This is the Message I delivered at our Thanksgiving Eve worship service.
As you heard the scriptures read what did you think about? How did they speak to you this evening? How did you hear God talking to you in his Message?
As I read the lessons from The Message I was struck by the words. They just seemed to jump out at me, almost like they were saying, “Hey, this is important. Pay attention to what's being said here.” It may be because of the present condition of the world around at this time that they seemed particularly profound to me. At any rate I think there is a Message here for all of us in this season of thanksgiving.
The OT reading from the prophet Joel says in so many words that we, the children of God, should celebrate. Be glad in our God...full of praises to our God, the God who has set us back on our heels in wonder. Don't you get the feeling of awe sometimes as you walk about or travel about in this wonderful place God has placed us? Doesn't it just make you want to “celebrate” as Joel puts it?
The psalmist continues this when he says, “...it seemed like a dream, too good to be true...we laughed, we sang, we couldn't believe our good fortune...God do it again.” Have you ever thought to yourself, “This must be a dream. This is too good to be actually happening to me?” That's what the psalmist is feeling.
So, I know, sometimes our lives aren't really so good and we just don't feel like celebrating or singing or laughing. What do we do then, crawl in a hole, stick our heads in the sand like an ostrich? That doesn't fix anything but sometimes we are just too overwhelmed by what the world is doing to us.
Good friends, I believe it's then we need to remember Paul's words to Timothy, “The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.” Have you ever got up in the middle of the night and then went back to bed and couldn't fall back to sleep? What do you do? Get up for a snack or maybe something hot to drink? How does that work for you? Have you ever tried praying for everyone you can think of? Have you ever thought of praying for the people on your block or your neighbors when you couldn't get back to sleep? It may be that God is telling you to pray not because he needs your prayers but because you need prayer, you need to take your mind off yourself and consider others. Who knows, it's got to be better than tossing and turning and trying to count sheep or goats or ceiling tile.
Have you noticed how every time the television goes to commercial it's an advertisement about something every person should have in their kitchen, their bathroom, their living room, entertainment room or their workshop? We just have to have it. If we don't how could we possibly live? The world continually tells us we have to own this or that. We just can't be complete with it, whatever it may be.
Matthew gives us Jesus' answer in chapter 6 that we heard read this evening. I don't believe he's telling us its wrong to possess “things.” I think he's telling us we need to decide where our priorities are. If we are the Christians we profess to be then we must realize we need to make a commitment to follow Jesus. When we do that then the focus is no longer on us it's on others. After all it's not about us but it's about what God is doing in and around us, that's what's important.
Making the commitment to serve Jesus and trust him to provide for us is certainly scary for us but as God grows our faith we are able to do so much more than we ever imagined we could do.
God is telling us that excessive worry and anxiety will get us nowhere. It only serves to separate us from God. In the verses that precede this passage we are told that we can't serve two masters. That's what Jesus continues to elaborate here. He wants us to think about where our priorities are, where are our values. The world would have us think that God comes after our jobs, after our homes, after our retirement accounts, you can fill in the blank with many other things we worry about.
Friends, where is our allegiance, where do we place our loyalty? Jesus told us we only have two commandments to concern ourselves with and the first is to love God with our hearts, our souls, and our minds. That should be our number one priority. And then we are told to love our neighbors as we ourselves want to be loved. It's still not about us. It's all about God and others and serving them.
So this thanksgiving season as you sit down to tables overflowing with delicious meals prepared with loving hands remember why we're all here, what our work is as children of God. We are called to serve and we all need to decide what that means.
Friends, God loves you and so do I. Thanks be to God for his many blessings. Amen.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Still Waiting
Another church year has ended and a new one begins today with the first Sunday of Advent. Today’s Message from the Scriptures talks again about Christ’s coming again. When Luke wrote his gospel the people were waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and we are still waiting. Have people given up on Christ ever coming back? Have we become discouraged with all the waiting? I wonder.
How patient are you? Some days I’m very impatient and other times it doesn’t matter, but the world has been waiting a long time for Christ to return and bring with him the new heaven and earth and a New Jerusalem. Do you think we’re ready?
We have heard this Message so many times and he hasn’t come yet that I wonder if we haven’t been putting changing our lives or even thinking about changing that we may be in danger of not being ready. Friends, I’m speaking from experience here. I am the classic procrastinator who puts things off until they absolutely can’t be put off any longer. But this is something I shouldn’t put off and neither should you.
Jesus said that he is coming and we are to watch for the signs. When these signs appear that means that the kingdom of God is near. So, should we be watching for signs or preparing ourselves for Christ’s coming? What do you think?
I think if we spend our time watching for the signs and trying to interpret what we think they mean that we may be in danger of putting of the hard work of changing our lives and doing the work God has called us to do. It could easily happen. We get so involved with listening to the news that we forget that we are to telling the Good News and bringing people into the kingdom of God that is here right now.
Our prayer should be what Paul wrote in his letter to the Thessalonians, “13May God our Father himself and our Master Jesus clear the road to you! And may the Master pour on the love so it fills your lives and splashes over on everyone around you… May you be infused with strength and purity, filled with confidence in the presence of God our Father when our Master Jesus arrives with all his followers.”
Our goal for the new year should be to do what we know we should be doing so that we are ready for Christ’s return, reading Scripture, studying Scripture, praying to God and spending time in silence so we can hear what God has for us. And then sharing the Good News of God’s love with our friends and neighbors and people we don’t know yet whom God brings to us everyday.
That sounds like a full-time job, and it is, but once we have decided how we can get this discipline ingrained in our lives it ceases to be a chore and becomes as natural as breathing. It’s just part of our daily living and then we don’t have to be worrying or anxious about whether we’re ready or not. It doesn’t matter that we’re still waiting, because we’re ready for Christ to return.
Friends, I can’t empathize enough how important this is. What if Christ came today? Would we be ready? I didn’t use to think about this very much but when I read Luke’s Message to us I am reminded of the state of the world today. It looks to me like “all hell has broken loose—sun, moon, stars, earth, sea, in an uproar and everyone all over the world in a panic, the wind knocked out of them by the threat of doom, the powers-that-be quaking.” I’m not sure the leaders of the world powers are quaking or not but it sure looks to me like the things Luke talks about have begun. There’s war, there’s economic turmoil and uncertainty, there’s global warming, and who knows what else we’ll hear about in the news today. And so it’s even more important for us to make sure people are ready and not just biding their time waiting because they’ve been waiting so long and nothing’s happened yet.
So if God has set things right with Jesus coming into the world then I believe we should make the psalm reading today our prayer. Verses 5-7 speak to me in particular, “5 Take me by the hand; Lead me down the path of truth. You are my Savior, aren't you? 6 Mark the milestones of your mercy and love, GOD; Rebuild the ancient landmarks! 7 Forget that I sowed wild oats; Mark me with your sign of love. Plan only the best for me, GOD!”
Friends, I think we have our work cut out for us. We’ve put off doing the things we should have been doing and every day that we let slip by without changing is one more day wasted and maybe one more life that may be lost, never knowing that there is a God who loves and cares for all his children and doesn’t want to see even one of them lost to the Evil One.
So even though we are still waiting for Christ’s return we shouldn’t be sitting around watching the signs and waiting. There is work to be done. We are to be making disciples and loving and caring for neighbors. We are to be worshipping God and spending Sabbath time with Him. If we do these things we can be assured that we will be more ready when Christ does come with all his followers.
Friends, lets not wait any longer. Let’s make the commitment to give it all to God and do all he has called us to be and to do. Begin today by getting back in his Word and spending time with him. He misses you.
Sisters and brothers, God loves you and so do I. Thanks be to God. Amen.
How patient are you? Some days I’m very impatient and other times it doesn’t matter, but the world has been waiting a long time for Christ to return and bring with him the new heaven and earth and a New Jerusalem. Do you think we’re ready?
We have heard this Message so many times and he hasn’t come yet that I wonder if we haven’t been putting changing our lives or even thinking about changing that we may be in danger of not being ready. Friends, I’m speaking from experience here. I am the classic procrastinator who puts things off until they absolutely can’t be put off any longer. But this is something I shouldn’t put off and neither should you.
Jesus said that he is coming and we are to watch for the signs. When these signs appear that means that the kingdom of God is near. So, should we be watching for signs or preparing ourselves for Christ’s coming? What do you think?
I think if we spend our time watching for the signs and trying to interpret what we think they mean that we may be in danger of putting of the hard work of changing our lives and doing the work God has called us to do. It could easily happen. We get so involved with listening to the news that we forget that we are to telling the Good News and bringing people into the kingdom of God that is here right now.
Our prayer should be what Paul wrote in his letter to the Thessalonians, “13May God our Father himself and our Master Jesus clear the road to you! And may the Master pour on the love so it fills your lives and splashes over on everyone around you… May you be infused with strength and purity, filled with confidence in the presence of God our Father when our Master Jesus arrives with all his followers.”
Our goal for the new year should be to do what we know we should be doing so that we are ready for Christ’s return, reading Scripture, studying Scripture, praying to God and spending time in silence so we can hear what God has for us. And then sharing the Good News of God’s love with our friends and neighbors and people we don’t know yet whom God brings to us everyday.
That sounds like a full-time job, and it is, but once we have decided how we can get this discipline ingrained in our lives it ceases to be a chore and becomes as natural as breathing. It’s just part of our daily living and then we don’t have to be worrying or anxious about whether we’re ready or not. It doesn’t matter that we’re still waiting, because we’re ready for Christ to return.
Friends, I can’t empathize enough how important this is. What if Christ came today? Would we be ready? I didn’t use to think about this very much but when I read Luke’s Message to us I am reminded of the state of the world today. It looks to me like “all hell has broken loose—sun, moon, stars, earth, sea, in an uproar and everyone all over the world in a panic, the wind knocked out of them by the threat of doom, the powers-that-be quaking.” I’m not sure the leaders of the world powers are quaking or not but it sure looks to me like the things Luke talks about have begun. There’s war, there’s economic turmoil and uncertainty, there’s global warming, and who knows what else we’ll hear about in the news today. And so it’s even more important for us to make sure people are ready and not just biding their time waiting because they’ve been waiting so long and nothing’s happened yet.
So if God has set things right with Jesus coming into the world then I believe we should make the psalm reading today our prayer. Verses 5-7 speak to me in particular, “5 Take me by the hand; Lead me down the path of truth. You are my Savior, aren't you? 6 Mark the milestones of your mercy and love, GOD; Rebuild the ancient landmarks! 7 Forget that I sowed wild oats; Mark me with your sign of love. Plan only the best for me, GOD!”
Friends, I think we have our work cut out for us. We’ve put off doing the things we should have been doing and every day that we let slip by without changing is one more day wasted and maybe one more life that may be lost, never knowing that there is a God who loves and cares for all his children and doesn’t want to see even one of them lost to the Evil One.
So even though we are still waiting for Christ’s return we shouldn’t be sitting around watching the signs and waiting. There is work to be done. We are to be making disciples and loving and caring for neighbors. We are to be worshipping God and spending Sabbath time with Him. If we do these things we can be assured that we will be more ready when Christ does come with all his followers.
Friends, lets not wait any longer. Let’s make the commitment to give it all to God and do all he has called us to be and to do. Begin today by getting back in his Word and spending time with him. He misses you.
Sisters and brothers, God loves you and so do I. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Who Is Christ the King to You?
I think everyone here today is a citizen of the United States of America, a country founded on the principles of a democratic government where the voice of the people could be heard. This country that we are all citizens of places a great deal of importance on individual freedoms. There are very few people living in this part of the world who like to have someone tell them what they should do, whether it’s how to live or what to eat or how to vote or what car they should be driving or what they should believe about God. And so it’s very hard for us to get our heads around the concept of Christ being King of the world let alone our lives.
The problem, I believe, is that if we accept the fact that Christ is King then that means that we would have to live lives that proved that out. People who observe us as we go about our daily tasks would be able to see that we have given our whole allegiance to Jesus the Christ as the King of our lives just by how we behave and act and live.
Today all churches who follow the revised common lectionary observe this Sunday, the last Sunday of the church year before the beginning of Advent, as Christ the King or Reign of Christ Sunday. The scriptures we heard read today reflect the fact that Jesus is the King, and his “king” –dom is not what any other kingdom has ever been like. His kingdom is not of this world, the world we live in.
That’s not to say that his kingdom isn’t here. What it says is his kingdom is not like the world’s idea of a kingdom. This day requires us all to take time to reflect on what that means to all of us who profess to be Christians, followers of Jesus the Christ. Jesus is King, so what’s that mean to you and me?
When Pilate asked Jesus if he was a king he was only concerned for himself. He really wasn’t too worried about Caiphas or the other Jewish leaders. His concern was with Caesar and those under him. If he allowed someone who claimed to be a king to go on speaking of his kingdom here on earth without challenging his kingship then he was in danger of losing control of his little corner in the world in Palestine. And then what would he do and who would he be? That was a real worry for Pilate. It was a major concern for the Sanhedrin too. If Jesus was the King and they didn’t challenge him, then they would have to relinquish some of their control in the Temple. Their lives would change drastically and they weren’t about to let that happen. Both Pilate and the Sanhedrin had too much invested in their power to concede the control to Jesus. Their sense of security was definitely threatened by Jesus’ claim to be the Messiah, the King.
Isn’t it interesting that the Jews had been waiting for an eternity for the Messiah? They wanted the Messiah to come so that their kingdom could be restored. If only he would come and kick out these Roman oppressors and establish a kingdom that would surpass David’s and be even richer than Solomon’s.
But when we read the gospels Jesus, the Son of Man, the Son of God, isn’t anything like that at all. This King asked his disciples and he asks us to pick up his yoke, the cross, and follow him. Along with the rich young man who came to Jesus asking how he could be certain that he would secure eternal life we are told to give up everything we hold dear and follow him, follow Jesus. And friends, admit it that scares a whole lot of people. Give up control and trust in God, how could we possibly do that?
If we’re struggling with giving our all to God and trusting in his providence then can we truly say that Jesus is King of our lives? We celebrate Christ as our King but how is he the King of our lives?
Good friends, none of us, no one is perfect. None of us gets this right. The thing is we need to be reminded at least once a year who we owe our allegiance to, Jesus the Christ, the King. We have grown up with the idea that we are each responsible for our own welfare. That’s how most of us have lived. We got our education, we sought jobs that would provide a good income, and we made decisions for ourselves that would provide some amount of security for us as we grew older. And so it’s very difficult for us to let go of all that and let God have control. But he is the King. He is in control, whether we admit it, whether we live as if that’s true or not.
The whole gospel of John validates Jesus as Christ the King. So today, friends, I pray that you would re-dedicate your lives to the one who is truly the King of your lives. Let go of all the old baggage you carry with you and begin the new church year as a new person, a child of God who worships Christ as the King of your life. Let go of it all and unlock the padlocks the world has put on the chains that keep you bound to it.
Let’s all make the commitment to follow Jesus the King and live our lives as the new people God has planned for us to be.
What’s that mean? Friends, I believe it means that we begin to live as people who truly want to serve, service to God and to those he brings to our doors. It means that we trust God through Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit to provide everything we need to be of service to Christ’s kingdom here on earth.
Its hard work, but its work that is worthy of those who love and serve the Lord.
Friends, God loves you and so do I. Thanks be to God for his Son, Jesus Christ the King. Amen.
The problem, I believe, is that if we accept the fact that Christ is King then that means that we would have to live lives that proved that out. People who observe us as we go about our daily tasks would be able to see that we have given our whole allegiance to Jesus the Christ as the King of our lives just by how we behave and act and live.
Today all churches who follow the revised common lectionary observe this Sunday, the last Sunday of the church year before the beginning of Advent, as Christ the King or Reign of Christ Sunday. The scriptures we heard read today reflect the fact that Jesus is the King, and his “king” –dom is not what any other kingdom has ever been like. His kingdom is not of this world, the world we live in.
That’s not to say that his kingdom isn’t here. What it says is his kingdom is not like the world’s idea of a kingdom. This day requires us all to take time to reflect on what that means to all of us who profess to be Christians, followers of Jesus the Christ. Jesus is King, so what’s that mean to you and me?
When Pilate asked Jesus if he was a king he was only concerned for himself. He really wasn’t too worried about Caiphas or the other Jewish leaders. His concern was with Caesar and those under him. If he allowed someone who claimed to be a king to go on speaking of his kingdom here on earth without challenging his kingship then he was in danger of losing control of his little corner in the world in Palestine. And then what would he do and who would he be? That was a real worry for Pilate. It was a major concern for the Sanhedrin too. If Jesus was the King and they didn’t challenge him, then they would have to relinquish some of their control in the Temple. Their lives would change drastically and they weren’t about to let that happen. Both Pilate and the Sanhedrin had too much invested in their power to concede the control to Jesus. Their sense of security was definitely threatened by Jesus’ claim to be the Messiah, the King.
Isn’t it interesting that the Jews had been waiting for an eternity for the Messiah? They wanted the Messiah to come so that their kingdom could be restored. If only he would come and kick out these Roman oppressors and establish a kingdom that would surpass David’s and be even richer than Solomon’s.
But when we read the gospels Jesus, the Son of Man, the Son of God, isn’t anything like that at all. This King asked his disciples and he asks us to pick up his yoke, the cross, and follow him. Along with the rich young man who came to Jesus asking how he could be certain that he would secure eternal life we are told to give up everything we hold dear and follow him, follow Jesus. And friends, admit it that scares a whole lot of people. Give up control and trust in God, how could we possibly do that?
If we’re struggling with giving our all to God and trusting in his providence then can we truly say that Jesus is King of our lives? We celebrate Christ as our King but how is he the King of our lives?
Good friends, none of us, no one is perfect. None of us gets this right. The thing is we need to be reminded at least once a year who we owe our allegiance to, Jesus the Christ, the King. We have grown up with the idea that we are each responsible for our own welfare. That’s how most of us have lived. We got our education, we sought jobs that would provide a good income, and we made decisions for ourselves that would provide some amount of security for us as we grew older. And so it’s very difficult for us to let go of all that and let God have control. But he is the King. He is in control, whether we admit it, whether we live as if that’s true or not.
The whole gospel of John validates Jesus as Christ the King. So today, friends, I pray that you would re-dedicate your lives to the one who is truly the King of your lives. Let go of all the old baggage you carry with you and begin the new church year as a new person, a child of God who worships Christ as the King of your life. Let go of it all and unlock the padlocks the world has put on the chains that keep you bound to it.
Let’s all make the commitment to follow Jesus the King and live our lives as the new people God has planned for us to be.
What’s that mean? Friends, I believe it means that we begin to live as people who truly want to serve, service to God and to those he brings to our doors. It means that we trust God through Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit to provide everything we need to be of service to Christ’s kingdom here on earth.
Its hard work, but its work that is worthy of those who love and serve the Lord.
Friends, God loves you and so do I. Thanks be to God for his Son, Jesus Christ the King. Amen.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Why Bother?
Attendance is down, giving is down, people I talk to think they can be Christian without being part of a community of faith. And I think what am I doing? Don’t you sometimes think the same thing? Be honest, you do think that sometimes don’t you?
Why should we continue waiting for Christ to come again? We’ve been waiting for an eternity it seems. Is Jesus really going to come back? Is this evil ever going to end? Has God written us off? There are still wars. People are killing each other over the most asinine things. Families are being torn apart by alcohol, drugs, and infidelity. Sometimes I think, “Why do I bother?”
Maybe it’s the time of year that makes us feel so down in the mouth about things. If the sun would shine all the time then we’d all be happier and more optimistic. No?
All around the United States mainline denominations are losing members. Even our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters are seeing their numbers declining. What’s a church supposed to do? The world is just too powerful for the church.
Friends, this is nothing new. The epistle of Hebrews was written for a church that was experiencing declining numbers. People were staying away saying that they could be true to God without the church. That doesn’t sound too much different from today.
So what’s the good news? The good news is the word of God to His people. The word from the prophet Jeremiah was that this…
This new plan I'm making with Israel isn't going to be written on paper, isn't going to be chiseled in stone; This time "I'm writing out the plan in them, carving it on the lining of their hearts."
He concludes, I'll forever wipe the slate clean of their sins.
Jeremiah was telling God’s people about the “new covenant” that was going to written on the hearts and minds of those who believed.
The main problem we all have is that we know our sin and we don’t believe that we can ever be made clean again. Even when we hear that God forgives our sin through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, we just can’t believe that anyone could ever love us after the wrongs we’ve done to our friends and families. We can’t forgive ourselves even though we hear in the Message that God has forgiven and forgotten all of our sins.
And that’s the reason we need to hear this Message again. Jesus died once for all of our sins. That sacrifice was enough and it never needs to be made again. Believe it, friends. Jesus was not ordinary priest. He was the priest who was and is still able to meet the requirements in order for us to have clear consciences again.
In the Feasting on the Word commentary they asked a very good question, “If the cross of Christ solved the problem of sin and Easter is the validation of this then why do we still see and feel so much sin and suffering all around us?”
What do you think the answer is? Is God losing the battle against the Evil One? The commentary pointed to Psalm 110, “…sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.” Jesus completed what he had been sent here for and now God continues waging battle against the “enemies” of Christ. It’s a little like watching a football game that you know one team has won but the clock hasn’t run down yet. There are still plays that need to be run before the score is really certain. That’s what’s going on now. Jesus has defeated death but all the detractors have to be put to bed before he can come back and assume his throne.
Friends, that’s why it’s so important to come together as a community of faith and hear the Word proclaimed, to be reminded “to hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering.” As Thomas Long put it, “…if you want to know the truth, pay more attention to the gospel you hear than to the obsolete evil you see, thrashing in its death throes in the world.”
So instead of coming to worship feeling all glum and down in the mouth you can come here to be released from those chains that have been holding you back. You can come into this sanctuary knowing that your sins have been forgiven and the slate has been wiped clean. You are really a new person and in the eyes of God you are pure and sinless because you have been claimed as one of Christ’s own children. Friends, we can live that way because the victory has already been won.
My friends, God loves you and so do I. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Why should we continue waiting for Christ to come again? We’ve been waiting for an eternity it seems. Is Jesus really going to come back? Is this evil ever going to end? Has God written us off? There are still wars. People are killing each other over the most asinine things. Families are being torn apart by alcohol, drugs, and infidelity. Sometimes I think, “Why do I bother?”
Maybe it’s the time of year that makes us feel so down in the mouth about things. If the sun would shine all the time then we’d all be happier and more optimistic. No?
All around the United States mainline denominations are losing members. Even our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters are seeing their numbers declining. What’s a church supposed to do? The world is just too powerful for the church.
Friends, this is nothing new. The epistle of Hebrews was written for a church that was experiencing declining numbers. People were staying away saying that they could be true to God without the church. That doesn’t sound too much different from today.
So what’s the good news? The good news is the word of God to His people. The word from the prophet Jeremiah was that this…
This new plan I'm making with Israel isn't going to be written on paper, isn't going to be chiseled in stone; This time "I'm writing out the plan in them, carving it on the lining of their hearts."
He concludes, I'll forever wipe the slate clean of their sins.
Jeremiah was telling God’s people about the “new covenant” that was going to written on the hearts and minds of those who believed.
The main problem we all have is that we know our sin and we don’t believe that we can ever be made clean again. Even when we hear that God forgives our sin through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, we just can’t believe that anyone could ever love us after the wrongs we’ve done to our friends and families. We can’t forgive ourselves even though we hear in the Message that God has forgiven and forgotten all of our sins.
And that’s the reason we need to hear this Message again. Jesus died once for all of our sins. That sacrifice was enough and it never needs to be made again. Believe it, friends. Jesus was not ordinary priest. He was the priest who was and is still able to meet the requirements in order for us to have clear consciences again.
In the Feasting on the Word commentary they asked a very good question, “If the cross of Christ solved the problem of sin and Easter is the validation of this then why do we still see and feel so much sin and suffering all around us?”
What do you think the answer is? Is God losing the battle against the Evil One? The commentary pointed to Psalm 110, “…sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.” Jesus completed what he had been sent here for and now God continues waging battle against the “enemies” of Christ. It’s a little like watching a football game that you know one team has won but the clock hasn’t run down yet. There are still plays that need to be run before the score is really certain. That’s what’s going on now. Jesus has defeated death but all the detractors have to be put to bed before he can come back and assume his throne.
Friends, that’s why it’s so important to come together as a community of faith and hear the Word proclaimed, to be reminded “to hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering.” As Thomas Long put it, “…if you want to know the truth, pay more attention to the gospel you hear than to the obsolete evil you see, thrashing in its death throes in the world.”
So instead of coming to worship feeling all glum and down in the mouth you can come here to be released from those chains that have been holding you back. You can come into this sanctuary knowing that your sins have been forgiven and the slate has been wiped clean. You are really a new person and in the eyes of God you are pure and sinless because you have been claimed as one of Christ’s own children. Friends, we can live that way because the victory has already been won.
My friends, God loves you and so do I. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Two Coins
As I was studying this last week I read in "Feasting On the Word" about the two coins and thought I would try to use it in Sunday's Message.
If we would try to put ourselves in this story what would we be? Would we be the widow, or maybe the scribes, or the disciples, or what if we were the two coins? What if “we” were the offering that the widow gave that day?
These two coins that the widow put into the treasury at the Temple didn’t amount to much. They were barely noticed when they were added to all the other offerings that day. Today, just for today, and maybe longer, we are those two coins.
There have been times when all of us have thought that we had nothing of consequence to give or what we did have wouldn’t amount to much; it couldn’t possibly be noticed if we gave or didn’t give and it probably wouldn’t make any real difference in the greater scheme of things in this world we live in today.
Have you ever been at that point in your life where you said to yourself, “What’s the use? No one cares anymore. I’m just banging my head against a cement wall. Why even bother?” Have you ever felt like that? Have you said those words in your mind? I have. Have you thought that about how the taxes you pay are often not used for the good of all the people? Or how your tithes aren’t used as you think they should be used? Have you ever felt like you’re in a losing battle? And the world is going to be destroyed anyway someday so who cares if I don’t put my two coins into the plate. It won’t make any difference anyway, whatever. When was the last time you voiced those words, yesterday, this morning, a few minutes ago?
Friends, we’ve all been there. We’ve all felt like the bureaucracy is too much for us to battle against. If that’s the case what do you think is God’s message for us today in this gospel? Are our lives just an exercise in futility? Are we just spinning our wheels and making nothing but dust?
If my life is two coins and each of you here today is two coins then all together as a community we might be 50 coins, or 60 coins or 80 coins or maybe some here are three coins and together we total a 100 coins. One hundred coins has more clout than 2 coins, right?
What do you think is the message God has for us in this gospel? Is it about the corruption in the world or could it be about us giving our all for the work of the Lord, whatever that may be. Let’s think about our actions this past week. Did we give our all as if the Lord were standing on a hill watching our every move? Did we stop to think that everything we did this week was for the Lord, things like raking leaves, combining beans and corn, baking cookies, visiting a friend who was hurting, or changing soiled bedding or cleaning up after guests in the Super 8. Did we give it our all as if it were our offering to God even if it was only 2 coins? Most of us probably never gave it a thought, that every thing that we thought of as just work was an offering to God. Something He would use to further his kingdom here on earth or to bring glory to his Name. It probably never entered our minds.
Friends, you have plenty of company. Most of the world doesn’t give a thought to how their lives and work is used by God to bring his plan to a glorious end.
That can change today. Today we can all make that conscious effort to change. We can repent of our sin and turn our lives around and give our all to God and his work. We can, along with the widow, put our lives on the line for Jesus, put our 2 coins, give all we have and put it in the treasury of God’s kingdom.
What does that mean for us? I think it is different for each of us. Some will want to make the sacrifice of their lives and give their all in mission work somewhere in this great world. Others will make a commitment to make everything they do a witness to the love God through Jesus Christ gave to this corrupt and condemned world.
Today all I ask is that all of us take time to reflect on what we are doing with our lives. How are they being used to bring glory and pleasure to this great God we worship? How can our 2 coins make a difference in this community, in this county, in this state, in this world? Let’s all pray that God grants us the grace of faith to step out and trust in Him to provide everything needed to grow our 2 coins.
Friends, God loves you and so do I. Thanks be to God. Amen.
If we would try to put ourselves in this story what would we be? Would we be the widow, or maybe the scribes, or the disciples, or what if we were the two coins? What if “we” were the offering that the widow gave that day?
These two coins that the widow put into the treasury at the Temple didn’t amount to much. They were barely noticed when they were added to all the other offerings that day. Today, just for today, and maybe longer, we are those two coins.
There have been times when all of us have thought that we had nothing of consequence to give or what we did have wouldn’t amount to much; it couldn’t possibly be noticed if we gave or didn’t give and it probably wouldn’t make any real difference in the greater scheme of things in this world we live in today.
Have you ever been at that point in your life where you said to yourself, “What’s the use? No one cares anymore. I’m just banging my head against a cement wall. Why even bother?” Have you ever felt like that? Have you said those words in your mind? I have. Have you thought that about how the taxes you pay are often not used for the good of all the people? Or how your tithes aren’t used as you think they should be used? Have you ever felt like you’re in a losing battle? And the world is going to be destroyed anyway someday so who cares if I don’t put my two coins into the plate. It won’t make any difference anyway, whatever. When was the last time you voiced those words, yesterday, this morning, a few minutes ago?
Friends, we’ve all been there. We’ve all felt like the bureaucracy is too much for us to battle against. If that’s the case what do you think is God’s message for us today in this gospel? Are our lives just an exercise in futility? Are we just spinning our wheels and making nothing but dust?
If my life is two coins and each of you here today is two coins then all together as a community we might be 50 coins, or 60 coins or 80 coins or maybe some here are three coins and together we total a 100 coins. One hundred coins has more clout than 2 coins, right?
What do you think is the message God has for us in this gospel? Is it about the corruption in the world or could it be about us giving our all for the work of the Lord, whatever that may be. Let’s think about our actions this past week. Did we give our all as if the Lord were standing on a hill watching our every move? Did we stop to think that everything we did this week was for the Lord, things like raking leaves, combining beans and corn, baking cookies, visiting a friend who was hurting, or changing soiled bedding or cleaning up after guests in the Super 8. Did we give it our all as if it were our offering to God even if it was only 2 coins? Most of us probably never gave it a thought, that every thing that we thought of as just work was an offering to God. Something He would use to further his kingdom here on earth or to bring glory to his Name. It probably never entered our minds.
Friends, you have plenty of company. Most of the world doesn’t give a thought to how their lives and work is used by God to bring his plan to a glorious end.
That can change today. Today we can all make that conscious effort to change. We can repent of our sin and turn our lives around and give our all to God and his work. We can, along with the widow, put our lives on the line for Jesus, put our 2 coins, give all we have and put it in the treasury of God’s kingdom.
What does that mean for us? I think it is different for each of us. Some will want to make the sacrifice of their lives and give their all in mission work somewhere in this great world. Others will make a commitment to make everything they do a witness to the love God through Jesus Christ gave to this corrupt and condemned world.
Today all I ask is that all of us take time to reflect on what we are doing with our lives. How are they being used to bring glory and pleasure to this great God we worship? How can our 2 coins make a difference in this community, in this county, in this state, in this world? Let’s all pray that God grants us the grace of faith to step out and trust in Him to provide everything needed to grow our 2 coins.
Friends, God loves you and so do I. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Who Are the Saints?
As I sat down to think about what the message should be today I began to think about “saints,” who they are and how did they get to be recognized as “saints.” Have you ever heard the expression, “He/she must be a saint?” What does that really mean? Does it mean they are holy? Does it mean that they are perfect and never do anything wrong? Does it mean they’ve never sinned or neglected to do their daily devotions and they prayed all the time, every day as Paul said that we should? Is that what it means to be a saint?
Today is a day on the church calendar known as All Saints Day. It’s a day when we remember all who have passed on in the last year. Now I know all of those who have passed on and I can tell you they were folks who made mistakes and they probably didn’t remember to pray without ceasing.
Saints are those folks who have been declared righteous by God. That’s what I found when I looked it up in my Study Bible. So how did they become righteous? I think the process began when they were first baptized and it continued as they were taught by Sunday school teachers and parents and grandparents about God the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit-the Holy Trinity. You know, how God loves and cares for us so much that he has come to dwell among us. Then as they grew older and wiser they became more aware of how God was working in their lives and in the world.
So the next question is, “Are we saints or are we saints in the making?” I think that we are saints. Now that’s just what I think. Some of you may not think that way and that’s okay. I’ve been wrong so many times in my life that it certainly wouldn’t surprise me if I’m wrong again. But looking around at everyone gathered here this morning I know in my heart that you are all saints. Now you and I know that we aren’t perfect so perfection certainly isn’t a prerequisite for sainthood, but I believe that we are saints because we are doing the Lord’s work while we are here. We are doing the Lord’s work aren’t we?
Paul referred to “saints” in Romans 8:27 when he was telling them about how the Spirit intercedes for us when we don’t have the words to pray and he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will. He’s talking about all those who have given their hearts to Him and are going about doing His work. And in 1 Corinthians 6:2 Paul talks about the saints being the ones we should go to when we have disputes that need someone to arbitrate them. He asks us, “Don’t you know that the saints will judge the world?” It doesn’t sound to me as if he’s talking about just those who have passed on. I think he’s talking about folks who are still here. It might have been that he was referring to people like you and me.
Today, though, we are remembering all those folks who have passed on in the last year. We are doing that because we believe what Jesus said in John 11, that He is the Resurrection and the Life. Along with Martha we believe that we don’t have to wait until we die to accept this. This gospel lesson from John 11 was read at Marj’s funeral service.
Every time we come together to worship God and celebrate the life of someone who has gone on ahead of us we do it with the confidence that what Jesus told us in the gospels is true. That he has prepared a place for all of us and he is coming back again. That’s why we don’t fear death because Jesus defeated death when he rose from the grave.
Remember the words Jesus asked Martha, “Do you believe this?” That’s the question we all have to wrestle with today, “Do we believe this?” Isaiah, the psalmist, and John all believed this. John believed in it so strongly that he could see a new heaven and a new earth and …”the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them.” That’s not sometime in the future that’s now.
Do we live our lives as though God is with us? Do we believe this? We are all here today because we believe. We may waver sometimes but still we hold to the belief that death is not the end and someday we will join those saints in heaven.
So good friends, the answer to the original question is, yes, we are saints. We have made a commitment to God keep the commandments and to do the work Jesus has commissioned us to do. That is to make disciples of all nations and to baptize them in the name of the Holy Trinity. We believe that, “The great ends of the church are the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind; the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God; the maintenance of divine worship; the preservation of the truth; the promotion of social righteousness; and the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world.” And so, yes, my friends, we are saints. Some of us are a little rough around the edges but God loves us anyway. It’s the way he created us.
So when someone questions you about who are the saints we can all say very surely that we are the saints.
Thanks be to God for those saints who taught us, corrected us, and loved us even when we weren’t so loveable. Amen.
Today is a day on the church calendar known as All Saints Day. It’s a day when we remember all who have passed on in the last year. Now I know all of those who have passed on and I can tell you they were folks who made mistakes and they probably didn’t remember to pray without ceasing.
Saints are those folks who have been declared righteous by God. That’s what I found when I looked it up in my Study Bible. So how did they become righteous? I think the process began when they were first baptized and it continued as they were taught by Sunday school teachers and parents and grandparents about God the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit-the Holy Trinity. You know, how God loves and cares for us so much that he has come to dwell among us. Then as they grew older and wiser they became more aware of how God was working in their lives and in the world.
So the next question is, “Are we saints or are we saints in the making?” I think that we are saints. Now that’s just what I think. Some of you may not think that way and that’s okay. I’ve been wrong so many times in my life that it certainly wouldn’t surprise me if I’m wrong again. But looking around at everyone gathered here this morning I know in my heart that you are all saints. Now you and I know that we aren’t perfect so perfection certainly isn’t a prerequisite for sainthood, but I believe that we are saints because we are doing the Lord’s work while we are here. We are doing the Lord’s work aren’t we?
Paul referred to “saints” in Romans 8:27 when he was telling them about how the Spirit intercedes for us when we don’t have the words to pray and he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will. He’s talking about all those who have given their hearts to Him and are going about doing His work. And in 1 Corinthians 6:2 Paul talks about the saints being the ones we should go to when we have disputes that need someone to arbitrate them. He asks us, “Don’t you know that the saints will judge the world?” It doesn’t sound to me as if he’s talking about just those who have passed on. I think he’s talking about folks who are still here. It might have been that he was referring to people like you and me.
Today, though, we are remembering all those folks who have passed on in the last year. We are doing that because we believe what Jesus said in John 11, that He is the Resurrection and the Life. Along with Martha we believe that we don’t have to wait until we die to accept this. This gospel lesson from John 11 was read at Marj’s funeral service.
Every time we come together to worship God and celebrate the life of someone who has gone on ahead of us we do it with the confidence that what Jesus told us in the gospels is true. That he has prepared a place for all of us and he is coming back again. That’s why we don’t fear death because Jesus defeated death when he rose from the grave.
Remember the words Jesus asked Martha, “Do you believe this?” That’s the question we all have to wrestle with today, “Do we believe this?” Isaiah, the psalmist, and John all believed this. John believed in it so strongly that he could see a new heaven and a new earth and …”the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them.” That’s not sometime in the future that’s now.
Do we live our lives as though God is with us? Do we believe this? We are all here today because we believe. We may waver sometimes but still we hold to the belief that death is not the end and someday we will join those saints in heaven.
So good friends, the answer to the original question is, yes, we are saints. We have made a commitment to God keep the commandments and to do the work Jesus has commissioned us to do. That is to make disciples of all nations and to baptize them in the name of the Holy Trinity. We believe that, “The great ends of the church are the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind; the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God; the maintenance of divine worship; the preservation of the truth; the promotion of social righteousness; and the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world.” And so, yes, my friends, we are saints. Some of us are a little rough around the edges but God loves us anyway. It’s the way he created us.
So when someone questions you about who are the saints we can all say very surely that we are the saints.
Thanks be to God for those saints who taught us, corrected us, and loved us even when we weren’t so loveable. Amen.
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