“Come Holy Spirit, Come” (Pentecost Sunday)

May 20, 2012

Acts 2: 1-21, John 15: 26-27, 16: 4b-15

Jesus is talking to his disciples. He is going to leave and they are anxious about what is going to happen then. So, Jesus lets them to know everything is going to be okay. He says, “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf.” In other words, things are going to be fine—when the Advocate comes...’ That is the comforting part.

 Yet he doesn’t leave it entirely up to the Spirit, he goes on to say, “You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning.” (John 15:26-27) This is the challenging part for them to hear. His words and God’s truths will be made known by the testimony of the Holy Spirit AND his disciples. But what exactly does ‘testifying’ mean? How do we testify and what do we testify about?

Let me suggest it is about the gift of new life, the beginning of a new era in which God fulfills his promises and the hopes and dreams of the people that we are to testify. It is about ‘giving evidence’ to and about ‘showing’ others the new life that we know to be possible in Jesus Christ. And it is about our truly ‘living’ the life and way of Christ—of loving God with all our heart and loving our neighbor as we love ourselves. And, I think, that testimony is given by our requesting and allowing the Holy Spirit to work through us.

 In John 16:12, Jesus says, “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.” I once read that the definition of a good sermon is: It should have a good beginning and a good ending—and the two should be as close together as possible. I’m sure Jesus didn’t write that definition, but I suspect—especially from what he says here—he never ‘overburdened’ his listeners with more than they needed to hear at any one time. This is not all they need to know; there will be more, later.

In verses 13-15, Jesus tells his disciples: “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” What the Spirit says is from Jesus, that in turn is from God, the Father. When we clearly hear the Spirit speak we are assured it is from God.

That reminds me of a story about a preacher who was greeting folks at the door after the Sunday service. When it was the matriarch-of-the-church’s turn, she shakes his hand and says, "Pastor, that was a wonderful sermon this morning." The preacher humbly replied, "Thank you sister Maude but, I have to give the credit to the Holy Spirit." To which the woman quickly responded, "Well, it wasn't THAT good!" We do know, though, that often times the words we need to hear on a Sunday morning could only have come from God. Such words comfort, teach, and empower us to imagine and do things that, as a church or as individuals, seemed impossible.

Jesus promises his disciples an advocate (the Holy Spirit) to guide them to the truth.

The same Spirit that drew the little band of disciples out into the world also shaped them into a community. What is the balance between our reaching out as a church and the nurturing of our faith community? Marcus Borg suggests that these two impulses relate to each other. In his book, Reading the Bible Again for the First Time, he writes, "The coming of the Spirit is the reversal of Babel, the beginning of the reunion of the human community." In many ways, we may be in need of the very reunion he suggests. Come, Holy Spirit, come!

Jesus promises his disciples an advocate (the Holy Spirit) to reveal his teachings.

There are a lot of things that have the power to divide people. We ARE all different. Yet the Spirit of God can empower many different kinds of people to do astounding things. Bridges can be built between us so that instead of our differences dividing us, we become more ‘connected’ by our diversity in the unity of the Spirit that opens us to a new day and life. Come, Holy Spirit, come!

Jesus promises his disciples an advocate (the Holy Spirit) to help with the things they can’t possibly do on their own.

In today’s lesson, and from that point on, the apostles would have the guidance of the Holy Spirit in everything they did. The church would grow, and though its message remains the same, its audience would become very different. The Spirit's guidance would provide both continuity and creativity that links it with the ministry of Jesus and yet leaves it open to adaptation to "the evolving mission field” of the day to whom the church was to testify.

Today’s gospel story is something we all need to hear. It may even be the beginning or "foundational” story of a new life for us, a New Age of which we are to be a part. For this Jesus promises an advocate to help us. You can almost feel the wind pulling us.

Think of the things ‘we do’ all the time in this church. And now think of all the things ‘we ask the Holy Spirit’ to do (because it is beyond our doing). What would it take to astonish us, or to get our attention? What might the movement of the Holy Spirit look like here, in this place? Some of us might prefer a church that's a safe refuge to a community or place where we are astonished and our secure beliefs up-ended. And yet some things need to be up-ended and seen in a whole new light if we are going to truly ‘testify’ as Christ would have us. Come, Holy Spirit, come!

We believe Jesus’ promise, or do we?

We believe the Holy Spirit is present and at work in our lives today, especially in the sacraments of Communion and Baptism. We believe there is yet more of God’s truth to be revealed. And we believe we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to do things we could not have ever done our own. We believe those things, right?

Writer, actor, and filmmaker Woody Allen once said, "If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans." Some have suggested the opposite is also true: "If God wants to make you laugh he will tell you what he plans for you." I imagine we would all have a good laugh if God were here this morning telling us what he has planned for this church—it would no doubt be a nervous laugh—but a laugh just the same.

Come Holy Spirit, come!

Mother’s Day

May 13, 2012

I John 5: 1-6. and John 15:9-17

A father and his four-year-old daughter were talking about marriage. She was a typical four-year-old girl—cute, inquisitive, and smart. When she seemed a bit confused, clearing having trouble grasping the concept of marriage, her father decided to use some visuals to help explain the ‘idea’ of marriage. He found he and his wife’s wedding album, and pointed out, page after page, of what took place at the wedding. There were pictures of the bride arriving at the church, her walking down the aisle, the wedding ceremony, the recessional, the reception, etc. "Now do you understand?" he asked.  "I think so," she said, "is that when mommy came to work for us?" Happy Mother’s Day!

Let me share, once again, a few of the things OUR Mothers teach US: 

They teach us LOGIC...

"If you fall off that swing and break your neck, you can't go to the store with me." 

They teach us TO THINK AHEAD...

"If you don't pass your spelling test, you'll never get a good job!"

They teach us ESP...

"Put your sweater on; don't you think that I know when you're cold?" 

They teach us to BECOME AN ADULT...

"If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up. .

They teach us about GENETICS...

"You are just like your father!" 

They teach us about our ROOTS...

"Close that door! Do you think you were born in a barn?" 

They teach us about the WISDOM of AGE...

"When you get to be my age, you will understand." 

They teach us about ANTICIPATION...

"Wait until we get it when we get home."   

And, Mothers teach us - JUSTICE...

"One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like YOU!

The common theme of today’s scripture is that “we are to love one another.”  The Hebrew word that probably best describes God’s love for us is Hesed, God’s loving kindness--the love that is unconditional and makes no distinctions.  Easter faith presents this kind of love that overcomes the evil of this world in which even death will have no dominion. We are all called to be a witness to such love in our daily dealing with each other.

This theme of love is appropriate for Mother’s Day, when the importance of a mother’s unconditional love for her children is recognized and celebrated. One way we can honor mothers would be for us, ourselves, to practice ‘hesed’ toward all of their children, particularly those who have been rejected by the Church because of their ‘sin.’ It is critical, I think, that we find ways to offer God’s peace and love to all children, everywhere-and thus honor all mothers.

To My Mother… by Wendell Berry       (From "Entries" copyright 1994, Wendell Berry)

I was your rebellious (child),

do you remember?  Sometimes

I wonder if you do remember,

so complete has your forgiveness been.

So complete has your forgiveness been

I wonder sometimes if it did not

precede my wrong, and I erred,

safe found, within your love,

prepared ahead of me, the way home,

or my bed at night, so that almost

I should forgive you, who perhaps

foresaw the worst that I might do,

and forgave before I could act,

causing me to smile now, looking back,

to see how paltry was my worst,

compared to your forgiveness of it

already given.  And this, then,

is the vision of the Heaven of which

we have heard, where those who love

each other have forgiven each other,

where, for that, the leaves are green,

the light a music in the air,

and all is unentangled,

and all is undismayed.

Many women, who are not mothers themselves, are blessed with having nurtured people, young and old and helped them find their path. They have loved unconditionally. Such women may never quite know their full impact upon others, or how their fingerprints have affected the shaping of other people’s lives. Look at your fingerprints, and think about how you have been molded into who you are today and those who have influenced your life.

(short pause)

Now look at your thumbs and think about the people you have shaped (anyway, those you know about.

(short pause)

Ask God every day to help you remember that you impact every person you encounter, and to help you see the many opportunities you have to "restore their soul" with a kind word, an accepting smile, and unconditional love. Remember that you will leave thumbprints and think about the kind you want to be remembered for!

Let us pray:

Gracious God, your love last forever. We put our faith and our hope in you. Today, throughout our country, mothers are being remembered and celebrated; families are being honored and recognized.  Our prayer is for the joys and sorrows this day brings. May we take time to appreciate the gifts and graces we have received from our mothers. May we find comfort in our memories of their love for us. We give thanks, Lord, for mothers who gave us birth, who love us no matter what, who support us in everyway,

And, we join all mothers everywhere in praying for their children; may their children be the joy and blessing they hope for.  May they find comfort for their soul and peace and hope for their life. Hear our prayers this day, O God, and give to us such assurance of your love that your love may spill forth from us into the lives of others.  Amen.

“You’re Off To Great Places!”

May 13, 2012

1 John 5: 1-6, John 15: 9-17

In an old Peanuts comic, Charlie Brown sits down at Lucy’s psychiatric stand.

He says to Lucy, "I need help. Tell me a great truth. Tell me something about living that will help me."

Lucy answers with a question, "Do you ever wake up at night and want a drink of water?

"Sure," Charlie responds, "all the time.'

So Lucy leans over and says, "When you're getting a drink of water in the dark, always rinse the glass because there might be a bug in it. Five cents, please!”

Charlie Brown walks away—with a strange look on his face—saying, “Great truths are even more simple that I thought they were."

Charlie Brown was looking for a great truth to help sort things out… and to make sense of his confusing world… but the ‘great truth’ he found at Lucy’s stand wasn’t so great at all. What he went away with instead was a ‘simple’ truth. There’s a difference between great and simple truths, aren’t there?

Great truths are not always where we might expect to find them. The books we read are great places to find such truth, although not always are they school textbooks. Over the years, reading to my children and grandchildren, I’ve found children’s books to be good sources for great truths. Dr. Seuss has provided some wonderful advice, especially for our graduates today, as is shared on the first couple pages of his book Oh the Places You’ll Go:

 “Congratulations!

Today is your day.

You’re off to Great Places!

You’re off and away!

You have brains in your head.

You have feet in your shoes.

You can steer yourself

Any direction you choose.

You’re on your own.

And you know what you know.

And YOU are the guy

Who’ll decide where to go.

You’ll look up and down streets.

Look ‘em over with care.

About some you will say,

“I don’t choose to go there.”

With your head full of brains

And your shoes full of feet,

You’re too smart to go down

Any not-so-good street.”

You know on a day like today it’s natural for us to think we’re prepared for whatever lies ahead. I imagine a lot of people here today can remember thinking how we were ready to go out and conquer the world. We were smart. We knew everything we needed to know. We held Dr. Seuss’ two truths – that knowledge and determination equal success – firmly in our hands and we were ready to take on the world.

But John in his letter to the early church tells us that success depends on something more than a “head full of brains” and “shoes full of feet.” He writes, “The person who wins out over the world's ways is simply the one who believes Jesus is the Son of God.” (The Message) In other words, John says that real success belongs to those who take Jesus’ teaching to heart and who keep God’s commandments to love God completely and to love one another. For John, the great truth was the love of Jesus Christ… (because without love, we’ve lost and the world wins.)

Charlie Brown was looking for a great truth to make sense of a confusing world. What he discovered was that the answers we get are not necessarily great truths. There are some not so great truths out there. Dr. Seuss tells us things are going to ‘happen’ – not only good things, but also “Bang-ups” and “Hang-ups” as well… leading at times to a place where “the streets are not marked.” In other words, things may get confusing and great truths will be hard to tell from the not-so-great truths out there. He writes:

“Simple it’s not,

I’m afraid you will find,

for a mind-maker-upper

to make up his mind.”

“You’ll get mixed up, of course,

As you already know.

You’ll get mixed up

with many strange birds as you go.

So be sure when you step,

Step with care and great tact

And remember that life’s

A great balancing act.

Just never forget

to be dexterous and deft

And never mix up

your right foot with your left.

We live in what’s been called the information age. These graduates are a product of that age. Yesterday, I looked up some interesting facts: When today’s graduating seniors started high school, 1.5 billion people used the Internet, 210 billion emails were sent, there were 133 million blogs, 186 million websites and 1trillion text messages sent. Two years later, those numbers had increased to 2 billion Internet users, 107 trillion emails sent (about 294 billion per day), 152 million blogs, 255 million websites, 25 billion tweets sent on twitter, 600 million people on facebook, and 2.3 trillion text messages sent (estimated to be an average of 3,300 text messages a month for teenagers). So, imagine what the numbers must be today. And that doesn’t include other sources of electronic information. The amount of information to sort through everyday can be overwhelming. Even after it is screened and filtered, all that data can require a lot of our time and energy. There is a lot of information to take in… even more to overlook. Any great truths we may find are few and far between.

William James, American philosopher & psychologist (1842 - 1910), wrote over a hundred years ago: “The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook.” How true that is. A lot of ‘truths’ of this world can be worthless. However, it would be wise to believe Jesus’ truth when he says in today’s gospel, “If you (do what I say), you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.”

You’re off to great places!

Today is your day!

Your mountain is waiting,

So… get on your way.”

And as you go, may the love of Jesus Christ be with you always! Amen.

“Abiding in Love”

May 6, 2012
John 15:1-8

Last week, I felt blessed by the message Larry shared with us here. The image of the good shepherd revealed a close and caring relationship between God and Jesus, and between Jesus and us. We understood better, I think, what John was talking about, and what the psalmist meant when he said, "The Lord is my shepherd." We’ve all seen paintings of Jesus with a little lamb over his shoulders and the flock grazing peacefully around him or of Jesus tenderly holding a small lamb – like that given to the children this morning. This image of the ‘good shepherd’ is reassuring and comforting whenever a person feels lost or alone.

But in this week's reading, Jesus uses another image—that of a vine and its branches, to help us to claim this close relationship with him. It is one of the great "I am" passages from the John. "I am the vine," says Jesus, "and you are the branches." In this we see Jesus as the vine connecting his disciples—the branches, and as the source of their nourishment, the source of their love, bringing life-giving water and nutrients to them. His disciples were familiar with this metaphor. They knew grape vines have tangled branches, winding their way around one another in intricate patterns of tight curls making it impossible to tell where one branch starts or another one ends. Not only intricate; it's relationship is intimate, with the vine sharing with its branches the nutrients that sustain it. Even closer than the shepherd to the sheep, this vine is One with its branches.

His disciples have been with him a long time; they have depended on his teaching and his direction. Knowing he will leave soon, Jesus wants them to be able to go on without him. He wants them to stay in fellowship with one other and to abide in his teaching and example. Thus he urges them to remain one—in him and with him. Some have suggested this is to be the key to discipleship—that we be one with Christ, and close to the vine.

John isn't interested in "distinctions in appearance, character, or gifts" as was the apostle Paul, who used the differences among the members of the body to define "what it means to be a body." Instead of stressing our individual roles as parts of the body, John stresses the need to be close to Christ—to abide in him—by loving God and one another as Jesus loved. For John, the mark of the faithful community is how it loves, not who its members are.

The word, "love," is found throughout John's writings. Love is at the heart of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. Love is the measure of faithfulness. It feels like a state of being—thus we are to ‘abide’ in love. This is central to the passage and to Jesus’ teaching to, "Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you" (The Message). Just as we need the air to breathe, we need food and nourishment to live. We need community, a safe place to be; a home. It’s no different today than when Jesus told his disciples, "I am the true vine...”

Jesus’ teaching impacts us both as individuals and as a community of believers.

As individuals, we each have a personal relationship with Jesus, the vine. Remaining close to the vine—where the nutrients are the most concentrated—we bear the best fruit. Abiding in Christ sustains us and allows us to know God’s peace. Abiding in him we are whole, complete, and healthy. Close to the vine is a peaceful place, no matter what we face. Close to the vine, regardless of what we pray for, our will becomes aligned with God's own will. There, close to the vine, we become ‘one with God’—and that is true heaven.

For the church, the image of the vine and its branches is significant because of its "corporate" nature, its focus on community, and the centrality of "the indwelling Christ" to its ministries. In such an image, it’s hard for those looking for new life not to see connectedness and vitality. From this, we see that our bearing fruit as a church comes from the "growth, usefulness, and nourishment" of the whole. The challenge is to be a community ‘living in Christ’ together, accountable to one another, rather than being individuals that stand out from, and rise up over, one another.

Do we see our life in the church as helping our ‘abiding’ in Christ? Are we being nourished? And do we feel connected—like branches to a vine—to the love of Jesus Christ because of it? Are we bearing fruit?

Sarah Henrich says, “Bearing fruit reveals disciples rather than creating them.” In other words, being fruitful doesn’t make us disciples, rather our ‘abiding in Christ’—our growth, our vitality, our love—allows us to be fruitful. If that is true, and I think it is, our fruitfulness has resulted from our growth and vitality as a church family, which must be continued. The question then is, ‘Do we find ourselves connected to one another here, abiding in Christ.

If not to one another in this church, then to what do we feel connected—our colleagues at work, our classmates, our neighborhood, our Facebook friends? One of the challenges of life today is that we may be more connected than ever, yet feel even more isolated. We can be connected to more sources of information and entertainment, even to each other via email and social media, yet can be starved for actual experiences of being in real relationship.

Jesus offers his disciples more than just being connected; he offers actual relationship—real community—to nourish life. Part of what Jesus is saying is that by being connected to him we are connected to each other. He invites us to be honest, to be real, and having confessed our hopes and fears, our dreams and disappointments, our accomplishments and failures, our blessing and our sin, to know what we are accepted, loved, and forgiven. Jesus reveals, after all, the God who loves the whole world enough to send the Son.

In John's Gospel, Jesus warns his followers not to "go it alone, trusting in their own strength. On their own they would be cut off from their life source. They would bear no fruit." This is good news message for today. It's not up to us. Staying close to Jesus, abiding in him, we have a source for all the love, grace and strength we need in life. Close to ‘the vine’—and because of its life force—we become a fruitful community of love.

Because of God's acceptance of us, we can try to accept each other, imperfections and all. We can be a community where we admit who we are and allow others to do the same. We can be places where the hurts and hardships of life undergo pruning for future growth. We can be a community of love—close to the vine—abiding in Jesus Christ.

“The Resurrection: Christ Alive In Our Midst”

April 22, 2012

Luke 24: 36-48

Let’s begin with some trivia, the category being ‘Art and Culture.’ What 19th century French stockbroker turned Post-Expressionist painter, painted “The Yellow Christ,” was a roommate of Vincent Van Gogh, and said this: “I shut my eyes in order to see.” [Paul Gauguin] As in art, sometimes in things spiritual it may be necessary to close our eyes to the world and distractions around us so we might be open to God’s presence, the risen Christ in our midst. So, close your eyes and consider this: in your living this past week, where or when did you experience the risen Christ? What helped make Christ ‘real’ to you?

I can imagine the resurrection story from Luke today could be read or heard over and over again every year two weeks after Easter – and still not mean anything to someone or affect their lives in any real, significant way. It would be just a story from a long time ago. If that were the case for us, when it came to affecting our lives, nothing would ever really change. Perhaps that is because in our hearing, we remain only observers and never actually see ourselves in the story as the disciples.

Luke says the disciples were frightened, confused and full of questions. We are told that when they saw Jesus, they were bewildered or dumbfounded. They didn’t know what to think. I don’t know about you, but that could be me some days; I could easily be one of the disciples in that room, hiding behind locked doors. Because when it comes to God, sometimes I don’t understand, sometimes I have my doubts – even disbelief at times. In that room, the disciples’ minds and hearts needed help. Today, in this time and place, ours may as well.

How do we explain the resurrection? When going beyond a Bible dictionary or ‘cookie cutter’ definition, we may actually struggle with expressing our understanding in words. That is especially true if our understanding lacks clarity or contains contradictions still unresolved. But, all that is good, and even helpful. Parker Palmer, author, educator, and activist, who focuses on issues in spirituality and social action, among other things, points out that: “The moments when we meet and reckon with contradictions are turning points where we either enter or evade the mystery of God.”

Maybe like the disciples in the story, we still question and wonder what exactly happened. Suddenly, Jesus was right there, standing in front of them, offering them peace. He asks for food. He blesses them. And he commissions them to action. The disciples’ experience of his presence was, as Charles Cousar writes, "mysterious but real.” It wasn’t something they could have made up – he was there. He was really there with them. They just couldn’t explain how he got there.

Jesus was alive, yet to the disciples he is somehow different. He is not the same, not quite like he was before the crucifixion. He is not a ghost, an apparition, or a spirit. He can still eat solid food like them, but now his body can go through walls and locked doors. He is the same, yet not the same. In the face of this new reality, the disciples will be prepared for a new mission not just to the people of Israel but, to the entire world. They are not quite ready yet. They is something else they need, something more. They are in need of dramatic transformation. Their eyes need to be opened, as well as their hearts.

The combination of seeing Jesus, of being with him, and the sharing of the Word together, opened the disciples' hearts and minds. Whenever we shine the light of the gospel on our lives, perhaps our hearts and minds are similarly opened. And we, too, become people of hope. The resurrection is God's affirmation that we matter. God did and is doing something new in the resurrection of Jesus, and in a sense, God is doing something new each time we experience the risen Jesus. So, what then does all this mean to us? Will we be changed?

The resurrection story is a retelling of the disciples’ experience of the risen Jesus – something that still happens today, in many different ways. Some say that trying to make sense of it all can be easier in a community that shares our experience, our questions, and our call. The experience of the early disciples who touched Jesus, put their hands in his wounds and heard his voice, fed his hunger and received his blessing, is the same experience of Christians today who feed the hungry, break bread together, hunger for God's blessing, and respond to the call to turn their lives toward God once again.

Now, because of the resurrection, things can be different. And that is the good news! There can be new life. All the sorrow and shock that immobilizes and confuses us, as well as the disciples, disappears and sets us on a new path. Isn't that what repentance is? Isn't that what transformation feels like? Nothing ever is quite the same, including us. Oh, this change doesn’t happen completely and all at once. Instead, Cynthia Lindner writes, “it happens "by fits and starts, in hours of doubt and moments of exhilaration, with days of numbness and mourning punctuated by brief moments of holy presence and powerful certainty… (or at those times) resurrection may seem most unexpected.”

Barbara Brown Taylor's description of the embodied experience of Jesus was proof, she says, to the disciples that "he had gone through the danger and not around it." So much of our time and energy can be spent finding a way around things, rather than living through them. We don't want to experience pain, or even to come face to face with the suffering of other people. After all, what can we do? And yet, Taylor says, we bear hope for the world because of the commission Jesus gave the disciples and the whole church long ago, that we be the Body, and the Image, of the Risen Christ in the world today.

The resurrection story is about Jesus overcoming death, but it is also about the transformation of Jesus’ disciples, and a changing of their hearts and minds. The risen Christ entered their lives where they were at – jaded, critical, judgmental, and closed-off in heart and mind – and turned them around. Suddenly, for them, everything was different. The risen Christ can also enter our lives and turn them around, especially when we have become tired and weary and judgmental and closed-off in heart and mind. For us, everything can quickly change. The power of the resurrection, an experiencing of the risen Jesus, allows all of us to step out in faith whenever there is an opportunity to respond to a God who continues to save, send, and bless us today. May Jesus be real for us and may Christ be alive in our midst today and every day. 

"The World Won't Be Lonely Now"

April 15, 2012

John 20:19-31

[words in italics are from song written by Bob Schadle, Van Horne, Iowa]

The disciples felt overwhelmed. When confronted with something larger than us, we can feel that way, can’t we? When a problem can’t be figured out, when what’s happened doesn’t make any sense, or when we can’t quite get our mind around something – we become stressed, and feel pressured or small.

Overwhelmed and alone is how the disciples felt after Jesus died. Fearful and confused, Jesus’ followers were now huddled together in a small room behind locked doors. They had no idea where to turn or what to do next. Their teacher, who had held them together for so long was dead. 

He had been executed like a common criminal and buried in a tomb. It wasn’t supposed to end like that! With Jesus buried in that tomb, their hope, their vision, their direction in life was gone. Jesus’ disciples were now left only with an overwhelming sense of failure, loss, and shame.

Jesus did so much for everyone

When he walked this earth,

So many, many years ago

When on high his Father called him,

To be there, by His side,

And all the world seems lonely now.

They remembered their journey together with Jesus, his teaching as they slowly walked from town to town. The words he spoke were huge, hard to understand at times – especially when he talked about the kingdom and everyone’s part in it. His miracles even suggested he was the son of God.  

Jesus’ followers were disappointed with themselves – maybe even a little upset with Jesus. They felt miserable, depressed and letdown. He had raised their hopes so high – and now those hopes and dreams were crushed. Imagine how hopeless they must have felt and how upset and frustrated they must have been.

And then Mary Magdalene started talking nonsense: she said she’d seen Jesus and had talked with him; he was alive, and had risen from the dead just as he’d promised. They didn't believe her, but still thought - wouldn’t it be great if it were! If only it were true.

If only he were here now,

How different our life could be,

He could change the way things are today,

We would all be so happy so that every head would bow,

But all the world seems lonely now.

In his gospel, the apostle John writes, “When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’”

Suddenly, quietly, amazingly there he was, right there in their midst, right before their very eyes. Jesus was alive! And, once again, he was with them. He showed them his hands and his side and they rejoiced. It was him! They saw the Lord. They were certain. He was alive!

They had felt abandoned, alone, as if a rug had been pulled out from under them. Their hope had been crushed. They were confused and upset, their energy sapped, their spirits listless and adrift. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you.” His words and presence settled their souls.

They say you can’t miss something,

Something you never had,

But I don’t believe that to be true.

We’ve always had his love for us

and his forgiveness, too,

And that’s not really something new.

At first, when Jesus appeared to them, the disciples might have been a little afraid that this wasn’t all good news. He might understandably be angry with their abandoning him, and yet there was no anger, or criticism, or judgment. But, instead, Jesus’ first words were: "Peace be with you."

Jesus knew their fear and embarrassment, he knew how upset they were, and he assured them once again of his forgiveness and love for them. Regardless of what they had done or not done, he forgave them; he loved them. As at creation, he breathed into them his Holy Spirit.

Once again Jesus’ disciples could believe; once again they had hope. No longer did they feel overwhelmed. The doors could be unlocked; and they could now go outside. Now, their faith strengthened, they could be his disciples and take the gospel message to the ends of the earth.

If he walked in your door today,

Would you believe that to be true

Then turned around and left then,

What would you really do?

Would you run after him and tell him please do stay,

Or would you just stand there, I hope not this I pray.

Christ enters our place of refuge to assure us of his love and forgiveness. He comes in the midst of what overwhelms us to say, "Peace be with you." Whatever our doubts or troubles, whatever walls we’ve put up or doors we’ve locked, he comes to say, "Peace be with you."

God calls us, feeds us, and sends us out into the world to be justice and peace, salt and light, hope for the world. As God sent Jesus, God sends us into the world God loves. Our mission is to love the world in every possible way. The time is now.

So everyone is asking,

What shall we do and how?

I really don’t know the answer,

But I do know the time is now.

Then maybe the world

Won’t be lonely now.

“Christ Is Risen”

April 8, 2012

Psalm 118: 14-24; Mark 16:1-8

Easter is the high point of the Christian year. Its simple message is that there is One, our Lord Jesus the Christ, who has overcome the world… who has overcome death.

Biblical scholar and writer Douglas Hare reminds us that, “This is a story about God, a God who is powerful enough to raise Jesus up, and in that way, to have something more to say about his death after all that has happened.”

The psalmist writer in Psalm 118 informs us about this being a day in which “our prayers are answered, “the stone… rejected, has become the cornerstone.” This (day) is the Lord’s doing… a day that the Lord has made… a day to rejoice and be glad.”

Jesus says, “I have overcome the world...” This world we live in, this world so full of hope, so full of joy, decked out in spring flowers – and this world of darkness, of sorrow, wickedness and death. Jesus says, I have overcome the world - not some day--the word from the cross speaks “it is finished” done--note the fact, build on it adjust to it--our world has been overcome by the Power of God.  

Christ has risen. Christ overcomes the realities of this world. Christ overcomes death. Christ wins! That is the message of Easter, today – and each and every day. God’s final word is not death and despair but resurrection and new life.

And yet, sometimes it just doesn’t feel like we’ve been ‘released’ or freed from the darkness that can overwhelm. Our world is not overcome. Our troubles and misfortunes are, in fact, alive and well. Our fears are real. We are torn between fearing death, and life as well. It’s then we must remember Easter’s message – God’s great love and power at work for us.

The apostle Paul said, “we are hard pressed on every side but not crushed, we are perplexed but not driven to despair, we are persecuted but not forsaken, struck down but not destroyed.” He then went on to say, “we are always carrying in our bodies the dying of Jesus that the life of Jesus might be made manifest--something of a candle that never expires--in this world tribulation yes--be of good cheer because One has overcome. Christ is risen indeed!”

Fred Craddock suggests that "For Mark, the resurrection served the cross; Easter did not eradicate but vindicated Good Friday." In all of our Easter celebration and our Alleluias, in our flowers and white cloths, we are never to forget Good Friday, and an "executed God." “The heart of the Gospel of Mark,” Craddock says, “is the way of the cross.”

The good news for us is that Easter comes to overcome the world where we are warped by our fears. Unexpectedly we hear the words “be of good cheer, I have overcome” and we somehow know. And for us, this Easter faith allows a new conversation.

One bright morning some women learned in a flash of light that they could live in a terrible world as hopeful joyful people. Despite the cruelty of that world they could live with peace, joy and hope. On Friday, they had just witnessed brutality that was unusual even in an evil and cruel empire. Their hearts were broken, their minds confused, their lives suddenly without the direction. And yet they sensed Jesus with them.

To them, the fact simply was that Christ is risen! 

Yet, the empty tomb presented the women with "the challenge still before them"! If the dream is in fact not dead, if the reign of God is at hand, then there is work to be done and risks to be taken, dangers to be faced. No wonder they ran! Perhaps we would have as well.

For the women, the disciples, Mark's community, and for us today, the call is to Galilee and a new beginning, setting out on the way again, following Jesus faithfully, aware of his resurrection yet mindful of his suffering and death. It’s a story we must finish for ourselves, by setting out on the way of discipleship, to follow Jesus, and to trust God.

Bill Cotton has shared a couple thoughts about the significance of Easter that would help us all. He says: 1) Life after birth and before death is equally as important as life after death. 2) Do not doubt the power of resurrection faith. Do not give up on anyone. Don’t say the world is so messed up that it can’t get better. Don’t ever say you can’t change because that is a lie.

We are to live the kingdom life. 19^th century American poet Emily Dickinson wrote: “To live is so startling it leaves little time for anything else.” Concerning living life to the fullest, English novelist and contemporary, George Eliot wrote, “There are certain things we feel to be beautiful and good, and we must hunger after them.” Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.” Easter calls us to such a life.

Easter announces Christ has overcome the world, both yours and mine. And the power of regeneration and revival is alive among us. In the resurrection, Christ has overcome the fears that keep people apart from one another, and from God. The resurrection is real; as is the power to overcome and our ability to make a difference.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!

Jesus’ Model for Community: A Model For Praying and Acting

A PEOPLE OF SALT AND LIGHT LENTEN SERMON SERIES – SESSION 4 – March 25, 2012

Today’s is the final lesson in our four-part series, A People of Salt and Light. In this study, we have studied what Jesus, in his Sermon on the Mount, taught about being community.

We have heard Jesus say we are blessed by God’s presence during those times in life when we are depressed, or mourning a loss, or uncertain about something; when we are seeking, or showing compassion, or doing good, or getting along; and when we are living as we should. God is present with us at those times – and that is a blessing!

We heard Jesus say that with this blessing comes responsibility on our part – a duty and task to be the salt and the light to the world that we already are – a gift from God, empowered by the Holy Spirit.

And we heard Jesus say that living in community requires living in ‘right relationship’ – living a ‘perfect’ life – a life in which we all matter, in which we all make a difference, and in which we are all the church together. His vision for the church is one of radical love, based on the great commandment to love God with all our heart, mind, and spirit – and to love our neighbor as our self. And to be that church we must get along with one another, stay united, be ourselves, keep our promises, be honest, and return only good for the bad.

Jesus’ vision of the church’s faithfulness is not one of rigid obedience to rules and regulations; but of genuine devotion and integrity in action. Disciples of Jesus Christ do not engage in acts of worship and ministry for the purpose of attracting the attention of either God or other human beings. For example salt best fulfills its purpose when it does not draw attention to itself, but when it enhances the taste of food. And light performs properly not when it draws attention to itself, but when it reveals what otherwise would be hidden in darkness.

How does “the practice of Christian faithfulness” affirm or change your understanding of Christian life?

Christian life is not really so much about rules. I think faithfulness to Christ is about being true, as a community of faith, and as individuals, to who we were created to be, or in other words, to be true to our purpose. As a student, the most important things I learned in art class, or any other class for that matter, were the concepts “truth to material” and “form follows function.” (‘Truth to materials’ says that the material that goes into an artwork has its own nature and innate self – stone should look like stone, wood like wood, etc. and in each, and from within is a certain something waiting to immerge. ‘Form follows function’ then says that how something looks results from what its intended use is to be). I think these two things apply to all aspects of life. Anyway, they have guided my work throughout life – as an artist, a teacher, and as a pastor. It has also shaped my ‘being’ as a husband, a father, and a friend. ‘Truth to material” – being true to what was meant by God to be – is crucial.

In Matthew 6:1-18, Jesus warns his followers about their acts of faith. He understands our capacity to get it wrong. By citing the three pillars of Jewish devotion, Jesus contrasts distorted and healthy practices of almsgiving, praying, and fasting. The repetitious patterns in the texts underscore the difference between actions that are self-serving and acts of faith done in secret to please God and help those in need.

The real purpose of the church’s acts of faith is not the individual’s own spiritual progress, but participation in God’s mission. True Christian faithfulness keeps the focus on God and the neighbor in need and avoids a righteous self-absorption that is so common in the contemporary church. God doesn’t just love me, God loves everyone; Jesus’ death on a cross wasn’t just for me, it was for everyone inside and outside these walls; being a Christian is not about being a better person but about being a community focused on and living for God.

In the Lord’s Prayer, what are the issues of the kingdom? How does this prayer inform what the concerns of the church are to be? How does what we pray for in this prayer affirm or challenge our church’s priorities?

To me, some of the issues of the kingdom found in the Lord’s Prayer are that there are differences between what the world has become (on earth) and what God has created it to be (as it is in heaven); we are not who we might be. Jesus taught his disciples to pray that God’s “kingdom come” and God’s “will be done” in their life as a community. Prayer is important. It concerns God that we do – and it should concern us as a church as well. 

The Lord’s Prayer provides a vision for the life of faith of the Christian community. It focuses the communities attention on the primary issues of the kingdom: the holiness of God’s name, the appearance of God’s gracious will in human affairs, and the basics needed for life and community: daily bread, forgiveness, and deliverance from temptation.

What would a congregation be doing if the Lord’s Prayer more fully shaped its praying and its acting?

N. T. Wright wrote (in The Lord’s Prayer as a Paradigm of Christian Prayer),  “Seen with Christian hindsight … the Lord’s Prayer becomes an invitation to share in the divine life itself. It becomes one of the high roads into the central mystery of Christian salvation and Christian existence: that the baptized and believing Christian is (1) incorporated into the inner life of the triune God and (2) intended not just to believe that this is the case, but actually to experience it.” In other words, as a community of faith we are to live in an interconnected, unified relationship experiencing the ‘inner life’ – the holy life – of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The importance given to the Lord’s Prayer does not mean it is to be a substitute for other acts of faith. Rather this prayer refocuses the community’s vision, empowering its participants in an active life of faith. The Lord’s Prayer binds the surprising graciousness of God to the community’s urgent action.

What insights have you gained about the church living out a vision of Christian faithfulness

We have been invited to live out Jesus’ vision, – which is, in fact, God’s vision – for us as a faith community to be salt and light to world. Based on his Sermon on the Mount and The Lord’s Prayer, and as community of faith like, we are to be faithful to who we are and why we are here – which is to help to bring about the kingdom of God to a world, and those around us, in need of nourishment, forgiveness, and release from that which would separate us from God. The bottom line is we are to live out God’s will for us, as a church, rather than our own. May the Father’s will for His church be done! Amen