May 22, 2011
John 10: 1-10
Jesus was teaching his followers and those who were gathered around him about abundant life and how they might find it. That’s something all of us here would like to know, right – especially those of us who are more familiar with less rather than more or who have accomplished less than we had hoped to or who have struggled to make ends meet or who have experienced life as an uphill journey? I know I would like a full, complete life, wouldn’t you? I want to have everything I need, all my hopes and dreams come true, lots of good friends, a healthy family, a fantastic job, more than enough money, nothing to worry about. I want the good life… don’t you? Isn’t that what Jesus meant when he said “abundant?”
7So again Jesus said to them,
Jesus has just explained it to everyone – this abundant life thing – about what their ‘entering” into this full and complete life would involve. And as he is telling them about what they’re looking for, he sees this look on their faces – you know, the one that says, ‘What in the world are you talking about?’ As teachers and parents, you’ve seen that look, haven’t you? You’ve said something and they just don’t get it. So patiently, Jesus tells them again – only, this time, a little differently. Like any good teacher, he tries to explain it one more time so they’ll really understand the lesson he is trying to teach them.
“Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.
This time, Jesus says, “I am the gate. I’m the way. Enter here. I’m the real deal.” In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus even talks about this being a “narrow gate.” Bill Cotton, retired pastor of the Iowa Conference, believes Jesus might actually be pointing out the need for us to keep our focus. In his weekly Memo for Preachers, Rev. Cotton tells about going to his grandson’s graduation at the University of Northern Iowa Saturday before last and because of extra security for Michelle Obama who would be speaking to the graduates, having to “pass through one of those narrow gates like they have at airports.” He said, “Imagine seventeen thousand Iowans trying to get through those narrow gates,” which he described as “a bit of a squeeze.”
Yet Cotton said folks made it through to honor the nineteen hundred young people who were completing a milestone in their lives. They were able to do so because they kept their focus on why they were there to begin with and where they were going. Everyone made it through despite the narrow gates. Staying focused is important in education, in life, and in our faith – both as individuals and as a church. Because without focus, without knowing why we are here or where we are going, there is no direction – and without direction there is always the danger of losing one’s way when difficult decisions must be made.
So, what’s the way we are to go? When we experience bumps in the road, what is our focus as a church to be? What direction should we be headed? Simply put, “Where should we be going and how do we get there?” If your answer is: “Well, I don’t really know.” Then, what can we do to find out? How might a church discover its purpose or goal – and the direction God intends us to go?
Imagine yourself joining others who are here today on a road trip in a van. You know you want to arrive at a destination that is better than the current reality of your community of faith. Along the way you talk with one another. Sometimes you get out of the van and talk to people in your area about community needs. Along the way, you visit other churches to learn what has made them healthy and vital congregations. On your trip together, you rediscover your church setting and who you are. You discern what God is calling your church to be and to do at this point in time. And at the end of trip you have laid out a ‘roadmap’ for future ministry – a map that will set the vision, mission, and goals (the direction) for your church for the next several years.
8All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them.
Jesus says, “I am the gate (the way).” There are other ‘ways’ – or so it seems – choices made that can cheat us of what we are really looking for. ‘Other ways’ that end up robbing us of life and what might have been. All the stuff we think we need or what the world has told us over the years we need, all the things we think are so important, are really only distractions from the real wealth the apostle Paul says consists of an abundance of love, joy, and peace. Imagine an abundance of love and joy and peace right here, in this place that would emanate from us out into this community.
9I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved,… saved from being cheated and robbed of life as it could and should be, an expansion of God’s kingdom by taking to heart ‘the way’ of Jesus Christ. Whose voice is it we really hear? Jesus says it again, a third time – “I am the gate.” How clear can he be? Abundant life is not something to earn or gain or purchase by saving pennies, or cutting costs. It is a gift, the sheer gift of a God who loves us enough to have laid down his life for us. God wants more for us than merely surviving. God wants us to thrive, to prosper. That is what an abundant life means, I think… for us to really prosper as a congregation. Jesus says, “I am the way.”
And if we are to thrive and be fruitful, it’s important to remain focused on where God would have us be. That should be our desired destination. But how many of you are accustomed to go on a trip somewhere you’ve never been before without a road map? Not many I imagine.
10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.
But staying focused can be hard. It’s not easy, by any means. It requires thinking about God and trying to understand God’s place in our lives. It requires prayer and ‘being with God’ on a regular basis. And it requires a careful examination of who we are and who we belong to, day by day. A full – abundant – life in God is hard work. Getting to where God would have us be as a church is not an easy thing. But in the end it is worth it because that is where we will find real meaning and purpose in the gate through which we find a loving and merciful God.
“I came,” Jesus said, “that you may have life, and have it abundantly.”
Let us always have direction in our lives and ever be focused on our destination, always remembering what Jesus said, “I am the way.”
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
“Abundant Life”
May 15, 2011 – Graduate Sunday
John 10: 1-10
Jesus was teaching his followers and those who were gathered around about abundant life and how to find it. That’s something all of us here would also like to know, right – especially the graduates here today? I know I want to have a full life, don’t you? I want to have everything I need, all my hopes and dreams come true, lots of good friends, a healthy family, a fantastic job, more than enough money, nothing to worry about. I want the good life… don’t you?
7So again Jesus said to them,
Jesus has just explained to everyone about their ‘entering” this abundant life they were all looking for, and he sees in their faces this look before – the one that says, ‘What in the world are you talking about?’ Teachers and parents, you’ve seen that look, haven’t you? You’ve said something and they just don’t get it. So patiently, Jesus tells them again – only this time in a different way. Like any good teacher, Jesus tries to explain it one more time so they’ll understand.
“Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.
This time, Jesus says, “I am the gate. I’m the way. Enter here. I’m the real deal.” In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus even talks about this being a “narrow gate.” Bill Cotton, retired pastor of the Iowa Conference, believes Jesus might actually be pointing out the need for us to keep our focus. In his weekly Thursday’s Memo for Preachers, he tells about going to his grandson’s graduation at the University of Northern Iowa this past weekend and because of extra security for Michelle Obama who would be speaking to the graduates, having to “pass through one of those narrow gates like they have at airports.” He said, “Imagine seventeen thousand Iowans trying to get through those narrow gates,” which he described as “a bit of a squeeze.” But folks made it through to honor the nineteen hundred young people who were completing a milestone in their lives. It required focus on everyone’s part to make it through such a narrow gate. Staying focused is important in education, as well as in life. And it is especially important in our faith. Without focus there is no direction.
8All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them.
There are other ‘ways’ – or so it seems – choices made that can cheat us of what we are really looking for. In the end they rob us of life and what might have been. All the stuff others tell us we need, all the things we think are so important, are only distractions from the real wealth the apostle Paul says consists of an abundance of love, joy, and peace.
9I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved,… saved from being cheated and robbed in life. Jesus says it again, a third time – “I am the gate.” How clear can he be? Abundant life is not something to earn or achieve, buy or barter for. Rather, it is a gift, the sheer gift of a God who loves us enough to lay down his life for us.
10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.
But staying focused can be hard. It’s not easy, by any means. It requires thinking about God and trying to understand God’s place in our lives. It requires prayer and ‘being with God’ on a regular basis. And it requires a careful examination of who we belong to day by day. A full – abundant – life in God is hard work. But it is worth it because that is where we find real meaning and purpose in the gate through which we find a loving and merciful God.
Charles Schulz, creator of the Peanuts comic strip once said, “I cannot fail to be thrilled every time I read the things that Jesus said, and I am more and more convinced of the necessity of following him. What Jesus means to me is this: In him we are able to see God, and to understand [God's] feelings toward us. Do you feel God’s love?!
“I came,” Jesus said, “that you may have life, and have it abundantly.”
Graduates, your parents and grandparents, as well as your whole family, will be very proud of you next week as they sit on folding chairs or on hard bleachers to hear one name, your name, read and to see you receive your diploma that has required focus on your part, and on their part these many years. It’s a great milestone, to be sure. But you are not through yet. There is more. So, remain focused always remembering what Jesus said, “I am the way.”
John 10: 1-10
Jesus was teaching his followers and those who were gathered around about abundant life and how to find it. That’s something all of us here would also like to know, right – especially the graduates here today? I know I want to have a full life, don’t you? I want to have everything I need, all my hopes and dreams come true, lots of good friends, a healthy family, a fantastic job, more than enough money, nothing to worry about. I want the good life… don’t you?
7So again Jesus said to them,
Jesus has just explained to everyone about their ‘entering” this abundant life they were all looking for, and he sees in their faces this look before – the one that says, ‘What in the world are you talking about?’ Teachers and parents, you’ve seen that look, haven’t you? You’ve said something and they just don’t get it. So patiently, Jesus tells them again – only this time in a different way. Like any good teacher, Jesus tries to explain it one more time so they’ll understand.
“Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.
This time, Jesus says, “I am the gate. I’m the way. Enter here. I’m the real deal.” In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus even talks about this being a “narrow gate.” Bill Cotton, retired pastor of the Iowa Conference, believes Jesus might actually be pointing out the need for us to keep our focus. In his weekly Thursday’s Memo for Preachers, he tells about going to his grandson’s graduation at the University of Northern Iowa this past weekend and because of extra security for Michelle Obama who would be speaking to the graduates, having to “pass through one of those narrow gates like they have at airports.” He said, “Imagine seventeen thousand Iowans trying to get through those narrow gates,” which he described as “a bit of a squeeze.” But folks made it through to honor the nineteen hundred young people who were completing a milestone in their lives. It required focus on everyone’s part to make it through such a narrow gate. Staying focused is important in education, as well as in life. And it is especially important in our faith. Without focus there is no direction.
8All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them.
There are other ‘ways’ – or so it seems – choices made that can cheat us of what we are really looking for. In the end they rob us of life and what might have been. All the stuff others tell us we need, all the things we think are so important, are only distractions from the real wealth the apostle Paul says consists of an abundance of love, joy, and peace.
9I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved,… saved from being cheated and robbed in life. Jesus says it again, a third time – “I am the gate.” How clear can he be? Abundant life is not something to earn or achieve, buy or barter for. Rather, it is a gift, the sheer gift of a God who loves us enough to lay down his life for us.
10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.
But staying focused can be hard. It’s not easy, by any means. It requires thinking about God and trying to understand God’s place in our lives. It requires prayer and ‘being with God’ on a regular basis. And it requires a careful examination of who we belong to day by day. A full – abundant – life in God is hard work. But it is worth it because that is where we find real meaning and purpose in the gate through which we find a loving and merciful God.
Charles Schulz, creator of the Peanuts comic strip once said, “I cannot fail to be thrilled every time I read the things that Jesus said, and I am more and more convinced of the necessity of following him. What Jesus means to me is this: In him we are able to see God, and to understand [God's] feelings toward us. Do you feel God’s love?!
“I came,” Jesus said, “that you may have life, and have it abundantly.”
Graduates, your parents and grandparents, as well as your whole family, will be very proud of you next week as they sit on folding chairs or on hard bleachers to hear one name, your name, read and to see you receive your diploma that has required focus on your part, and on their part these many years. It’s a great milestone, to be sure. But you are not through yet. There is more. So, remain focused always remembering what Jesus said, “I am the way.”
Monday, May 2, 2011
“Where, Today?
May 1, 2011
1 Peter 1:3-9; John 20:19-31
The reading today from the gospel of John is a familiar one. It’s the ‘Doubting Thomas’ text that before has raised questions like: “What makes us, as followers of Jesus, "hide out" today?” Or “What would you have done, in Thomas' place?” Or “What is really necessary for our believing and our life of faith?” And finally, “Where do you see evidence of the risen Jesus being alive, today?” It’s this last question I want to spend some time with today.
Mary Magdalene was the first to see the risen Jesus and told others how she had talked to him not long after discovering the empty tomb. Then later, his disciples, afraid, confused, and hiding behind locked doors suddenly saw Jesus there with them. His first words to them were: "Peace be with you." That’s it – just, "Peace be with you."
Then, in the story of Pentecost, he gave them the gift of the Holy Spirit and commissioned them to go out and be peace and love and justice for the world. Just as God sent Jesus, so Jesus sends his followers into the world that God loves so well so God’s creation, resurrection, re-creation would go on. We’ve been told that God continues to speak, and to act, in the world today. So, “Where do you see evidence of the risen Jesus being alive, today?”
O. Wesley Allen, of Lexington Seminary, suggests what the text may be telling us that "We cannot keep the Spirit to ourselves. We are gifted with it for the sake of others. God gives the church the spiritual gift of resurrection life so the church will bring it to bear on the world." Jesus, he says, never intended a purely personal, private faith to be his gift to the world, but rather a Spirit-filled church – all of us, bearers of grace 2 one another.
And still, we can’t see Christ in a literal sense. For the most part, we have only the stories that have been passed down in Scripture from generation to generation. "The message," Barbara Brown Taylor says “our ancestors rolled up and put in a bottle for us, because they wanted us to experience the person of Jesus – if not in the flesh, then in the word… We are free to believe them or not." Like Thomas, then we have been asked to "believe what we hear." So, “Where IS the risen Jesus alive, today?”
Seeing the risen Jesus alive today
The risen Christ alive in this world can be seen all around us. He can be encountered every morning of our lives, if we look – in every "little" death that leads to new life, every experience of healing and grace, and in every fresh hope. He can be ‘seen’ when broken relationships are repaired and renewed, when struggling churches are once again involved in vibrant ministry, when health is restored after suffering and illness, and when there is joy once again in life after long grief. This is where Jesus can be seen.
This past month it was announced our sister church, Calvary, would be disbanding as a congregation. The decision to close was made by the congregation, not someone else. They felt they just couldn’t go on as they had. They opened themselves to new possibilities elsewhere, perhaps here. I hope we would welcome them here. Their decision forever changed who they would be. But after a lot of prayer on their part, that is where they saw God leading them – and I believe, that’s where they found the ‘resurrected’ Christ to be.
Calvary’s closing today also forever changes the parish. We will no longer be the same. That in itself may be cause of concern for some who might be thinking, “Who’s going to pick up Calvary’s share?” and “What’s that going to do to us?” or “That could be us in a few years or if we aren’t careful.” or ... One by one we may be locking the doors because of our fear and uncertainty. Yet perhaps even today, Christ the Resurrected One is among us and softly, quietly is saying, “Peace be with you.” Listen. Can you hear him? “Where is the risen Jesus alive, today?”
Resurrection isn't something that happened a long time ago, something that we simply remember this time each year. In our day-to-day lives as the church in ministry, we put our hands on the wounds of this broken world, but we also witness to the hope that sustains us: we will rise again, and everything is going to be all right in the end. This is where we encounter Jesus today.
William Sloane Coffin, of the United Church of Christ who died several years ago, once said during Holy Week: "As I see it, the primary religious task these days is to try to think straight… You can't think straight with a heart full of fear, for fear seeks safety, not truth. If your heart's a stone, you can't have decent thoughts... A heart full of love, on the other hand, has a limbering effect on the mind." Jesus is found when hearts are filled with love rather than fear.
Sometimes when we seek safety, the truth comes instead. It was that way with the disciples who had locked themselves in a room and Jesus was suddenly there. Good news came to them anyway, even in their fear. They were seeking safety, and the truth came instead. As a church, as a parish, and as individuals - What is it we might be hiding from? And why? Where is our vision? Where is our hope for the future?
Where is it we hope to find Christ?
1 Peter 1:3-9; John 20:19-31
The reading today from the gospel of John is a familiar one. It’s the ‘Doubting Thomas’ text that before has raised questions like: “What makes us, as followers of Jesus, "hide out" today?” Or “What would you have done, in Thomas' place?” Or “What is really necessary for our believing and our life of faith?” And finally, “Where do you see evidence of the risen Jesus being alive, today?” It’s this last question I want to spend some time with today.
Mary Magdalene was the first to see the risen Jesus and told others how she had talked to him not long after discovering the empty tomb. Then later, his disciples, afraid, confused, and hiding behind locked doors suddenly saw Jesus there with them. His first words to them were: "Peace be with you." That’s it – just, "Peace be with you."
Then, in the story of Pentecost, he gave them the gift of the Holy Spirit and commissioned them to go out and be peace and love and justice for the world. Just as God sent Jesus, so Jesus sends his followers into the world that God loves so well so God’s creation, resurrection, re-creation would go on. We’ve been told that God continues to speak, and to act, in the world today. So, “Where do you see evidence of the risen Jesus being alive, today?”
O. Wesley Allen, of Lexington Seminary, suggests what the text may be telling us that "We cannot keep the Spirit to ourselves. We are gifted with it for the sake of others. God gives the church the spiritual gift of resurrection life so the church will bring it to bear on the world." Jesus, he says, never intended a purely personal, private faith to be his gift to the world, but rather a Spirit-filled church – all of us, bearers of grace 2 one another.
And still, we can’t see Christ in a literal sense. For the most part, we have only the stories that have been passed down in Scripture from generation to generation. "The message," Barbara Brown Taylor says “our ancestors rolled up and put in a bottle for us, because they wanted us to experience the person of Jesus – if not in the flesh, then in the word… We are free to believe them or not." Like Thomas, then we have been asked to "believe what we hear." So, “Where IS the risen Jesus alive, today?”
Seeing the risen Jesus alive today
The risen Christ alive in this world can be seen all around us. He can be encountered every morning of our lives, if we look – in every "little" death that leads to new life, every experience of healing and grace, and in every fresh hope. He can be ‘seen’ when broken relationships are repaired and renewed, when struggling churches are once again involved in vibrant ministry, when health is restored after suffering and illness, and when there is joy once again in life after long grief. This is where Jesus can be seen.
This past month it was announced our sister church, Calvary, would be disbanding as a congregation. The decision to close was made by the congregation, not someone else. They felt they just couldn’t go on as they had. They opened themselves to new possibilities elsewhere, perhaps here. I hope we would welcome them here. Their decision forever changed who they would be. But after a lot of prayer on their part, that is where they saw God leading them – and I believe, that’s where they found the ‘resurrected’ Christ to be.
Calvary’s closing today also forever changes the parish. We will no longer be the same. That in itself may be cause of concern for some who might be thinking, “Who’s going to pick up Calvary’s share?” and “What’s that going to do to us?” or “That could be us in a few years or if we aren’t careful.” or ... One by one we may be locking the doors because of our fear and uncertainty. Yet perhaps even today, Christ the Resurrected One is among us and softly, quietly is saying, “Peace be with you.” Listen. Can you hear him? “Where is the risen Jesus alive, today?”
Resurrection isn't something that happened a long time ago, something that we simply remember this time each year. In our day-to-day lives as the church in ministry, we put our hands on the wounds of this broken world, but we also witness to the hope that sustains us: we will rise again, and everything is going to be all right in the end. This is where we encounter Jesus today.
William Sloane Coffin, of the United Church of Christ who died several years ago, once said during Holy Week: "As I see it, the primary religious task these days is to try to think straight… You can't think straight with a heart full of fear, for fear seeks safety, not truth. If your heart's a stone, you can't have decent thoughts... A heart full of love, on the other hand, has a limbering effect on the mind." Jesus is found when hearts are filled with love rather than fear.
Sometimes when we seek safety, the truth comes instead. It was that way with the disciples who had locked themselves in a room and Jesus was suddenly there. Good news came to them anyway, even in their fear. They were seeking safety, and the truth came instead. As a church, as a parish, and as individuals - What is it we might be hiding from? And why? Where is our vision? Where is our hope for the future?
Where is it we hope to find Christ?
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