Who Are We Listening To?

The guys sent from Jerusalem wanted to know who John was. And when he didn’t give them the answers they were looking for or tell them what they expected to hear they changed their tactics and asked, “…why do you baptize?”

Is there anyone today who’s taken John’s place? Who are the ones thundering in the desert today? Who’s doing today what the prophet Isaiah preached? Who’s preaching repentance? Who’s preparing us for the coming of the Messiah? If someone is, are we listening to them or are we too busy questioning their competence or their authority to hear the Message?

Do we, today, still question those people who tell the story of Jesus? Do we ask to see some form of certification that says they’re qualified or authorized do what they’re doing? And if we’re satisfied they’re properly qualified do we then ask them, “Why are you doing this thing?”

With all the questions we ask do we miss hearing the story? Are we missing the Good News they’re preaching? Is the noise of the world drowning out the Message they preach?

I’m asking these questions because all I’m hearing are politicians who have nothing good to say about their opponents or the incumbent. All I’m hearing is how bad things are and it’s all one person’s fault. And they’re the only ones who have all the answers. But I don’t believe any of them can be described as the “thunder in the desert.” Not once have I heard anyone talk about the things John spoke of, repentance and turning back to God.

The only places I’ve found anyone talking about social justice issues is in Sojourners magazine or The Christian Century or the Friends magazine published by the Quakers. So, my question is, “Who is the “Voice” for God’s people today?”

Who are we listening to? Who commands our attention? Who is promoting change in our society today?

Friends, the Message John was preaching was important then and is important for us to hear today. If the only voice we hear is John’s speaking to us from the Bible then maybe it would be good for us to listen. If the only thunder we hear is John’s voice asking us to repent, to turn back to the One who cares for us, then maybe it’s good that we hear the Message repeated again and again.

Maybe instead of questioning who John is we should listen for God’s message from those whom God has called. They might not be John the Baptizer, they probably don’t look like him either, but the Message is the same. Turn back to God; prepare the way for the Lord.

So, what are we to do? I think Paul has some good advice for us, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil.”

John preached a message of repentance. Paul reminded his readers to always be joyful, pray constantly, and to give thanks no matter what happens in our lives.

It doesn’t matter who John was or who is proclaiming the word from the pulpit. What matters is that we listen to the Message and take it to heart. What matters is sharing the Message with those folks God brings to us everyday. What matters is not waiting for someone else to do something but to take care of those God brings to us. We all know who they are.

Whose voice are you listening to? In this Advent season let’s all take time to sit and listen for God’s voice. Let’s be God’s voice for those around us. Let’s be the hands and feet of God for those who are searching for something good in this world, and the next.

Friends, remember God loves you. Listen for his voice and share his love with everyone you meet. Thanks be to God for his grace-filled joy. Amen.

Joy

Are you always filled with joy? Are you one of those fortunate people whose glass is always half full? Do you wake up in the morning with a smile on your face and just can’t wait to begin the day?

If you are you must are probably in the minority. I know a few of those folks and they are a fun to be with. When I’m feeling a little bit low they have a way of lifting my spirits. I forget about what was bothering me and the light in my world becomes a little bit brighter.

I never stop to think about why I’m not always the cheerful one. But now that I’ve read Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians I might have an answer. Do you know what it is?

First, it might be that we have to make an effort to be joyful. It could be that joy doesn’t come to us without some work on our part first. There’s that word again, work. Maybe if we’d call work play then it wouldn’t be so hard to do.

Any way it sounds as if we begin the day really trying to be joyful, put on a happy face, even when we don’t feel happy, before long we may actually be happy.

That’s the first part and the second thing is to pray continually. That’s another thing that’s hard for all of us to do. How do we find the time to pray without stopping?

I’ve heard people say, I’ve probably said it myself, we need to keep talking to God in our minds just as if he was walking right beside us. And that’s not so hard to do if you don’t move your lips all the time. Because then people might think you’re talking to yourself. They probably wouldn’t believe you if you said you were talking to God.

But, if we spend our days talking to God like he was always right beside us don’t you think our days would be more joyful? When I think back to the times I’ve been in constant prayer I realize I didn’t have time to think about my problems and I was happier.

So, let’s make a commitment to pray, talk, with God all the time. And I promise I won’t think you’re talking to yourself. In fact I’ll know you’re talking to the One who has all the answers.

The third thing Paul says is that we should give thanks no matter what happens. Now that’s not an easy thing to do either. Have you ever tried to give God thanks after running into a deer? Or thanking God when your water heater quits working? But hey, we shouldn’t say that won’t work until we give it a try.

I really believe that we could be filled with joy more often if we’d really try to do what Paul said. So, in the Advent season as we prepare our hearts and minds for the coming of the Messiah let’s all make the effort together to be “always joyful, pray continually, and give thanks for everything.” I’m going to make the commitment to try and I hope you will join me. Just think, if we all do it how much happier this world will be and if we’re talking with God more often then more of our prayers will be heard and it’ll be easier for us to be thankful for everything, everyday, no matter what takes place. And just think what a wonderful gift that would be for those around us.

What a way to share the love of our Lord, Jesus Christ by deciding to change our lives to be more joyful, more prayerful, and more thankful. We will more than likely find it easier to share the Good News of Jesus with those we meet on our journey through life.

Thanks be to God for his loving and forgiving grace. Amen.

Prepared?

How do we get ready for important happenings in our lives? How do we prepare our homes, our family and friends, our whole environment for important changes we know are imminent?

Think about all the milestones you’ve had in your lives. How much time was spent preparing for them, and preparing to celebrate them? And not just time, but how much money was used in the preparation?

And when the big day came did we find that all the preparation was worth it? What about the day after? How long did the excitement, the euphoria, last?

This morning we lit a candle for Advent signifying “preparation,” preparation for what? Do we know what we are preparing for?

Isaiah, Peter, and Mark each talks about being prepared. Isaiah and Mark actually uses the word prepare and Peter asks the question, “…what kind of people ought you to be?” Each of them said that the coming of the Messiah was important. Each of them stressed that changes needed to take place. Action needed to be taken.

So, what about now? What about the world and us? Have we prepared ourselves for the coming of the Messiah? Have we taken to heart the words Peter, Isaiah, and Mark wrote?

Not only about how we should be living but that the Messiah’s return is imminent. He could arrive this very minute.

If Jesus came this very minute would our response be, “Come, Lord Jesus, come. We’ve been anxiously waiting for you.” Or, would we more likely say, “Oh dear! I’m not ready yet! There’s some work I haven’t done yet! Can you wait a minute?”

Friends, we’ve heard these words before. In fact we’ve heard these same words every year during Advent. And we would still say, “Wait a minute! I’m not quite ready yet.” Really, that’s our response?

Way back before Jesus’ arrival John began exhorting the people to repent. He began doing something different in that the baptism he offered wasn’t just for those who were converts to Judaism. No, the baptism he offered was for those who were ready to repent, prepared to change; prepared to make their lives ready for the coming of the Messiah.

John’s, and Isaiah’s and Malachi’s, message is still being proclaimed across all the centuries, “Prepare for the Lord!” Do we have ears to hear? Are all our preparations done? Or, aren’t we quite ready yet?

What in the world are we waiting for? Listen to Peter’s message again, “So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this (are we?), make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation…”

It can’t be any clearer. Jesus is going to break into the world again. Everything we hold dear today, all of this stuff, is going to disappear. There will be a new heaven and a new earth, a new Jerusalem. And all of this stuff will be gone. All that will matter then is that we’ve made every effort to get right with the Lord. All that will matter then is that we’ve done all we can to be prepared.

Friends, God sent his Son, Jesus, to us, so we could be saved. All he asks is that we pay attention to his Message and get our hearts and lives right with Him now.

God is extremely patient but someday Jesus will return and only those who have prepared for his coming will go home. Are we ready?

Friends, God loves us and is just waiting to anoint us with his forgiving grace. Let’s get ready today! Thanks be to God. Amen.

Bucket List

The season of Advent begins today, a season when we reflect on what’s to come. Young folks, and some of us older folks, are anxiously waiting for that day when we’ll finally get to open the brightly wrapped packages with our names on them. You know, the ones sitting under someone’s Christmas tree.

Friends, you know that’s not what we’re talking about today. We’re talking about that time everyone’s eagerly waiting for, the return of Jesus.

We’ve heard the scriptures tell us what Jesus said about his return. He told his disciples to be ready for his return. No one knows the date or the time when he’ll come. Only God the Father knows the exact time. Jesus just said we should be ready.

But we aren’t to just bide our time sitting around waiting. Last Sunday’s lesson was about separating the sheep from the goats, sorting out those who had been taking care of the sick, the widowed, the poor, or those in prison from those who’d been focused only on taking care of themselves.

That sounded like we should be looking after those who struggle with living life. That sounded like it’s not all about us but about those we don’t see as we bustle around filling our shopping carts with gifts for our kids, our grandchildren, our friends, and other family members.

Today, on the right page of your bulletin, there are a couple paragraphs asking us to think about what we’d do if we knew we only had a month left to live.

What would we do? Would we quickly sit down and make up our bucket list, after we’d finished lamenting the fact that we didn’t have enough time left. And then would we rush around trying to accomplish all those things we’d been postponing ‘til later? What would we do?

So, let’s pretend that today is that day. We don’t have much time left. What will our list look like? Would the fact that we’re in the season of Advent make any difference? Would the fact that as we contemplate this we’re sitting together worshipping God make any difference? What would our list look like?

Or, would there be any change at all in our lives? You know it’s a very personal question that I’m asking. The only one who can answer this question is the one whose reflection we see in the mirror every morning.

Maybe it would help if we checked the gospels to see what Jesus told the disciples to do until that time. In Matthew 24 beginning with verse 42 Jesus said they should keep watch. And he said that when he returns the question asked will be, “Were you a good and faithful servant?” Those the master finds doing so will be rewarded but those who haven’t been taking care of things will lose out on their reward.

Paul said that the Corinthians had been given everything they needed; they had been enriched in every way. They didn’t lack any spiritual gift. He also reminded them to stand firm until Jesus returned. He said, “Don’t fret. God is faithful.”

Paul put his hope in the promises of Jesus. That was enough for him and so he kept doing what God had called him to do, building churches among the Gentiles. And right up to the end that’s what Paul did even though he was kept a prisoner by the Romans. His hope was that God would be faithful. And so he wrote letters to all those churches while he waited.

It was important to Paul and the apostles that the Good News was told to every nation. And while that was being done the poor, homeless, sick and imprisoned were to be cared for. They didn’t just share the Good News of Jesus with them but they looked after their needs.

I’m sure it looked like an insurmountable task but that didn’t matter. All he asked was that they use the gifts they’d been given to serve those around them. And that’s all he’s asked us to do.

So, when you go home today to write your bucket list maybe it’ll look a little different that it might have yesterday. Or maybe it’ll be the same.

Good friends, none of us knows how much time we do have left so we should take an assessment of our lives. Are we taking care of the things Jesus asked us to?

Jesus is coming again. It could be today. It could be tomorrow or Jesus may not come for a long time yet. We don’t know but Jesus said we should be watchful as we wait. He also used the word “good and faithful servant.” To me that means we should be serving each other and those on the fringes.

As we wait, as we prepare to celebrate the Savior’s birth, let’s not forget those Jesus has called us to serve. God hasn’t asked us to do anything we haven’t been equipped to do. Every person who crosses our path is an opportunity for us to serve the Lord. It might be just giving directions to the bakery or directions to the food pantry, or it could be giving them the directions to eternal life.

Friends, remember God loves us and has given each of us the gifts and skills necessary to do his good work. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Who Are We?

Lately I’ve been thinking about who I am, why I’m here, and how can I know God better?

Today’s scriptures are about who we are and whose we are. I know, two of the passages are about sheep and goats but they’re really about who we are, what kind of people are we, and…whose people we are.

So, there may be more questions today than answers but maybe our questions will help us understand who we are and why we are.

We believe that we’re here, worshipping, because God called us here. But what about the ones who aren’t here? Didn’t God call them? Were they deaf to the sound of his Voice? Why isn’t everyone here? Are they just ignoring His call? Why aren’t they here?

God is speaking in the reading from Ezekiel about searching for the scattered sheep. When he finds them he will care for them; he will save them from all the dangers they have been exposed to when they were scattered. He will put them in a safe place where they will find nourishment and shelter. He will search for the lost and bring back those who’ve strayed. He will heal those who’ve been injured and…he will destroy those sheep that are fat and strong. He will tend all his sheep with fairness. Who are we?

Who are we? Are we the scattered and the lost or are we the fat and sassy sheep who push with their hips and shoulders those who are hungry and hurt? Who are we?

Who are the chosen Paul is talking about? He says the chosen are those who are in Christ. Who are we? Who are we?

To begin with no one, absolutely no one, knows the mind of God. But, what if God chose everyone to be in Christ? Then, why aren’t they here with us?

Could it be because they weren’t invited? Did we forget to ask them to come? Are their invitations still lying on the table at home? Is it our fault they’re not here?

The sheep God gathered and brought back home were scattered because they failed to keep God’s commandments. They were being disciplined because they had turned a deaf ear to his Word; they refused to live as he’d commanded. But when they cried out to him he heard them and brought them back home where he could tend to their wounds, where he could make them whole again. Are those who aren’t here not crying out to God?

The other sheep, and the goats, are those who will be judged by Christ on the Last Day. The nations are brought before the Son of Man to be judged, not just one person at a time, but nations. Some are welcomed in and some are cast out in the outer darkness. Who are we?

Neither group knew until the final judgment why. One group was admitted in because they had done something and the other was cast out because they had failed to do something. Sheep and goats, dogs and cats, Americans and Mexicans, meat and vegetables, gay or straight, white or black-decisions, choices all of us make. What do these choices make us? Who are we? Are we chosen?

Sometimes, actually most times, when I read the passage about the sheep and the goats I wonder will I be judged as a sheep or a goat. And I wonder sometimes, “Are the things I do good enough to get me admitted?” Don’t you wonder the same thing, sometimes?

But, then I remember it’s not about anything you and I do. It’s all grace, God’s grace. I think Paul in his letter to the people of Ephesus helps us understand when he states, “…you will know that God's power is very great for us who believe. That power is the same as the great strength God used to raise Christ from the and put him at his right side in the heavenly world. God has put Christ over all rulers, authorities, powers, and kings, and every title that can be given, not only in this world but also in the next. God put everything under his power and made him the head over everything for the church…”

Everything is under Jesus’ control. Since He clothed himself with our sins and died for them, then we are able clothe ourselves in Christ. So when he looks out at us gathered as nations he sees us as his children. Not perfect but made perfect through his sacrifice.

I believe that it’s when we accept Jesus into our hearts and commit ourselves to living like him that all this takes place.

But, I still wonder who I am in Christ. I still want some assurance that God has forgiven me for all my sins and that he lives in my heart. Don’t you?

I still desire a closer relationship with God, and sometimes I don’t feel it. But once in a while I do and that gives me hope.

So, have we answered the question or not? I’m not sure but hopefully we’ve moved a little closer to understanding why we’re here.

I believe it’s the same as I said last Sunday. We’re here to love God and love and serve our neighbors in Jesus’ great name. That’s the why of it.

Will we be perfect? Probably not but everyday we should strive toward that perfect love.

Friends, know this, God loves you and so do I. Thanks be to God. Amen.

What Are We To Do in the Meantime?

Last Sunday the question raised was, “Are we ready?” Are we ready for Jesus to come, again? Today, Paul is telling the people of Thessalonica not to worry about that because no one knows the time or the day when Jesus is coming. And, Matthew’s gospel is talking, again, about what God’s kingdom is like. Oh, and the reading from Judges is about trusting God, having faith that He will really do what he says he will do.

So, maybe every one of these readings has something to do with trust, faith, or hope, whatever you want to call it. My question for all of us today is, “What are we to do in the meantime?” What are we to do while we’re waiting for Jesus to return?

We know Jesus is coming. He just hasn’t come yet and we’ve been waiting an awfully long time. Every so often we hear someone tell us they know exactly when Jesus is going to arrive. And there are many, it seems like, who believe them. And then there are those who just scoff at Jesus ever coming back. And, again, those who predicted Jesus’ arrival are wrong; so that just reinforces what the scoffers say.

What do you think? Is Jesus coming or not? Is it important for any of us to know when? And, what should we be occupied with while we wait?

I honestly think all of it is about trust; faith in what the scriptures tell us and the hope we have in Jesus. Hope that our sins are forgiven; hope that we will one day see again all those who have gone on ahead of us.

But we have a hard time trusting. It may be because the world has made so many promises and failed to keep them that we don’t believe that God’s promises are any better.

We’ve been conditioned by the world to think that it can provide for all of our wants, wishes, and needs. And yet, every time it falls painfully short.

There are times when we do take a chance and risk doing something different, maybe actually trying to live a Christian life of forgiveness and love, and, yes, maybe even serving our neighbors.

But then someone says something to ridicule what we’re doing. They think it’s silly to help folks when there’s no chance they’ll ever change. And we let that get to us. For some reason we can’t take that kind of persecution.

We fail at trying to live like Jesus, to love like Jesus, to heal the wounds of the world like Jesus. We think that God can’t possibly forgive us for our lack of faith. The world sneaks in and hardens our hearts and stiffens our necks. We forget God’s promises to forgive us.

How does that happen? Why do we allow it to happen? What can we do to keep it from happening again and again? You know the answer, trust. Trust in God and His word.

I don’t even have to tell you what I think we need to do to build up our trust and/or faith. You already know the answer to that. We can do nothing. We have to depend on God’s grace.

But we can depend on God’s grace. It will never let us down. When the world fails us God never will.

So, why do we find it so hard to risk loving God, loving our neighbors? Is it because the world has failed us so many times? Then why not try it God’s way? Trust in Him.

So, what’s the answer to our question, “What are we to do in the meantime, while we wait for Jesus to return?” I think you know the answer…serve God and serve our neighbors as Jesus taught his disciples and us. Risk loving God and risk loving our neighbors.

Are you skeptical? My answer is, “Try it before you deem it a failure.” Try it God’s way. Give it all to God and trust in his grace. What have you got to lose?

Jesus is coming again and until he arrives let’s not worry about the time or the place. Let’s be doing what God called us to do, serve God and neighbor with love and grace as Jesus taught us to do.

Thanks be to God for his grace. Amen.

Are We Ready?

The message Jesus is teaching in Matthew’s gospel is about being ready? The ten bridesmaids were waiting for the groom to come to the bride’s house. They thought they knew when he was going to arrive but they were wrong, and they fell asleep. Maybe they even forgot to turn down their lamps.

At any rate they weren’t quite ready when they heard the call that the groom was on his way. Of course they’d been sleeping so they had to get their makeup straightened out. They wanted to look their best when the groom came to their friend’s house.

Since the groom didn’t arrive when they had planned of course their lamps used more oil. So, they had to refill their lamps so they could see to primp. But some didn’t plan for that and they had to go buy some more oil.

The groom came and they missed him. The door closed and it couldn’t be opened for those who weren’t ready. It’s really kind of sad and it doesn’t seem fair. Because it wasn’t their fault that the groom was late, was it?

You may have figured out already that this parable is about the coming again of our Lord, Jesus. He is the groom and the bridesmaids are those who are waiting for the Savior to return, us and everyone around us. Some are ready and some aren’t.

So, we know that much but have you ever thought, “What’s the significance of the oil? What does the oil signify?”

Let’s give that some thought and try to understand why having enough oil was important.

The groom is Jesus and we are the bridesmaids waiting for the groom to arrive. So, this is us today. What do we need so that we’re prepared for Jesus’ return? What’s our oil? What do we need to keep the fire burning? Exactly what do we need to be sure that we have a good supply of so that we’re ready whenever Jesus returns? What fire do we have to keep going so that we’re ready when the Groom arrives?

What do you think you’d need to have a good supply of? I think that Paul said it in the words we heard today, “We believe that Jesus died and that he rose again.” First we must believe. Believe that Jesus died and rose again and in order to believe we’ve got to have faith.

So I would have you think about the oil in the bridesmaids lamps as being faith. How can we be sure that we have enough faith? We can’t generate more faith. We aren’t able to make our faith stronger so what are we to do? I want to be sure that I have enough oil in my lamp, don’t you? So where’s more oil? Where do we get more faith?

Since you and I can’t manufacture more faith I believe that they only way I can be sure of having enough is to be in conversation with our Father, God all the time. If we are close to God each and every day, even when we don’t feel like it or we don’t necessarily feel his presence, I believe that our faith will be sufficient to carry us to that day when Christ returns.

But that’s not going to happen if we aren’t working on our relationship with God, being in his word, taking time to talk with Him, taking time to listen for his voice, and serving Him wherever he leads us.

There will be some who say, “I can’t do that. It will take me away from my family, my friends.” Friends, that may be what Jesus meant when he said we have to die to our old selves and be born again. That may be what he meant when he said we have to give our all to him, pick up the cross and follow him. All of this may be the oil in our lamps. What do you think?

Friends, I pray that all of our lamps are trimmed and full of oil when our Lord returns again. God loves you my friends and so do I. Thanks be to God. Amen.

God's Message

I’m sure you’ve noticed in the bulletin that “The Message” follows the reading of the gospel lesson. Do you come, sometimes, wondering what the Message is going to be?

Today I would like to have us think about what God’s Message is for us today from these scriptures. As Joshua had the Israelites gather by the Jordan River he said, “Come here and listen to the words of the LORD your God.” In the last sentence today from Thessalonians Paul said…”it really is God's message which works in you who believe.” And Jesus said, “The religion scholars and Pharisees are competent teachers in God's Law. You won't go wrong in following their teachings on Moses”

Each one describes God as someone who has something to say to us. He uses words to get his Message through to us.

Have you ever wondered what those words were or are? Jesus said in Matthew’s gospel that the disciples would be wise to follow the scholars and Pharisees teaching of Moses’ Law as given to them by God. Paul says that God’s Message works in you who believe. What does it do in those who believe and why doesn’t it work in those who don’t believe?

It all begins in the Old Testament in Deuteronomy. Moses was giving the people all the commandments or laws that God had given him. He also did a lot of explaining about why they lived and wandered in the desert for 40 years. It was to humble and test them in order to know what was in their hearts, whether or not they would keep his commands. He humbled them, causing them to be hungry and then feeding them with manna, which none of them had ever heard about, to teach them that man doesn’t live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

God warned them to be careful because they would be tempted to turn away from Him and worship other gods. He asked them to fix theses words of mine in your hearts and minds tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you lie down and when your get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the Lord swore to give to your forefathers…

God’s words have power. They can build up or destroy. The Prophet Isaiah said, “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

In the gospel of Matthew chapter 24 Jesus said, “Heaven and earth may pass away, but my word will never pass away.” Think about that. His words will never pass away. God’s words will accomplish what he desires and achieves the purpose for which he sent them.

Paul in his instructions to Timothy said, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

That’s why I believe it’s so vitally important that we read and study God’s word. There is much to be learned in the Word and God’s power comes to us in the Word.

So, the Message today for us is to read The Message; chew on every word and meditate on what God speaks to you.

My brothers and sisters God loves you and so do I. Thanks be to God for his grace. Amen.

Who Knows You? Who Knows God?

Who knows you? I mean who really knows you? Is it your Mom or Dad who know you? Does your best friend forever really know you? Does your spouse really knows you? Who is it who really knows you? Who really knows what makes you you?

I guess if I wanted to get to know someone first I'd want to talk with them. I'd want to discover where they came from, maybe hear a little bit about their family and what it was like for them growing up. I'd probably ask what they do for a living and/or what they enjoy doing in their free time. If they were new to the town of Walnut I'd invite them to worship with us. Then they'd have a chance to get to know us.

So, back to the original question. Who really knows you? Does anyone really know anyone? Another question could be, “Do you know yourself?” Does anyone really know you? How do we get to know someone or something?

The Scripture readings today from Exodus and 1 Thessalonians talk of God knowing Moses and of God knowing the Thessalonians since Paul said he, God, chose them.

I may have given the answer away. If God knew Moses and the Thessalonians then surely God must know us. Doesn't that make sense?

So, maybe the question should have been, “Who knows us best?” And the obvious answer would have to be God.

Now, lets turn the question around. Who knows God; really knows God? Sunday school teachers, because they have to know about God so they can teach the children. Surely they know God. No.

Well then it must be the elders because they were chosen for their wisdom and maturity of faith, and their skills in leadership and their compassionate spirits. At least that's what the Book of Order says, so they must know God. Right? No.

Well if its not the Sunday school teachers or the elders then who does know God, the pastors? Surely those who read and study the God's Scriptures must know God, right?

Well, some might believe that they know God and I would agree that many know quite a lot about God but very few really know God. I know I don't know God well enough.

I do believe he knows me and you and you and you... So what's the point, if God knows us is it important that we know God? Why do we care whether we know anyone or whether we know God? Is it imperative for you to know me or for me to know you or for either of us to know God. We've already said that He knows us, isn't that enough?

I'm not sure if I've got this right because it's something that came to me yesterday as I was reading. We can't know God face to face so the only other way we can know him is...I wonder if anyone has the answer already...in community.

I say that because we are all created in the image of God and...we are filled with God's Spirit...and his words are written on our hearts...so, if we begin to know each other in community doesn't it make sense that through that process we begin to know God.

Does that make sense? As we know each other we come to know God. Now we all know that we're not perfect but taking that into account as we live together in God's grace doing our best to live and serve and love as Jesus showed us then don't we begin to be aware of God's presence in each other? As we look into the eyes of those folks whom we serve and worship with isn't it possible to see Jesus and know our God​?

That's my Message for you this week. It's now up to you to test it out and see if it's true. Friends, God leaves the rest up to us to choose how we live and serve him. We have a decision to make. Do we accept Jesus as God's Son? Will we let him into our hearts and will we give him all we are and have so others may know Him? The choice is ours to make.

Friends, I believe I know God a little better by being here this morning with you and I pray that you may know Him better by worshiping here with me.

Thanks be to God for his grace. Amen.

God's Kingdom

Jesus is telling another story, a parable, about God's Kingdom. This isn't exactly a feel good story as Matthew writes it.

A king is throwing a wedding banquet, a lavish gala, for his son. He has invited all of his friends. But they aren't interested. They have better things to do than to get dressed up and go to a party. So, instead they mistreat the servants who brought the invitations. Some they beat up and some they killed

Of course the king didn't take this too well so he sent his soldiers to wipe them off the face of the earth. He didn't want to leave any trace of their existence.

Since the table was set and everything was ready he instructed his servants to go out to the busiest intersections and invited everyone they saw to the party.

That's what they did and the room was soon filled with happy voices. These weren't the beautiful people; these were the commoners who labored hard every day to provide for their families.

Here they were enjoying the best cuisine prepared by the greatest chefs wearing the latest designer fashions. Who would have ever imagined that they would be allowed to attend the wedding banquet for the king's son?

And yet, there was one who sneaked in with the others just to enjoy the meal but not wanting to get dressed in the finery provided by the king. There's always someone who thinks they can participate in the festivities without abiding by the rules.

So, what is this parable saying for us as we listen to God's word? Who is this king who annihilates those who refuse to come to his party? Who are those who refuse to attend? Who are those who are invited from the streets? Who is the one who isn't wearing the right clothes?

Matthew wrote this gospel for the Jewish people, those who'd rejected Jesus. He wrote to show them how Jesus the Christ was the fulfillment of the prophecies written of in the Hebrew Bible.

The “king” is God. His son is Jesus the Christ. Those who refused to attend the banquet are the religious leaders who refused to repent and believe in Jesus as the Messiah.

They are the ones who mistreated and killed God's servants, his prophets who came preaching God's words of love, God's warnings, God's forgiveness, and the prophecy of the One who would come and save them from themselves and their sin.

Those who were finally invited to the banquet when the chosen ones refused to come were the Gentiles, the tax collectors, the s, the fishermen, and carpenters. Because the chosen ones rejected the invitation God chose to call everyone to the banquet table. He chose to call you and me.

The final decision is ours. God has called us. God has given us his grace and we must decide whether we will choose to answer his call. We must choose whether we will clothe ourselves in Christ and come to the banquet table. The choice is ours to make. God calls. He doesn't force us or coerce us into making this decision.

So, how will we answer his call today? Will be repent and put on Christ and join our sisters and brothers at the Table?

Friends, God has given us his grace, his love, in Jesus Christ. He loves us and calls us to join him. God loves you my friends and so do I. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Knowing God

If we want to know about something or some place or someone, where’s the first place we go to get the knowledge we’re seeking? Some of us will go to our computers and “Google” our question. Others will go to their encyclopedias or dictionaries or one of the other books in their libraries.

If any of us want to know God, really know Him, where do we go? Again some will go to their computer and “Google” God. Others will go to their Bibles and maybe use the concordance to help them find scriptures that will help them know Him.

Paul, in his letter to the Philippians, said that nothing compared to knowing Christ Jesus the Lord. The most important thing in Paul’s life was knowing Jesus.

Shouldn’t that be the most important thing for everyone? The question is, how can we know Jesus; how can we know God? Can we know God by “googling” him? Can we know God by reading our Bibles?

Remember the television program Newly Weds? The MC would ask each of the men and then each of the women the same questions about their spouses. Then they would come back together and we’d all get to see how well they really knew each other. It was soon very apparent that most of them didn’t really know their life partner.

So, what if there were a game show that partnered us with God and we were asked questions about God and he was asked questions about us. I wonder what kind of insights that would give us? Who do you suppose would know the most about the other? How well do you think we’d know God?

I, for one, don’t think I know God well enough. I read the Bible. I read commentaries. I read books about spirituality. I read quite a few books about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit in an attempt to get to that point where I can say that I really know God. But none of them have taken me to the place where I can honestly say that I know God.

But I do believe that God knows me. And, like Paul, all I can do is to continue to keep trying to know him better.

To be honest with all of you I did go to the concordance in my study Bible and looked up knowing and knowledge. There are a number of scripture passages that talk about God knowing us and us knowing Him.

Exodus is the first place I found written that the people will know that I am the LORD. They would know God because he revealed himself in the plagues in Egypt and in the miracles like parting the water of the Red Sea and the drowning of the Egyptians who pursued them and in providing manna and quail and water from a rock.

The psalmist says if we know his name we will trust in him. The same psalmist also tells us to …be still and know that I am God. In the book of Jeremiah we read that God knew us before we were formed in the womb. Also in Jeremiah God says that now everyone will know him…for I will forgive their iniquity and their sin I will remember no more. And Ezekiel repeats what we read in Exodus when he says…they shall know that I am the LORD.

It sounds like God makes himself known to us through his actions in our lives. We read in the Bible that even if there were no prophets or teachers to tell us about God the very stones would cry out. God’s creation helps people know Him. People have come to believe and trust in God through what they’ve seen in this world we live in.

Jesus said in John’s gospel…I have made you known to them. He also told those surrounding him…I know my sheep and my sheep know me.

So, has the question been answered? How do we get to know God? I believe it ultimately depends on God’s grace. God calls us. And then we choose whether we will believe and answer His call. Only then will we begin to know him.

God said, and Jesus repeated it, if we keep his commandments we will be his. We will be known by him.

We struggle with keeping the commandments and we struggle to live like Jesus so will we ever know God? We fail almost every day to keep God’s commandments. So, that’s the unknown quantity.

God tells us we are forgiven for our sins through Jesus. Jesus said that he would send an advocate who would tell us Jesus’ words. All this has taken place and now it’s up to us.

Do we believe? Do we trust God’s word to us? Friends, none of us knows for sure but Jesus said all we have to do is believe.

The Israelites in the wilderness were afraid to talk to God. God tells us we can go directly to him with our prayers. Jesus told us of God’s love and forgiveness.

All these help us to know God better. There’s still the mystery surrounding Him but God knows us and by spending time in prayer and study we begin to know God.

We’ll never know everything until we get to the New Jerusalem. Until then we just have to trust in what God reveals to us in the Word and His creation.

Thanks be to God. Amen.

The World's A Mess. We're A Mess. Where's God?

The Israelites are grumbling because they're thirsty, really thirsty. The Philippians are apparently not practicing humility and neither do they seem to be getting along with each other to well. And then we have the high priest and leaders of the Temple questioning Jesus' authority.


As we listen to these readings we hear what sounds like a whole lot of discord in people's lives. When we listen to our local and national news on the television or listen to the radio or read the World Herald or the Register we soon discover that nothing has changed. There's still a whole lot of discord in people's lives.

People still grumble. This year it hasn't been because they didn't have enough water to drink but that there was too much water. There are still folks who aren't very humble and have trouble getting along. Just as an example notice how many people are getting married and then notice how many of them are filing for divorce. And the authority thing, people are questioning that all the time. None of our elected officials can agree on the steps to take to correct any of the problems facing them or who should be responsible for doing it.

So, what's the answer? Fire the lot of them and start over. That may sound like a good idea but it still doesn't solve the problem with our stiff necks, hard hearts, and our inability to get along with our neighbors. So, what should we do?

Today I think we should go to Paul's letter to the people of Philippi. They were disagreeing on how to get things done. Apparently there were two ladies who weren't acting very humble and so Paul was giving them his best counsel.

The gist of his Message was everyone should live and act like Jesus Christ. That sounds easy enough until we try it.

Have you ever tried to imitate someone you admired and looked up to? That's exactly what Paul is advocating. He's telling this church they need to change and he begins by asking them some really hard questions. He says, “1 Does your life in Christ give you strength? Does his love comfort you? Do we share together in the spirit? Do you have mercy and kindness?”

Paul packed a whole lot into those first 4 verses. Maybe we need to listen to the rest of them again. Paul said, “2 If so, make me very happy by having the same thoughts, sharing the same love, and having one mind and purpose.3 When you do things, do not let selfishness or pride be your guide. Instead, be humble and give more honor to others than to yourselves.4 Do not be interested only in your own life, but be interested in the lives of others.”

Again, it sounds kind of easy until we try to live it. It's not so easy trying to reach consensus, doing it all with loving hearts and minds, and working toward the same goal with the same determination. And the other part of trying to keep our work from being selfish and full of pride. It's hard to be humble as the country western song says.

So, does anyone have the answer? If what we are called to do is so hard what chance do any of us have of ever living like Jesus? Should we just pack it all up and quit trying? Paul didn't think we should.

He said, “Keep on working to complete your salvation with fear and trembling,13 because God is working in you to help you want to do and be able to do what pleases him.” Notice what Paul says here. We are to keep trying but he reminds us that we aren't alone in this work. God is working in us to help us to do what we want to do and enable us to do what is pleasing to him. We need to be reminded of this every day. We keep trying to do it all by our own strength and will without asking God to help. We are really slow learners. Not any better than those Israelites traveling through the wilderness with Moses and and Aaron.

God was standing right in front of them but the only one who ever saw him and talked with him was Moses. They were too afraid of God to talk to him personally.

Friends, the good news is that God knew this and that's one reason he sent Jesus here to live like us, with us. It was so he could be our advocate and intercessor before God.

But friends, we have to bend our knees and talk to God and listen for his voice. We aren't in this alone. God loves us and is right here this very moment working in us to transform our hard hearts and soften our stiff necks.

So, which son are we? The one who said he wouldn't but then changed his mind and went to the vineyard or the one who said he would but then didn't show up. Again the choice is up to each one of us.

Remember God is with us and he loves us even when we stumble, even when we don't get along too well. Thanks be to God for his loving grace. Amen.

God's Kingdom

What is God's kingdom like? What do we expect to find in God's kingdom? Jesus told his disciples in this parable in Matthew 20 that God's kingdom was like this estate manager who went to the labor center in town to hire laborers for his harvest.

Is that the way you think of God's kingdom? Jesus said that this estate manager was looking for those who would be willing to work for him to bring in the harvest. He began hiring as soon as the harvest was ready. As the day progressed he kept going back to recruit more laborers. Even when there was only one hour of daylight left he called all who were left and willing to work. How is that like God's kingdom?

Think of it this way. When did you answer the call to work for the Lord? Was it seventy years ago? Was it fifty years ago? Or was it 2 days ago? Do those who answered first receive more of a reward than those who answered yesterday?

Answer me this. What does God guarantee any of us if we give our hearts to him? Did he tell us that the first ones who came to him would receive greater rewards than those who came to him yesterday? Did he say anywhere that those who begin early to work for him and work really, really hard will be of a higher status that those who begin work later and maybe don't work as hard?

This is the Great Reversal Jesus talked about, “...many of the first ending up last, and the last first.” God has never done things the way we would do them and it just doesn't seem fair.
We think that if we give all of our time and all our labor working for God that we should be rewarded more than those who don't give as much time or don't work at all. Some think that way. We've been taught by the world that we get what we work for and we deserve it.

But God gives the same gift to the last as he gives to those first committed followers, eternal life in God's kingdom. That may not seem fair but grace and forgiveness are God's gifts to give and it's not up to us.

The Israelites traveling through the wilderness didn't think life was fair either. They wanted everything they had back in Egypt. They grumbled at Moses and Aaron. God heard their complaints and he fed them manna and quail.

Remember when God revealed himself to Moses in the burning bush. Remember when Moses asked him who should he tell the Israelites had sent him to lead them out of Egypt. He said, “I am who I am,” or as some translations put it, “I will be who I will be.”

For the Israelites in the wilderness he was their Bread. They didn't know what it was he was giving them and so they asked, “What is it?”

In Egypt God was their salvation; in the wilderness he was their sustenance, their Bread. For Paul He was the Good News and for the disciples of Jesus he was their Teacher. What will God be for us and is he calling us to labor in the harvest? How will we answer? What do we expect?

Paul was torn between staying here and working for the Lord and going to be with Jesus. He
decided if this was where God wanted him them he would continue his work.

He didn't expect anymore than what God provided him as he lived and worked for the Lord. Sometimes he lived in the lap of luxury and other times he had nothing. Wherever and whatever Paul lived for the Lord.

So, what are we to do with this Good News? God leaves the choice up to us. Will we answer his call to join the harvesters? Will we be willing to give everything to serve him? Will we suffer for him? Will we lovingly accept those who come to the harvest with nothing more than their love for Jesus, the homeless, the addicts, the unemployed, and the unloved? God does and will.

God's kingdom is like nothing we've ever seen or could ever imagine. It is filled with God's love and grace. He accepts all who answer the call. The first and the last receive the same pay, eternal life. It may not seem fair to us but it is God's gift to give.

Thanks be to God for his extravagant grace. Amen.

Judgment & Forgiveness

Judging whether something is right or wrong or whether someone is right or wrong is, I think, so easy for all of us to do. We read the newspaper or listen to the evening news and, without realizing what we're doing, judge whether that person or country or government or corporation made a decision that was good, in our opinion, or bad, or right or wrong. I believe we do it so often that it has become a habit.

Judging is such a common occurrence in our lives that we judge people we see on the street or see in the bakery or McDonald's or walking down the street. As we observe them we make judgments as to what kind of people they are. We do all that in about the first couple of minutes.

That spur of the moment decision will stay with us until we become acquainted with them. It's impossible for our judgment of them to be changed until we discover for ourselves that maybe we were wrong. Never the less, if we're honest, we have to admit we are pretty judgmental.

Apparently in Paul's day people were making judgments about whether it was right or wrong to eat just about anything or whether there should be dietary rules that all should abide by. So, if some thought that in order to be a “true” follower you couldn't eat any meat anyone who did eat meat was considered an outsider and couldn't be a member of the elite group or vice versa. Or, as Paul said, it may have been that one group thought that one particular day of the week was more important than the other days of the week and others believed that they were all equal in importance.

One group believed the other group was wrong. And they couldn't, or wouldn't, change their minds. Each group felt that they were absolutely right and there was no way to resolve the issue. Each group was stubbornly set in their way of thinking.

Paul was counseling them that none of these things really made any difference when it came to being a follower of the Way. But if someone did believe one way or the other and it was in contradiction to our way of thinking they were instructed by Paul to let it go. Don't judge them good or bad, right or wrong. In the greater scheme of things it just wasn't important. Let it go.

That was radical thinking in Paul's day and still would be thought of as radical, by some, today. We might think that we're immune to that way of thinking but ask yourself this question, “What would we think if someone joined this congregation who was from a Pentecostal church and every time they agreed strongly with some part of the worship they'd shout, 'Amen!'” Or what if someone stood up in worship some Sunday and just started giving their testimony; and they thought you couldn't be part of the community of faith unless you shared your faith openly with everyone. How would we judge these folks? How would they judge us? Would we pass the test of whether we were judgmental or not?

Judging folks doesn't seem to be harmful to anyone or that big of a deal until we stop and realize that someone could be judging us. Then it doesn't feel so good.

The other part that we often don't notice is or we forget about is what Matthew wrote in the gospel today. Jesus said, “ ...that's exactly what my Father in heaven is going to do to each one of you who doesn't forgive unconditionally anyone who asks for mercy.”

Judging and forgiving are very closely related. By not forgiving we are rendering judgment against the person or persons we felt has done some wrong against us. And what we have done is put ourselves under God's judgment.

We judge those who are different as not being acceptable. So, we are different. How will we be judged by God? Will we be found acceptable by Him?

Good friends, God has forgiven us. We have been found to be acceptable by Him through the sacrifice and resurrection of his Son, Jesus the Messiah. As God has forgiven us we are asked to forgive others.

It's our choice to make. As we judge so will be judged. As we forgive so will we be forgiven. God loved us so much that He died for our sins Himself and rose again to show that has been defeated. As Paul said, If we live we live for the LORD and if we die we die for the LORD, so whether we live or whether we die we are the LORD'S. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Loving Confrontation

Loving confrontation, that almost sounds like an oxymoron. Is it possible to confront anyone lovingly? Paul, in his epistle to the Romans, says it all hinges on love. The whole Law revolves around love.

It begins with loving our neighbors like we love ourselves. The real problem we might have with that is sometimes we don't love ourselves very much.

If people don't even like themselves it's no wonder they don't treat their neighbors with love, is it? Therein lies one of humanity's problems. People don't think they're worthy of love, theirs or anyone's. Maybe they haven't learned how to love or maybe they've been hurt so deeply that it's impossible for them to even consider loving anyone. How to solve that is a whole other can of worms. That's not to say it's not important but today Jesus is talking about how to lovingly confront a brother or sister who has hurt us. Please note that he is talking about someone who is a member of our community of faith.

Jesus says, if someone hurts us we are to go to them and try to work it out. The first problem is, what if they refuse to even listen to one word? Or, what if they listen but don't believe they're in the wrong? Either way Jesus tells us to go get 2 or 3 friends who know about the issue or wrong or hurt and all together go and lovingly bring it to their attention again. But they still won't listen.

Now this is where it gets really difficult. In Jesus' words he says to get the whole church involved and all together, you and the church, lovingly confront them, again. If they still won't listen we aren't allowed to give up and drop it but we're to start the process all over and lovingly confront our neighbor.

Peter heard this and wondered, out loud, how many times he should start all over, seven times? You know Jesus' answer. It was seventy times seven. In other words as long as it takes or forever. We aren't supposed to ever give up trying to heal the hurts. The other thing is we are, the whole time, to lovingly address our neighbor. Why?

Friends, look at it this way. What if a member of our family was doing something we knew was harmful to them? We may not like what they're doing but our love for them wouldn't changed. We'd go to them and ,in love, confront them, wouldn't we? Wouldn't we go to them over and over, maybe with other family members, until we knew they understood and changed their behavior? We wouldn't ever give up, would we. That's because we love them.

So, this family we're part of is no different. We are, each of us, part of this Body of Christ. If one part is doing something that is hurting them, or one of the other members, then it affects all the other parts of the Body and it has to be taken care of, otherwise the entire Body will be hurt. That might be why Jesus said that we shouldn't stop until the hurt is healed and the issue resolved.

The one thing we all struggle with and many times forget is that the whole process is be to done lovingly. Sometimes the hurt is such that we don't feel the love. That's when we must turn to God first, maybe with friends supporting us, in prayer and ask him to fill us with his love.

Why should we care? Why should we try to love ourselves and care what our brothers and sisters are doing? Well friends, it like Paul said today, “ Do this because we live in an important time. It is now time for you to wake up from your sleep, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.”

Jesus said that all of God's children were important to him and he didn't desire for any of them to be lost. That's why we should never give up.

Friends, we need to remind ourselves daily that God loves and he would like us to share that love with our brothers and sister in Christ. Everything we do we are to do in love and that's is a very difficult thing to do, alone. But with God all things are possible.

Thanks be to God for his loving grace. Amen.

Who Do "We" Say Jesus Is?

In Matthew’s gospel Jesus begins questioning the disciples, asking them who people think he is. They give him various answers, some may have been their own and some may have been what they heard in people's conversations as they mingled with the crowds.

He listened to their responses and then he posed the toughie, “Who do you say that I am?” As the rest pondered the question Simon said, “You're the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

To his answer Jesus tells Simon, son of John, that he is the “Rock” and this is the rock he'll build his church on. This impulsive, hard-headed, “willfully stupid” man is going to be used as the foundation for the Body of Christ here on earth.

But, not long after this Jesus calls him Satan and tells him he is thinking as the world thinks and not on God’s things. And then, later, Peter denies that he knows Jesus, three times.

What does Jesus see in him that we don't? Is it because Simon, now Peter, answered first, and answered correctly?

Jin S. Kim in Feasting on the Word said ...it wasn't Peter's strength or righteousness but rather it was his testimony that Jesus was responding to. Peter's words came from everything he had observed and experienced as he spent time with Jesus. It was his witness that Jesus was rewarding.

So, who do you say that Jesus is? How do you bear witness to the Messiah? That’s a question all of us should think about. When someone asks us who Jesus is how will we answer? Or maybe they won’t ask, they’ll just watch to see how we live and watch how we deal with pain and suffering in our lives.

Are we able to answer like Peter and say, Jesus is “… the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God,”? You know we’re probably not much different than Peter. One day we’re able proclaim that Jesus is the Messiah and the next we deny we ever knew him. And the next day Jesus is speaking to us saying, “…get out of my way. Satan, get lost. You have no idea how God works.”

You know what might be interesting? Ask folks we meet on the street who Jesus is, to them. It might surprise us to hear some of the responses. We really shouldn’t be since the disciples gave answers like John the Baptist, Elijah, and Jeremiah or one of the other prophets. Nobody in Jesus’ day really understood who he was.

And he didn’t want his disciples telling people he was the Messiah yet. It wasn’t the right time. But, friends, the time is right for us now.

When people ask us who Jesus is that’s a sign the time is just right for giving our testimony about who Jesus is to us. If we’re not sure how we’d answer then maybe we should go to the Word and pray for the Spirit to open our hearts to discover who this Messiah, Jesus, is to us.

Roddy Hamilton has thought about this and put this poem together to help us. It goes like this…

Jesus

Jesus
water walker and bread breaker
Jesus
baptiser and companion
Jesus
stranger and forsaken

Jesus
troublemaker and revolutionary
Jesus
resurrection and conspiracy of love
Jesus
light in darkness and breaker of silence

Jesus
friend of sinners and tax collectors
Jesus
friend of children and disturber of adults
Jesus
friend of the outcast and agitator of empire

Jesus…
Jesus…
how do you know Jesus?

So, maybe this helps us. This week as you spend time with God invite his Spirit to lead you to those words that you can use to describe Jesus to those you meet on your Journey.

Thanks be to God for his Grace. Amen.

Please! Send Her Home!

A couple weeks ago Jesus was in the wilderness with the disciples hoping to get away for some quiet time, kind of a mini-retreat. But someone was watching. When they arrived there they were 5,000 plus people waiting to be healed…and fed. The disciples came to Jesus then and asked him to send them all away so they could find shelter and food for the night.

That time Jesus said, “They don’t have to go away. You feed them.” Today the disciples come to him again with a demand. “She’s driving us crazy. Please take care of her. She’s a major pain.”

Again Jesus doesn’t respond the way the disciples wanted him to. He said, “I've got my hands full dealing with the lost sheep of Israel.” This time he didn’t tell them to take care of the problem. But, what if he was testing them to see how they would take care of this woman’s needs.

What if he wanted to see what they had learned in the wilderness when he asked them to take care of the folks who had followed them? What if he was checking to see if they were listening when he responded to the Pharisees with their questions about what to eat and the washing of hands?

Some folks are troubled by the response Jesus gave to the woman when she came right up to him and he the same as called her a “dog”. There are those who think because Jesus was ‘human’ that he was still “learning” about his work here with God’s people.

But don’t you think if Jesus is also divine that he would know all this? So, that’s why I am proposing that Jesus was seeing if the disciples had learned the lesson he was trying to teach them in the wilderness. Apparently they hadn’t. They were still living with their prejudices.

She was a woman for one thing and a Canaanite for another. It wasn’t proper for them to speak to her because she was a woman and to add something else to the mix God had said no one was to have anything to do with the people of Canaan.

But Jesus didn’t come just for the Jews but he came for all those who trusted in God and repented of their sinful lives.

Matthew’s gospel doesn’t give us enough insight into Jesus’ intent so we have to speculate. So what do you think?

I think that may be why God seems to not answer some of our prayers such as when we pray for food for those starving in Somalia and Ethiopia. Maybe he’s waiting to see if we’ve learned anything from the lessons Jesus taught us in the Word.

I wonder sometimes if God thinks the words Jesus spoke to Peter, “Are you willfully stupid?” We have to admit that sometimes it does take us a while to get his Message.

So, maybe the lesson for all of us today is the same as it was a couple weeks ago, “You take care of it. You feed them. You give them shelter. You give them a coat. You grant them mercy.”

Aren’t there times when we all wonder if God is even listening to our prayers? But, look how long the Israelites had to wait to see how God’s plan for their survival. Who would have guessed that Joseph being sold into slavery was going to work out for their good?

And even when God’s people turned their backs on him he didn’t throw them out. As stubborn as they were, He still granted them his mercy and grace.

Friends, that’s the Good News for us. As stubborn and hard-hearted as we all are God is still willing to grant us his mercy and grace.

All we have to do is trust in God and believe that Jesus is interceding for us. That’s why our prayers are so important, even when we say a simple prayer like, “Jesus, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.” God hears our prayers and he knows what’s in our hearts.

The question is do we get it. Do we believe what we read and hear in God’s Word? Friends, every day, every hour we need to pray for God’s mercy and His grace. We need to pray for the crumbs off God’s table because that’s enough for us.

Thanks be to God for his mercy and grace. Amen.

Faith

Faith, Paul and Matthew both wrote about it. What is it? How can we define our faith? Jesus said that Peter's faith was too small. Paul tells us faith is in our hearts.

Paul takes it a little further when he says, “...before they can believe in him, they must hear about him; and for them to hear about the Lord, someone must tell them; and before someone can go and tell them, that person must be sent.”

So, it's easier to believe if someone tells us about their faith. I believe our souls are longing for intimacy with the Word. We know God is there but we have doubts and struggle with believing until...someone shares their story with us about how God reached out for their hand when they called for help.

Peter had “some” faith but it didn’t really show until he was sinking in the waves and knew he couldn’t tread water long enough to keep from going under. It was only when he realized he was going down fast that he called for Jesus to save him. Does that sound familiar?

Some might think that Peter showed his faith when he stepped out of the boat and I agree that took some courage to do that. But he didn’t throw his leg over until he was sure that it was Jesus who was walking across the water towards them. Don’t you wonder what he was thinking when he did that? Anyway his faith didn’t really show itself until he was sinking.

So, let me ask you a question. When does your faith become apparent? I would bet that most of the time our faith isn’t really seen until we find ourselves sinking and cry out, “Save me Lord!”

On the other hand Paul says that is tells us in Scripture, "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart." He tells us, “If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and if you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you will be saved.” And he reminds us that…"Anyone who trusts in him will never be disappointed."

What else is there to say? Faith is believing that Jesus is God’s Son and that God raised him from the dead. Faith is trusting in God and his promises. Faith is having God’s word in our hearts and trusting in the power of God to save us when we are drowning.

To be honest we all struggle with our faith, even those we think have an unshakable faith have moments when their faith wavers. That’s why I think what Paul tells us at the end of today’s passage is so important, “… before people can ask the Lord for help, they must believe in him; and before they can believe in him, they must hear about him; and for them to hear about the Lord, someone must tell them; and before someone can go and tell them, that person must be sent. It is written, ‘How beautiful is the person who comes to bring good news.’”

So, good friends I pray that if you hear or feel God calling you to share your story with someone, that you will listen to his voice and do it. Because this is the only time they will have the opportunity to hear “your” story. And they can’t believe until they hear “your” story. So, when God asks you to go, do it and don’t be afraid to tell your story because there’s no other story like your story.

When we share our faith, when we extend a hand to someone else, we give them the chance to hear the word and believe. And God’s kingdom on earth grows with the addition of one more believer. Thanks be to God. Amen.

You Give Them Supper

In Matthew’s gospel he tells us that Jesus just wanted to get away to a quiet, out-of-the-way place. As Matthew tells the story Jesus had learned a short time ago that his cousin John the Baptizer had been beheaded by Herod.

So, not only was he worn out by teaching the masses and his disciples, healing their ills, and casting out their demons but now he heard that his predecessor had been killed. In the same circumstances wouldn’t you want to go somewhere to be alone with God and your grief?

But someone was watching which way he went and told the crowd. When he was nearing the other shore there they were waiting for him. Jesus didn’t react as we would. Instead of saying, “Oh no!” he had compassion for those who were coming to him for healing and help.

Immediately, just like a triage team in an emergency room dealing with multiple trauma cases after a terrible accident, Jesus set to work healing them.

After working all day everyone was tired, Jesus and those who were traveling with him. The disciples were ready to call it a day and asked Jesus to send them away so they could find food and shelter for the night.

Instead Jesus says, “You give them supper.” Can’t you just see their faces? “What are you talking about? We don’t have enough in the treasury to buy supplies to feed this crowd. Look at how many there are!”

Did they really think that Jesus was going to take no for an answer? They still hadn’t learned what kind of power he had at his disposal. Matthew doesn’t put this in his story but Mark does; Jesus asks them, “How much do you have?”

Their reply was that they only had 5 loaves and 2 fish. And Jesus said, “Let me see it.” Then just like an orchestra conductor he got everyone’s attention and asked them all to find a place to sit.

Friends, can you picture this? He didn’t have any loudspeakers, he wasn’t able to send a Tweet or a text. So, how was he able to get them all to understand what he wanted? Well, after all he was God and he could do anything. But, I still wonder how he did it.

Jesus didn’t back down from what he had asked them to do. He asked the disciples to bring him the bread and the fish. He lifted it up, asked for God’s blessing, broke the bread and the fish and gave it to his disciples to distribute to all who were seated on the hills of grass.

Now, here’s where folks like to try to figure out how it was possible to feed 5,000 men and who knows how many women and children with just 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. I’d kind of like to know too but is that really the important part of this lesson? I don’t think so.

I think, and this is just my opinion, that the lesson to be taken from this is that God asks us, the Church, to give them supper. And we are saying, “Let’s send them home, back to where they came. Let’s get the government to take care of them.”

What’s God’s answer? “What do you have? Let me see.” And, if we trust in Him, if we give our meager offerings to Him for His blessing, then the 5,000 can be tended to.

Friends, Jesus doesn’t ask the question today that he asked last week but I will. Do we understand what he’s saying? Do we get it?

Most times when someone asks if the Church can help the answer is, “We don’t have enough money. We don’t have anybody to work. We’re too old.”

Can we hear God’s reply? “What do you have? Let me see it. Give it to me.” What kind of faith do we have if we don’t believe that we are able to do anything?

Jesus is still speaking to us, “You give them…supper, clothes, housing, justice, forgiveness.” As small as our resources are with God’s blessing they are able to do more than we can imagine.

That, my friends, is what I believe is the good news for us today. God’s kingdom is here and we are being asked to ‘give them supper.’

If we believe, then our next step is to trust in God and let him lead us to those he would have us serve. Who is Jesus asking us to feed today? Who has Jesus invited to sit down so we can feed them? Who are we to ‘give supper’ to?

We aren’t just God’s church that comes together to worship, join in fellowship, be filled with God’s grace, and then go to our homes until we gather again next week. No, I hear God calling us to ‘give them supper.’

What do you hear God saying today? How is he speaking to your heart and soul? Friends, God is calling us to service.

God loves each and every one of us. He forgives us when we fail. He prays for us when we don’t know what to say. And with the might of his right arm he lifts us up to serve and give help to those in need. Thanks be to God. Amen.

God's Kingdom

Did you notice how every one of Jesus stories begin? They each start with, “God’s kingdom is like…”, a pine nut (mustard seed), yeast, a hidden treasure, a perfect pearl, and a fishnet.

What about God’s kingdom as a seed? Could it be Jesus was that tiny seed? Could Jesus have been the beginning of God’s kingdom here on earth? Is it possible that God’s kingdom has grown to such proportions since the Seed was planted that it can now accommodate all of us and many more we don’t even know about?

Or what about the kingdom of God being like fresh yeast that a woman uses to energize enough bread dough to feed thousands? Is it possible that just a pinch of God’s kingdom is more than enough to energize the Body of Christ to accomplish more than we can begin to imagine? Could it be that God’s churches only need just a small measure of God’s kingdom to expand enough to feed thousands or tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands; could it be?

And/or has God’s kingdom been hidden here just waiting to be discovered by one trespassing treasure hunter? Has God’s kingdom been here right under our noses just waiting for one of us to find the greatest treasure? Could that be what Jesus was saying?

Or, or maybe it’s and, could it be that God’s kingdom is like that gemologist who is always on the hunt for the perfect gem. Now here’s where I wonder if I’ve got it right. What if God’s kingdom is looking for perfect gems to add to God’s collection? Would God sell or give up everything to buy us? Oh, that’s right he already has! Jesus gave his all for us so we could be part of this kingdom.

Now here’s a part that I like and some folks just can’t imagine this. God’s kingdom is like a huge fishnet thrown out over this humungous mass of humanity. The kingdom net is so enormous that an unbelievable variety of folks are trapped in it. And then God’s angels have the task of sorting the good fish from the bad fish. Of course Jesus says that this won’t happen until the end of time. In the meantime the good fish and bad fish are living together in the same sea.

I hope the angels get earplugs from God because Jesus says there’ll be lot of complaining. Can’t you just hear the carping and whining? And how will they be able to tell a good fish from a bad fish? Oh, I hope we’re good fish!

So, the question is, do we get this? Do we understand what Jesus is saying here? I hope so.
If our answer is “yes” then every disciple is like the owner of the store and everything we need is there, exactly when and where we need it.

Friends, the Good News is that God’s kingdom is here, right here, right now. And it’s like each of these examples Jesus told us about. Are we listening? Do we understand the Message? I hope so.

God loved us enough to send his Son to us, to live with us and to teach us, to be an example for us. He died for us and defeated death for us leaving us with the promise of eternal life. All we have to do is listen and have faith and keep trying to live like Jesus. Oh, and remember that God loves us and only asks us to love our neighbors as much as we love ourselves.

That’s the Good News! Thanks be to God. Amen.

There's Good News & The Bad News

Friends, today there’s good news and bad news. I could ask you which you’d rather hear first but since I’m going to tell you anyway I won’t.
The good news is there’s going to be a harvest. The bad news is that there are weeds growing in the field that was sown with good seed. The good news is that we don’t have to walk the field pulling out the weeds. The bad news is that the weeds might cause some problems, suffering, for the good crop.

So, I guess the question most of us have is what does it all mean? How are we to interpret this story Jesus told? Is it even possible to explain this in a way that all of us would agree on?
Jesus’ disciples asked him to tell them what it means and if we take it literally it means that the Son of Man has sown good seed, disciples, and the Evil One, the Devil, Satan, has sown bad seed. And God said leave them alone until the harvest, the end of time. The angels will gather the weeds and throw them in the fire and then they will harvest the crop that grew from the good seeds.

That’s pretty clear then, some of us are good and some of us are bad and it will all be sorted out at the end. I understand that but how do I know if I’m from the good seed or the bad seed? I’ll bet some of you have the same question.

Let’s see if we can’t make this just a little bit more difficult. Paul says in his letter to the Romans that if we let our sinful selves rule our lives then we will die spiritually. Yet if we let the Spirit help us stop doing the wrong things then we will live a true life. The true children of God are those who let God’s Spirit lead them.

So, when our sinful selves are in control we are dead spiritually, we’re weeds. Then when we allow God’s Holy Spirit help us, when we give the control to the Spirit, then we are on the way to living a true life, we’re the good crop.

Are you confused yet? This is what I think, and friends, it’s okay to disagree with me because I’m not a perfect person and I’ve been wrong more times than I’ve been right. I think that within each of us are good and bad seeds. Both have germinated and both are growing within us. The good is God’s Word, good seeds, and the bad is our sinful nature, seeds sown by the Evil One. And they’re both in a battle; sometimes a violent battle and maybe more often the battle isn’t so easy to notice. But it’s going on all the time even though we aren’t aware of it.

Or, it could be that within God’s churches there are those who are God’s disciples and there are those who are the Evil One’s disciples; and Jesus said to let them grow together. Because any attempt to remove the weeds from the crop might destroy or harm the good plants.

You understand what he’s saying don’t you. You’ve probably seen it happen. A group might decide that someone or a group of someone’s might not be suitable as members or representatives of the Church and so they suggest that they leave. When that’s done then others who may be friends of this group get upset and they leave too. And the whole body, the Church, suffers.

Jesus says just let them be and let God and his angels sort it out at the end. How many times in history have Christians with good intentions created more problems and suffering for the Church than if they had just left things alone? The Crusades and the Inquisition are just two that I can think of. And we know there are more otherwise there wouldn’t be so many different denominations in our world.

So, Good News and Bad News, Good Seed and Bad Seed, how do we sort it all out? I don’t think we need too. I think if we remember the two important commandments that Jesus told the scholar when he questioned him then we’ll be moving in the right direction. Love God with all that we are and love our neighbors are much as we love ourselves. If we focus on those two commandments and then respond to Jesus’ Great Commission, Go into all the world and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit then we should worry ourselves about the good crop or the weeds. God will take care of that for us.

Love God, love neighbors, and trust in God to take care of the rest. Don’t worry about the weeds God’s going to take care of them. Don’t worry at all; let God’s Spirit take the reins and just follow along.
I think the other point Jesus was making was that we aren’t the ones to judge whether the crop is good or bad. It just might be what we think is bad might be transformed into the good and it would be a terrible mistake to judge someone before they’ve been changed.

Good friends, I hope I haven’t created more uncertainty in your minds with my explanations. I do trust that God’s Spirit will make it all clear to each of us and show us what our work is that we’ve been called to do while we’re here.

Put your faith in the One who knows you better than anyone else and always knows your needs before you ask. God loves us and he’s got everything taken care of today and forevermore. Thanks be to God. Amen.

The Sower and the Seeds

God placed me on a farm and it’s there I grew up and learned about seeds and soil and tilling, planting, and weeding.

Harvey and Norma, my parents, began by letting me “help” them in the garden. I learned how to stretch the binder twine across the width of the garden so that the rows would be more or less straight. Mom taught me how to use this pointed hoe to make a groove in the dirt, carefully keeping the clods of dirt out as I made the groove. Then she would show me just how to place the seed in the groove made by the hoe and press it down with the point of my finger so that it made good contact with the moist, damp earth. And then we would very carefully cover the seed with the just the right depth of dirt.

And then we waited for the rain to water the rows and soften the clods that we couldn’t break up. Most of the time the germination was 100%, but not always.

Sometimes, we would notice that things were going to well in the row. It might have been insects or rodents or just bad seed. You just couldn’t be sure. If there was time we would replant and hope there were enough days left in the season to grow good produce.

You see, the garden was where our vegetables came from; there weren’t any cans of beans and corn in the cupboard. There were quart jars of beans, corn, carrots, and such in the cellar. There were baskets of potatoes in the cave and onions drying in the rafters overhead.

But the harvest always depended on how well the soil was taken care of and the quality of the seed and also the care taken in the planting. If one thing was out of kilter then the crop was affected and we might have to go to the store in town for canned vegetables. They weren’t ever as good as ours from the garden.

Jesus taught the people who gathered around him while he sat in the boat by the sea. They knew all about seeds and soil. Their methods were a little different from what I learned.

They would scatter the seed by hand and then they would till the soil. Of course when you throw seed by hand it doesn’t always go every place that you want it to. Some goes on the path, some falls in the gravel, some in the weedy patches at the edge of the field, but some does fall in the good soil. They understood all that but did they understand his meaning? They had ears to hear but were they listening?

Jesus’ disciples even asked him what he meant. And so he explained it to them in very simple, easy to understand terms. The seeds were God’s words to his children.

Just like the seeds scattered in the field not every one of God’s words was heard or understood. Some heard but didn’t understand and some never gave the Word a chance.

But some of the words were understood, some of the words took root and the result was that many came to be filled with the Spirit of God.

Even though technology has improved the planting of seeds in the fields resulting in unbelievable yields the planting of God’s Word is still by proclamation. And whether there is a bountiful harvest all depends on the ears that receive the Message and God’s good grace.

Are people going to hear the Word and let it grow in their hearts or is it going to die for lack of nutrition? Friends, it’s all up to God. Our work is to tell the story as Jesus did and trust in God to take care of the rest, just as the farmer does who puts the seed into the ground in the spring. He does the best that he can and then trusts that God will provide the rest in just the right quantities to produce a good harvest.

Good friends, I pray that God’s word takes root in your hearts today so that you can share the story with those He brings to you.

Thanks be to God for his bountiful grace. Amen.

Keep Company with Me

In our scripture lessons today Paul is voicing his frustrations. He is out of sorts because, no matter how hard he tries, he can’t get himself to do what’s right. Every time he tries it ends up being the wrong thing.
It’s like he’s two different people in the same body and they’re at odds with each other. Have you ever felt like that? Then you know what Paul’s talking about.
At the end of the reading for today Paul wonders who can save him from this body that’s bringing him to death. He realizes that only God’s grace through Jesus Christ can save him. And he thanks God for that.
The gospel lesson from Matthew begins with Jesus complaining about the fact that people are still questioning who he is and why he doesn’t do what other rabbis or teachers do. God sent him to these people and they refuse to receive him.
And then he thanks God that those who supposedly know-it-all have been struck deaf and those who are thought to be illiterate get what he is teaching.
Jesus then invites everyone who is tired of the “old way” of doing church to follow him. He invites them, and us, to join him in his work and walk with him, to see how he does it. In some translations the word “yoke” is used by Jesus. He invites those listening to put on his “yoke” because its not heavy and isn’t the burden that the Law is. In fact he’s inviting them to get beside him, maybe that’s why his yoke is easy because he’s leading, showing us how to do it.
Jesus is asking us to learn from him. We are to learn the “unforced” rhythms of grace. We are invited to “keep company with him.” Oh, if only we would.
But we aren't any different than Paul. We want to, we know we should, we know that our lives would be easier and lighter but sin keeps us from doing it exactly like Jesus. Thank God we are forgiven for not being perfect like Jesus through the greatest gift anyone could ever receive, the gift of Jesus Christ.
So, what are we to do? Will we ever get to be just like Jesus? Only if we put on his yoke. Only if we keep company with him. Only if we let Jesus have control, of everything.
Friends, I don't know about you but I know that I'm not there yet. Some days I think I'll never make it.
I believe that we need to remember that even Paul struggled with these very same issues. If a saint like Paul found himself doing what he knew he shouldn't but kept on trying anyway, that gives me hope. And you should be encouraged too by these words.
Keep company with Jesus by going to his Word, by talking with him in prayer, and spending time in quiet with him every day.
Join Jesus in this life and work he has called each of us to. Remember none of us are in this alone. Jesus is walking and working right beside us as we labor for justice and peace in this world.
Thanks be to God for his grace. Amen.

Faith, Trust, Grace, & Harvest Work

          The Scripture lessons we heard read this morning are about faith, trust, grace, and God's work here on earth. Every one of the writers had faith in God.  Abraham, David, Paul, and Matthew, they all had faith and they trusted in God and his plan. 

          Abraham trusted in God so completely that when he heard God’s voice tell him to he took his son, Isaac, into the wilderness to a place God showed him, to offer him as a sacrifice.  We can't even imagine doing that and I'm sure Abraham wondered too. But, he believed in his God, our God, so completely that he prepared to do what God has instructed him to do. Maybe he believed what he told his son, that God would provide the lamb for the sacrifice, or maybe not.

          We may read this lesson and think, “What kind of God would ask someone to sacrifice their son as a test of loyalty?”  Remember that the nations surrounding the territory where Abraham lived practiced child sacrifice.  So, he was familiar with it.  That doesn't mean he accepted it or thought it was right, but God spoke to him and he trusted him.

          So, when he heard God speak he prepared everything that was needed for a proper offering and sacrifice and he was ready to follow through. And then, God did, indeed, provide the lamb. Abraham had faith in God; he trusted God.

          His faith wasn't always this strong. Sometimes he didn't trust enough and then he did what he thought was best and found out that it wasn't.  Like when he told the people that Sarai was his sister instead of his wife.  That wasn't the best thing to do. It’s a good thing that God watched out for him because it could have been disastrous. So, you see he wasn't always so faithful. For the most part, though, he trusted God to care and provide for him and his family; and he was considered righteous by his ancestors because of his faith.

          David also trusted God. He was revered as a leader who had a very strong faith in God. He trusted God to protect him, to help him defeat his enemies both at home and those in the nations surrounding Judah.  Even when he made mistakes, and he made some doosies, he trusted God. 

          He trusted God because he knew that God loved him. Even though he experienced dark times when he didn’t feel God’s presence he trusted that he was there. David is a great example for us who struggle with the same feelings of anxiety and depression and loneliness. 

          But how do we get faith? Can we make our faith stronger? Is there a magic chant or something that we can recite that will give us faith or more faith?

          Friends, that’s where grace comes into the picture, we might have a basic beginner’s faith in God but it’s only through his grace that our faith grows and gets stronger.  I don’t know how God does it but I believe that every gift we receive is because of God’s grace. We don’t deserve any of it yet God blesses us with his grace and our faith is because of God’s grace. No matter what I do I’m not able to make my faith stronger. There are no calisthenics that I can do to increase the size of my faith.

          Our faith, yours and mine, only grows through God’s grace. We are justified by grace and sanctified, saved, by the grace of God through Jesus.  We’d like to think that we can save ourselves but friends that’s just not possible.  It’s only through grace that we are saved.

          We have been conditioned to believe that there’re no free gifts. And so we have a real problem with God’s grace because it’s free.  We’ve been taught that nothing is free, everything has a price. That’s why we miss God’s grace sometimes.

          But if we don’t accept this free gift of grace what do we have to look forward too? It’ll all be over when our bodies wear out, if we don’t accept God’s gift of grace.

          Afterwards come the works, but they’re not to pay God back for his gift. This work God calls us to we do because we love him and can’t imagine doing anything else. 

          Now some of us think that in order to truly work for God we have to be a missionary in Africa or Central America or China or some remote outpost somewhere in the world.  That could be right, but Jesus said we don’t have to start with something huge like that. We may be called to give a cup of cool, refreshing water to a neighbor.  Or we may be called to sit with a friend who’s struggling with grief or pain or a scary diagnosis.  Or we may be called to just be a friend to someone who has no friends, right here in Walnut.

          Jesus knew this work wasn’t going to be easy and so he said don’t be overwhelmed by it. Start small and work up to the larger tasks. And remember none of us are in it alone.  “We are intimately linked in this harvest work.”

          Friends, faith, trust, grace and the harvest work God calls each of us to, that’s what our lives are all about.  We’re all in this together. And God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit are with us every step, every minute of every day until he calls us home.

          Thanks be to God for his loving, forgiving grace. Amen.