Matthew 13:24-43
Our passage of scripture this morning places us right in the thick of Jesus’s Ministry. He has been going about teaching his disciples, speaking in the synagogues, addressing the Pharisees questions, walking through grain fields, teaching when questions arise. As I prepared for this sermon one thing that struck me as new was how Jesus was ever ready for “teachable moments.” This reminded me of my Uncle Stan, on of the more patient persons I know. Stan spent 12 years as the Dean of the Lifeworks partnership at Mars Hill College. One part of his job was working with students in the Bonner scholarship program, a scholarship that required community service projects. My brother was an upperclassman at Mars Hill and the recipient of one of the scholarships. As am upperclassman he was in a leadership role and the driver of one of the vans. The freshman class of Bonner scholars had arrived on campus and they were having their orientation retreat. They had completed a service project in the morning, had broken for lunch and were to meet back at a designated time and place for their afternoon community service project. My brother took his group of anxious freshmen back to campus to see their dorms and such and they ended up sitting around, talking, cutting up and getting to the after lunch meeting destination VERY late. Stan stood their waiting. He was driving another van but gave the keys to another person able to drive and got in the passengers seat of the van Kris was driving where he quietly as they drove to the next destination explained to my brother the responsibilities of a leader, of making sure that his group remained together, of making sure that they were on time. He pointed out that there were people depending on them to get a job done today at a certain time and the tardiness could really affect them. My brother, ashamed that he had disappointed his uncle, began apologizing profusely. My Uncles response, “no, no, no, let’s just consider this a teachable moment. Thus was the first of many teachable moments. I wonder if Stan didn’t learn this teachable moment technique from his studies of the life of Jesus; for in reading through Matthew we find Jesus walking through grain fields, being asked questions, using the moment and the setting to teach a new lesson about “the Way”---about the Kingdom. Right at the end of chapter 12 he gets word that his mother and brothers want to speak to him. He says: “who are my mother and brother?” He then says, as he points to his disciples, “For whoever does the will of my Father in Heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” Jesus uses this moment to teach the crowd something else about “The Way.” People who are followers of Christ treat each other as family. They take care of each other; they take this journey called life together. Imagine what that might mean to the person whose family has rejected them, or to the orphan, or to the widow. Don’t worry my friends, you follow God’s way that I am showing you, you accept all of this love that’s being offered to you and you have inherited yourself a family. Does that mean Jesus has rejected his biological family? Does that mean those of us who are part of a strong family are supposed to reject our families in order to follow Jesus? No! Jesus is very clear to us about the responsibility we have for our parents, the responsibility parents have for their children. Jesus shows us on the cross that he has not rejected his family when he looks down from the cross at his mother and his beloved friend John and says: John, your mother, Mama, your son. As he is dying he makes sure he gives instruction for his mother and his friend to be taken care of. Why a whole sermon could be written just on that little nugget right there. But…..we have only just begun.
It is at that point that we enter into chapter 13, where our text is found today. Jesus has left the house where he is staying with his disciples. As soon as he walks out the door a crowd begins to gather, anxious to hear more about this Kingdom way of living. There are so many that Jesus has to get on a boat so everyone can see and hear. From the boat he begins to tell stories. What! Don’t you mean he preaches? No, he begins to tell stories. What! He doesn’t start reading from the scriptures? He doesn’t start telling them all about God and salvation? He doesn’t hand them tracts pointing them to the Roman Road? He doesn’t paint a gruesome picture of hell? What he talks about planting and farmers, and helpers, and seeds and harvesting, and cooking? Well, if you are wondering this, you are not alone for the disciples wondered this as well…..and they ask him. See, here is another lesson, a teachable moment for the disciples. Jesus explains to them that while they have been with him all along and witnessed all these miraculous things, the people out there, they haven’t. Would they even begin to understand if he spoke to them in the language of The Way, in Religionese. I’m reminded of the first time I had the opportunity to preach as a lay speaker. I was so excited and invited one of my best friends and her 8 year old daughter to come. My friend is not a Christian but I knew that she cared enough about me that she would come support me in this new endeavor. She was excited for me. After the service she was there waiting with a huge hug telling me how proud of me she was. Later, as we talked more about the experience she shared with me that as we told the congregation that we were singing hymn # whatever, her daughter said “What’s a hymn book.” When I said “turn in your bibles to…..her daughter said mama what’s a bible?” I grew up going to church so it had never occurred to me in my 40 years there would be anyone who didn’t know what a bible was or what a hymn book is. Those of us who grow up “in the know.” Don’t think about that very much and what seems to us to be perfectly clear is very muddy and confusing to those who aren’t Christians. Basically Jesus says “if I start talking to them the way I talk to you, their ears are going to shut, their hearts are going to shut. I have to connect with them through what they understand. This crowd understands agriculture, this crowd understands cooking. Tell the stories. The stories are the vehicle through which we connect others to this saving message of the extravagant love of Jesus. Wow yet another sermon in and of itself. Yet, we are only part way there.
After Jesus explains this to the disciples he goes back to the crowd and begins telling more stories. This series of stories is about what the kingdom of heaven really is. It is in this series of stories that our focal passage is placed. Hear it again……The kingdom of heaven in like a man who sowed good seed in his field but while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads,, the weeds also appeared. The owner’s servants came to him and said, Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from? An enemy did this he replied. The servants asked him do you want us to go and pull them up. No, he answered because while you are pulling the weeds, you man root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: first collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned: then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn. Skipping down a little ways after Jesus finished speaking to the crowd, he went back into the house where his disciples came to him and said “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.
Do you see that. This reminds me of Sunday afternoons at my grandparents’ house. We returned from church to a home cooked meal my grandmother had prepared and put in the oven before church, with timer set and food ready when we got home. We would sit around the table and the kids would get to listen to the grownups rehash the Sunday school lesson and the sermon from the morning. They would share with each other what they got out of it, what they heard, what they understood, what they didn’t understand. The discussion would move to the living room or the front porch after the meal was done. It is a great memory. Here the disciples are doing the same thing. They were eager to understand completely, not afraid to ask. Jesus goes on to explain it to them: The one who sowed the good seed is the son of Man. The field is the world and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age and the harvesters are angels. As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The son of Man will send out his angels and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. There is much to glean from this story.
Let me first explain about the weed. The word here in Greek is a word for a specific weed that looks just like wheat. It is almost impossible in the early stages of growth to tell the difference between the two. When the farmhand notices there are weeds he questions what kind of seed the farmer planted and if he planted pure seed why are there weeds? Isn’t that the never ending question? Why is there bad here? The answer someone snuck in and put it there. Well let me get rid of it. No, you might ruin the whole crop. Have you ever sent a child to weed a flower garden? What happens…..the whole garden, flowers and all disappear. Let them coexist. Let me be the judge of what is good and what is bad at harvest time…..the end.
It is tempting to want everyone to think and believe the same. After all our way is the right way. Isn’t it. I am reminded of the cafeteria line at Campbell University. On one side of the cafeteria are those who are in the Baptist Student Union. The other side are those who are not, the heathens. If a member of the Baptist Student Union went through the other line, their faith was called into question. I kid you not. The belief was that if we mixed with those who were not Christians (not in the BSU) then we would become corrupt ourselves. We stayed to ourselves. We ate together, went to church together, did activities together and roomed together. Let me tell you what opportunities were missed living in such a segregated way. We missed opportunities to share our stories. We missed opportunities to learn from others. We missed out on relationships. I have since become facebook friends with some of those “heathens” and oh how I wish I had taken time to get to know them in person back then. I know now what I missed out on. How do we show people the love of Christ when we won’t even eat with them? That isn’t love. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. There are tons of debates going on in the world about who is going to make it to heaven. Will the Buddhist be there, will the Methodists be there, will the Muslim be there, and will the Baptist be there. Who am I to make that decision? Who am I to be the judge. To me, Jesus is saying here you need to live together in this great field of grace I have created for you. In the end good gains victory over evil, let me be the judge. Do we really limit the power of God by thinking that we have to remain with “like kind” to remain pure. How do you suppose others learn about the love of God? By going to church? By having someone knock on their door? By listening to Christian radio? No, others learn about the love of God because someone who has experienced the love of God has chosen to remain in the field with them and to share the stories of their lives with them, and has shown them. The going to church, the listening to Christian radio, the going to Bible studies, that is what follows.
My uncle shared something on facebook that I read right before coming in to deliver this word to you today. I found it very relevant. Isaiah 58:9-10 reads.
Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.
So my challenge to you this week is to:
1. Look for those teachable moments.
2. Resist the temptation to do finger pointing
3. Tell your story
4. Enter relationship with someone outside your comfortable circle, someone different then you.
Jesus didn’t go door to door. Jesus lived his life and the crowds came to him because they saw something different in him that they wanted to learn about. Live a life that draws people’s interest in what is different about you, and then Share your stories.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Dancing with My Father in Fields of Grace
I got the honor of being a guest blogger on my Uncle's website inourelements.com. Below is my submission:
Today’s promise passage transports me to the late 70s early 80s to the children’s department of Gashes Creek Baptist church. I was always an awkward young girl, never fitting exactly within any group. Not academic enough to be in with the brainiacs, not athletic enough to fit in with the athletes, not quite social enough to fit in with the popular crowd. At Gashes Creek, however, among the tweens, I found acceptance and love from a group of kids that didn’t mind this awkward, slow, tomboyish girl. It was during that time that I first read the book of Ruth. My best Friend Donna and I used to love to write stories. We mostly wrote stories of adventure and romance. I wanted to use these skills to write a play though. I just loved plays. I suppose Ruth got chosen for its brevity. I typed it out, the whole book of Ruth, line by line; stage directions and all. I had not a clue of its meaning but it was a nice story that was easy to put to script. Years later I would hear it quoted again in one of my favorite movies of all time, Fried Green Tomatoes. The character Ruth would send Iggie a letter signaling her that she was ready to leave the abusive relationship she was in with her husband. The message in the letter was cryptic, using the book of Ruth. “Ruth said to Naomi, entreat me not to leave you, wherever you go, I will go. Your people will be my people; My God will be your God.” Iggie came to the rescue and saved Ruth from her destitute circumstances. Years later I found my Iggie or Boaz in a little church of about 30 people, Sweet Fellowship Baptist Church. I was a young adult with broken dreams, I was depressed, I was searching for who I was, I was divorced and at one of the lowest points in my life. I had felt rejected by the church. Again I found myself this awkward young lady with no where to really fit. One morning I stepped into the doors of that little church in Clyde where Rev. Nancy Sehested was the pastor and I immediately was showered with love. In that little place I found refuge, I was given the nourishment I needed to go forward, to heal, and to live.
Such is what Ruth and Naomi found in the field of Boaz. Naomi had previously fled Israel with her family due to lack of food and resources. settled in the Moabite nation where her sons married two Moabite Women, one being Ruth. While there Naomi’s husband and sons all died and she found herself destitute. She remembered the promise of God that widows were to be cared for by their kinsman and she set out on the journey back to Israel. One daughter in law went back to her people, Ruth stayed with Naomi giving those famous words, your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Ruth goes to the fields of Boaz who happened to be her father in law’s kinsman and gleans in the field. This practice of gleaning was to go behind the harvesters picking up what they had picked over or thrown out. Boaz tells the harvesters to keep her safe, He tells them to leave her some good stuff to glean and he tells Ruth that she is welcome in his field and needs not go to any other field. He honors God’s direction to care for the widows. Out of this relationship was born the ancestral line that would bring another kind of kinsman-redeemer---Jesus. In Jesus we find redemption once and for all. In Jesus we find acceptance, radical Love and radical Grace. We are all welcome in God’s field……we need not go anywhere else.
Today’s promise passage transports me to the late 70s early 80s to the children’s department of Gashes Creek Baptist church. I was always an awkward young girl, never fitting exactly within any group. Not academic enough to be in with the brainiacs, not athletic enough to fit in with the athletes, not quite social enough to fit in with the popular crowd. At Gashes Creek, however, among the tweens, I found acceptance and love from a group of kids that didn’t mind this awkward, slow, tomboyish girl. It was during that time that I first read the book of Ruth. My best Friend Donna and I used to love to write stories. We mostly wrote stories of adventure and romance. I wanted to use these skills to write a play though. I just loved plays. I suppose Ruth got chosen for its brevity. I typed it out, the whole book of Ruth, line by line; stage directions and all. I had not a clue of its meaning but it was a nice story that was easy to put to script. Years later I would hear it quoted again in one of my favorite movies of all time, Fried Green Tomatoes. The character Ruth would send Iggie a letter signaling her that she was ready to leave the abusive relationship she was in with her husband. The message in the letter was cryptic, using the book of Ruth. “Ruth said to Naomi, entreat me not to leave you, wherever you go, I will go. Your people will be my people; My God will be your God.” Iggie came to the rescue and saved Ruth from her destitute circumstances. Years later I found my Iggie or Boaz in a little church of about 30 people, Sweet Fellowship Baptist Church. I was a young adult with broken dreams, I was depressed, I was searching for who I was, I was divorced and at one of the lowest points in my life. I had felt rejected by the church. Again I found myself this awkward young lady with no where to really fit. One morning I stepped into the doors of that little church in Clyde where Rev. Nancy Sehested was the pastor and I immediately was showered with love. In that little place I found refuge, I was given the nourishment I needed to go forward, to heal, and to live.
Such is what Ruth and Naomi found in the field of Boaz. Naomi had previously fled Israel with her family due to lack of food and resources. settled in the Moabite nation where her sons married two Moabite Women, one being Ruth. While there Naomi’s husband and sons all died and she found herself destitute. She remembered the promise of God that widows were to be cared for by their kinsman and she set out on the journey back to Israel. One daughter in law went back to her people, Ruth stayed with Naomi giving those famous words, your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Ruth goes to the fields of Boaz who happened to be her father in law’s kinsman and gleans in the field. This practice of gleaning was to go behind the harvesters picking up what they had picked over or thrown out. Boaz tells the harvesters to keep her safe, He tells them to leave her some good stuff to glean and he tells Ruth that she is welcome in his field and needs not go to any other field. He honors God’s direction to care for the widows. Out of this relationship was born the ancestral line that would bring another kind of kinsman-redeemer---Jesus. In Jesus we find redemption once and for all. In Jesus we find acceptance, radical Love and radical Grace. We are all welcome in God’s field……we need not go anywhere else.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Surviving the Storm
This morning on my way to work, Greg Laurie with New Beginning was preaching a sermon titled “Following Jesus through the Storm” using Matthew 8:23-27, which is the story of Jesus commanding the storm to stop. During his sermon he pointed out that not all storms stop using Joni Erikson Tada as an example. Joni is a paraplegic from a diving accident she had years ago. Recently she has been diagnosed with Breast Cancer. Her storm has never stopped but she has had a thriving ministry through it all, speaking and encouraging others. As I listened to him I was reminded of the scripture I read this morning: Acts 27:13-16, The Storm that didn’t stop. It reads as follows:
13 When a gentle south wind began to blow, they saw their opportunity; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. 14 Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the Northeaster, swept down from the island. 15 The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. 16 As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure, 17 so the men hoisted it aboard. Then they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Because they were afraid they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor[a] and let the ship be driven along. 18 We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. 19 On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. 20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.
21 After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. 22 But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. 23 Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me 24 and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ 25 So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. 26 Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.”
I then began thinking about my own ongoing storm. I knew going into adopting my son that it was going to be hard. He had more diagnoses at 2 than I will have in a lifetime. I didn’t know however that everyday would there would be storm waters to bear and that life would be lived moment to moment in anticipation of the next blow up or the next set back. I sit here reflecting 13 years later about the most recent set back and about what my life has been for the last 13 years and wonder, just how am I still standing. How have I not drowned. How can I get phone call after phone call and still keep my composure and go on with my day. How am I not in the hospital? This storm does not quit.
In this passage of scripture, despite Paul’s warnings, the sailors acted on their feelings (“obtained what they wanted.”, acted impulsively, “began throwing everything overboard.” And then they gave up, resolved they would die. After days of them going without food Paul intervened again encouraging the sailors and letting them know that they were not going to perish that only the ship would perish. Things can be replaced, life can not. God’s priority is people, not things. (See Proverbs 15:16.) God’s presence was there with the people on that boat, in that storm. He assures Paul that he still has a purpose in mind for him. God gives us promises and He honors those promises. God showed Paul that they would run aground on an island and they would be spared. The storm didn’t end but their lives continued on through the storm.
Back to Greg Laurie’s sermon: He shared that Joni Erikson’s response to her cancer was” God has something big in store, I can’t wait to see what it is.” In her storm she began the same as she had when she found herself paralyzed, finding where she could give God glory in the storm. She began encouraging others who were taking chemo treatments beside her. She took every opportunity she could to present God’s love to whoever she came in contact with.
As I reflect I realize that to survive my storm I must:
1. Not act impulsively on the feeling of the moment.
2. I must resolve not to give up.
3. I must keep God ever in my presence
4. I must use this gift God gave me named David, to encourage and lift up others in similar situations and to point them to Jesus.
5. I must give constant thanksgiving for those who have chosen not to bail off the side of the ship but to travel this journey with me wherever it takes me.
Thanks be to God for the whispers and prodding of this day.
13 When a gentle south wind began to blow, they saw their opportunity; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. 14 Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the Northeaster, swept down from the island. 15 The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. 16 As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure, 17 so the men hoisted it aboard. Then they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Because they were afraid they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor[a] and let the ship be driven along. 18 We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. 19 On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. 20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.
21 After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. 22 But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. 23 Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me 24 and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ 25 So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. 26 Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.”
I then began thinking about my own ongoing storm. I knew going into adopting my son that it was going to be hard. He had more diagnoses at 2 than I will have in a lifetime. I didn’t know however that everyday would there would be storm waters to bear and that life would be lived moment to moment in anticipation of the next blow up or the next set back. I sit here reflecting 13 years later about the most recent set back and about what my life has been for the last 13 years and wonder, just how am I still standing. How have I not drowned. How can I get phone call after phone call and still keep my composure and go on with my day. How am I not in the hospital? This storm does not quit.
In this passage of scripture, despite Paul’s warnings, the sailors acted on their feelings (“obtained what they wanted.”, acted impulsively, “began throwing everything overboard.” And then they gave up, resolved they would die. After days of them going without food Paul intervened again encouraging the sailors and letting them know that they were not going to perish that only the ship would perish. Things can be replaced, life can not. God’s priority is people, not things. (See Proverbs 15:16.) God’s presence was there with the people on that boat, in that storm. He assures Paul that he still has a purpose in mind for him. God gives us promises and He honors those promises. God showed Paul that they would run aground on an island and they would be spared. The storm didn’t end but their lives continued on through the storm.
Back to Greg Laurie’s sermon: He shared that Joni Erikson’s response to her cancer was” God has something big in store, I can’t wait to see what it is.” In her storm she began the same as she had when she found herself paralyzed, finding where she could give God glory in the storm. She began encouraging others who were taking chemo treatments beside her. She took every opportunity she could to present God’s love to whoever she came in contact with.
As I reflect I realize that to survive my storm I must:
1. Not act impulsively on the feeling of the moment.
2. I must resolve not to give up.
3. I must keep God ever in my presence
4. I must use this gift God gave me named David, to encourage and lift up others in similar situations and to point them to Jesus.
5. I must give constant thanksgiving for those who have chosen not to bail off the side of the ship but to travel this journey with me wherever it takes me.
Thanks be to God for the whispers and prodding of this day.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Just What Is This Worth Dying For: Sermon Preached at Oakley UMC 5-22-2011
Acts 7 Monologue
Hey, did you hear what has happened outside of Jerusalem today. Gather in closely, I’m kind of old and my vocal chords don’t let me speak too loudly. What’s that, oh who am I? My name is Lysandra. I’m really not all that important. I am Just a widow. But I’ve got to tell you what happened to that dear boy Stephen today? Who is he? Well he was my deacon. He brought my food distribution every week, like clockwork. Those preachers, Peter and John and all of them, they got too busy to keep up with the food distribution so they had this idea to set apart 7 other men for this task. I got lucky. I got Stephen. He was such a nice, sweet boy. You could just see God radiate in his face. He did more than just give out food. Why my cousin was visiting one day and he laid hands on him and prayed for him in Jesus’ name and he got to feeling better real quick like. I just can’t believe this has happened to him. I just don’t understand those people over there at the Freemason synagogue, spreading all those rumors about him. Well, don’t they know that they are Greek just like Stephen was? They weren’t born Jews and they want to get all high and mighty about their laws and traditions. I just don’t get it. Stephen had some wonderful stories about Jesus, how he rose from the dead and sits at the right hand of God the father in heaven now. He is so excited about all he has learned being a follower of Jesus. He says this is the new way, the way to salvation, the way to live life. Why he even says if we follow the way of Jesus we could have heaven right here on earth. I always enjoyed hearing these stories and learning more about this man who healed the sick, made the lame to walk again, why he even turned water into wine at a wedding banquet one time so the reception wouldn’t run out before it was over. It seems no worry was too small or too trivial for him. He wasn’t too much for the laws and traditions though, Jesus wasn’t. Why he would heal on the Sabbath, he would eat with sinners; he was good friends with a prostitute. But Stephen says that is what he came to do, he came to teach us to Love everyone. He says there are no Jew and No Greek, no male and no female. Why Stephen said before he died Jesus told Peter and John and all those boys to go into the world and share this good news of his resurrection of his kingdom. He isn’t like any king those Jews were expecting. What? Oh, you want me to get on with the story. Well, you know Peter and John have already had to go before the Sanhedrin about teaching in Jesus name. They were not too happy about it but ended up not being able to find them guilty of anything and had to let them go. They told them not to be teaching in this name again but Peter and John were straight up with them and told them that they had to share the news, they couldn’t keep it bottled up. Well, those people down there at the temple of the freemasons. You know all those Roman Slaves that were set free and those Greek Jews from Asia Minor and from Africa. Those guys didn’t like what Steven was doing either so they made up some stuff about Stephen opposing the temple and opposing Moses’ law. They went to the Sanhedrin with these charges and the Sanhedrin brought Stephen in to be tried for these charges. Do you know what he did when they asked him if the charges were true? Why he wouldn’t say yes or no, guilty or not guilty he had to go and preach a sermon. He covered everything from Adam and Eve to Abraham, to Moses to David. He didn’t leave anything out. He reminded those Jews that their forefathers have been opposing God from the very beginning and persecuting God’s messengers. When things would get tough they went with their old ways. And then Steven basically said obviously the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. He told them they were so busy worried about the law that they don’t even obey it themselves. Oh, that made the crowd mad, the next thing you know a riot broke out. People were screaming and yelling and gnashing their teeth and growling. Steven just said, “look I see the heavens open and there sitting at the right hand of God is Jesus.” Wow what a vision. Oh and did that just incite the crowd that much more. They charged at Stephen, found him guilty right on the spot and drug him out to the rock quarry and stoned him to death. Those people laid their coats at Saul’s feet. You know what that means don’t you. They were assigning responsibility for this stoning to Saul. Why Saul even congratulated them on the kill. Can you imagine that? Poor Stephen. I am going to miss him so. But here is the crazy part. You want to hear this……He prayed right during his stoning. He asked God to receive him and you know what else he did. He asked God to forgive those people that were executing him. Unbelievable. Oh, I am going to miss him so.
END OF MONALOGUE
Focal Passage: Acts 7:54-60
And that is the background and story that we enter into today. Just what is this that is worth dying for? I have a confession to make, what I am about to tell you is not something I am proud of but it goes to prove a point. I was fortunate to be born into a family that values family highly. Both of my grandfathers set a grand example of family loyalty and unconditional love. With those kinds of roots it is of no surprise that my brothers, my sister and my parents I consider my best friends. About 15 years ago my best friend was playing in a co-ed ball tournament and asked my baby brother to play with her. He was catching and there was a play at the plate. The runner was a big man; he was 250-300 pounds of solid muscle. As the ball came into the plate and he ran into beat it, rather than sliding he just ran right through my brother, knocking him down and knocking him out. Without a single thought I ran onto the field to check on my brother only to hear the man defend his action saying, well if I would have slid, I would have gotten hurt. Once again with out thought I charged this 300 pound man of solid muscle, shouted some things that aren’t appropriate and began punching him. Thank goodness he just stood there. The only thing that snapped me out of this rage was my brother’s voice. He had woken to see this action and was calling me off so to speak. I am generally a very peace filled person but that day on that ball field when this person that I love so deeply was hurt, with no thought for my own safety, I took action. I am not endorsing violence here but what I am saying is that we have people and passions that we would die for and one of mine is family. We have thousands of men and women deployed in the Middle East right now who are risking lives for their country. We have police officers and firefighters that risk their lives daily to protect the citizens of their communities. In today’s story we have one who is willing and does die for his passion for the Way of Jesus Christ. Just what is this Way that he has died for?
1. Jesus is the way to the Father. (John 14)
2. Jesus calls us to submit to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, a spirit that we can not see, we can not touch, and we can not feel.
3. Jesus is the cornerstone of our life, if we don’t allow ourselves to be tripped up worrying about the things of Jesus that go against the popular belief. (I Peter 2)
4. The Way of Jesus can be summed up in a word……Love. (I John 4:7-8)
5. The Way of Jesus is a call to discipleship, a call to go to Samaria, to Judea and to the ends of the earth to share this love.
6. The Way of Jesus is a call to “feed his sheep” In one interaction with Peter Jesus says Peter do you love me? Yes, Lord, of course I love you. Then feed my sheep. He repeats this 3 times.
7. The Way of Jesus is a call to interact with “the least of these” To feed the hungry, to give water to the thirsty, to clothe the naked, to visit the sick, to visit those in prison.
8. The Way of Jesus is to open the doors to all with no regards to male or female, Black or white, Jew or Gentile, rich or poor, the list can go on; you fill in the blanks.
9. The Way of Jesus is to reach out to those who have felt rejected or oppressed by the very institution that claims to be the followers of Christ. Have you seen the bumper sticker that says, Jesus please save me……..from your followers. How did that come to be?
What is the return for following this WAY? It is a promise from Jesus to never leave us nor forsake us. It is being taken care of, protected, comforted, healed, accepted, pushed to grow beyond what we could do ourselves. Those things, my friends, are what Stephen died for, what he yearned to share with whoever he met.
Stephen gives us another attribute of Jesus. Jesus is present with us even unto death. Maybe, especially in death. Steven knows he is facing death and what does he say? He says I see the heavens opened up and God with Jesus on his right side. My first job as a social worker was with Hospice. I learned a lot about death and dying during that time. I am pretty in tune with when a person is facing their final days. Recently the time came for us to bid farewell to my grandfather. The last week of his life I am certain we were standing on Holy Ground whenever in his presence. It radiated on his face. What a comfort it is to know that Jesus will never leave us or forsake us. Bad things happen in this world. Bad things happen to good people. We don’t know why. We don’t have those answers but the one thing we can be sure of is that through it all God is there with us, crying with us, carrying us, and working to bring out the good in bad situations.
So how do we follow Jesus, how do we make him the cornerstone of our lives? Stephen gives us another clue with his final words before Death. “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” Where have we heard similar words? As Jesus hangs, dying on the cross, his words are “forgive them father for they know not what they do.” Stephen emulates Jesus. He knows that living the kingdom way, is to live as Jesus taught. Not only through his words but through his very life. Spend time in this word, get to know Jesus and his Way then practice it, and walk in the Way that Jesus walked.
Thanks be to God for this word today. Thanks to you for allowing me to share it with you!
Hey, did you hear what has happened outside of Jerusalem today. Gather in closely, I’m kind of old and my vocal chords don’t let me speak too loudly. What’s that, oh who am I? My name is Lysandra. I’m really not all that important. I am Just a widow. But I’ve got to tell you what happened to that dear boy Stephen today? Who is he? Well he was my deacon. He brought my food distribution every week, like clockwork. Those preachers, Peter and John and all of them, they got too busy to keep up with the food distribution so they had this idea to set apart 7 other men for this task. I got lucky. I got Stephen. He was such a nice, sweet boy. You could just see God radiate in his face. He did more than just give out food. Why my cousin was visiting one day and he laid hands on him and prayed for him in Jesus’ name and he got to feeling better real quick like. I just can’t believe this has happened to him. I just don’t understand those people over there at the Freemason synagogue, spreading all those rumors about him. Well, don’t they know that they are Greek just like Stephen was? They weren’t born Jews and they want to get all high and mighty about their laws and traditions. I just don’t get it. Stephen had some wonderful stories about Jesus, how he rose from the dead and sits at the right hand of God the father in heaven now. He is so excited about all he has learned being a follower of Jesus. He says this is the new way, the way to salvation, the way to live life. Why he even says if we follow the way of Jesus we could have heaven right here on earth. I always enjoyed hearing these stories and learning more about this man who healed the sick, made the lame to walk again, why he even turned water into wine at a wedding banquet one time so the reception wouldn’t run out before it was over. It seems no worry was too small or too trivial for him. He wasn’t too much for the laws and traditions though, Jesus wasn’t. Why he would heal on the Sabbath, he would eat with sinners; he was good friends with a prostitute. But Stephen says that is what he came to do, he came to teach us to Love everyone. He says there are no Jew and No Greek, no male and no female. Why Stephen said before he died Jesus told Peter and John and all those boys to go into the world and share this good news of his resurrection of his kingdom. He isn’t like any king those Jews were expecting. What? Oh, you want me to get on with the story. Well, you know Peter and John have already had to go before the Sanhedrin about teaching in Jesus name. They were not too happy about it but ended up not being able to find them guilty of anything and had to let them go. They told them not to be teaching in this name again but Peter and John were straight up with them and told them that they had to share the news, they couldn’t keep it bottled up. Well, those people down there at the temple of the freemasons. You know all those Roman Slaves that were set free and those Greek Jews from Asia Minor and from Africa. Those guys didn’t like what Steven was doing either so they made up some stuff about Stephen opposing the temple and opposing Moses’ law. They went to the Sanhedrin with these charges and the Sanhedrin brought Stephen in to be tried for these charges. Do you know what he did when they asked him if the charges were true? Why he wouldn’t say yes or no, guilty or not guilty he had to go and preach a sermon. He covered everything from Adam and Eve to Abraham, to Moses to David. He didn’t leave anything out. He reminded those Jews that their forefathers have been opposing God from the very beginning and persecuting God’s messengers. When things would get tough they went with their old ways. And then Steven basically said obviously the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. He told them they were so busy worried about the law that they don’t even obey it themselves. Oh, that made the crowd mad, the next thing you know a riot broke out. People were screaming and yelling and gnashing their teeth and growling. Steven just said, “look I see the heavens open and there sitting at the right hand of God is Jesus.” Wow what a vision. Oh and did that just incite the crowd that much more. They charged at Stephen, found him guilty right on the spot and drug him out to the rock quarry and stoned him to death. Those people laid their coats at Saul’s feet. You know what that means don’t you. They were assigning responsibility for this stoning to Saul. Why Saul even congratulated them on the kill. Can you imagine that? Poor Stephen. I am going to miss him so. But here is the crazy part. You want to hear this……He prayed right during his stoning. He asked God to receive him and you know what else he did. He asked God to forgive those people that were executing him. Unbelievable. Oh, I am going to miss him so.
END OF MONALOGUE
Focal Passage: Acts 7:54-60
And that is the background and story that we enter into today. Just what is this that is worth dying for? I have a confession to make, what I am about to tell you is not something I am proud of but it goes to prove a point. I was fortunate to be born into a family that values family highly. Both of my grandfathers set a grand example of family loyalty and unconditional love. With those kinds of roots it is of no surprise that my brothers, my sister and my parents I consider my best friends. About 15 years ago my best friend was playing in a co-ed ball tournament and asked my baby brother to play with her. He was catching and there was a play at the plate. The runner was a big man; he was 250-300 pounds of solid muscle. As the ball came into the plate and he ran into beat it, rather than sliding he just ran right through my brother, knocking him down and knocking him out. Without a single thought I ran onto the field to check on my brother only to hear the man defend his action saying, well if I would have slid, I would have gotten hurt. Once again with out thought I charged this 300 pound man of solid muscle, shouted some things that aren’t appropriate and began punching him. Thank goodness he just stood there. The only thing that snapped me out of this rage was my brother’s voice. He had woken to see this action and was calling me off so to speak. I am generally a very peace filled person but that day on that ball field when this person that I love so deeply was hurt, with no thought for my own safety, I took action. I am not endorsing violence here but what I am saying is that we have people and passions that we would die for and one of mine is family. We have thousands of men and women deployed in the Middle East right now who are risking lives for their country. We have police officers and firefighters that risk their lives daily to protect the citizens of their communities. In today’s story we have one who is willing and does die for his passion for the Way of Jesus Christ. Just what is this Way that he has died for?
1. Jesus is the way to the Father. (John 14)
2. Jesus calls us to submit to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, a spirit that we can not see, we can not touch, and we can not feel.
3. Jesus is the cornerstone of our life, if we don’t allow ourselves to be tripped up worrying about the things of Jesus that go against the popular belief. (I Peter 2)
4. The Way of Jesus can be summed up in a word……Love. (I John 4:7-8)
5. The Way of Jesus is a call to discipleship, a call to go to Samaria, to Judea and to the ends of the earth to share this love.
6. The Way of Jesus is a call to “feed his sheep” In one interaction with Peter Jesus says Peter do you love me? Yes, Lord, of course I love you. Then feed my sheep. He repeats this 3 times.
7. The Way of Jesus is a call to interact with “the least of these” To feed the hungry, to give water to the thirsty, to clothe the naked, to visit the sick, to visit those in prison.
8. The Way of Jesus is to open the doors to all with no regards to male or female, Black or white, Jew or Gentile, rich or poor, the list can go on; you fill in the blanks.
9. The Way of Jesus is to reach out to those who have felt rejected or oppressed by the very institution that claims to be the followers of Christ. Have you seen the bumper sticker that says, Jesus please save me……..from your followers. How did that come to be?
What is the return for following this WAY? It is a promise from Jesus to never leave us nor forsake us. It is being taken care of, protected, comforted, healed, accepted, pushed to grow beyond what we could do ourselves. Those things, my friends, are what Stephen died for, what he yearned to share with whoever he met.
Stephen gives us another attribute of Jesus. Jesus is present with us even unto death. Maybe, especially in death. Steven knows he is facing death and what does he say? He says I see the heavens opened up and God with Jesus on his right side. My first job as a social worker was with Hospice. I learned a lot about death and dying during that time. I am pretty in tune with when a person is facing their final days. Recently the time came for us to bid farewell to my grandfather. The last week of his life I am certain we were standing on Holy Ground whenever in his presence. It radiated on his face. What a comfort it is to know that Jesus will never leave us or forsake us. Bad things happen in this world. Bad things happen to good people. We don’t know why. We don’t have those answers but the one thing we can be sure of is that through it all God is there with us, crying with us, carrying us, and working to bring out the good in bad situations.
So how do we follow Jesus, how do we make him the cornerstone of our lives? Stephen gives us another clue with his final words before Death. “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” Where have we heard similar words? As Jesus hangs, dying on the cross, his words are “forgive them father for they know not what they do.” Stephen emulates Jesus. He knows that living the kingdom way, is to live as Jesus taught. Not only through his words but through his very life. Spend time in this word, get to know Jesus and his Way then practice it, and walk in the Way that Jesus walked.
Thanks be to God for this word today. Thanks to you for allowing me to share it with you!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Hope for the Hopeless
Hope for the Hopeless
Ezekiel 37:1-14 and John 11
When I read this passage of scripture I couldn’t help but think of the recent devastation of the Tsunami in Japan. The pictures and stories reach you in the pit of your stomach. You ask where God is in these situations. The Tsunami, the Earthquake in Haiti, the earthquake in China, Aids infected Africa, starving children in Ethiopia and right here at home the memories of 9/11 still haunt us. Our technology today brings us images like we have never been able to see. Horrific images of death and of desperation. I imagine the scene there in the Valley of Dry Bones was very similar. Here we have Ezekiel, an Israelite Prophet who is in exile. He has been having all kinds of visions as we see in previous chapters. The script is the kind of stuff that Sci fi movies are made of. Let me take you there for just a moment. At the time of the writing of Ezekiel Israel and Judah had been overtaken by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and Ezekiel was on of thousand of Jews exiled to Babylon. Perhaps the bones were those laid waste that didn’t make it to Babylon. This reminds me of the trail of tears of the Cherokee nation to Oklahoma. Israel wondered if they would ever regain their land. Was this the end for them? This is the setting in which Ezekiel has this vision. So, there he is in the middle of all these dead, sun bleached, scattered, bones. Who knows which leg goes to which hip joint? The scene is nothing less then devastating and gruesome. The left overs from a war savaged land. The scene appears very hopeless. One can hardly bear to look at it. Then God says “Do you think these bones can live again.” You have to wonder if this is where the phrase “Lord only knows” comes from because that is the exact reply Ezekiel gives. You see the natural answer here would be “of course not.” These are scattered, dead bones. Death is final, it’s the end.” However, Ezekiel had experienced God enough to know better than to give the obvious answer. His answer is this: God, only you know.” Ezekiel knew that with God all things were possible. He just waited in anticipation to see what God had in store this time. God commanded him:
Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! 5 This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath[a] enter you, and you will come to life. 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’”
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.
Can you imagine that scene? Right there before Ezekiel’s eyes, legs were finding hip joints, arms were finding shoulders, all these bones start clanging together and flesh begins being painted upon them…….He notices though, they are not yet alive….Here is what God tells him next:
“Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.
The Hebrew word used here for Breath also can be translated spirit. Ezekiel, things look hopeless here in the Valley. But call on the Holy Spirit, The Holy spirit will breathe Hope into hopelessness. The Holy spirit will bring hope to life.
So, why did Ezekiel have this vision? What does all of this mean? Remember the situation we said Israel was in? The nation of Israel laid waste in a hopeless and desperate situation. God was using Ezekiel to be his messenger of hope to a hopeless people. Listen again:
11 Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. 14 I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.’”
Israel had not been a faithful people. They easily became discouraged. When things didn’t go as they wished they would turn to idols and pagan worship. They were always searching for something better. They would not find it. Instead they find themselves in an even worse situation that they have created through their faithlessness. At this point they believe that God has finally had enough and has cut them off from his grace and mercy. God sends a word to them through Ezekiel though. I do not give up on my children. What Grave have you dug for yourself my children. I am going to bring you from it. God promises for Israel to be reborn! God resurrects a dead Israel. The Holy spirit breathes life into Israel just as God breathed life into that form made from the clay of the ground and called him Adam!
God is in the resurrection, life giving, business my friends. Take a look at another resurrection story more than 500 years later. Jesus is thick into his earthly ministry and is across the Jordon where he had gone after leaving Jerusalem following conflict there where he had been threatened with a stoning. His dear friend Lazarus is sick and Mary and Martha, his sisters, send for Jesus. The story is a familiar one and it is rich with lessons for us to glean. Jesus stays for two days where he is and then decides it is time to go to Lazarus. They learn that he has already died. The disciples worry about Jesus going to Lazarus because there is much adversity to Jesus there and the fear for his life if he goes. Jesus dismisses these worries and he and the disciples head to Bethany, to Lazarus. Meanwhile many Jewish brothers and sisters (the congregation so to speak) have gathered at Mary and Martha’s house to sit with them and comfort them. Martha hears Jesus is approaching and she rushes out to him. “Jesus if only you had been here our brother would still be alive.” Does that sound familiar? In the face of tragedy, grief, unspeakable devastation it is so easy to fall into the role of seeking blame, of wondering where God is, of feeling abandoned. When Martha goes to tell Mary that Jesus wants to see her, she has the same response. Jesus, she weeps, if only you had been here. When Mary leaves the congregation thinks she is leaving to go to the tomb to grieve so they get up and follow. Her weeping hurts them in the depths of their hearts and they weep with her. Jesus is moved by the love he has for Mary, Martha and the congregation and here we have the shortest verse in the Bible. “Jesus Wept.” Jesus did not weep out of guilt…..He wept out of a deep, loving compassion! So, they go to the tomb. Jesus tells the congregation to roll the stone away and then he commands Lazarus, “’Come forth” and Lazarus does, resurrection happens, people are astonished. Jesus then tells the people to free him from his burial clothes, to unbind him. Lazarus lives. Can you imagine that scene? Word spreads to the Sanhedrin and while many persons came to believe Jesus as Messiah, there were those who were just angered by these actions. It was at that moment that the plot to kill Jesus began…….leading to the ultimate resurrection of all; the resurrection of Jesus Christ! Yes, friends: God is in the business of resurrection. God breathes life into the ravages of Japan through the kindness of strangers, through stories of love and hope as we hear of a woman who puts a sign out that says “my toilet works, please use it”, as we hear of a rescued dog reunited with its owner, as we hear of complete strangers helping one another. No longer are there divisions of male or female, democrat or republican, lower class or upper class, Asian, or American or the number of other things that divide humanity. It is in these times that we see glimpses of the Kingdom, glimpses of common regard for all life by all persons. For you see in each of these stories God partners with humanity to bring life. He used Ezekiel to speak the words; The Holy spirit Breathed the life. He used the Jews to roll the stone away from the tomb and unbind Lazarus; He breathed life back into Lazarus.
We are living in desperate times these days. It’s easy to feel hopeless sometimes and wonder where God is. Where is God when a family member has a devastating car crash, breaking her neck and leaving the family waiting for arrival, fearful of what this will all mean for her young daughter? God is there breathing hope through paramedics and ambulance drivers who are skilled enough to keep her stable on the long journey to the hospital, he is there breathing hope through skilled surgeons, and He is there through grandparents who briefly take over the care of their grandchild. Where is God when a young man sits by the side of the love of his life cradling their baby who was born without life, feeling like his world has come crashing in around him. He is there in that room breathing hope through the large family that surrounds them, breathing hope through the visits of caring friends, breathing hope through the love that can only be described if one has experienced that, breathing hope through the wise words of a pastor at the funeral, through the words of a song sung. Where is God when a loved one begins to lose their memory and you only get to see glimpses of who they once were? He is there breathing hope through the stories you get to here, through the precious time you get to spend in caring for them and giving back to them just a little of what they’ve given you. Where is God when you have to leave the home that you’ve known for years to live amongst strangers? He is there, breathing hope through caring nurses, a kind card, and unexpected visits from volunteers. Sometimes just sometimes he is there in our tears, weeping with us as we ride those rivers of tears through the storms till we got on the other side and wonder how we got there. I can tell you how we get there; we get there on the wings of the spirit, breathing hope into our hopeless situations.
Perhaps you can not connect with those feelings of hopelessness. Perhaps you’re gifted at seeing the positive in things and you’ve well learned that God can and does bring good out of the worst of situations. What do these stories have to say to you? Well, you could be the congregation of people who are sent to be there and sit with those who are in hopeless situations just as the Jews sat with Mary and Martha. Perhaps you are one of those that Jesus commands to remove the stone and take off the bindings. How can you assist someone out of the ties that are binding them and keeping them in a hopeless situation? Perhaps, like Ezekiel, God needs for you to be a messenger of hope to someone feeling hopeless. Look for opportunities in your daily life to be instruments of God’s hope in this world.
Perhaps like the Israelites, you feel all dried up and separated from God’s Grace and Mercy. Today the message for you is to open yourself up to the Breath of God and recognize that God is still with you.
Surrender it all dear friends. Surrender the hopeless moments. Breathe out the hopelessness and breathe in the breath of our life giving savior.
Ezekiel 37:1-14 and John 11
When I read this passage of scripture I couldn’t help but think of the recent devastation of the Tsunami in Japan. The pictures and stories reach you in the pit of your stomach. You ask where God is in these situations. The Tsunami, the Earthquake in Haiti, the earthquake in China, Aids infected Africa, starving children in Ethiopia and right here at home the memories of 9/11 still haunt us. Our technology today brings us images like we have never been able to see. Horrific images of death and of desperation. I imagine the scene there in the Valley of Dry Bones was very similar. Here we have Ezekiel, an Israelite Prophet who is in exile. He has been having all kinds of visions as we see in previous chapters. The script is the kind of stuff that Sci fi movies are made of. Let me take you there for just a moment. At the time of the writing of Ezekiel Israel and Judah had been overtaken by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and Ezekiel was on of thousand of Jews exiled to Babylon. Perhaps the bones were those laid waste that didn’t make it to Babylon. This reminds me of the trail of tears of the Cherokee nation to Oklahoma. Israel wondered if they would ever regain their land. Was this the end for them? This is the setting in which Ezekiel has this vision. So, there he is in the middle of all these dead, sun bleached, scattered, bones. Who knows which leg goes to which hip joint? The scene is nothing less then devastating and gruesome. The left overs from a war savaged land. The scene appears very hopeless. One can hardly bear to look at it. Then God says “Do you think these bones can live again.” You have to wonder if this is where the phrase “Lord only knows” comes from because that is the exact reply Ezekiel gives. You see the natural answer here would be “of course not.” These are scattered, dead bones. Death is final, it’s the end.” However, Ezekiel had experienced God enough to know better than to give the obvious answer. His answer is this: God, only you know.” Ezekiel knew that with God all things were possible. He just waited in anticipation to see what God had in store this time. God commanded him:
Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! 5 This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath[a] enter you, and you will come to life. 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’”
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.
Can you imagine that scene? Right there before Ezekiel’s eyes, legs were finding hip joints, arms were finding shoulders, all these bones start clanging together and flesh begins being painted upon them…….He notices though, they are not yet alive….Here is what God tells him next:
“Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.
The Hebrew word used here for Breath also can be translated spirit. Ezekiel, things look hopeless here in the Valley. But call on the Holy Spirit, The Holy spirit will breathe Hope into hopelessness. The Holy spirit will bring hope to life.
So, why did Ezekiel have this vision? What does all of this mean? Remember the situation we said Israel was in? The nation of Israel laid waste in a hopeless and desperate situation. God was using Ezekiel to be his messenger of hope to a hopeless people. Listen again:
11 Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. 14 I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.’”
Israel had not been a faithful people. They easily became discouraged. When things didn’t go as they wished they would turn to idols and pagan worship. They were always searching for something better. They would not find it. Instead they find themselves in an even worse situation that they have created through their faithlessness. At this point they believe that God has finally had enough and has cut them off from his grace and mercy. God sends a word to them through Ezekiel though. I do not give up on my children. What Grave have you dug for yourself my children. I am going to bring you from it. God promises for Israel to be reborn! God resurrects a dead Israel. The Holy spirit breathes life into Israel just as God breathed life into that form made from the clay of the ground and called him Adam!
God is in the resurrection, life giving, business my friends. Take a look at another resurrection story more than 500 years later. Jesus is thick into his earthly ministry and is across the Jordon where he had gone after leaving Jerusalem following conflict there where he had been threatened with a stoning. His dear friend Lazarus is sick and Mary and Martha, his sisters, send for Jesus. The story is a familiar one and it is rich with lessons for us to glean. Jesus stays for two days where he is and then decides it is time to go to Lazarus. They learn that he has already died. The disciples worry about Jesus going to Lazarus because there is much adversity to Jesus there and the fear for his life if he goes. Jesus dismisses these worries and he and the disciples head to Bethany, to Lazarus. Meanwhile many Jewish brothers and sisters (the congregation so to speak) have gathered at Mary and Martha’s house to sit with them and comfort them. Martha hears Jesus is approaching and she rushes out to him. “Jesus if only you had been here our brother would still be alive.” Does that sound familiar? In the face of tragedy, grief, unspeakable devastation it is so easy to fall into the role of seeking blame, of wondering where God is, of feeling abandoned. When Martha goes to tell Mary that Jesus wants to see her, she has the same response. Jesus, she weeps, if only you had been here. When Mary leaves the congregation thinks she is leaving to go to the tomb to grieve so they get up and follow. Her weeping hurts them in the depths of their hearts and they weep with her. Jesus is moved by the love he has for Mary, Martha and the congregation and here we have the shortest verse in the Bible. “Jesus Wept.” Jesus did not weep out of guilt…..He wept out of a deep, loving compassion! So, they go to the tomb. Jesus tells the congregation to roll the stone away and then he commands Lazarus, “’Come forth” and Lazarus does, resurrection happens, people are astonished. Jesus then tells the people to free him from his burial clothes, to unbind him. Lazarus lives. Can you imagine that scene? Word spreads to the Sanhedrin and while many persons came to believe Jesus as Messiah, there were those who were just angered by these actions. It was at that moment that the plot to kill Jesus began…….leading to the ultimate resurrection of all; the resurrection of Jesus Christ! Yes, friends: God is in the business of resurrection. God breathes life into the ravages of Japan through the kindness of strangers, through stories of love and hope as we hear of a woman who puts a sign out that says “my toilet works, please use it”, as we hear of a rescued dog reunited with its owner, as we hear of complete strangers helping one another. No longer are there divisions of male or female, democrat or republican, lower class or upper class, Asian, or American or the number of other things that divide humanity. It is in these times that we see glimpses of the Kingdom, glimpses of common regard for all life by all persons. For you see in each of these stories God partners with humanity to bring life. He used Ezekiel to speak the words; The Holy spirit Breathed the life. He used the Jews to roll the stone away from the tomb and unbind Lazarus; He breathed life back into Lazarus.
We are living in desperate times these days. It’s easy to feel hopeless sometimes and wonder where God is. Where is God when a family member has a devastating car crash, breaking her neck and leaving the family waiting for arrival, fearful of what this will all mean for her young daughter? God is there breathing hope through paramedics and ambulance drivers who are skilled enough to keep her stable on the long journey to the hospital, he is there breathing hope through skilled surgeons, and He is there through grandparents who briefly take over the care of their grandchild. Where is God when a young man sits by the side of the love of his life cradling their baby who was born without life, feeling like his world has come crashing in around him. He is there in that room breathing hope through the large family that surrounds them, breathing hope through the visits of caring friends, breathing hope through the love that can only be described if one has experienced that, breathing hope through the wise words of a pastor at the funeral, through the words of a song sung. Where is God when a loved one begins to lose their memory and you only get to see glimpses of who they once were? He is there breathing hope through the stories you get to here, through the precious time you get to spend in caring for them and giving back to them just a little of what they’ve given you. Where is God when you have to leave the home that you’ve known for years to live amongst strangers? He is there, breathing hope through caring nurses, a kind card, and unexpected visits from volunteers. Sometimes just sometimes he is there in our tears, weeping with us as we ride those rivers of tears through the storms till we got on the other side and wonder how we got there. I can tell you how we get there; we get there on the wings of the spirit, breathing hope into our hopeless situations.
Perhaps you can not connect with those feelings of hopelessness. Perhaps you’re gifted at seeing the positive in things and you’ve well learned that God can and does bring good out of the worst of situations. What do these stories have to say to you? Well, you could be the congregation of people who are sent to be there and sit with those who are in hopeless situations just as the Jews sat with Mary and Martha. Perhaps you are one of those that Jesus commands to remove the stone and take off the bindings. How can you assist someone out of the ties that are binding them and keeping them in a hopeless situation? Perhaps, like Ezekiel, God needs for you to be a messenger of hope to someone feeling hopeless. Look for opportunities in your daily life to be instruments of God’s hope in this world.
Perhaps like the Israelites, you feel all dried up and separated from God’s Grace and Mercy. Today the message for you is to open yourself up to the Breath of God and recognize that God is still with you.
Surrender it all dear friends. Surrender the hopeless moments. Breathe out the hopelessness and breathe in the breath of our life giving savior.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Announcing the Launch of Fathers Eyes Ministries
I've spent the last 2 months focusing on Health and Wellness: My physical and mental health, the physical and mental health of my immediate family, My families financial health and my spiritual health. It's been quite a journey that has been slower than anticipated; interrupted frequently by Snow, illness, and other things. However, in this two months I have been introduced to a new respite provider, my uncle is busy getting licensed to be a respite provider. I have been introduced to Deepak Chopra's writings and have learned new ways toward meditation, health, and wellness through those readings. I have also been introduced to Emergen-C which has afforded me more energy than I have had in a while. In the last two months I have witnessed the increase of gas prices, food prices, insurance prices, medication prices. Funny, I have not seen an increase in pay. Imagine that. Makes financial health somewhat challenging.
For the last several months I have been praying over and planning the launch of a new ministry. This began with me obtaining my ordination through Universal Life Church. I still look toward one day being Ordained in the United Methodist Church in the future. However, for now, I answer God's call in the way that I can. I am excited to announce the launch of Father's Eyes Ministries. This ministry will provide:
1. Outreach to persons who for whatever reason feel orphaned or abandoned by the church.
2. Pastoral Care for those who do not otherwise have a pastor and are not for whatever reason ready to make the step toward joining with a church.
3. Officiating of Weddings and Funerals.
4. Speaking engagements as requested.
There is still a lot of work to do. For now, this will be a part time venture to complement/supplement my full time work as a social worker. When the time is right in the next 5-10 years it will hopefully transition into my life work.
I still have lots of business end work to do as funds become available: business licenses, cards, fliers, advertising, website launching and such. However, I am functioning in this capacity and would welcome any referrals you would want to send my way.
Fully Believing God's love is for all of God's creation and that we are to be who God created us to be, I request your prayers as I move forward in answering God's call on my life.
For the last several months I have been praying over and planning the launch of a new ministry. This began with me obtaining my ordination through Universal Life Church. I still look toward one day being Ordained in the United Methodist Church in the future. However, for now, I answer God's call in the way that I can. I am excited to announce the launch of Father's Eyes Ministries. This ministry will provide:
1. Outreach to persons who for whatever reason feel orphaned or abandoned by the church.
2. Pastoral Care for those who do not otherwise have a pastor and are not for whatever reason ready to make the step toward joining with a church.
3. Officiating of Weddings and Funerals.
4. Speaking engagements as requested.
There is still a lot of work to do. For now, this will be a part time venture to complement/supplement my full time work as a social worker. When the time is right in the next 5-10 years it will hopefully transition into my life work.
I still have lots of business end work to do as funds become available: business licenses, cards, fliers, advertising, website launching and such. However, I am functioning in this capacity and would welcome any referrals you would want to send my way.
Fully Believing God's love is for all of God's creation and that we are to be who God created us to be, I request your prayers as I move forward in answering God's call on my life.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Rekindling the Flame
A Sermon prepared for Cruso UMC and Longs UMC
You are once again getting a hot off the press sermon this week. When your pastor called me a couple of weeks ago I felt the luxury of having a lot of time to prepare and began immediately looking up and reading the different lectionary texts for this week. Typically when I read them something either jumps right out at me or I’m able to eliminate a couple that don’t jump out at me at all and I go from there. Nothing majorly jumped out at me this time but I did feel at peace with selecting this passage in 2nd Timothy. I began doing the research on it pretty consistently, tackling a verse or two a night and then life interrupted me as I was called upon to participate in my first funeral as a minister. This was followed by a work deadline and on Thursday I remembered that I was preaching today. I have really wrestled with this text over the last few days and was beginning to wonder if a sermon would ever come from all the wrestling…..but as God always does as I milled it over in my head while washing dishes and doing laundry things began to fall into place and what you get today is the product of that scenario.
The very first thing that I thought of when I read this passage was my Uncle Stan. Stan is 6 years my senior. He was in the first grade when I was born. Being that our age difference was so small our relationship was more that of siblings than of aunt and uncle. I always had admiration for him and looked up to him. He just recently published his first book, “Poor Memory” It is a fictional book based on reflections of his own call to ministry with the characters based on real people he has encountered in life. I was thrilled when I began reading the book and there in the first pages was this line…. “Other times I’m in front of the class for Show-N-Tell proudly displaying a ……picture of my newborn niece.” I made the book….Nevermind that he was describing a recurring nightmare of being in front of people with his socks, shoes and shirt on but no pants, only his drawers. That didn’t matter…..I still made the book and he told everyone that would read it that he was proud of me even then. Thus was born a relationship of niece/uncle; friends; mentor/mentoree.
Such was the relationship of Paul and Timothy. Paul the mentor/Timothy, the mentoree. Bare with me for a little while as I give you just a bit of a history lesson. When you are reading letters that Paul has written, it is important to understand the context within which they are written. Who are the characters in this letter.
The writer is identified in the text as Paul. We know from reading the book of Acts that Paul was at one time a persecuter of Christians. He was a Roman Citizen and a self avowed “phairisee” He was born as Saul. He had a powerful conversion experience and made a life change from being the persecuter to being the persecuted. He traveled throughout, beginning his ministry in Damascus and continuing on to take three Missionary Journeys going back to Jerusalem 5 times. Part of Paul’s ministry was insuring that the word spread beyond the Hebrew nations and to the Gentile world. Paul knew that Jesus came for all, there was no discrimination for Jesus love. He was hotly pursued by other Jewish leaders and persecuted for the message he was delivering. He ended up being put in prison because of his ministry. It is assumed that Paul is writing Timothy from Prison. In reading the whole book of 2 Timothy it seems as though Paul is near the end of his life and knows this and needs to write to Timothy some final words of advice.
Timothy was biracial so to speak. His mother was Jewish, his father was Greek. We know that his mother’s name was Lois and his grandmother was Eunice and we know that Lois and Eunice played a very vital role in giving Timothy the foundations of his faith. Paul had heard of Timothy, met him and decided to have Timothy join him in ministry. Timothy was young when he became ordained throught the laying on of the elders hands. Timothy, Paul and Silas are frequently mentioned together. Paul concentrating his ministry to the Jews and sending Timothy out to the Gentiles. (thus insuring that all persons are ministered to.) Paul refers to Timothy many times as being “like a son” to him. Paul was a coach, a teacher, a mentor. He feels very protective over Timothy and he wants to see Timothy succeed. Timothy and Paul were separated from each other when Paul was being pursued and upon that separation Timothy cried as Paul left him.
So, that is the background that brings us to this text today. A letter from a mentor to his mentoree. As we travel together through this text I want you to think of times when you have had the opportunity to mentor, advise, counsel, coach another person and think of times when you have sought the same from another. In Thessalonians, Paul, Silas and Timothy write to the church saying that they dealt with the church as a father deals with a son, they go on to identify this as encouraging, comforting and urging each other to live lives that are worthy of God’s calling of all of them into kingdom living.
The text begins as all texts written by Paul with Paul identifying himself and the person/group to whom he is writing. He then goes on as he does in his letters, to telling Timothy that He thanks God for him. He lets him know that he is constantly remembering him in prayer. One interesting thing that came from the study of this phrase in verse 3 where he says “I thank my God with a clear conscience as night and day I constantly remember you in prayer” came in the reading of I Samuel 12:20ff. In the passage Samuel is giving an exiting speech before his death. The passage reads:
"Do not be afraid," Samuel replied. "You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. 21 Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. 22 For the sake of his great name the LORD will not reject his people, because the LORD was pleased to make you his own. 23 As for me, (here it is) far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right. 24 But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. 25 Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will be swept away."
When I’ve thought of sin before I don’t think I’ve thought of the omission of praying for people as sinful. That is pretty strong. However in reading this statement made by Paul about having a clear conscience because he has prayed constantly for Timothy and this very similar statement made by Samuel I think our very first lesson today is to Pray constantly for the persons God has put in our lives. To encourage one another, comfort one another, urge one another in love.
He goes on to acknowledge Timothy as being faithful to what he has been taught by his mother and grandmother and he then goes forward to be and encourager and urger to Timothy. He says “for this reason I remind you to fan the flame, the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. Reading this reminds me of a trip the Sunday School class made this summer to Deep Creek. We had built a fire in the grill out of twigs and paper so that we could make smores. The fire would begin to die out and one of the men would blow on it. Fire needs fuel and oxygen is fuel that will rekindle a flame. What a great illustration for faith sometimes. It is real easy to forget sometimes that important calling on our life, whatever it might be. In this instance for Timothy it was a calling to preach, to lead the church. It seems Paul senses that Timothy might be questioning his own worthiness or abilities for such a task and Paul wants to encourage Timothy to keep those gifts alive; to keep going.
I knew from a pretty early age that God was calling me into ministry. Growing up Baptist I had a lot of obstacles in my path for that, particularly if preaching/pastoring was what God was calling me to. I was a woman, strike 1. Later as I fought that I obstacle I became divorced, strike 2. The obstacles just continued to the point that I began questioning if I had heard God right. I began questioning my gifts and my abilities and I began a career in Social Work. Be sure that God has used my gifts in the area of Social Work but I was fooling myself to believe that was God’s ultimate plan and will for my life. This became clear in 2005 through a series of events that culminated in me awakening suddenly during the night with the reference Revelation 3:2 in my head. Now I am here to tell you that I had not spent a lot of time in deep study of Revelation, I had not recently read it and Revelation 3:2 is not a verse I had committed to memory as a child or any other time. This is what it says: Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. My friends let me tell you that I woke up and I made an appointment the very next day to speak to my pastor to discuss my calling and the obstacles that being the single parent of a special needs child brought to me returning to seminary, to being an itenarant pastor in the UMC. I couldn’t uproot my child from his support system, therapists, and such. That is when Rob shared with me about the Lay Speaker training and I immediately signed up to take the training. This was followed by my becoming the lay ministry leader for congregational care. As much as this fulfilled parts of this burning call on my life, still things weren’t quite right. I couldn’t perform a marriage ceremony, preside as a minister at a funeral, get special visitation privalages in the hospital. Recently a friend’s daughter emailed me asking me to perform her wedding ceremony and that is when I decided I was going to use an unconventional way to fulfill this request I was so honored to receive. I became ordained through universal life church. Now we all remember the friends episode when Joey gets ordained over the internet to officiate at Chandler and Monica’s wedding. I have joked that I am now the new Joey Tribiani, however for me it is not a joke and it is not about performing my friend’s ceremony. It was about overcoming an obstacle and following the call God has placed on my life. It wasn’t a few weeks later that a friend’s mom passed away and I was called upon to participate as a minister at her funeral. What I can tell you my friends is that in those moments I am at home. The day of that funeral I was having an otherwise very stressful day but at that moment when I entered that funeral home and gave my remarks and prayed all those worries disappeared and I was at home. Night before last one of our church members was rushed to the hospital after being found unconscious and he now lies in a coma with his family sitting vigil at the hospital. In my visits to the hospital over the past two days to sit with the family and be present for them, all my worries were left behind and I felt like I was at home. Recently, a friend shared a quote that said, “you need to find something that you would do for free and then make a career of it.” There are some parts of social work I would do for free: visiting with and helping families…..but there are definitely parts of it that I wouldn’t do for free: like the mounds of paperwork. There is nothing about ministering that I wouldn’t do for free: The preaching, the studying, the visiting, the funerals, the weddings, the sermon preparation…nothing. So, I continue to fan that flame, one breath at a time, one piece at a time, one day at a time. What is it for you. What flames do you need to rekindle as an individual. What flames do you need to rekindle as a church? Think about that and begin breathing on that fire…..
In speaking of this Paul goes on to say “for God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power, of love and of self discipline. He’s saying to Timothy: Do not be afraid, don’t be shy…..God doesn’t give us a spirit of fear. He tells Timothy this just as Jeremiah has said “Do not be afraid”. He tells this to Timothy just as he shared with the Romans that they should not be a slave to fear and he shared in Hebrews that persons needed to be freed from their slavery to fear of death. Don’t be shy Timothy, don’t be afraid. The spirit God gives us is a spirit of power, love and self discipline. Be bold with your gifts, be loving with your gifts, be sensible with your gifts. In what ways do you let fear captivate you and enslave you and keep you from breathing on that fire in your belly that God has given you for something. We are called here to let go of those fears.
He then goes onto say in verses 8-12:
So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, 9who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 11And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 12That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.
“Do not be ashamed.” Why would anyone be ashamed of Christ, of doing what they are called to do for Christ. Many people say that this verse is stating we should not be embarrassed of Christ or of being a Christian or of sharing our faith. We know that out of fear Peter denied Christ. He learns a lesson from that experience and in one of his letters writes that If you suffer as a Christian you should not be ashamed but Praise God that you bear that name. I believe that is a very strong message. We should not be ashamed of Jesus or of being a Christian though sometimes I am ashamed at some of things people say and do under the name of Christianity. Another thought came to mind though. Perhaps Paul was telling Timothy not to be ashamed of himself, of his shortcomings. Not to let his embarrassment over those things get in the way of sharing the good news. No, because God’s grace within humanity is the power of the message. That God can take a Roman Citizen that persecuted the church and turn him into the founder of Christianity, that God can take a young boy like Timothy and reach the Gentile world, that God can take a man that has trouble speaking and make him the leader of the Israelites out of bondage and to the promised land, that God can take a divorced, single mother with many other obstacles in her path and turn her into a pastor……That my friends is where the power is, the love is. Those are the stories that reach people so never think you are too human to share the love of God, to proclaim that you’re a Christian. I remember in my early social work days I was working in a children’s home in the Eastern part of the state. It was part of the Baptist children’s home system and one of my co-houseparents was a woman named Stephanie. Stephanie was one of those people that didn’t claim Christianity because she didn’t believe she was “good enough.” She was ashamed of her past. What I learned of Stephanie was that she lived more of a Christian life than many of the other houseparents that did claim Christianity. The Sunday before I was scheduled to leave that job she sang in church, dedicating the song to me. “I know you’ve got troubles, so do I….. I searched and searched to find a reference for this song or more of the lyrics but I couldn’t. The point is that she sang that song with such conviction that day and with such a heart of love for me and with such faith in One that could hold those troubles in his hands……She had gotten the point, I believe. None of us are “good enough” and it’s God’s interactions with us in all of our human-ness that sets Christianity apart from other World religions. So the message to Timothy might very well be “don’t be ashamed of who you are, don’t think that makes you unable to share God’s love, it is exactly what enables you to share God’s love, grace and mercy.”
This part of the text ends with Paul telling Timothy to keep what he’s heard from him as the pattern of sound teaching with faith and love in Jesus Christ.
I did something interesting with this sermon preparation, an experiment of sorts and I liked it so much that I think I will do it from now on when preparing. In my facebook status I posted, “wondering what thoughts my Facebook friends have about 2 Timothy 1…….I want to share with you the responses I received.
(insert posts)
This was a fun experiment, more than that it was neat to have those conversations with persons I’m connected to and to see who responded and have a new lens through which to see them. That is what this is about, ceasing those opportunities without fear, without embarrassment. So my challenge to you this week is to:
1. Write a letter of encouragement to a brother or sister in faith, to someone that is “like a son or daughter to you.”
2. Think about that one thing you would do for free……recognize it as your calling and let go of your fears, and obstacles, blow on that flame and rekindle it with the very strength and power and that you are given through your relationship with Jesus Christ.
3. What part of who you are makes you think you are unworthy to proclaim the good news, to proclaim the love of God, to live out your faith with boldness and pride? Let go of that embarrassment and shame and know that God loves you for who God created you to be.
4. Above all see everything and everyone through the lens of Christ’s love knowing that Christ did not come into this world to condemn the world but that through him the world might be saved!
I want to end my time with you this morning by re-reading this passage of scripture to you from the Message….a paraphrase I often use when I just want to leisurely read and understand…..
1-2I, Paul, am on special assignment for Christ, carrying out God's plan laid out in the Message of Life by Jesus. I write this to you, Timothy, the son I love so much. All the best from our God and Christ be yours! To Be Bold with God's Gifts
3-4Every time I say your name in prayer—which is practically all the time—I thank God for you, the God I worship with my whole life in the tradition of my ancestors. I miss you a lot, especially when I remember that last tearful good-bye, and I look forward to a joy-packed reunion.
5-7That precious memory triggers another: your honest faith—and what a rich faith it is, handed down from your grandmother Lois to your mother Eunice, and now to you! And the special gift of ministry you received when I laid hands on you and prayed—keep that ablaze! God doesn't want us to be shy with his gifts, but bold and loving and sensible.
8-10So don't be embarrassed to speak up for our Master or for me, his prisoner. Take your share of suffering for the Message along with the rest of us. We can only keep on going, after all, by the power of God, who first saved us and then called us to this holy work. We had nothing to do with it. It was all his idea, a gift prepared for us in Jesus long before we knew anything about it. But we know it now. Since the appearance of our Savior, nothing could be plainer: death defeated, life vindicated in a steady blaze of light, all through the work of Jesus.
11-12This is the Message I've been set apart to proclaim as preacher, emissary, and teacher. It's also the cause of all this trouble I'm in. But I have no regrets. I couldn't be more sure of my ground—the One I've trusted in can take care of what he's trusted me to do right to the end.
13-14So keep at your work, this faith and love rooted in Christ, exactly as I set it out for you. It's as sound as the day you first heard it from me. Guard this precious thing placed in your custody by the Holy Spirit who works in us.
You are once again getting a hot off the press sermon this week. When your pastor called me a couple of weeks ago I felt the luxury of having a lot of time to prepare and began immediately looking up and reading the different lectionary texts for this week. Typically when I read them something either jumps right out at me or I’m able to eliminate a couple that don’t jump out at me at all and I go from there. Nothing majorly jumped out at me this time but I did feel at peace with selecting this passage in 2nd Timothy. I began doing the research on it pretty consistently, tackling a verse or two a night and then life interrupted me as I was called upon to participate in my first funeral as a minister. This was followed by a work deadline and on Thursday I remembered that I was preaching today. I have really wrestled with this text over the last few days and was beginning to wonder if a sermon would ever come from all the wrestling…..but as God always does as I milled it over in my head while washing dishes and doing laundry things began to fall into place and what you get today is the product of that scenario.
The very first thing that I thought of when I read this passage was my Uncle Stan. Stan is 6 years my senior. He was in the first grade when I was born. Being that our age difference was so small our relationship was more that of siblings than of aunt and uncle. I always had admiration for him and looked up to him. He just recently published his first book, “Poor Memory” It is a fictional book based on reflections of his own call to ministry with the characters based on real people he has encountered in life. I was thrilled when I began reading the book and there in the first pages was this line…. “Other times I’m in front of the class for Show-N-Tell proudly displaying a ……picture of my newborn niece.” I made the book….Nevermind that he was describing a recurring nightmare of being in front of people with his socks, shoes and shirt on but no pants, only his drawers. That didn’t matter…..I still made the book and he told everyone that would read it that he was proud of me even then. Thus was born a relationship of niece/uncle; friends; mentor/mentoree.
Such was the relationship of Paul and Timothy. Paul the mentor/Timothy, the mentoree. Bare with me for a little while as I give you just a bit of a history lesson. When you are reading letters that Paul has written, it is important to understand the context within which they are written. Who are the characters in this letter.
The writer is identified in the text as Paul. We know from reading the book of Acts that Paul was at one time a persecuter of Christians. He was a Roman Citizen and a self avowed “phairisee” He was born as Saul. He had a powerful conversion experience and made a life change from being the persecuter to being the persecuted. He traveled throughout, beginning his ministry in Damascus and continuing on to take three Missionary Journeys going back to Jerusalem 5 times. Part of Paul’s ministry was insuring that the word spread beyond the Hebrew nations and to the Gentile world. Paul knew that Jesus came for all, there was no discrimination for Jesus love. He was hotly pursued by other Jewish leaders and persecuted for the message he was delivering. He ended up being put in prison because of his ministry. It is assumed that Paul is writing Timothy from Prison. In reading the whole book of 2 Timothy it seems as though Paul is near the end of his life and knows this and needs to write to Timothy some final words of advice.
Timothy was biracial so to speak. His mother was Jewish, his father was Greek. We know that his mother’s name was Lois and his grandmother was Eunice and we know that Lois and Eunice played a very vital role in giving Timothy the foundations of his faith. Paul had heard of Timothy, met him and decided to have Timothy join him in ministry. Timothy was young when he became ordained throught the laying on of the elders hands. Timothy, Paul and Silas are frequently mentioned together. Paul concentrating his ministry to the Jews and sending Timothy out to the Gentiles. (thus insuring that all persons are ministered to.) Paul refers to Timothy many times as being “like a son” to him. Paul was a coach, a teacher, a mentor. He feels very protective over Timothy and he wants to see Timothy succeed. Timothy and Paul were separated from each other when Paul was being pursued and upon that separation Timothy cried as Paul left him.
So, that is the background that brings us to this text today. A letter from a mentor to his mentoree. As we travel together through this text I want you to think of times when you have had the opportunity to mentor, advise, counsel, coach another person and think of times when you have sought the same from another. In Thessalonians, Paul, Silas and Timothy write to the church saying that they dealt with the church as a father deals with a son, they go on to identify this as encouraging, comforting and urging each other to live lives that are worthy of God’s calling of all of them into kingdom living.
The text begins as all texts written by Paul with Paul identifying himself and the person/group to whom he is writing. He then goes on as he does in his letters, to telling Timothy that He thanks God for him. He lets him know that he is constantly remembering him in prayer. One interesting thing that came from the study of this phrase in verse 3 where he says “I thank my God with a clear conscience as night and day I constantly remember you in prayer” came in the reading of I Samuel 12:20ff. In the passage Samuel is giving an exiting speech before his death. The passage reads:
"Do not be afraid," Samuel replied. "You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. 21 Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. 22 For the sake of his great name the LORD will not reject his people, because the LORD was pleased to make you his own. 23 As for me, (here it is) far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right. 24 But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. 25 Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will be swept away."
When I’ve thought of sin before I don’t think I’ve thought of the omission of praying for people as sinful. That is pretty strong. However in reading this statement made by Paul about having a clear conscience because he has prayed constantly for Timothy and this very similar statement made by Samuel I think our very first lesson today is to Pray constantly for the persons God has put in our lives. To encourage one another, comfort one another, urge one another in love.
He goes on to acknowledge Timothy as being faithful to what he has been taught by his mother and grandmother and he then goes forward to be and encourager and urger to Timothy. He says “for this reason I remind you to fan the flame, the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. Reading this reminds me of a trip the Sunday School class made this summer to Deep Creek. We had built a fire in the grill out of twigs and paper so that we could make smores. The fire would begin to die out and one of the men would blow on it. Fire needs fuel and oxygen is fuel that will rekindle a flame. What a great illustration for faith sometimes. It is real easy to forget sometimes that important calling on our life, whatever it might be. In this instance for Timothy it was a calling to preach, to lead the church. It seems Paul senses that Timothy might be questioning his own worthiness or abilities for such a task and Paul wants to encourage Timothy to keep those gifts alive; to keep going.
I knew from a pretty early age that God was calling me into ministry. Growing up Baptist I had a lot of obstacles in my path for that, particularly if preaching/pastoring was what God was calling me to. I was a woman, strike 1. Later as I fought that I obstacle I became divorced, strike 2. The obstacles just continued to the point that I began questioning if I had heard God right. I began questioning my gifts and my abilities and I began a career in Social Work. Be sure that God has used my gifts in the area of Social Work but I was fooling myself to believe that was God’s ultimate plan and will for my life. This became clear in 2005 through a series of events that culminated in me awakening suddenly during the night with the reference Revelation 3:2 in my head. Now I am here to tell you that I had not spent a lot of time in deep study of Revelation, I had not recently read it and Revelation 3:2 is not a verse I had committed to memory as a child or any other time. This is what it says: Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. My friends let me tell you that I woke up and I made an appointment the very next day to speak to my pastor to discuss my calling and the obstacles that being the single parent of a special needs child brought to me returning to seminary, to being an itenarant pastor in the UMC. I couldn’t uproot my child from his support system, therapists, and such. That is when Rob shared with me about the Lay Speaker training and I immediately signed up to take the training. This was followed by my becoming the lay ministry leader for congregational care. As much as this fulfilled parts of this burning call on my life, still things weren’t quite right. I couldn’t perform a marriage ceremony, preside as a minister at a funeral, get special visitation privalages in the hospital. Recently a friend’s daughter emailed me asking me to perform her wedding ceremony and that is when I decided I was going to use an unconventional way to fulfill this request I was so honored to receive. I became ordained through universal life church. Now we all remember the friends episode when Joey gets ordained over the internet to officiate at Chandler and Monica’s wedding. I have joked that I am now the new Joey Tribiani, however for me it is not a joke and it is not about performing my friend’s ceremony. It was about overcoming an obstacle and following the call God has placed on my life. It wasn’t a few weeks later that a friend’s mom passed away and I was called upon to participate as a minister at her funeral. What I can tell you my friends is that in those moments I am at home. The day of that funeral I was having an otherwise very stressful day but at that moment when I entered that funeral home and gave my remarks and prayed all those worries disappeared and I was at home. Night before last one of our church members was rushed to the hospital after being found unconscious and he now lies in a coma with his family sitting vigil at the hospital. In my visits to the hospital over the past two days to sit with the family and be present for them, all my worries were left behind and I felt like I was at home. Recently, a friend shared a quote that said, “you need to find something that you would do for free and then make a career of it.” There are some parts of social work I would do for free: visiting with and helping families…..but there are definitely parts of it that I wouldn’t do for free: like the mounds of paperwork. There is nothing about ministering that I wouldn’t do for free: The preaching, the studying, the visiting, the funerals, the weddings, the sermon preparation…nothing. So, I continue to fan that flame, one breath at a time, one piece at a time, one day at a time. What is it for you. What flames do you need to rekindle as an individual. What flames do you need to rekindle as a church? Think about that and begin breathing on that fire…..
In speaking of this Paul goes on to say “for God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power, of love and of self discipline. He’s saying to Timothy: Do not be afraid, don’t be shy…..God doesn’t give us a spirit of fear. He tells Timothy this just as Jeremiah has said “Do not be afraid”. He tells this to Timothy just as he shared with the Romans that they should not be a slave to fear and he shared in Hebrews that persons needed to be freed from their slavery to fear of death. Don’t be shy Timothy, don’t be afraid. The spirit God gives us is a spirit of power, love and self discipline. Be bold with your gifts, be loving with your gifts, be sensible with your gifts. In what ways do you let fear captivate you and enslave you and keep you from breathing on that fire in your belly that God has given you for something. We are called here to let go of those fears.
He then goes onto say in verses 8-12:
So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, 9who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 11And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 12That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.
“Do not be ashamed.” Why would anyone be ashamed of Christ, of doing what they are called to do for Christ. Many people say that this verse is stating we should not be embarrassed of Christ or of being a Christian or of sharing our faith. We know that out of fear Peter denied Christ. He learns a lesson from that experience and in one of his letters writes that If you suffer as a Christian you should not be ashamed but Praise God that you bear that name. I believe that is a very strong message. We should not be ashamed of Jesus or of being a Christian though sometimes I am ashamed at some of things people say and do under the name of Christianity. Another thought came to mind though. Perhaps Paul was telling Timothy not to be ashamed of himself, of his shortcomings. Not to let his embarrassment over those things get in the way of sharing the good news. No, because God’s grace within humanity is the power of the message. That God can take a Roman Citizen that persecuted the church and turn him into the founder of Christianity, that God can take a young boy like Timothy and reach the Gentile world, that God can take a man that has trouble speaking and make him the leader of the Israelites out of bondage and to the promised land, that God can take a divorced, single mother with many other obstacles in her path and turn her into a pastor……That my friends is where the power is, the love is. Those are the stories that reach people so never think you are too human to share the love of God, to proclaim that you’re a Christian. I remember in my early social work days I was working in a children’s home in the Eastern part of the state. It was part of the Baptist children’s home system and one of my co-houseparents was a woman named Stephanie. Stephanie was one of those people that didn’t claim Christianity because she didn’t believe she was “good enough.” She was ashamed of her past. What I learned of Stephanie was that she lived more of a Christian life than many of the other houseparents that did claim Christianity. The Sunday before I was scheduled to leave that job she sang in church, dedicating the song to me. “I know you’ve got troubles, so do I….. I searched and searched to find a reference for this song or more of the lyrics but I couldn’t. The point is that she sang that song with such conviction that day and with such a heart of love for me and with such faith in One that could hold those troubles in his hands……She had gotten the point, I believe. None of us are “good enough” and it’s God’s interactions with us in all of our human-ness that sets Christianity apart from other World religions. So the message to Timothy might very well be “don’t be ashamed of who you are, don’t think that makes you unable to share God’s love, it is exactly what enables you to share God’s love, grace and mercy.”
This part of the text ends with Paul telling Timothy to keep what he’s heard from him as the pattern of sound teaching with faith and love in Jesus Christ.
I did something interesting with this sermon preparation, an experiment of sorts and I liked it so much that I think I will do it from now on when preparing. In my facebook status I posted, “wondering what thoughts my Facebook friends have about 2 Timothy 1…….I want to share with you the responses I received.
(insert posts)
This was a fun experiment, more than that it was neat to have those conversations with persons I’m connected to and to see who responded and have a new lens through which to see them. That is what this is about, ceasing those opportunities without fear, without embarrassment. So my challenge to you this week is to:
1. Write a letter of encouragement to a brother or sister in faith, to someone that is “like a son or daughter to you.”
2. Think about that one thing you would do for free……recognize it as your calling and let go of your fears, and obstacles, blow on that flame and rekindle it with the very strength and power and that you are given through your relationship with Jesus Christ.
3. What part of who you are makes you think you are unworthy to proclaim the good news, to proclaim the love of God, to live out your faith with boldness and pride? Let go of that embarrassment and shame and know that God loves you for who God created you to be.
4. Above all see everything and everyone through the lens of Christ’s love knowing that Christ did not come into this world to condemn the world but that through him the world might be saved!
I want to end my time with you this morning by re-reading this passage of scripture to you from the Message….a paraphrase I often use when I just want to leisurely read and understand…..
1-2I, Paul, am on special assignment for Christ, carrying out God's plan laid out in the Message of Life by Jesus. I write this to you, Timothy, the son I love so much. All the best from our God and Christ be yours! To Be Bold with God's Gifts
3-4Every time I say your name in prayer—which is practically all the time—I thank God for you, the God I worship with my whole life in the tradition of my ancestors. I miss you a lot, especially when I remember that last tearful good-bye, and I look forward to a joy-packed reunion.
5-7That precious memory triggers another: your honest faith—and what a rich faith it is, handed down from your grandmother Lois to your mother Eunice, and now to you! And the special gift of ministry you received when I laid hands on you and prayed—keep that ablaze! God doesn't want us to be shy with his gifts, but bold and loving and sensible.
8-10So don't be embarrassed to speak up for our Master or for me, his prisoner. Take your share of suffering for the Message along with the rest of us. We can only keep on going, after all, by the power of God, who first saved us and then called us to this holy work. We had nothing to do with it. It was all his idea, a gift prepared for us in Jesus long before we knew anything about it. But we know it now. Since the appearance of our Savior, nothing could be plainer: death defeated, life vindicated in a steady blaze of light, all through the work of Jesus.
11-12This is the Message I've been set apart to proclaim as preacher, emissary, and teacher. It's also the cause of all this trouble I'm in. But I have no regrets. I couldn't be more sure of my ground—the One I've trusted in can take care of what he's trusted me to do right to the end.
13-14So keep at your work, this faith and love rooted in Christ, exactly as I set it out for you. It's as sound as the day you first heard it from me. Guard this precious thing placed in your custody by the Holy Spirit who works in us.
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