Enough

Ephesians 1:15-23

Maybe you have heard the story of the elderly father who is saying good-bye to his daughter at the airport.  He realizes this may be the last time they see each other and as she leaves him he wishes her “enough”.   She replies that he has already given her all that she needs and she too wishes him “enough.  When a by-stander asked what he meant, with tears in his eyes he says it is an abbreviated way of saying:

*I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.
* I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.
* I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.
* I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.
* I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
* I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
* I wish enough hello's to get you through the final goodbye. [1]

I thought of that poem as I read the scripture this week- especially v18 when Paul says “I pray that the eyes of your heart will have enough light to see what is the hope of God’s call, what is the richness of God’s glorious inheritance among believers, and what is the overwhelming greatness of God’s powerful strength.”  That is a pretty big prayer for the people of the church in Ephesus and for us here.  

Enough- this seems like an unusual prayer.  I don’t know about you but most of the time when I pray for something I want it all.  And once I get my mind on something I am a very impatient person.  I want what I want and I want it yesterday.   Patience is not my strong suit and as much as God tries to teach me to savor every step, appreciate the journey and celebrate each little accomplishment I really struggle to accept all these little bits and pieces as enough. 

We want these amazing Ah-ha moments.  We want life to be full of joy, excitement, answered prayers, and these moments of ecstatic revelation when everything goes just as you had hoped and dreamed…   But that isn’t the way life is.  Life is all too often- ordinary, routine, same ol’-same ol’.   Sitting at home, watching TV, work, ball games, reading, going to Bible Study- again, cleaning-  whatever it is that is occupying your time. In these ordinary times, we often struggle to see the richness of God’s inheritance amongst the humdrum of life. 

But then we hear of someone who seems to have had a miraculous God moment-a revelation as to the will of God and our cynical side comes out.  We hear of a woman who goes in for a procedure to remove a tumor and the tumor that was there on Friday is gone and we immediately think- the doctors must have mixed up the x-rays- she was never really sick.  Or the Alcoholic who has a conversion experience and vows to never drink again- but we have our doubts-placing verbal bets on how long his new found sobriety will last.  While we want to see and have these amazing, life altering, and exciting- Mountain top- God experiences- we struggle to believe them when they do happen.  It is beyond our normal scope of reason- so we doubt. 

It seems we just can’t be satisfied.  So Paul prays that we, the people of God, the church, can learn to see God in all these moments- the ordinary and the extraordinary and that in these moments we would come to know Christ better. 

I would garner to guess that most everyone in this room feels like they know Jesus.  If nothing else we know about Jesus.  We know that he was born to a virgin, Mary.  We know he died by crucifixion.  We know that he healed people and feed multitudes with small portions of food.  We know that he had 12 best friends that followed him around and that he liked to challenge the religious leaders of his day.  We have read his biography- most of it anyway.   But do we really know who Jesus is and what it is like to be in a relationship with him?  The surface level knowledge is only the beginning. 

Life is a process of learning that never ends.  People who are married don’t stop talking and sharing just because they have known each other for a long time and think you have heard all the stories of their childhood.  Just because you have been married for 40 years doesn’t mean you know everything there is to know about the other person.  You don’t stop calling your best friend since childhood because you already know every quirk, every detail of their life, every dream and every heartache.  We are even still learning things about ourselves.  Whether we are 25 or 95 we are still learning about who we are, what we like and don’t like and why we think and feel certain ways.  So if we feel that way about a spouse, our best friend since 4^th grade and ourselves- why would we ever think that we know all there is to know about God? 

It doesn’t matter how many times we’ve read the bible through or how many times you’ve heard a sermon or participated in a Bible study lesson on a particular scripture- there is always something to learn.  It is about more than just the words on the page, or the words spoken by a preacher.  It is about what those words are speaking to our hearts, how it guides us and affects what we are going through in that particular moment.  Reading and listening are only the beginning. 

John Wesley believed that faith and being in love with God was like breathing- we breathe in the words of God as we read scripture, listen to sermons,  hear Christian songs and speakers on the radio or TV and as we talk with others about what we believe.  As we do this, as we pray, we are inhaling all that God has to offer.  As we think about it, process it, and digest these words, experiences and conversations we are taking in nourishment, learning and growing and aligning our will with Christ’s will.  But once we have breathed in and nourished our souls, we must exhale.  We must send out into the world the results of that wisdom and knowledge we have gained.  We must exhale in order to inhale another life giving breath. 

In this very ordinary action of breathing we can see and experience God.  In the very ordinary action of cooking- we nourish and share love with others.  In the very ordinary act of arguing over when to have a meeting or who is invited to participate, we learn tolerance and patience.  In the very ordinary act of shaking someone’s hand we offer the hand of Christ in welcome and hospitality.  In the very ordinary act of disagreeing over politics or God’s will for this world we learn compassion and the beauty of diversity.  In the very ordinary laughter of children we see the love and joy of Christ.  As we take communion,  in the very ordinary juice and bread of the Lord’s table- we experience the unconditional love, compassion, forgiveness, and grace of God. 

We don’t need exciting awe struck moments of revelation to know God.  God has already given us enough to know God better.  All we need is to open our minds enough to see that God is in and of all things.  That is the true spirit of wisdom that comes from a relationship with Christ- not just knowing of Christ but knowing him as our personal Lord and savior and desiring to know him more and more- knowing that there will never be a time when we reach the limit and stop growing in our faith, loving him more, or able to be in a deeper and more intimate relationship with him. 

Like Paul’s prayer to the church to have enough… God too wishes us enough.  Enough joy to get us through times of sadness, to know the love of God enough to get us through the times when we don’t feel love from others.  Enough hope in a Christ who is risen from the dead to know that we can experience resurrection in even our toughest situations.  Enough knowledge of the life of Christ, so that we can imitate his character and love towards others.  Enough glimpses of the Holy Spirit so that we know we can trust its guiding and be willing to follow.  Enough ordinary moments with God that we know that Christ is always with us.  Open your heart enough to welcome Christ into your life to taste and see the glory of God’s kingdom and to glimpse the love God has for you- ordinary you- loved more deeply than you can ever imagine. 

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[1] Copyright © 2001 Bob Parks --- Sent in by Karen McGriff ---http://www.motivateus.com/stories/iwish2.htm

Abundant Life

John 10:1-10

The gospel of John likes to take the parables of the other three gospels up a notch to be more of a riddle than life lesson.  I thought I knew exactly what I was going to preach on today the first time I read the scripture, but the more I read it, the more complicated it seemed. 

We like the image of Jesus as the shepherd.  It is a warm, intimate, comforting and loving image.  But then Jesus says “I am the gate”, a gate keeps the sheep safe but also one that separates the sheep from the world.  Then there is the odd phrase that some know his voice but others don’t.  Are there some sheep that don’t belong to God? Aren't we all God’s children?  Then we have the image of Jesus who came to give us a full and abundant life. 

How can all these be true? We aren't the only ones confused.  The people listening to Jesus say these words were so confused he had to tell them twice and they still didn't get it.  And we as believers have been reading it for thousands of years and still find it confusing and perplexing.

Maybe the confusion comes because we try to think about it too hard.  We try to analyze every little detail and in the effort, we miss the big picture.   In the passage just prior to this in chapter 9 Jesus is criticizing the Pharisees for being blind to whom Jesus is.  Maybe in our effort to study, scrutinize every detail and find the “real” Jesus, we over stimulate our brains and in our efforts to know everything we possibly can, we become blind to what the gospel is speaking to our hearts. 

For me the truth in this scripture reading is the very last sentence- “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”   But this in and of itself is vague and confusing.  What does it mean to live life abundantly? 

For some, this may mean wealth and luxury or as Robin Leach used to say “Champagne wishes and caviar dreams.” The freedom to make choices and do whatever to whomever they choose -bar the consequences, eat what they want, buy what they want, work when and where they want, or not work at all.  Sleep in and watch TV, find pleasure in whatever way they fancy at the moment. 

I have to admit that sounds pretty good to me, maybe that sounds like a good life to you too.  Maybe that is your dream life.  But this is not what God intends when we are told Jesus wants us to live life abundantly.  When we go back to the scripture we realize that all the sheep, those who know the voice of Jesus and those who don’t are all in the sheepfold.  They are all hemmed in and there are always limitations to the freedom we experience in that place.      

Those who desire to live in abundance outside the will of God are still hemmed in- but by a desire for money, things, the consequences of their ruthless pursuit of the next greatest thing is what traps them in.  Maybe they think that the next Dr. Oz show or self-help guru will be what helps them feel fulfilled and loved, or it is the most up to date technology which will make their life easier but in reality they are continuing to run on the hamster wheel of life, bound by the limits of credit, never really going anywhere and this endless pursuit adds stress and worry preventing them from experiencing what God truly desires for them.

It is the sheep who hear and listen to the voice of Jesus, the one true shepherd who are led out of the confines of the pin and into a world of experiences and nourishment beyond the wildest dreams of those still confined.

 Maybe it is the unknown of the great big world out there that scares us.  We feel safe as long as we are in the confines of this building, our homes and our jobs.  We know that there is a nice fence around us to protect us from the dangers “out there” but this is a false sense of security.  The analogy in our scripture tells us there will be thieves and bandits who come to steal and kill and destroy, even entering the confines of perceived safety to do so, but it is the shepherd which keeps them safe, not the walls and fences of the pin. 

It is a natural tendency to want to stay safe, to not take any chances or not trust that which we cannot see or understand.  We want to protect ourselves and those we love.  It is scary to take risks on others and on our-selves. 

There is a phenomenon in modern day parenting called the helicopter Mom- maybe you know a few.  The one who refuses to let their child out of their sight-they are over protective, over cautious, overly worried and they try to create this protective barrier around their child with the hope that they never have to face the disappointments and challenges of life. While I understand this desire, the problem is that this doesn't work.  We cannot put ourselves or others in a bubble.  They will have their feelings hurt, they will get sick, they will get disappointed, not make the team or get the job they want, and they will have their hearts broken.  That is just the way life is. 

It takes a leap of faith and a great amount of trust, to let our children go but also to allow ourselves to wander out into the world, following the voice of our shepherd and teaching our children to do the same. 

Currently, one of the young adults from this church is on a whirlwind mission experience, 11 countries in 11 months.  I am sure when she told her parents and grandparents she wanted to do the world race as a missionary it took every ounce of their being not to lock her in her room and refuse to let her go.  Letting your child, no matter how old travel the world without you to protect them is a scary thing.  But instead, they decided to pray about it and trust that wherever she goes- God goes with her.  And the result has been an amazing transformation of her life; and the abundance she is experiencing could have never been experienced had she decided not to follow the voice of God and stayed in the safety of her home town surrounded familiarity and the people who love her.

Accepting the freedom to roam is a scary thing.  It comes with the sacrifice of control, the possibilities of failure, real fear of the unknown and the likelihood that we will make mistakes and others might hurt us and those we love.  Taking the risk to live life in abundance with Christ has its rewards but you don’t have to travel the world to partake in this adventure that leads to abundant life. 

What it takes is more than just listening to the voice of God and reading the words of scripture- it calls us to action. Jesus isn't calling all of us to travel the world.  Some he is simply calling to volunteer to read to school children, mentor a woman at Clean Slate or send cards of encouragement to missionaries or soldiers. The voice of Jesus beckons us to follow him to unknown people and to unfamiliar places so that others too will recognize his voice and find abundant life in him. 

Not only is Jesus, the good shepherd, our protector, he is our guide.  He leads by example.  In the fullness of his life, we see his self-giving sacrifice, his tender approach, kind words and healing touch to all those around him.  Love and compassion for all people are the driving force of his life and ministry and He calls us to live a life imitating him, loving those he loves, caring for the poor and the sick, the lonely, the orphan, the elderly, the imprisoned and the sinner. 

Abundant life is not simply what we aspire to achieve in the next life.  It is something we can experience now.  Imitating Jesus is how we live and experience this life to the fullest.  It is in loving these, that we can get a glimpse into the love God has for us.  And, when we mess up, because we will, Jesus will be there to help us pick up the broken pieces and start again with the grace and love of Christ.  Failure is not the enemy, it is the fear of trying something new which prevents us from experiencing the abundance Christ desires for us. 

This life is one with abundance of love.  It is found not in things but in the intimacy of a relationship with God in which Jesus knows each of the names of the all the children of God and everything about them.  It is in this intimate relationship with God and others that we receive life; not just life eternal but life now, in this world, full life with all its ups and downs, in the midst of chaos and fear, reasons for joy and reasons for sorrow and peace knowing that the loving shepherd goes with us through it all. 

Those of you who are parents, know this is true.  You have tried to shepherd your children to be the best adults they can be.  You have witnessed their heart breaks, broken bones and broken spirits.  You have witnessed them face the consequences of their own poor choices and live with the consequences of the poor choices of others.  You have laughed with them and cried with them, been angry at them and rejoiced with them.

You know that because we are humans, no matter how good of a parent you are, children can’t be protected from everything and God realizes this too.  Some of you know first-hand what it must be like for God to be heart broken when your children choose to leave the fold. But because you know the depths of sorrow, you also know the potential for the ecstasy and joy when you see your child make the right decisions, grow from their mistakes, and become stronger because of the adversity they faced. 

This is what Jesus intends as he tells us this riddle.  Abundant life is not found hiding underneath the bed or behind the door or even within the walls of the church.  Abundant life is found when we walk bravely through the gate, trusting that it leads to a place full of wonderful experiences, life giving diversity and nourishing pastures.  And trusting that the shepherd goes with us, leading us to an intimate relationship where we know the voice of the shepherd and he calls us by name. 

God is calling each and every one of us by name to come out of the sheepfold.  Leave the confines of perceived safety into the loving embrace of Jesus.  Follow him, encourage others to come along too and experience the abundance of life together. 

inheritance

Acts 2: 14a, 22-32/ 1 Peter 1:3-9

The two scriptures we read today took place in two very different times.  The lesson from Acts took place at Pentecost- just 50 days after the resurrection that first Easter.  Many people in the crowd that Pentecost morning had seen the miracles of Jesus and heard Jesus teach first hand.  They had been direct witnesses to the life and ministry of Christ. 

The Lesson from 1 Peter is taken from a letter written by followers of Peter to established churches in the early Christian faith, some 50 to 60 years and hundreds of miles away from the events of that first Easter.  Both of these groups are witnesses to the ministry of Christ.  Maybe not first-hand witness but witnesses to the same faith, hope and love we find in Christ today.  It has been 1,981 years since the death and resurrection of Jesus but we continue to be witnesses to the ministry of Christ. 

The words of 1 Peter remind us that “Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy.” 

It is hard to believe in things we cannot experience with our senses.  The early disciples had the benefit of seeing, touching, and hearing Jesus, tasting and smelling the bread which he shared with them.  Maybe we feel at a loss because we have been unable to share those same experiences.  That has been one of the questions and criticisms of those who don’t believe in God.  How can we as Christians believe in something we have never seen?  To unbelievers, Jesus is just a name. 

Our scripture tells us that even though we have not seen, we have inherited the word of God and our faith, through the shared experiences of Christians across the generations and the love, forgiveness, salvation and life from our creator. 

This inheritance is a gift from God to all who choose to accept it.  For those who have faith it is simply the removal of the gloves, blindfold, and earplugs that prevented us from touching, seeing, hearing  and experiencing these gifts before. 

We are reborn in our faith when we are able to remove these barriers which prevent us from experiencing God.  40 generations have passed since Jesus’ resurrection and we are made aware of these gifts through the grace of God and through the stories and actions of the generations who have come before.

None of you know my Grandma Ouida.  She lived with my family most of my life and had a major impact on who I am today.  I have a shadow box which contains much of the physical things I inherited from her.  Some of are just trinkets and objects of sentimental value but some of this goes much deeper than just sentiment.  Some of these things symbolize the shaping of my life and my faith.  My grandmother was God fearing, fiercely independent, strong and faithful.  But as a woman married in the pre-civil rights/ pre-women’s rights movement she lost part of her identity when she married- she was no longer Ouida, The certificate shows her name to be Mrs. John Brashear.  So the certificate in the box reminds me of the rights and freedoms I have because people of her generation made a decision to fight so that things would be different for their daughters and granddaughters. 

The certificate and Pins are from her years as a United Methodist Woman.  I remember going to UMW meetings with Mom and Grandma as a girl.  Learning first-hand what it meant to be in service and Mission for Christ.  I inherited my desire to “do” God’s work from these women.  As I grew older and helped begin new UMW units in various churches and began serving at the District Level, I was taught leadership, strength of character and a deeper understanding of my faith, because of women who wanted to share their love for Christ and their passion for the people God loves with me and this is what encouraged me to believe that I could be in ordained ministry.

I know my story is not unique.  Each one of you inherited your faith through the words and actions of someone else.  Maybe it was a family member, or maybe it was someone from the family of God who introduced you to Christ.  But, because someone introduced you to Jesus and shared the word of God with you- you have been able experience the abundance of love and joy we receive from God.

What we inherit is a gift of God but it comes through the lives of people who love Christ.  It is passed down from generation to generation-not just family lines but through the inheritance of being part of the family of God and a community of believers.   Those first Christians went into the world and told others about Jesus, his ministry and resurrection.  The next generation did the same thing and it has been repeated over and over again so that we, as believers today can continue to be witnesses of the cross to others. 

The people who crucified Jesus, intended for it to be an end to Jesus ministry; to put an end to the inheritance of his faith and ministry but what man meant for evil, God intended for good.  God used that moment to show just how powerful God is.  

Acts 2:24 says, “But God raised him up, having freed him form death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power.”  Resurrecting Jesus from the dead proved God’s power and proved the religious leaders of the day wrong.  Instead of an ending, it has been the most powerful continuation of faith, this world has ever seen and we have been given a new birth through our faith in the risen Lord.  Because of the resurrection we know that Jesus is more than just a name.

This same power that raised Jesus from the dead is the same power we inherit through our faith in Jesus Christ.  It is the power which takes our struggles in this life and makes us stronger.  It is the same power which lifts us up out of our self-pity and allows us to experience joy even when those on the outside cannot see a reason to rejoice.  It is the same power which gives you peace when everything around you seems uncomfortable and chaotic.  It is the power that allows us to give up our attempt to control and trust that God can take care of whatever is out of our control. 

This is our inheritance and it is the most precious gift we could have ever been given- better than any trinket or life insurance policy we could ever buy in this life because it gets us through every day and goes with us everywhere we go. 

We are all indebted to those who invited us to share in this gift from God.  We are all grateful for the joy, mercy, grace, peace, and freedom we have found in the unconditional love of Christ- because someone was willing to witness to us and help us remove the things in life that prevented us from experiencing the fullness of Christ.  This inheritance is intended as a gift for everyone.  There is plenty to share.

I would like for you to take some time, read the scriptures, pray, talk with God, your spouse, your best friend, me or someone you trust.  Think about, talk about or write down what your relationship with Jesus means to you.  When did Jesus become more than just a name to you?  What would you be missing without Christ in your life? Who are you indebted to for offering you the word of God and encouraging you in your faith? What is it about Jesus that you think others shouldn't live without?  Spend time reminding yourself of why you love Jesus and why your faith community is so integral to your life of faith. 

After you have done this I encourage you to ask God to lead you and help you find someone to invite to lunch or coffee.  Get to know them, spend time listening to their stories and after a few cups of coffee, when you feel the moment is right, ask God to help you share your faith with them.  Find someone or several someones to mentor and encourage in their walk with Christ. 

I am forever grateful to my grandma, family, the men, women, pastors and UMW ladies who guided my walk of faith and continue to guide and mentor me.  As we celebrate the inheritance we have received from God and from the people of God in our lives; ask this question- 

Who will we pass on this wonderful inheritance to?  It is meant to be shared and while family is extremely important for creating a foundation of faith- it takes a village, the whole family of God to mentor, nurture, and encourage one another in our walk of faith.  

Easter is Coming

Psalm 31/ Matthew 21

In every church I have ever been a part of, Palm Sunday has been seen as a day of joy.  We revile in the fact that for once, we and the people of Jerusalem, finally seem to get who Jesus is.  We like the people in Jesus’ time, see, and experience the presence of God in our lives and we read all the stories of Jesus’ life and while some reject him and others accept him, it seems that on this day, as Jesus rides into Jerusalem on the foal, we finally get it! We finally understand who Jesus is!

I remember as a child getting to come into the church on Palm Sunday smiling, happy, singing Loud Hosannas waving my palm branch in the air.  It was always a joyous occasion.  If nothing else, as a child, it meant Easter was coming.  Mom had probably already made my Easter Dress by then, we were starting to attend community Easter Egg hunts, dying and decorating eggs.  We were getting ready! Maybe if we had been observing Lent that year, I could look forward to taking up whatever bad habit I had temporarily given up.  I could soon eat candy again or drink sodas.  In my excitement I never really thought about what it might have really been like that first Palm Sunday.  What made this day different?  Why were they all of a sudden willing to claim Jesus as the Messiah?  And even if I did briefly think about this it quickly turned to blame.  These hypocrites!  Your shouting Loud Hosannas now but in less than a week you will have turned your back on the messiah… and in my naiveté, I thought I would never have done that- I am embarrassed to say that I no longer have the same confidence of that statement.  I hope and pray I wouldn’t. But even his best friends deserted him and who am I?  And what I really never thought about until I was preparing for today, is what was Jesus thinking and feeling?

This day was a very important day in the life and ministry of Christ.  Jesus had been fulfilling prophecies all through his life but it was coming to a climax on this day.  The Prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah and Zachariah had lots to say about who the Messiah would be and what that would look like.  The Messiah would ride in on a donkey, a sign of peace, not a war horse.  He would come into Jerusalem from the East, from the Mount of Olives; he would be betrayed by a friend, sentenced to death with criminals and hung on a tree.  This is the beginning of the climax of the fulfillment of these prophesies from hundreds of years before.  Jesus knew all this.  He knew at least to some extent what the week ahead would bring, and he knew his time had come.  His whole earthly life had been building up to this moment.  I get filled with anxiety just thinking about it.  And yet, every mental image I have of this moment, Jesus is smiling and waving like the grand marshal in a parade. 

I can only imagine the stress Jesus is feeling.  So, I struggle to reconcile this in my mind. Is Jesus welcoming the last bit of positive and supportive attention he will get from these crowds?  Is he smiling and soaking it all in or is he the humble, merciful and compassionate servant gently smiling at those he loves?  Maybe we see Jesus as smiling and laughing with the crowd because that is what we expect our leaders to do today.  We expect the well-oiled politician to shake hands and kiss babies and ride in the back of a red convertible with a big plastic grin on his face.  I am sure Jesus laughed and smiled, and joked around with his friends, just like everyone else but we know the idea of politician is not the type of leader Jesus embodied for us, especially not on this day.  Maybe Jesus is smiling, but I doubt it is a smile of Joy.  Instead, maybe it is that other smile that we are all too often aware of; the smile that covers up our pain.  The smile we give to friends and neighbors when we don’t want to tell them what’s wrong.  The smile we use to reassure ourselves when all we really want to do is cry.  Jesus knows where this road is leading, and while this moment is pleasant, he knows what the disciples and the crowd don’t understand yet, Good Friday is coming.  This smile is not one of Joy but one of anxiety.   The psalmist describes in our text today what I imagine Jesus was feeling.  You say you love me now but I know in a matter of days you will all abandon me, even my closest of friends will betray me.  People are already plotting my death and yet, I need to go through the motions, keep up appearances, all this will be over soon enough. 

It is a little much to claim that we know how Jesus felt.  I am sure over the course of history there have been leaders who were martyred for their faith, killed for standing up for what was right but most of us have never experienced anything close to it.  But we get a glimpse when we are in those situations that we find ourselves anxiously waiting.   It is the anticipation of the tough and painful conversation we know we have to have with a loved one.  It is the week between testing and diagnosis.  It is the waiting in ICU to see if a loved one will make it through the night.  It is what we have been symbolically walking through this Lenten season as we reflect on the times in our lives when we have found ourselves spiritually lost or in wilderness moments. 

Jesus did have one advantage.  It is one that we have been given too, but we don’t always recognize it.  He knew what the final outcome would be.  Despite the stress, anxiety, worry and anticipation Jesus knew that Good Friday was not the end- Easter was coming.  There was light at the end of the ordeal and Jesus is our light in these moments of darkness too.  The Psalmist expresses this trust in our scripture today.  “I trust in you Lord; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in your hands;” Because of our personal history and experience with God, because of the life of Jesus, because of the Gospel, because we have been given the word of God, we can have that hope too.  We have hope and can trust in the messiah, who knew what was coming next and loved us enough to endure the pressure of this week and the pain cross out of love for us. 

God can see past our anxiety, past our fear.  God can see past the things we cannot comprehend and promised to be with us every step of the way.  It is a matter of reality that sometimes things in this life get better but sometimes they don’t.  Like Jesus, we may still have to walk the road in front of us.  We may not be cured of the disease of our bodies; we may not get what we want in this life. But even still, and that is a big But- God can still be trusted to be there.  Whether the prognosis is good or bad, whether the conversation ends in forgiveness or anger, whether life or death, God will always be there with us, guiding us through to the other side.  And we can trust just as Jesus did and as many children celebrate on this day- Easter is coming!

Yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death- not over it or around it or avoid it- but as we go through it, God is with us.  Where does our help come from? It comes from the Lord.  The Lord will keep your life.  As we experience all the fear and anxiety associated with living this life, God hears our cries and not only does God hear, but in Jesus we see that he empathizes and understands our distress, and provides us companionship, comfort, peace, guidance and reassurance no matter the circumstances of our situation.  We can trust God, in good times and bad, to be there with us, leading us and guiding us to new life in Christ. We can trust that Easter is coming and we can believe with full confidence that Jesus is our Hosanna, and will save us. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the Highest!

sin-cycle

Psalm 32

Sin, now that’s a touchy subject!  No one likes to talk about sin. We want to avoid the conversation as much as possible. 

Let’s be completely honest, that is one of the reasons you choose to attend one church over another or not to attend church at all.  You may not mind being challenged, but you want a place where there is a pretty good chance you won’t be yelled at and told how horrible of a sinner you are every Sunday.   We like to talk about love and grace and forgiveness- rainbows and butterflies and whiskers on kittens, all the sweet and wonderful things we like about God.  But again if we are completely honest, we can’t have those sweet things if we don’t talk about sin.  And, in fact, if we don’t have sin, then why do we need the forgiveness, love and grace we get from Jesus?

Sin is an ugly part of our reality as humans.  It is an element of our humanity that we would prefer to ignore and just brush under the rug.  To some extent, we can’t help it.  We are self-centered, egotistical, and always right! And to that end, we think we are in control.  We can control our emotions and maintain inner harmony as long as we don’t admit our mistakes.  If we ignore them, they go away, or so we like to think.  This is sin in many ways.  It is the desire to rely on ourselves rather than God.   Sin is anything that separates us from being in a relationship with God and each other. 

When we initially think of sin we think of breaking God’s laws, especially the 10 commandments.  But these are not the only sins.  We sin by omission when we fail to speak up when we see someone do something wrong.  We sin when we know God is calling and urging us to do or act a certain way and yet we fail to follow God’s call.  When we spew words of hate and disgust about a fellow child of God, we sin by failing to follow God’s call to love.  We sin when we consciously or unconsciously put our own needs above the needs of the community, the poor and the disenfranchised.  We sin when we willfully do harm to someone else; physically, emotionally or spiritually.  There is individual sin, what you and I do each day as we interact with other people and God’s creation.  But there are also corporate sins; the rules that our culture and society put in place to blame victims and allow the power and greed of government and corporation to be the most important part of our society. 

By now I am sure you are as uncomfortable as I am.  I can almost hear you thinking- hurry up, let’s get to the good stuff.  And I will, but we shouldn’t hurry on too quickly.  That is what often gets us in trouble with our sins.  The thing is, when we brush past sin and try to ignore it, blame other people for our problems or just forget about it, it ends up doing more harm than good.  Sometimes we even blame our humanity instead of facing it head on.  But, ignoring the problem does not make it go away.  We cannot just look the other way. 

The Psalmist tells us in vs 3 and 4 “While I kept silence, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long.  For day and night your hand was heavy upon me, my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.”

When I was about 13 years old, Mom asked me to wash all the china in the cupboard.  It was close to thanksgiving and we would be using them in a few days.  While I was doing this I was goofing off and I dropped one of the antique tea cups.  As soon as it hit the floor and chards of porcelain went everywhere I panicked.  I was immediately stricken with worry about telling Mom.  I was so worried I was crying, scared that Mom was going to be angry with me.  I didn’t know what I was going to do –I could fess up or I could hide it- it might be days or weeks before she realized it was missing...  

The Psalmist knows what I learned that day- Sin eats away at us from the inside out.  If we try to ignore it, it simply festers and grows and causes our lives to waste away.  Sin does this to us in mental and physical ways.  Sin is often manifested in guilt, anger, worry, anxiety, regret, loneliness, fear, resentment and a general sense of heaviness.  If we let it go for too long, it is sometimes even manifested in physical pain and illness- headaches, stomach aches, muscle aches, fatigue, high blood pressure and depression.  It affects our daily lives too.  Our relationships with family and friends are often damaged and sometimes destroyed.  Our financial security is threatened and the worst part of all, the distance between us and God grows larger and larger because these sins compound each other.  We sin in new ways to cover up or try to fix other problems and the hole gets deeper and deeper.

It doesn’t have to be that way.  The very next section in the Psalm we are told “Then I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not hide my iniquity; I said ‘I will confess my transgression to the Lord’ and you forgave the guilt of my sin”.  All these emotions and physical manifestations we experience when we sin, are God’s attempt to wake us up and make us aware of just how much we need Jesus.  When we realize this, when we stop and earnestly confess our sins to Jesus it is amazing the changes that take place.  The consequences of our sin may still linger but it is the beginning of a new life.  The peace and joy that simply speaking it out loud brings is immeasurable as we allow God to start the healing process, provide us with forgiveness, comfort and reassurance that we are still loved in spite of our sin.  No longer will the sin be what controls our life, the downward spiral of sin is broken, and we will not be overwhelmed by our transgressions and we will have the strength to face them instead of hide from them. 

The day I broke my mom’s tea cup, I learned a valuable lesion.  After I cleaned up the mess and gathered my courage, I decided not to hide it.  I called Mom at work to tell her what happened.  The first thing out of her mouth was “are you ok”.  She was more worried about me than the cup.  Had I cut myself or been hurt?  Then her next statement floored me…. “It’s just a cup.”  As she offered me comfort and thanked me for my honesty, the guilt, worry and anxiety that had been building up disappeared.

This was by no means the worse sin I ever committed against my parents but that day Mom showed me what it meant to be loved and forgiven.  When we recognize our sin and cry out to God for forgiveness- the worry, stress and anxiety related to it go away, replaced by the comfort, love and peace of Christ.  Not only are our sins forgiven but as we listen to our own hearts and listen to God we learn more about ourselves and more about God.  This is not where it ends though.  Forgiveness is not a one-time event.  It is something that we have to constantly work on.  Once saved always saved/ once forgiven always forgiven is simply not true.  Our baptism, our seeking out God for salvation and forgiveness is just the beginning of our journey.

We are addicted to sin.  If you have ever suffered from an addiction or know someone who does you know what this cycle looks like.  We sin, we feel guilt and God convicts us of our sins, we ask and receive forgiveness, we check ourselves into sin rehab, pray, come to church, read the bible and maybe we clean up for a while and then we relapse into this addition to sin.  These relapses are not entirely a bad thing though.  Each time, we learn more about ourselves, our triggers, and our moments of weakness.  We learn coping mechanisms and how to seek God for strength. Our relationship with God grows stronger and deeper, and we grow more mature in our faith. 

We will never be without sin but as Paul Harvey said, and now, the rest of the story. 
Our Psalm ends today with the voice of God, responding to the heartfelt prayers of the Psalmist.  God confirms to us that we will be corrected of our sins like a mule or horse who needs a bit and bridle we are being trained to follow and listen to God’s will.  But Vs 10 says this “Many are the torments of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds those who trust in the Lord.”  

As we enter this season of Lent, we are called to a time of self-reflection, a time to humble ourselves and listen to our hearts and listen to God’s call on our lives.  We are preparing our lives for Easter and we realize, Praise God that our sin is not the end of the story.  Jesus came to heal our brokenness, to offer forgiveness of our sins, to break the cycle of sin and death, to show us a better way and teach us how to walk with God and be in a relationship with the One who can provide everlasting comfort and peace that surpasses all understanding.  God has wanted this all along.  That twinge of guilt, that feeling of uneasiness that is God calling us to seek Jesus, to stop and come back- we are never too far gone, we can never be so far from God that we are unreachable.  There is hope!  Trust in God to love you and provide a way out of the hole you have dug for yourself and your sin.  Because of the cross, because of Jesus, because of God’s unfathomable love for creation, we are redeemed.  Desmond Tutu said it this way “There is nothing that cannot be forgiven, and there is no one undeserving of forgiveness,”  

This is the Good News; this is the reality we seek when we look forward through the 40 days of Lent to the cross of Good Friday and to the empty cross of Easter.  Despite our sin-we are forgiven! This is worth rejoicing!

Don't blink

Matthew 17: 1-9

The small town of East Bend where I grew up is a one stop-light town.  The joke with people passing through was “don’t blink, you will miss it” East Bend was so small that if you weren’t looking for it, if you weren’t paying attention you may never see it.

Maybe you give that advice to new parents.  Cherish every moment- your kids will grow up faster than you realize.  In a blink of an eye you will realize that all those special moments are past.  If we aren’t paying attention, if we aren’t looking for how special life is in this moment- we may get too caught up in getting to work on time, having a spotless home, or climbing the corporate ladder that the moments that are truly special pass us by unnoticed.

Jesus invited Peter, James and John to participate in a very special and intimate moment.  But they were so used to being with Jesus that they were unaware of just how special this would be.  Oh it’s just another day with Jesus, will he ever get tired of these hikes to nowhere?

But then they get to the top.  Is this real?  Are we hallucinating?  Who is that Jesus is talking too? Moses? Elijah? Really?

Is this an illusion?  Is Peter, James and John really seeing what they think they are seeing?  Peter immediately thinks, well if they are real then they should have a place to stay.  Even though Peter was being confronted with divine images of prophets- he continues to think about things people on earth would want.  He doesn’t quite get it. 

But if it wasn’t special enough- if being with Jesus wasn’t enough, if seeing Moses and Elijah wasn’t special enough God isn’t going to let them leave without being changed forever.  God interrupts Peter and as they hear the voice of God they fall on their faces.  How awesome is that!  What an awe inspiring and amazing gift to hear the voice and be in the presence of God! 

When I read this verse I thought of the MercyMe song “I can only imagine” The chorus asks: what will I do when I see Jesus- Will I stand or will I fall to my knees? Will I dance or be still, will I speak or be silent?

The problem with this and with the reaction of the disciples is that every day over the past 3 years they had been in the presence of God and didn’t know it.  They claimed to know Jesus as the Messiah, the Christ but they didn’t really understand what that meant.  It took a spectacular, extraordinary, face flat on the floor moment for them to realize what was going on.

We do this too.  We claim Jesus is the Messiah, our Lord but yet we fail to recognize his presence in our lives.  Maybe we can remember the first time we met Jesus.  We can remember our baptism, those moments when we were acutely aware of the Presence of God, when we could feel his love, those moments when we are moved to tears by the overwhelming presence of God…. You probably felt transformed after those moments -right?   But those big moments pass and ordinary life continues on and maybe we begin to forget that Jesus is still with us.

Sometimes it is hard to see and recognize that God is with us.  Maybe we get so caught up in life that we miss how special those everyday moments with Jesus are.  We get so busy doing stuff- family, work, church, housekeeping, caring for loved ones, volunteering, watching TV, and work that we begin to forget that God is with us.  Sometimes we get so caught up looking for those big moments- anticipating and worrying that we blink and we miss what is right in front of us the whole time.

Yesterday I was standing in line at the post office and a little girl was running circles around the counter and singing.  Her dad was worried about her being disruptive to the other customers so he corrected her but for me that was a holy moment.  A child, being the sweet, charming, and lovable child she was created by God to be.  I wanted to freeze time for that dad because it won’t be long before she is too busy with friends on a Saturday morning to spend time with her dad. 

Maybe it is that moment over coffee with your spouse when nothing is really said, or needs to be said. Maybe it is shopping with a friend, laughing about an inside joke. Or that special song that comes on the radio as you’re driving to a doctor’s appointment or work.  Or maybe it is in that moment when a loved one holds your hand as you cry.   We encounter God every day.  We just have to take the time to be aware of God’s presence. It is in these moments with God when we come face to face with the Holy that we too are transformed.  

John Wesley believed that while God is always present, there are specific ways and moments in life where God makes a special effort to reveal God’s self to us; Baptism and Holy Communion.  While it may seem like the bread and this grape juice of Holy Communion are ordinary things we may eat and drink every day, when we partake of them in worship it is no longer ordinary but extraordinary. 

When we slow down, when we listen to the words spoken, when we don’t just read the words but earnestly confess our sins, when we truly believe that Christ died for us, then it becomes special and we can see God and be transformed.  Communion is a Holy moment.  It is a time we as believers set aside to really stop and think about who Jesus is and reflect on what it means to us to be forgiven and loved and what it means to have a God who doesn’t need a temple but instead dwells in our hearts. 

And like the other moments in life, if we rush through it, if we say the words without thinking we blink and miss just how extraordinary it is to be in the presence of God.  Unlike in the song “I can only imagine” we don’t have to wait until we meet God in glory to know what it is like to be in God’s presence.  God is with us every day and in every moment.  Don’t just imagine what you will do when you see God- live it out in every moment of your life.  Start now, start today, let it change your life now.

http://youtu.be/0xwzItqYmII

honor God, honor self, honor others

Matthew 5: 38-48      

In the scriptures prior to these, Jesus give us the beatitudes and  instructions on how to live in harmony with those closest to us. Jesus starts with telling us who is blessed, then moves on to the “you have heard it said” section so we know how God wants us to live and be with each other. 

But, what happens, what are we supposed to do when others do us wrong?  We may try really hard to be kind and treat others with respect and consider how our actions affect others but what are we supposed to do when people fail to treat us with the same respect we extend to them? 

My first job out of college was with the Methodist Home for Children.  It was a group home for kids in the juvenile justice system.  We tried really hard to teach these kids about the golden rule- treating others the way they want to be treated.  Many times these kids tried to turn it around- when they were wronged they justified retaliation by saying well- that must be how they want to be treated so I will wrong them too.

In some way that is justice right?  When we are wronged- we want the offender to be punished…. An eye for and eye, a tooth for a tooth, Jesus quotations of OT ideas of justice seems logical right?  This very old idea is manifest over and over again in new ways as culture and times change.  Maybe you hear things like- She got what was coming to her, he got what he deserves, and maybe on a cosmic level people say it is Karma- whatever you put out into the universe comes back to you- Good and bad.  It is the way the world works, or so we like to think.  Especially when we are trying to justify our own decisions and our own actions towards others.  We are a culture obsessed with ourselves, being in control and getting what we feel like we deserve. 

These kids in the group home had been taught from a very early age that they needed to fight to get respect and to protect their honor.  Being insulted was worse than being punched.  These kids were expert marks men at pushing each other’s buttons.  They could start a fight with just a look or a single word.  Some of the biggest brawls started because someone insulted another child or their family- sometimes an actual old school- Yo Mamma joke. 

In case you aren’t familiar with the Yo Mamma genra of comedy- I found this one on the internet (ahajokes.com)… Yo mamma so skinny she hula hoops with a cheerio!  What started as a mean spirited joke would quickly escalate out of control.  Words lead to pushing which led to punches until one of the counselors could intervene. All because someone felt their honor challenged and they didn’t get the respect they thought they deserved.  

This is what God was trying to prevent when in Exodus, Deuteronomy and Leviticus God called for limited retaliation and measured justice. When someone was wronged or insulted they wanted to defend their honor and the honor of their family.  This new Israelite community, which no longer had to follow the rules of Egypt needed a legal system that was fair.  They wanted to curb the escalation of violence so they set parameters.  Justice should be equal to the original infraction. 

The problem with this is that we are humans and often we take grater offense to the original action than was intended.  Maybe those ill-timed Yo Mamma Jokes were just supposed to be funny…. We allow a wrong done to us to justify our retaliation and because we are so deeply wounded we take to the next level.  It is a cycle that never ends and as the old saying goes… we all end up blind and toothless.  Not only that, the harmony and unity of the community is compromised as anger builds and people begin to take sides.  We all know how that feels.  We have all been part of that.  The church is not immune to these feelings. Sometimes the church is the biggest offender.    

It has to stop somewhere.  World War 1 was supposed to be the war to end all wars… and yet we are still fighting today.   Even the creation of the Atomic Bomb didn’t stop wars.  That was nearly 70 years ago and we are still fighting over who can have the bigger bombs and who has the right to own them. While I know that there is a place for war and sometimes it is the thing that makes a society change but in most situations peace cannot be found with more violence or a bigger bomb. 

Jesus tells us it stops with us.  Jesus is telling us that while the rules still apply, the harmony of the community is more important than the perceived honor of one person or even group of people. While it seems weak and passive to the reader, Jesus image of peace is world altering.  The image Jesus is painting with “turn the other cheek”  “give the shirt off your back” and “walk the extra mile” is not one of submissive compliance.  It is one of active defiance of the status quo.  It is about standing up for ourselves and making ourselves equal to those who have offended us.  It is not about being someone’s door mat nor is it about asserting a new found power over others.  It is about honoring yourself as God’s creation and eliminating the power struggle by insisting on equality.  

When the buck stops with us.  When the violence and insults are stopped with love and respect it not only acknowledges the place of honor, value, and dignity of the person being persecuted but it honors the identity of the perpetrator too.  It doesn’t bring one person down to the other’s level but it lifts them each to a level playing field. 

Gandhi, the modern day proponent of Non-Violent resistance, was inspired by these words of Jesus.  He knew that violent response to discrimination and oppression would only lead to more violence.  It was not about cowering down to oppressors but standing up to them in a way that allows for bridges to be built not burned.  It is powerful but it is not threatening or coercive.  This is what motivated the non-violent movement in the civil rights era with bus boycotts and lunch counter sit -ins.  It wasn’t about being more powerful it was about acknowledging and insisting on equality and it continues to be used today to command respect and recognition. 

This idealistic image of love and respect is not an arbitrary, pie in the sky ideal. This is an effort to stand up for what’s right, in a loving and respectful manner, towards all people involved.   As Jesus teaches us how to be in Right relationship with each other he is teaching us about the love of God and uses this as a way to show us the ultimate example of God’s love for us.   

We offend God on a regular basis.  We live life focused on ourselves, our needs and our ambitious.  We blame God for our poor choices; we curse God when bad things happen in our lives.  We insult God when we fail to treat each other with kindness and respect.  We disgrace God when we fail to use the gifts and talents we have been given to show mercy, kindness and honor to others and to God’s creation.  We mock God when we use the title Christian to get ahead in the world, to gain power and authority and when we abuse the power that position gives us. 

But, despite all this; despite all the reasons God has to write us off, we are still loved.  God gives us an opportunity with each breath to try again, to be in harmony with God and one another, to make the right decision to honor God.  The gift of love, life and grace are still ours, given freely and available for us to accept to be whole persons in relationship with God through Christ.  This is the image of perfect love which Jesus is trying to paint.  If we can do this; if we can understand that it is not about us.  It is not about my honor or your dignity- it is about putting life, community, and unity in God in perspective- then we can fully understand the love God has for us and in turn treat each other with that same respect and desire for harmony and community, then we will know what it is like to be part of God’s perfection. 

Maybe this seems too overwhelming.  We know what injustice looks like. We see it every day.  It has been all over the news this week especially in the Ukraine and Venezuela.  And, unfortunately it isn’t always a peaceful pursuit and what starts out peaceful sometimes ends in violence.  We see it on the local news too, in our schools, at our animal shelters, our prisons, politics- you name it and there is injustice and it may seem like it is too big for us to handle.  It is easy to see these problems and give up- throwing up our hands in defeat but while we may not be able to solve the world’s problems for every person we may be able to make a difference for one person.

There are numerous children in our neighborhood schools whose parents can’t or won’t help them learn to read- you could spend an hour a week reading to children- teaching them and letting them know they are valued.  Some of you go have lunch with your grandchildren at school.  When you do this it makes their day and they know they are loved.  There are many children who never have a friend or parent come have lunch with them- one lunch every few months would be enough to make them feel special too.

Who knows what kind of difference your presence would make in the life of a child to realize that someone who doesn’t have to, cares enough to spend time with them and in the process we are blessed to know that we are loved too and that someone really misses us when we aren’t there. This is what God meant when we are invited to experience the love of God and to share that same love with others- friend and enemy a like.  While feelings of anger and hurt are normal God calls us to pray for those who hurt us- it is hard to do this no doubt but it is even harder to hate someone you are praying for.  And as our attitude towards those who we dislike softens the love of God will be easier to see in and through us. 

This is how others will see and know our faith, our love and our relationship with God. Not in how we treat those like us but more so in how we treat those who we perceive as different, realizing that God’s love and compassion is not only for those who “deserve” it but for all people- God makes the sun rise on the evil and the good.  We are all created and designed to be in relationship with God and each other.  This is perfection, equality, and harmony that we are called to experience and exhibit to all of God’s creation.