br />But let’s return to Mary and Martha with Jesus visiting their home. The better part that Mary had chosen, we perhaps now can understand, is a devotion to Jesus. Though she may not have yet understood that Jesus was the Christ, she knew that he was a man of God and so she had reverence for him. She also knew that he loved her. And so, she was devoted enough to sit at his feet and listen to what he had to share.<br /><br />Jesus’ chides Martha not so much because she is showing hospitality but because she is distracted and troubled. She is not enjoying the opportunity to serve Jesus. She is worried about doing the right thing at the right time. She is concerned that her efforts will not be enough. She is angry, and her anger has caused her to lash out at both her sister and their guest. Sound familiar?<br /><br />Service in the name of God and for love of our neighbor is not a bad thing. But when we get troubled or worried or angry over how that service is being done, or not done, then our relationship with Jesus and with others starts to fray and can, in fact, be ripped apart if we let our emphasis on service rather than our emphasis on devotion guide us.<br /><br />There will be times when we wish that more people would just see this service project or that endeavor that we have a passion for with the same perspective. They won’t.<br /><br />There will be moments when we wish just one person would see how hard we’re working and offer to help. She won’t.<br /><br />What should our response be, that of Martha or Mary? Should we become troubled and distracted and lash out at those whom we love? Or should we stop for a moment and remember the relationship with Jesus that gives birth to all our impulses to do good in this world?<br /><br />We all will be Martha at some point. We hope that we also will find the courage to be Mary, too. The fact is there’s a lot that can and does distract us in this world. Some of those distractions can trouble us, worry us, and cause us to wander away from what God really has called us to do and be. But God loves us, always has, always will. And he will always call us back to sit again in His presence, to feel that love, to rest in that peace, and to know we are His for eternity.<br /><br />To Him be all glory, honor and power now and forever. Amen.</div>Cross of Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18256164192898499440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98664078927390771.post-79143547162105799952010-07-18T18:17:00.000-07:002010-07-18T18:19:49.526-07:00“Your Choice”<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZOuENEPIwDPQQMs-DfPAp8aU0mnYuj-ALp2EuizbIjPrg4H_3faNdjjnJnFeQwtJsSkzJe2BRBcApnTi9CdHudQc0-xT_BtZXlExD64qpXiBGEK_AO01eY_w_xREv2mkJkMBbPTRJiWQm/s1600/mary+and+martha.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495420721335125074" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 116px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 106px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZOuENEPIwDPQQMs-DfPAp8aU0mnYuj-ALp2EuizbIjPrg4H_3faNdjjnJnFeQwtJsSkzJe2BRBcApnTi9CdHudQc0-xT_BtZXlExD64qpXiBGEK_AO01eY_w_xREv2mkJkMBbPTRJiWQm/s200/mary+and+martha.jpg" border="0" /></a> <strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">Luke 10:38-42<br /></span></strong><em>Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing.<br /><br />Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her."<br /></em><br /><br /><span style="color:#ffff33;"><strong>A Message from the Pastor<br /></strong></span>Mary and Martha are the two famous sisters of the gospel. Mary and Martha, there is a story about them in each of the four gospels. This story is probably the most well known. Mary is the one who sits at the feet of Jesus. Martha is the one who is going about her many tasks.<br /><br />While I was a layperson, I took the side of Mary often. I also sided with Martha. As an ordained minister, I have spoken of the virtues of Mary and have spoken well of Martha. Mary is the one who symbolizes listening to Jesus. Mary is the one who symbolizes the worker, the one who gets things done. However, as I have studied the texts, I have come to realize that neither of these is the focal point of the story. I believe there are at least two issues that we can think about.<br /><br />The first can be considered as we hear what Jesus has to say about Martha. “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted about many things,” said Jesus. And when we think about it, we realize that so many times being worried and distracted has to do with our own self-centeredness. We are concerned about what we are doing. Life is all about us, rather than about God. Look at the two sentences that make up the comments of Martha to Jesus. In our translation this morning, those two sentences have twenty-four words. Four of those words are in the first person – me, my, and myself. That’s where Martha is coming from.<br /><br />In Martha’s actions, there is another consideration of this self-centeredness. It is call triangulation. Triangulation is the emotional dynamics involving three people. One initiates action, but rather than be involved with the one with whom the person has an issue, s/he directs her actions and/or comments to a third person. This is what Martha attempted to do. Jesus wouldn’t go along with it. As a transition pastor, we looked for triangulation, because many times when there was conflict in the congregation, triangulation was used to develop “sides” or to manipulate the issues at hand. Triangulation is another word for manipulation and manipulation is always self-centered.<br /><br />The “better part,” or the “one thing” that Jesus was talking about was to direct our attention to Jesus. He is the primary consideration. Jesus is the one we are to focus on. This is what Mary was doing. Mary’s priority was Jesus. Mary was focused on Jesus. In fact, Mary and Martha could both be about their many tasks and yet focus on Jesus. That is what Jesus wants.<br /><br />How do we go about it? How do we make Jesus our priority? There is a book, Power Surge, written by Michael Foss. In the first chapters he talks about membership versus discipleship. In membership, the center of the universe is the member. They are concerned about what’s in it for them. They are concerned about dues. They are focused on themselves as members of the organization. Discipleship is following and focusing on the teacher. In that book, he suggests that there are six marks of discipleship. The first three have to do with our internal development as disciples.<br /><br />The first is to be in daily prayer. Yes, intercessory prayer is important. We talk to God about those things that concern us. However, prayer is to be in conversation with God – the Father who creates, the Son who redeems, and the Spirit who sanctifies. We converse. We listen. We meditate.<br /><br />Another mark is regular worship. We come together as a community of faith to share our faith with one another. We begin by acknowledging our humanness by confessing our sin and seeking forgiveness. Then, we praise and thank God for who God is. Next, we seek the means of grace to be nourished and fed. We seek the word and sacrament. We hear about God and God’s relationship with humanity. We then come to the table to be fed Jesus Christ. We are nourished and strengthened for our human journey.<br /><br />We also read scripture. Oh yes, we seek to understand what God wishes us to do and not to do. However, that’s not our first priority. The number one reason to read scripture is to find Jesus in all of scripture. Let’s look at the texts for today. There is no problem in finding Jesus in the gospel. The second reading for today is a powerful statement about who Jesus is. The writer of the Letter to the Colossians talks about the body of Christ. He writes about the physical body that suffered death on the cross and the spiritual body, which is the church. But let’s also look at the first reading. Abraham meets the three persons. We Christians believe one is the Father, who creates, the Son, who redeems, and the Holy Spirit, who sanctifies.<br /><br />There is another issue to consider in this gospel story for today. It has to do with culture. There is the culture of the church that desires to move into the world. There is the culture of the world that moves into the church; sometimes that’s a good thing, and sometimes it is not. Martha was part of the culture. She was acting very responsibly. In the culture of the time, the woman’s role was to do the many tasks. She expected Mary to respond in that way. Mary was acting counter-culturally. Women didn’t sit at the feet of the teacher, the Rabbi. That was for men. She was being a disciple. Disciples were men.<br /><br />So what happens today because of the culture? As both a layperson and an ordained minister, I have often heard this comment, “We need to run this church like a business.” Admittedly, there are traits of the business world that are needed. There is marketing, stewardship, financial responsibility, and administration. All of those are excellent methods for a community of faith. But we are not seeking a net profit; we are disciples of Jesus Christ.<br /><br />Whether it’s a committee meeting, a council meeting, or a congregational meeting, we need to be about the business of Jesus. I have talked to a few people, both lay and ordained, who have been part of a council or committee where there is more than the normal “book ends” of devotions, a short meditation at the beginning and a prayer a the end. There are twenty to thirty minute Bible studies interspersed with prayer. When good news is reported, there are prayers of thanksgiving. When there are major issues to be resolved, there are prayers of discernment. In fact, at times the members of the group will go into the sanctuary for prayer. What is interesting is that they speak in a way that says that they would like to continue in this experience. Moreover, the meetings, many times, last less than two hours. It’s because their focus is on the better part, the one thing.<br /><br />Jesus said, “Mary has chosen the better part, which cannot be taken away from her.” The question is: What part do we choose?</div>Cross of Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18256164192898499440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98664078927390771.post-90765924532970978582010-07-11T13:41:00.000-07:002010-07-11T13:44:05.073-07:00“Being in the Ditch"<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsA1m9-ZZHQr0ORnvq-r6LmwrQ4_PP_xS9IdtdpWtjDRCGmAtE-jNxyuoUvmECMTIihJUeD0Jbaj-8v_z1shikOPvTHeozu2utI1ChcVHJtBDELaiHCbJu255JM3K_aBkBgusqIpbTJyH4/s1600/samaritan.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492752094342069586" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 135px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 115px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsA1m9-ZZHQr0ORnvq-r6LmwrQ4_PP_xS9IdtdpWtjDRCGmAtE-jNxyuoUvmECMTIihJUeD0Jbaj-8v_z1shikOPvTHeozu2utI1ChcVHJtBDELaiHCbJu255JM3K_aBkBgusqIpbTJyH4/s200/samaritan.jpg" border="0" /></a> <strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">Luke 10:25-37*<br /></span></strong>Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he said, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" He said to him, "What is written in the law? What do you read there?" He answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." And he said to him, "You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live."<br /><br />But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, 'Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.' Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?" He said, "The one who showed him mercy." Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">A Message from the Pastor (representing the man in the ditch)<br /></span></strong>I must admit that I used poor judgment. When traveling, one needs to go with a group and not at night. I knew that.<br /><br />I’m a merchant. I deal in fine cloth, ointments, perfumes, and other items as incense. I sell those expensive items that people dearly love. I have a booth at the market in Jerusalem. As I was plying my trade, a person from Jericho told me about the situation there. I realized that, if I travelled to Jericho, I could probably do very well. So, I closed my booth and began the trip. I didn’t bother to take time to find out when a caravan might be travelling there. I didn’t pay any attention to the time and left after noon. I was still travelling when it was dusk.<br /><br />Along the way, I was accosted by a band of highway thieves, common everyday robbers. They not only took all my merchandise and money, which was the greater part of my wealth, but they also stripped me of all my clothes. Then they beat me with their fists, rods, and sticks. But that wasn’t all. As I lay in the ditchm they kicked me and continued to beat me with rods. I could feel my life slipping away. They left me for dead.<br /><br />As I lay there, going in and out of a blackout, I cried out to God, “Why God? Why me? I love you. I am a highly religious person. I observe all your laws. Please send me someone who will rescue me. Please help me so that I won’t go down into the Pit.” As I lay there in the ditch, I sensed someone coming close to me. I looked up, and there was someone standing over me. It was a priest. I cried out to God, “O God, thank you, thank you. You sent one of your own. You sent a holy man.” However, as I reached up a hand for help, he shook his head. No, he couldn’t help me. If he touched me, he could not serve the people in the temple. He went the other way.<br /><br />I again cried out to God. “What is more important God, your laws or mercy? What is more important, following the rules or caring about someone’s life? Oh God, I have obeyed all your rules. I have memorized the first five books of scripture. I read the Psalms and the Prophets. I obey the Sabbath. Help me, O God. I do not want to go down to Sheol. I will gladly serve you. Send someone to help me.”<br /><br />As I came out of another blackout, I realized that there was another person standing over me. It was a Levite! I thanked God for sending me another holy man. I reached up with both hands, seeking help. He responded the same way as the priest.<br /><br />I cried out one more time to God. “Please send me someone. I don’t care who it is. Just send me someone. My life is slipping away. I want to live.”<br /><br />As I was lying there, getting weaker by the moment, I felt someone touching me. I opened my eyes. There was a man kneeling beside me. He was treating my wounds with oil and wine and bandaging them. He was also treating my bruises with ointment. I looked at him. “Oh my God,” I said, “He’s a Samaritan. I hate Samaritans. We don’t associate with Samaritans, we don’t talk to Samaritans, and we’ll go out of our way to avoid Samaritans. They don’t worship you the way we do. They don’t believe the way we do.” Then, he picked me up and put me on his animal. He walked the animal to an inn. I don’t know how long it took. He carried me into a room and gently laid me on the bed. Then, he stayed with me the rest of the day and night. He continued to dress my wounds, and he even fed me because I was so weak. He left the next day, and I found out later that he told the innkeeper that he would be back (and he did come back) and would pay whatever it was for any additional care the innkeeper gave me.<br /><br />We talked a little when I was lucid. I asked him why he helped me. He said that it was simple: I needed help. He believed that God had sent him to do so.<br /><br />Talking, as we did, I found out that he was not much different than me. He had the same understanding of God as I did. He desired to have a relationship with God. He had the same visions, dreams, and hope about life that I did. By the time he left, I considered him a friend and a neighbor – someone who was near me.<br /><br />I found out some things about myself and about life. We will experience mercy and grace when we seek it and/or when we need it. When we are helpless and hopeless, we will let down our walls that we think protect ourselves from others and be open to the mercy and grace that others are willing to give.<br /><br />I wanted to tell you this story for a couple of reasons. First of all, I became a Christian. I realized that to experience the grace and mercy of God, through Jesus and the cross, I needed to want what Jesus offered from the cross. I needed to be open, honest, and willing to accept the grace and mercy offered to me.<br /><br />I also want to ask you some question. If you were in a ditch and a victim of Aids knelt to clean your wounds, would you consider her or him a friend? If you were in a ditch and an undocumented immigrant was willing to take care of you, would you allow him or her to provide you with mercy and grace? If you were in a ditch and a Muslim came to help by touching you, carrying you, and caring for you, would you consider him your neighbor?<br /><br />I have heard a lot since becoming a Christian. I will always remember one of the comments said to us, “For God so loved the <strong><em>world</em></strong> . . . . . .”</div>Cross of Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18256164192898499440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98664078927390771.post-65245543986254348692010-07-04T18:49:00.000-07:002010-07-04T18:52:22.908-07:00“Bearing Burdens”<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVBUTPisQEhBzwTrTvXgZP6UjZDUxCDwHpmRBeJvTiBAGKZXfz6a7aq2jCDsTcel1iqGobKfqccqexTt0vFQjsnH8xhsYpkXFec0NvfADysDnU_1XIS1yGEC0KmFPAjamZXDJavVJaQ1Qb/s1600/burden.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490233927672872898" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 111px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVBUTPisQEhBzwTrTvXgZP6UjZDUxCDwHpmRBeJvTiBAGKZXfz6a7aq2jCDsTcel1iqGobKfqccqexTt0vFQjsnH8xhsYpkXFec0NvfADysDnU_1XIS1yGEC0KmFPAjamZXDJavVJaQ1Qb/s200/burden.jpg" border="0" /></a> <strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">Galatians 6:1-16</span></strong><br />My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. For if those who are nothing think they are something, they deceive themselves. All must test their own work; then that work, rather than their neighbor's work, will become a cause for pride. For all must carry their own loads.<br /><br />Those who are taught the word must share in all good things with their teacher.<br /><br />Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit. So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith.<br /><br />See what large letters I make when I am writing in my own hand! It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh that try to compel you to be circumcised — only that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. Even the circumcised do not themselves obey the law, but they want you to be circumcised so that they may boast about your flesh. May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything; but a new creation is everything! As for those who will follow this rule — peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.<br /><br /></div><div align="justify"><strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">Luke 10:1-11,16-20</span></strong><br />After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house!' And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.' But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, 'Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.' Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.<br /></div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify">The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!" He said to them, "I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">A Message from the Pastor</span></strong><br />Today’s gospel story is a mission pastor’s dream. What an opportunity it is to use it. After all, look at us today. There are about twenty of us. We know we need to grow. And, here, Jesus says, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Pray to the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into his harvest.” What an opportunity for the mission pastor to share with the community of faith details on how to grow a mission.<br /><br />However, I don’t think that’s what Jesus is talking about. I don’t think this story today is about that. A mission community, like all communities of faith, is organic. God created communities of faith; he created us, just like he creates vegetation and creatures. Organic systems grow “automatically” if they are healthy. So, the question is not HOW we will grow a mission, but what would we do to prevent a mission from growing? Our story today has some insights for that question.<br /><br />Notice that Jesus begins by saying to them that he is sending them like lambs into the midst of wolves. We are being sent by Jesus into risking ventures. No, we won’t be eaten alive, but if we answer his call, we will be out of our comfort zones. We will be “pushing the envelope.” And, we will not depend upon ourselves. That’s why he said not to take a purse, bag, or sandals. And we are to remain focused on why he is sending us – not to talk with anyone along the way. We are to accept the people the way they are – we eat whatever they set before us.<br /><br />I think the subject matter for today’s reading is humility. After all, life is about God, not about us.<br /><br />Think about what happened when the disciples came back. They were ecstatic. They were overjoyed. They told Jesus that even the demons submitted to them. It was all about them. Jesus indicated that there was something much more important. What they needed to celebrate, even though power and authority were given to them, was the fact that God knew them, walked with them, empowered them, and guarded them. Again, it’s all about God.<br /><br />Paul has much the same thing to say in the second reading for today.<br /><br />Listen to what he has to say as he suggests to his readers/listeners to restore a person who has offended you with gentleness. He suggests we bear one another’s burdens because that is the law of Christ. It is a way to love one another as Jesus has loved us. In that way, we are to test ourselves in what we do, we are to examine ourselves, our motives, and the way we act.<br /><br />In all of what Paul writes in today’s reading, he also focuses on the priority we have. His focus is on the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. And because we are baptized into a death like Jesus, we are crucified with him, then the world is crucified to us and we to the world.<br /><br />Let me share a personal example of what I think Paul is saying to us as we live a life in humility. It has to do with bearing one another’s burdens.<br /><br />Several years ago, in South Carolina, I was co-chair of a task force that studied the role of gays and lesbians in the church. That issue has always been highly sensitive and emotional. I came to that task force with my own ideas and agenda. I was, what might be called, the revisionist. The other co-chair might be called orthodox. We each selected participants, individually and jointly. As we began to meet, we started listening to each other. Without placing a label on it, we began to bear one another’s burdens.<br /><br />I’ll never forget one experience I had. The other co-chair and I were driving around. He was behind the wheel. I was on the passenger side. As we talked about the issues, he shared his concern that if the church went “too far,’ he would have to deeply consider his ordination vows and his ability to remain with the church. I had never thought about it. My thoughts and perceptions on this issue did not change. My agenda did.<br /><br />Part of that group was a lesbian and an ordained minister who was to extremely orthodox. The ordained minister died of a heart attack while we were active with the task force. The woman said to me, “He didn’t like my life style, but I knew he loved me.”<br /><br />As we celebrate the independence of this country, it might be a good time to discuss this subject. The secular world, as we know it in this country, is highly polarized politically. There is little middle ground. It has even entered into the religious arena for there is now coming under question whether there should be a separation of church and state.<br /><br />In all of my life, I have been taught and have heard that there are two things we never talk about in the community of faith: politics and money. Yet, those two things affect all of us each day of our lives as we live our human journey as spiritual beings. We all have our concerns about what is happening in our world.<br /><br />You and I can’t change the world. This small mission cannot change the world. But what would happen if those who believe that the government needs to do more to shape how we live would bear the burden of those who believe the government has gone too far and is creating an uncontrollable debt? And, if those who are concerned about the level of debt our country has would bear the burden of those who believe the government should do more?<br /><br />What would happen, if those who believe we need to be more flexible in affecting the lives of undocumented immigrants would bear the burden of those who believe we need strict laws, including the sealing of our borders. And, if those who desire stricter rules bore the burden of those who believe we need to be flexible?<br /><br />What would happen if those who believe we need to do more for health care bore the burden of those that believe we have gone too far? And, what if those who believe we have gone too far, bear the burden of those who believe we have to do more?<br /><br />We aren’t going to be able to change the world. But I think that people would sit up and take notice of who we are as children of God if we demonstrated how Jesus wants us to live in humility and recognized that life is about the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Some people might begin to grasp that the reign of God is drawing near. We, ourselves, would begin to experience that the reign of God has drawn near.</div>Cross of Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18256164192898499440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98664078927390771.post-65601398427422203332010-06-27T13:26:00.000-07:002010-06-27T13:29:02.195-07:00“Free at Last”<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH0zYrpakF5W_HEl4mnJv0ZADDutyEZ5ERgbwU7Qhj3lE2IKxXezIPMfYF9MVCQCsQ2IjAz2N-dB6Lf4lW8wVMwOYcC4f_2xJ_XxA1bQS-GQCud92T-QLDSFOkrVZAvgM32y1q5tgBj_DE/s1600/Free+at+last.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487553134834779250" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 118px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH0zYrpakF5W_HEl4mnJv0ZADDutyEZ5ERgbwU7Qhj3lE2IKxXezIPMfYF9MVCQCsQ2IjAz2N-dB6Lf4lW8wVMwOYcC4f_2xJ_XxA1bQS-GQCud92T-QLDSFOkrVZAvgM32y1q5tgBj_DE/s200/Free+at+last.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify"><strong><span style="color:#ffff33;">Galatians 5:1, 13–25</span></strong><br />For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.<br /><br />For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.<br /><br />Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law. Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.<br /><br />By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.<br /><br /><span style="color:#ffff33;"><strong><br />Luke 9:51-62</strong></span><br />When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him; but they did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, "Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" But he turned and rebuked them. Then they went on to another village.<br />As they were going along the road, someone said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." To another he said, "Follow me." But he said, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." But Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God." Another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home." Jesus said to him, "No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."<br /><br /><span style="color:#ffff33;"><strong>A Message from the Pastor<br /></strong></span>“Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we’re free at last!” We’ve all heard those words spoken by Martin Luther King, Jr. They were the last words of his “I Have a Dream” speech. And, no matter what you think of Martin Luther King, Jr., those words have to bring positive feelings to us. After all, we all want to be free. We all want to be able to do and experience whatever we choose and not be hindered by rules and regulations.<br /><br />However, we all know that we are never completely free. There are rules and regulations. We need them in our secular world to provide order in our daily lives. We need boundaries to protect ourselves and others. However, we also know that with rules and regulations come the need for individuals who create the laws, administer the laws, and interpret the laws. People designated with this authority therefore have the power and control in our secular world. Many times we don’t like it. We don’t like laws being enacted, administered, and interpreted, no matter what our political persuasion.<br /><br />In the religious world there are also the dynamics of power and control because there are those who have the same authority as those in the secular world. Paul knew this. He didn’t like it. He had been to Galatia and had proclaimed the loving gospel of Jesus Christ. He had told the people who had become Christians that they no longer were subject to the law. Jesus Christ, through no effort on their part, had been made one with God, because Jesus had been crucified died and rose again through the love of God. They, and we, are now one with God, justified by faith through grace. The law was no longer applicable. It had been our disciplinarian. However, Christ’s redeemed act had changed all that. We were free. However, after Paul left Galatia, people, who Paul named as the “Circumcision Party,” came after him to say that there were still laws they needed to follow.<br /><br />Paul, in this reading today, provided a good comparison between law and gospel, Spirit and flesh, and the spiritual world versus the secular world. There was no need for law, as long as we did not become self-indulgent but, through love, were slaves to one another.<br /><br />He identified the works of the flesh versus the fruit of the Spirit. (Please note that the “works” are something we are in control of.) The fifteen works of the flesh that he named can be classified into four categories. The first three can be identified as sexual immorality. The next two can be identified as idolatry. The next eight – that’s right – eight can be identified as communal discord, or conflict. (Whenever there is conflict, power and control are involved.) The last two can be identified as self-indulgence. They all involve power and control.<br /><br />Then, there is the fruit of the Spirit. These are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Please note that fruit comes of its own accord. We cannot make the bush or tree bear fruit. We can work the ground, nourish and feed it, and tend to it, but the fruit is beyond our control. Sometimes, when I wake in the morning, I commit myself to being patient, gentle, and exerting self-control. If you are like me, before the day is over, you find out that you can’t do it. It is beyond your control.<br /><br />While the works of the flesh are experienced in the secular world, the fruit of he Spirit is experienced as the reign of God draws near. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control occur with the reign of God. It’s what we all desire.<br /><br />The gospel reading gives us an idea of what we can do to nourish and tend to that which bears fruit.<br /><br />The author of Luke gives us an idea. I love his imagery of Jesus. Here, in today’s gospel reading, we find that Jesus has “set his face” to go to Jerusalem. He knows what he is going to face, agony, brutality, pain, torture, and death on the cross. But nothing will prevent him from going to Jerusalem and following the will of God. Yet, when we read the story, we find how he acts and responds. Jesus is not received in this one village in Samaria, because of his determination to go to Jerusalem. James and John, “sons of thunder,” want Jesus to reign down fire and consume them. Do you hear the enmity, anger, and strife? Jesus rebukes them and moves on to another town. Then, Jesus faces three people. The first wants to follow him, Jesus accepts this but lets him know that where Jesus goes might not be where he wants to be led. Jesus asks another to follow him. While I don’t fully understand what it means for “the dead to bury their own dead,” I believe Jesus is saying not to let ritual and rules get in the way of proclaiming the reign of God. The last one wants to follow, but has some things to take care of first. Jesus told him that we don’t look back or we will not be able to experience God’s reign. Jesus mentioned to them, and to us, that the highest priority is following Jesus. The importance of family, social priorities, religious significance, business obligations, and, yes, patriotism – as we get ready for Independence Day – are all secondary to following Jesus, on Jesus terms.<br /><br />The are at least six steps for following Jesus, or six marks of discipleship. We need to be in daily prayer; that’s daily conversation with Jesus in hopes of strengthening our personal relationship with our brother. Next, we worship regularly. We come into communal relationship sharing with one another our desire to thank and praise God, after acknowledging our character defects and shortcomings. We come to worship to receive the means of grace, word and sacrament. We come to be fed for our human journey as spiritual beings. Thirdly, we read scripture. Yes, we read the Book of Faith to find out what God wishes for us to do, but, more importantly, we read the Bible to find Jesus. Wishing to follow him, we look for his presence in history and in our lives. Being fed by these three, we joyously serve. As Paul said, through love we become slaves to one another. We generously give. As people have said to me, “Pastor, I know that everything I receive comes from God; therefore before I do anything else, I give a proportion of what I receive back to God. And then, the sixth mark is to seek spiritual friendships. We come together to worship, we enjoy fellowship after worship, we experience get-togethers, such as “The Lunch Bunch,” we work together on our parade entry, we participate in the vision retreat, and we consider being in the spiritual retreat. All of these are ways to set our face toward Jesus Christ.<br /><br />We all desire to experience love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These help us to experience the reign of God. When we are able to do so, we can shout out, “Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, I’m free at last!”</div>Cross of Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18256164192898499440noreply@blogger.com0