BUSY another 4-letter word

2 Samuel 7:1-14a/   Mark 6:30-34, 53-56

How many of you have ever hear the cliché, “No good deed goes unpunished”?  How many of you have ever felt that it was a truth?  This feels true at times.  We want to be helpful, so we offer help to a friend or neighbor.  We fix something that is broken, we listen to them and give advice, and we may help them pay a bill or buy groceries in an emergency situation.  But, then it seems that they call at midnight needing advice or call you every time something needs to be fixed.

Maybe this has happened to you at work.  Your boss asks you to do a favor for them.  It is nice to be recognized and trusted as someone to take on a new responsibility so, without thinking, you say yes, and you are so good at it you become their right hand person.  And this snowballs in to a situation where you are now the go to person for everything and your doing so much extra stuff you can’t get your actual job done.  This can even happen at church right!  You were honored the first time you were nominated to be on the leadership team.  It was a privilege to serve and then your first 3 year term is up and they ask you to do a different job.  And then someone suggests that you can probably handle two positions.  Then, your known as the one with the keys or the one who knows how everything works so every time there is a question about the church… they come to you. 

Well, this is where our scripture begins.  The disciples have made their first attempt at going into the world as apostles, doing the will of God, teaching, healing and casting out demons in the name of Jesus and all they want to do is tell Jesus about their experiences.  They are so excited and energized by these newly found gifts and abilities but they are also exhausted.  They have been working so hard they haven’t even had a chance to eat.  So, Jesus pulls them aside to rest.  But, they were almost too good at serving in Jesus name.  Between what they have been doing in service to Jesus and what Jesus has been doing himself, his reputation has spread.  And people are coming from all over to see this Jesus.  Jesus and the disciples have probably had less than 2 hours in the boat when they reach the other side, the place they are supposed to rest and eat, when they are surrounded by people in need.  Everyone wants more and more and more of Jesus. 

It is an overwhelming feeling... even for Jesus.  But his heart goes out to them.  And this leads to another cliché we say a lot,   “There’s no rest for the weary” or my favorite “There will be plenty of time to sleep when I am dead.”  We say these things or something like it when it seems there is a lot on our plates to do.  We live in a culture of over functioners.  We pride ourselves in working 60+ hours in a week, volunteering and keeping an immaculate house.  We teach our kids from a young age to follow in our footsteps.  School 8-3, ball practice until 6, then running through the drive thru on the way home so that they can get homework and showers done before bed.  Every minute of our day is occupied by something. 

We busy ourselves at church too right.  We over commit to work at the church; cleaning or fixing the church building, serving on committees or working in the community only to feel like we can never do enough.  I admit that my default mode is this go, go, go mentality.  I like being active and feeling like I am getting stuff done.  But about a year ago I decided that busy was no longer an excuse.  Between church and school and relationships, “Busy” became a 4-letter word to me. 

When we get too busy to take care of ourselves our health will force us to stop in very unpleasant ways.  When we get too busy to spend quality time with loved ones our relationships suffer and before you know it they are gone or void of meaning.  Who cares how many hours you spend at the office or how much money you make, when the stress of work puts you in the hospital with an anxiety attack?  Who cares if your house is so clean someone could eat off your kitchen floor… I promise, no-one will.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Jesus and the disciples didn’t feel this way from time to time.  As soon as they tried to rest, the phone was ringing again with another request.  More people were showing up on Jesus’ doorstep looking for aid.  “Heal me Jesus!  I heard what you did for my cousin in Jerusalem, help me too!”  “The doctor says there’s nothing else he can do… you are my only hope!”  “Please don’t let my loved one die!”   People are desperate for Jesus. 

What we missed in our reading of scripture today is that this actually encompasses 2 lake crossings.  In between is the story of the feeding of the 5,000 and Jesus walking on water.  Not once is their rest interrupted by people in need but twice.  Jesus was hungry and tired too but when he saw the needs of the people, he had compassion for them.  His heart broke and so he decided that rest could wait. 

But, if you are like me, most of the time our exhaustion is not because of too much compassion for other people.  Our exhaustion is not because we are spending every waking minute serving God.  Our exhaustion comes because we need to be needed and we need to be loved.  We secretly get affirmation from our cries of “woe is me.”  It means that people depend on us, we are getting things done, and when this happens we can begin to serve our own need to be needed as an idol instead of serving God and doing what God desires from us. 

A lady once told me after church that she fell into this.  She was always busy but never felt like she was doing enough.  This happens when our priorities get out of whack. When we strive after our own desires and priorities not God’s.  We get so busy and caught up in the obligations of our lives that we forget whom we should be serving and neglect to take time and rest.  When this happens we are tempted to just stop.  We get burned out so we just give up, throw in the towel and declare that it is someone else’s responsibility now.  But this is not what Jesus has in mind.  We may need to stop for a moment and reassess our priorities and regain our strength but there are still people in need.  Jesus had compassion on those who needed him.  Jesus didn’t just have pity from a distance but when he saw others in pain, he felt their pain, when he saw people who were hungry, his stomach growled too.  And Jesus expects us to have that same compassion for those who need him too.    

So when we get tired, we are not to stop completely and give up, but rest.  Jesus wants us to have compassion on others.  Jesus wants us to work to make the church a symbol of love and unity in a world full of hate and division.  Jesus wants us to heal broken hearts and broken spirits in His name.  Jesus wants us to be his hands and feet and serve the widow, the orphan and the hungry.  But in order to do this we must take time to rest. 

Rest energizes us for what is next but rest is more than just eating and sleeping.  Rest means spending time with Jesus.  Not just telling God what we need but asking what God wants our priorities to be.  It means being still, listening and receiving guidance.  Our lives get overwhelmed when our priorities for our lives over shadow God’s priorities for our lives.  Rest means spending time in the word, worshiping and learning, examining where our gifts will best meet the needs of the world instead of trying to be all things to all people.   

In the scripture, the followers of Jesus change titles from disciple to apostle, back to disciple.  As disciples they are sitting at the feet of Jesus, learning, growing and being guided.  As apostles, they are out doing what they have learned.  They are in the world, working on behalf of the Kingdom of God.  Then, they return to Jesus to explore what went right and what went wrong to continue to learn and grow so that they can return to the world with spiritual strength and nourishment. 

Matthew 11:28 Jesus says “come to me all who are weary and I will give you rest.”    But Jesus also says in Matthew 28 “go and make disciples of all nations”.  There is a balance to be found between work and rest, service and prayer and it is found as we find our priorities aligned with Jesus priorities for our lives. 

Are you feeling overwhelmed?  Are you beating yourself up because you are too busy and yet never get anything done?  Are your priorities out of order?  When we say no to those things the world needs from us, it frees us up to say yes to what Jesus wants from us.  Aligning our priorities with God allows us to get off the hamster wheel of life and move forward in the direction Jesus wants us to go.

When we take this time to rest with Jesus we are emboldened, we are nourished and we are strengthened and we realize that what the world needs isn’t us but Jesus.  It is Jesus that heals, Jesus that feeds and Jesus that loves.   The world isn’t dependent on you or me.  What the world needs is a relationship with the Lord.  What the world really needs from you is for you to be a role model for how to live into a relationship with God and how to hear the whisper of God over the noise of this world.  And how to live a life dedicated to love of God over love of self.  A life of service will be a mix of rest and labor but with Jesus there will be balance. 

Spend time this week praying, listening, meditating, worshiping and simply finding rest with Jesus, away from the world.  Even if it is only a few hours or a few minutes in the car.  The crowds will wait and you will find yourself better equipped to do the work you have been called to do. 

Family ties

Isaiah 6:1-8/ Romans 8:12-17

 Family takes many different forms these days.  There is no such thing as “normal.”  The time of two parent households is no longer assumed.  There are grandparents raising grandchildren, single parent homes, step families, single people who never intend to get married or have children and find family in a close group of friends, blended families, friends raising children together, and adoptive families.  But what all these types of families have in common is a sense of belonging.  No matter what your family looks like- it is still family.  A place you feel safe, loved, and appreciated.  People you can rely on to catch you when you fall and offer you a hand back up.  You are there for each other, stand up for each other, challenge each other and support each other even through difficult times.  This is family. 

When I was driving back and forth to Atlanta each week I started listening to audio books.  The last one I listened to was a book called 13 Moons.  It is a fictional story about the mountains of North Carolina, the fight to maintain Cherokee land and resist the relocation to Oklahoma.  But it is also about family.  Will, the main character finds himself a bound boy at only 13 years old.  He was placed as a store keep on the boundary of the frontier between land that had been settled by the whites and what was still considered Cherokee.   

After years as a store keep, he becomes close with one of the tribal chiefs and the chief adopts him into his family and Will becomes part of Bear’s clan.  With this adoption came all the rights and privileges associated with being a member of the Cherokee.  It came with all those things we associate with family.  Trust, acceptance, protection and belonging in the community but it also came with obligations. 

It means something to be wanted, to feel like we have a place we belong.  It matters when we know we aren’t perfect, we make mistakes, have character flaws and yet know we are loved anyway.  We aren’t worthy of this adoption.  Will didn’t do anything to deserve being accepted into Bear’s clan and we don’t do anything to deserve being adopted into the family of God.  Isaiah expresses this feeling of awe and unworthiness in the vision of his call story in our OT scripture.  God has given him the gift of acceptance.  God has allowed Isaiah to see God’s face- something that even the seraphim who served him were unable to do- they flew around covering their bodies and their eyes with their wings- but Isaiah was blessed to look on the face of God and not die.  He drops to his knees knowing that he was unworthy- He says I am a man of unclean lips that lives in an unclean world- in other words- I am a sinner, I mess up I don’t deserve for you to want me. 

We don’t take adoption lightly; into the heavenly family or into an earthly one.  In order for people to adopt a child they take on a huge responsibility.  It is financially and emotionally costly.  It takes determination and a long term commitment.  But it is also not something the adoptee takes lightly either.  We all want to be a part of something… but we can want it for the wrong reasons.  If we want to be adopted because we think our new family is rich or so that we will receive blessings we are in for disappointment.  The same goes for being adopted into the family of God.  If we want to be a part of the church or a part of God’s family to save our own skin, because we want to make sure we get to heaven and inherit the mansion in the sky, the golden streets or whatever we imagine heave to be like we are in it for the wrong reasons. 

I have no doubt that life with Christ is full of joy and hope, freedom in Christ, the sense of belonging and being loved and accepted that we all crave.  It is indeed an honor to call God- Abba, Daddy!  There are wonderful reasons to want to be a part of a church, to call yourself Christian and to be a child of God but this doesn’t mean that it comes without obligation and responsibility on our part.  Jesus paid the adoption fee but when we accept the family name Christian, we also accept the responsibility of being a part of the family of God. 

The heirs to an estate have the responsibility to maintain the kingdom, to care for it, nurture it, make decisions that will honor the family.  There is a reputation to uphold.  How would Dad want me to spend this money?  What would Mom want me to do with the family home?  If you are executor of a person’s will.  That is an honor but it also comes with the task of distributing information, inheritance, and possessions in a way that would honor the person who owned them.  How do I share what I have inherited with others?  How can I honor the one who loved me enough to include me in their family? 

And, when life gets tough, when there are problems or changes that need to me made, we don’t just abandon our family.  No, we stand together, work through the challenges, stand up for each other and make sacrifices for each other.  We have the obligation to speak up and say as Isaiah did “Here I am!  Send me!”

In 13 Moons, Will did just that.  When the government started encroaching, Will volunteered to help his new family.  He became the go-between with the US Government and the Cherokee.  He acted as their lawyer, lobbyist and realtor and purchased land in their name so that they would not all be forced to relocate to Oklahoma.  This was not an easy task.  He could have turned his back on his adopted clan when the going got tough but instead, stood shoulder to shoulder with the people who had loved him and welcomed them into their family.    

This is what we are signing on for when we enter the waters of baptism and when we join the church as part of the family of God.  Baptism is how we sign our adoption papers and accept our position as heirs and children of God.  It is in this process that we acknowledge that we are sinful and unworthy to be claimed by God.  It is when we realize that the sacrifice of Christ and the presence of the Holy Spirit are what make this possible that we also promise to do our best to live into that name, use the gifts we are given responsibly and to treat our brothers and sisters in Christ with love honor and respect. 

This devotion to family came at a price for Will.  Although his trading with the Cherokee made him a wealthy man, he sacrificed it all to work on their behalf.  But this wasn’t what was important to Him.  In the end he knew that he’d tried to do the best he could for his people.  He’d stood up for justice and against the suppressive forces of the government.  His wealth came not from things he owned but from the relationships in his life and from living the best, most honorable and meaningful life possible for the people he loved. 

There is a constant pull in this world between our desire to accumulate wealth, property and possessions and our commitment to God and the family.  When we join the family of God we commit to refocus our lives on what really matters; leaving earthly sin and desires behind to focus on living the life God has given us to the fullest with God as the center, Christ as our model and the Holy Spirit as our guide. 

There are rewards for being part of the family of God; always knowing that you belong, no matter how much time has passed, no matter what you have done, family will take you in.  There is safety and security knowing that you are loved and wanted.  And while the human family of the church may struggle to live into this commitment to each other, the fact that we belong to the family of God is a bond that will never be broken.  We will always be wanted by God and when we face difficulties in life, it is Christ who will be by our side and the Holy Spirit who will always stand with us and give us the strength to see our way through. 

I hope and pray that you will continuously reflect on your adoption into the family of God and what it means for you to be able to call God your parent.  I pray that you will renew your promises that you took in your baptism and bind them on your heart, doing all you can to live in to the life that God has called you to.  It is with great joy that we sign our adoption papers and with great joy that we accept the name Christian.  Let us live in a way that honors our parent, honors our brothers and sisters in Christ and honors our family. 

Life is Complicated

Acts 8:26-40

The bible is complicated. Don’t get me wrong.  It isn’t hard to read or understand but it is complicated.  The stories are interesting, exciting, emotional and funny.  The poetry is beautiful and speaks to the depths of our souls and it describes a God who loves us and wants us to live the best lives possible. 

Last week during confirmation, the girls and I were talking about how to read the bible.  One of the reasons it is so complicated is because we try to read it as one big book, written by the same author in an orderly and chronological manner, but it’s not.  It is composed of different books written over more than 3000 years, by different people, in different circumstances and these circumstances affected how that person and the community the book or poem was written for perceived God.  This can make scripture very confusing.

Because things are so confusing, we typically try to simplify the complexities of life, scripture and God to something that is easier to understand.  We break it down to a list of dos and don’ts.  Keep the 10 commandments, and stay away from as many of the behaviors Paul warns us about as possible while still doing all the good things Jesus tells us we should. 

We do this as we try to understand people too.  We look at the protests in Ferguson or Baltimore and because it is too difficult to try and understand the years of oppression and anger they feel it is easier to simply label them all as hoodlums and troublemakers.  We do this when we deal with children and teenagers. 

 

Kids that don’t do their homework or clean there room are labeled as stupid or lazy because it is easier than listening and trying to understand why they do or don’t do what is asked.  We need an interpreter. Someone who speaks both languages and lives in both worlds to understand.  We need a Philip.

When we do this with God or scripture. Instead of looking at the big picture or trying to understand why different scriptures say different things we look at scripture and ignore the parts we do that are labeled as wrong but then focus all our attention on what others do that we don’t like.  If we like it then God didn’t really mean it, if we don’t like it then it’s a sin. 

We can get away with doing this as long as we don’t think too hard about it and don’t look too closely. 

When you really start digging into scripture – that’s when it gets confusing.  At school we call this “losing our Jesus”  It is when all those things we thought we knew come unraveled at our feet as we dig into the scriptures and we start questioning why it says what it says and we begin to articulate and defend what we believe.  Our professors become our Philip.

This crossroads is where we find the Ethiopian eunuch in our story.  He is confused.  He is a God fearer- meaning he believed that our God, was the one true God but yet he was not a full participant in Jewish life.  He was dedicated to learning about God, he had traveled many miles to Jerusalem to worship and yet he wasn’t allowed in.   He could believe in God but because of either his nationality, his sexuality or both, he was not allowed to worship in the temple. 

The Temple was simply following the rules.  Deuteronomy tells us that men like this Ethiopian could not be a part of the assembly- whether he was born Jewish or not, because he wasn’t a whole man. 

Many Christians still do this.  We have simplified the Bible down to the list of dos and don’ts and if you fit into the list of don’ts you aren’t really welcome in our churches.  You can believe in Jesus, but don’t try to be part of us!  Church, school, employers, even parents do this.  We judge people by the way they look, dress, or act and we file them into a category of acceptable or unacceptable. 

You dress like that- you’re not going to date MY daughter!  You’ve been to prison- we’ll we will pray for you from a distance, you have tattoos- well you won’t work here!  You look or act different- well we don’t want you.  We are simply following the rules of society right?  We think are allowed to be mean, hurtful and exclude people we don’t like or people we don’t think fit into our mold.

But, then, we start reading scripture.  The Ethiopian eunuch has been told all his life that he isn’t wanted or welcomed even though he is smart, wealthy and dedicated.  But now, he is reading Isaiah, and he learns information that contradicts what he has always been told.  Isaiah 56 tells him that he of all people is actually exalted, not excluded.  Eunuchs who are faithful will receive a name better than sons and daughters! 

And here in the scripture that Philip overhears he reads of someone who has been rejected, humiliated and despised and yet blessed and in his pain others are made whole.  It is confusing!  Which is it?  Is he ostracized or exalted?  And, who is this person whom Isaiah talks about as taking on the pain of the world so that the world might find wholeness and healing? 

The Ethiopian needed someone to open his eyes and explain it and God placed Philip there for just that purpose.  Philip was sent by God to be the bridge for this man to understand scripture in fresh new ways and to see the scriptures through the lens of Jesus.  Scripture is complicated, life is complicated, people are complicated, but Love is simple.  God’s love is clear and pure- the Ethiopian just needed someone who knew Jesus to help him see God’s love and acceptance of him.

We need interpreters to help us to understand too.  God has given us study partners, pastors, friends and teachers to help us remember that God is bigger than words on a page and bigger than rules that include or exclude.  God has put us in the lives of others to help them see that the love of God, the Good News of Jesus Christ is available to everyone.   God is calling us to look past simple judgments and past the dusty covers of books to take time to get to know people who are different than we are and who we may not understand.  God is calling us to share the word of healing that Philip shared as he spoke with the Ethiopian man. 

When you feel excluded, unwanted and different, Jesus loves you and accepts you for who you are and who God created you to be.  When you feel broken, bullied or oppressed there is healing and wholeness in a relationship with Christ.  God calls the church to be that place and those people who love, honor and accept all those around us, especially those who have been excluded and cast out.   The love of Jesus is simple, it is available to everyone. 

Welcoming and loving people in the name Christ is not easy- like understanding scripture it takes practice, hard work and determination but the call is simple.  Allow yourself to lose your religion- the Jesus you will find is greater and more loving than you would ever expect.    

The Jesus you will find will love not only those you love but will allow you to love those parts of yourself that you feel are broken and missing and will bring you a whole new world of hope and healing and give you the courage to love those whom you never thought were loveable. 

Philip disappeared after sharing the good news with the Ethiopian man, never to cross paths again but the man was forever changed by this encounter.  You may never see the results of your actions but the love, welcome and acceptance we offer in Jesus name will always have an impact long after we are gone.  Take advantage of your teachers, share the good news with others – there is no telling what kind of difference your love will make in the lives of those you meet. 

 

You can heal

 

Acts 3:11-19: 

¹¹ While the healed man clung to Peter and John, all the people rushed toward them at Solomon’s Porch, completely amazed. ¹² Seeing this, Peter addressed the people: “You Israelites, why are you amazed at this? Why are you staring at us as if we made him walk by our own power or piety? ¹³ The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—the God of our ancestors—has glorified his servant Jesus. This is the one you handed over and denied in Pilate’s presence, even though he had already decided to release him. ¹⁴ You rejected the holy and righteous one, and asked that a murderer be released to you instead. ¹⁵ You killed the author of life, the very one whom God raised from the dead. We are witnesses of this. ¹⁶ His name itself has made this man strong. That is, because of faith in Jesus’ name, God has strengthened this man whom you see and know. The faith that comes through Jesus gave him complete health right before your eyes.  ¹⁷ “Brothers and sisters, I know you acted in ignorance. So did your rulers. ¹⁸ But this is how God fulfilled what he foretold through all the prophets: that his Christ would suffer. ¹⁹ Change your hearts and lives! Turn back to God so that your sins may be wiped away.

 

As our scripture today begins, Peter and John have been called, along with the other disciples to go into the world to spread the gospel, offer forgiveness of sins and to follow in the footsteps of Christ’s ministry of healing and wholeness.  At this point in our story they have already received the Holy Spirit but what they aren’t sure of at this point is what all this really means for their lives. 

They have walked with Jesus, learned from Jesus but they aren’t sure where they go from here.  They aren’t hiding in locked rooms any more but their vision of their future is still a bit hazy.  So they go and do what they know how to do- worship.  They go to the temple like they have done all their lives- waiting in the familiar surroundings of Jewish life for their future to become clear.  As they approach the temple they notice a man sitting on his mat.  They have seen him before. 

He is there every time they come to the temple for worship.  He can’t walk so his family carries him here to the Gate Beautiful to beg.  This is an all too familiar scene among the hustle and bustle of life in Jerusalem.  But for some reason, something is different on this day.  Peter and John see this man and they have compassion for him.  They may have felt pity in the past but today the emotion is compassion.  They want to do something to help to make a difference in his life.  But they don’t have what the man is asking for.  Instead they feel compelled to offer this man a touch. 

Not many people would have been willing to touch this man who was considered dirty, unclean and worthy of only pity.  Most people would have passed by- maybe throwing him a coin or two but never really seeing him or taking the time to speak to him much less recognize him as a child of God, but Peter and John do. 

Not only do they have compassion for him they see him for who he is, a brother in Christ, and they want him to know that he is seen and acknowledged.  So they get his attention and offer him something more valuable than a few coins- the ability to walk.

This is where our scripture picks up today.  The man has been healed in the name of Jesus and he is now running around the temple like a mad man; jumping and twirling, shouting and praising God.  This gets everyone’s attention- they know this man he has been lame all his life, they pass by him every day and now he is running like he has never been sick.  This couldn’t have been an accident or a coincidence.  It had to be something divine.  But who are these people who have performed this amazing miracle? 

The crowd swarms around them wanting to know more about who they are- they want to lift them up on a pedestal and give them credit and praise for healing this man.  And maybe seek healing for themselves.

We all do this same thing.  We all need healing to some extent or another.  We seek healing from the medical profession.  We ask our friends who have undergone a medical procedure about their experience.  We want to know who the doctor was who healed them- hopeful that they can offer the same healing for us.  We listen to people like Dave Ramsey on the radio, hoping to glean some of his wisdom so we can find financial healing. 

We spend time with family and friends or go to a therapist when we need emotional healing.   When we need spiritual healing we go to church or listen to a preacher on TV.  That person just seems to always have the answers so we send them money or buy their latest book hoping that it will offer us healing. 

We all need healing.  But as Peter surveys the crowd he realizes that we by nature look in the wrong places for healing.  Instead of looking to God and the gifts of God we seek healing and intervention from other people; a person, pastor, new charity or new family that will save us.  The crowd in Jerusalem thought Peter and John would be their saviors and heal them too.  But Peter quickly redirects their attention.  He tells them- we are not the ones who healed him- God did that- not us!  They are not the healers, God is and it is this healing in the name of Jesus that will bring healing to all the world.  Peter and John are just the avenue for God’s grace and love. 

As Peter surveys the growing crowd he sees in them the same need for healing present in our world today.  Not all of them need physical healing- most don’t.  He recognizes in their excitement a desperate sense of brokenness.  People are hungry; both for food and for spiritual nourishment.  People are thirsty; both for clean water but also for living water. 

People are broken; they have broken relationships, broken promises, broken hearts and they seek to know the God of Love who will never leave them and never stop loving them.  They are lost; wondering what the purpose of life is, what direction their life should take.  Their community is broken; they are arguing, pointing fingers of blame and accusation when what they need is simply a place to belong; a place where they are loved and accepted for who they are quirkiness and all, a place where even their messiness is seen as a source of beauty.     

They are looking to Peter and John to fix all this brokenness and more but Peter realizes as his compassion for them grows that he is not the one with the solutions.  He wants them to know the truth- that is isn’t them, they aren’t miracle workers.  It wasn’t the power or skill of a person at all that offers healing but God. 

This is not always an easy word to hear.  After all, some in that very temple were the ones who had called for the crucifixion of the person they were claiming had in fact done the healing.  Their leaders had demanded the death of Jesus over the release of a convicted murderer and they still didn’t recognize Jesus as God. 

Peter’s compassion and desire for them to know the truth forces him to confront the events of the recent past.  They had all denied and rejected the one who could offer true healing.  Peter’s words may sound harsh as he spreads out the accusations against them.  His words are forceful:  you rejected!  You denied!  You killed! But part of the problem with our ability to seek healing is that sometimes we don’t even know we are broken. 

Peter knows this first hand.  The reason he can have compassion for them is because he is one of them.  His accusations are not fingers pointed in blame but a finger pointing to himself too.  He sees his own rejection of Jesus in the context of the Jewish community’s rejection of Jesus. 

As the crowd called for Jesus’ death, Peter was busy denouncing that he had ever even known Jesus.  Peter sees his own rejection of Jesus as an even greater betrayal because he knew better and did it anyway. 

We have to face those parts of our lives which we have hidden away, chosen to ignore or down played as “well everyone does it” before we can know what to ask God to heal.  We act in ignorance.  We make bad choices when we don’t have all the information and sometimes we make bad decisions anyway.

Peter is guilt ridden and lost until he faced this truth about himself.  He was not able to accept the healing from Jesus until he was willing to face his own faults and admit them to God.  Peter is trying to help the crowd see this too.  Peter’s willingness to see his own faults and failures is what makes him credible and relatable to those he is trying to convince.

The world is in desperate need of healing and we are looking in all the wrong places to find it.  Politicians, self-help books, TV evangelists and financial gurus are not the source of our healing.  True healing comes from Christ alone. 

Peter and John were not the source of healing power, they are just the mouth pieces, the worldly representatives of Christ.  And that is what the church is today.  We, as the church, are descendants of our forefathers and mothers in the faith.  We are the current representatives of Christ called to offer healing in Jesus name to the rest of the world. 

Our community, our world is desperate for the healing power of Jesus.  And God has called us to offer this healing touch by offering a word of compassion, welcoming strangers in to our lives, offering a sense of belonging and connection to those who are lonely and seeing people as more than just needy and broken; but as children of God.  But Just like Peter, in order to offer healing in Jesus name, we also need to see the brokenness in our own lives.  We need to look deep within ourselves as individuals and as a community so that we can seek healing from God for ourselves but also so that we can see and relate to the brokenness in the lives of others.  

We all make mistakes but God uses those mistakes and mess-ups to make great things happen.  As we acknowledge our own weakness, God can use that to open doors to others who feel inadequate or unworthy of God’s love.  Even the mistake of the crucifixion of Jesus is one that God can use. 

The death of Jesus was not the end.  Even though sin was powerful enough to kill the author of Life, God refused to let that be the final word.  Life has dominion over death.  Grace has power over sin.  Love is greater than contempt and hate. 

The supposed death of one would bring the opportunity for healing for all the world.  Recognizing how this has worked in our own life will be a powerful witness to the rest of the world to the truth of what the resurrection means for us and for the world. 

God is calling you and this church to be that witness to the rest of the world.  It is how we respond as faithful representatives of Christ.  We are called to be a channel for the healing and restorative power of Jesus Christ in a broken and desperate world.

 

Maundy Thursday... by request

Maundy Thursday

April 2, 2015

Love’s Chapel/ Webster UMC

Welcome:

Opening Prayer

Hymn:  What Wondrous Love is This?                                            P 292

Prayer:  Holy and Merciful God.  You humbled yourself to the form of a servant, shared meals with sinners and washed the feet of those who called you master.  Be present with us this Holy Thursday as we remember your love, your life, your death and prepare for your resurrection.  As feet are washed, wash not only our feet but cleanse those inner most parts of our hearts which we try so desperately to keep hidden.  As the holy meal is shared, nourish us; mind, body and spirit so that we may serve you more fully.  In the name of the most Holy one let us pray the prayer that Jesus taught: Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.  Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.  Amen 

Scripture reading                                                                        John 13:1-17

Hymn:  Lord Who’s Love Through Humble Service            p 581

Message                                                                                     You are loved

Jesus time had finally come.  He knew that after this moment everything would change.  Like sending a child off to college or those last precious moments you share with a loved one who is dying…. Your mind races.  What have I forgotten to tell them?  What important life lesson or wisdom have they forgotten or misunderstood?  Do they really know how much I love them?

These thoughts are probably going through the mind of Jesus as he prepares for these last moments with the disciples.  They of course don’t recognize just how important this night is.  They have celebrated Jewish festivals with Jesus before.  To them, it’s just another Passover.  Sure, Jesus has talked a lot about dying lately but he says weird things all the time, it is part of his charm- it’s Jesus. 

But, as they all begin to gather around the table, they realize quickly that this is no ordinary meal.  Jesus stands up from the table, walks over to the basin for washing feat but instead of washing his own or calling a servant of the home where they are staying to do it, he takes off his robe and ties a towel around his waist.  The disciples look around at each other with confusion.  What is he doing?  They quickly begin to protest.  No, Jesus, it isn’t right.  You are our teacher, our master, this is not the way it is done! 

Jesus is preparing to do the one thing that will allow him to not only tell them but also show them how much they are loved.   He could have just told them or written them a poem.  He could have bought them something but none of that would have measured up.  He is the gift.  He was preparing to offer himself as the ultimate gift for all of humanity so he wanted to do the same here- offer himself, his service, his humbleness, his care and his compassion.In one action, washing their feet, he conveyed all of this. 

Feet have never been considered something of beauty or something to be cherished.  They are simply a tool, a part of our bodies that thankfully serve a purpose, but it isn’t much of an honorable one.  We don’t like people to touch our feet, especially when they are dirty.  We worry that they may smell or we stress over the fact that they have become arthritic or they developed bunions, calluses, corns or toenail fungus.  We put our feet through a lot.  They carry all of our weight, we use them and abuse them in sweaty, uncomfortable shoes or walk around barefoot exposing them to the dangers of hot asphalt and sharp rocks. 

People in Jesus time were no different, in fact it was probably worse.  They ritually washed their hands on a regular basis but their feet were often neglected.  The shoes they wore didn’t protect them from the elements.  It was hot and dusty. Walking was their primary form of transportation and this exposed them not only to dust but to garbage and waste.  Their feet were dirty, they didn’t want to touch their own feet, much less allow someone else to touch them. 

But this was exactly the point.  The disciples may not have understood just how powerful this gesture was but we can.  Jesus was telling them and us not only about his role of servant leadership but of the depths and expanse of his love.  

We spend a lot of time and energy trying to hide the parts of ourselves that we don’t like from the rest of the world.  We cover it up, pretend it doesn’t exist, blame our faults on others, or dress it up trying to make others think we like it.  But all this covering up and hiding is exposed in the light of God’s love. 

Exposing our feet to someone else to wash is scary and vulnerable but Jesus is telling us that we are so loved, that event these parts that we try to hide are loved too.  They are part of who we are.  We are washed clean at our baptisms but this doesn’t mean we have been made perfect.  There are still parts of us that are dirty and foul but Jesus loves us anyway and given the opportunity, Jesus will cleanse these parts of us too. 

One of my favorite parts of the story of these last moments with Jesus is the fact that Judas was present.  Scripture tells us that all those around the table would deny Jesus and scatter when the time of Jesus fulfillment came but it specifically points out in all four gospels that Judas was there.  The one who would ultimately betray him and turn him over to be killed was present having his feet washed, sharing in the meal.  Even Judas was loved. 

There is nothing you can do that will make God love you less.  There is nothing about you that will ever make God stop loving you.  You are loved.  You are loved.  You are loved. 

Allow Jesus to see all of you, allow Jesus to cleanse all of you.  This was his parting message to his disciples and to us.  You are loved.   Accept this gift, cherish it and go and do likewise. 

 

Foot washing liturgy (Adapted from "A Footwashing Liturgy" by Reggie M. Kidd

Leader:  O prince of Peace, O Friend of Sinners, we praise you and give you thanks, because you laid aside your power as a garment and took upon yourself the form of a slave.

People:  You became obedient unto death, even death on a cross.  You allowed yourself to be born to die in our place, you allowed your own feet to be anointed for death.  You allowed a sinner to wash your feet with her tears.  For God chose what is low and despised in the world to bring to nothing things that are.  Send the Spirit of truth to keep alive in us what Jesus taught and did, that our words may carry his good news and that our lives may bear the shape of the cross of the One who lives and reigns with You and with the Holy Spirit, One God, forever and ever.  Amen

Foot washing

Holy Communion

Scripture:  John 31-35

Hymn:  I want to Walk as A Child of the Light                                   p 490

re-center, re-energize, reconnect

Weary, tired, exhausted, and pulled in a million different directions.  In demand.  Everyone is looking for you!  You’re the go to person, right hand man, the one with all the answers, on-call 24/7, Mom, Dad, wife, husband, sister, brother, friend, neighbor, confidant, student, teacher, boss and employee.  You are called upon to fix everything; broken shelves and broken hearts, you heal with a kiss and encourage a broken spirit. 

You are the driver, cook, designer, decorator, and cleaner.  You find what’s lost and blamed for losing what can‘t be found.  You’re the medic and the Chaplin.  Help me, I need you, where are you, come here, go there, bring this, take that….. it never seems to end.  Even coming to church can seem like just one more thing on the to-do list.

Whew!  I am exhausted just thinking about it!  How many of you have ever felt this way or feel this way now?  Some weeks I look at my to-do list and I just want to cry.  Life gets overwhelming. 

We often feel guilty in those times for taking time for ourselves, for stepping away from the hectic pace of our life obligations to take care of ourselves.  A long walk, sleeping in, an hour to read a book for fun, coffee with a friend, or watching a movie can feel like a luxury.  People depend on us.  We worry, stress and get run down.  It’s exhausting.

When we feel that way, it can be comforting to see Jesus feel the same way.  Often, we focus so much on the divinity of Jesus that we forget that he was human just like us in many, many ways. Our story today is one of those examples.  

That evening at Sunset, as soon as the Sabbath was over, as soon as it was possible people started looking for Jesus.  They had heard all about how he had taught with authority and cast out the demon in the synagogue earlier that day.  His reputation was spreading fast, everyone was talking about him and everyone wanted a piece of him. 

The whole town gathered near the door of Simon Peter’s house as they brought their loved ones to see Jesus.  They brought everyone they could find who was sick or thought to be possessed by a demon.  The mentally ill, epileptic, lepers, people who are paralyzed, mute, deaf, blind…..

Imagine the emergency room at a hospital after a natural disaster or crash on the interstate.  People are everywhere.  There is no place to sit, people are straining to catch a glimpse of Jesus the healer, pushing and pulling people out of their way, trying to be next in line.  There are so many people for Jesus to touch and with each one that passes he is getting more and more tired.  This didn’t start until sundown and unlike everyone else who has been resting all day, Jesus has been teaching and preaching.  As this scene continues late into the night Jesus seeks an escape. 

Just like us, Jesus felt hungry, tired, overworked and exhausted.  He couldn’t even walk down the street without people groping and grabbing at him.  Sometimes he needed to get away too.  He needed to find a corner of peace, solitude and quiet, a time to re-center his life, re-energize and reconnect with God. 

We as fully human people often forget this reminder from Jesus.  In our effort to be independent we don’t like to ask anyone for help- we don’t’ want to bother anyone else with our problems so we keep it to ourselves.  We think: Why should we place our problems and burdens on others?  They have their own problems to deal with anyway. 

In this attempt at being independent we even forget to take our problems to God.  God has loads of stuff going on.  There is war, famine, genocide and poverty.  People are dying and starving.  My problems are nothing compared to that- why would God take time out of that busy schedule to help me? 

That is where Jesus differs from us.  He knows what we have forgotten and what Isaiah reminded us today.  God surpasses our human capacity to handle problems.  God knows you and cares for you just as much as everyone else.  God is not limited in the capacity to care like we are. 

Isaiah asks “Have you not known?  Have you not heard?  The Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth.  He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.  He gives power to the faint and strengthens the powerless.”

It is ok to not have it all together.  You don’t have to understand it all to be loved by God.  God is working in all things, even when we can’t see it or understand it ourselves. 

We all have those “Calgon Take me away!” moments when we are at our weakest and most vulnerable.  It is in these moments when we can acknowledge the limitations of our humanity and allow ourselves to fully experience the power, grace and awe of God. 

We forget that person who offered to help.  We forget that God wants us to relinquish our fear and our worries over to God.  We forget that it is God’s desire to be in a relationship with us and this isn’t possible if we don’t share our burdens with the one who offers healing. 

Jesus knows this.  Even though he is all powerful and offers healing and wholeness to all who seek him, he knows he can’t do it alone.  He can’t do it without being a part of that divine relationship with the Almighty that makes him God. 

This connection, this relationship is what gives him strength, nourishes him for the journey ahead, and what gives him the ability to see the bigger picture of what he is trying to accomplish.

This is the other thing Jesus teaches us in this passage.   He is resting when the disciples come looking for him.  It is the proverbial toddler who won’t let you go to the bathroom in peace.  They won’t let him have any peace and quiet.  Simon Peter doesn’t want Jesus to rest.  He wants Jesus to get back to work. 

There are more people waiting at his house who need healing, more people seeking to hear a wise word from him.  Simon Peter misunderstands that in order to do the work, Jesus needs this time away, nor does he understand the work of Jesus goes beyond this one small town.   

Jesus doesn’t just get re-energized so that he can go back to the fray.  There will always be people who need him.  He re-energized and re-centered his life so that he could remember the bigger picture and get a renewed perspective on his life and ministry.

Our job as parents, teachers, friends and all the hats you wear is more than just putting out fires and doing what other people demand of you.  The bigger picture for your life is the work of shaping lives, teaching and empowering others to learn and grow on their own so they can see the big picture too. 

It is easy for us, not just as people but also as Christians to spend our whole lives putting out fires.  The work of the family and community still needs to get done but if all we do is put out fires, if all we do is fill cracks, rearrange the furniture, and make things appear beautiful than we can get too busy to do the real work of Christians. 

We can spend all our energy on fixing and putting out fires making a to-do list that will never end that we fail to notice that the foundation is crumbling and forget to look for the big picture of what our job as Christians really is.  

Yes, Jesus still offered words of wisdom, yes he still healed those who came to him but as he did this, he went out into the world to share the story of the love, peace and healing power of God. 

That is still our call today. To share the story of Jesus and his love. 

I know you are overwhelmed.  I know you don’t feel like there are enough hours in the day.  I know your family, health, work and even the church can bog you down with laundry lists a mile long and it seems there is constantly a new fire to put out, a new thing to add to your list of things to fix and I know how easy it is to burn out. 

Maybe it is time to stop.  Maybe it is time to spend more time praying and less time doing for a while.  Take a break.  Reconnect with the God who loves you, even when you don’t have it all together and don’t have all the answers. 

Seek healing and wholeness in a solid foundation of a relationship with God who never grows tired of loving you or guiding your paths.  Remember what the big picture is, ask God to help you find it if you’ve never really known what that is.  What is the goal and purpose for your life- outside of what everyone else thinks you should be doing?  

Well-meaning people place demands on our lives all the time, just like they did to Jesus, but what is God calling you to do?  How are you being led by God to see, experience and participate in the bigger picture goals of life and ministry? 

Does your to-do list match up with what God is asking you to do?  Maybe it is time to reconnect and realign our goals with God’s purpose to introduce people to Jesus and to offer the healing love of Christ to the world.