The Way It Was

Luke 19:28-40, Philippians 2:5-11 In the Bible, Holy Week began with a parade on Palm Sunday and ended with the silence of the Garden tomb on Saturday. During the week Jesus taught and prepared his disciples for his death and resurrection. On Thursday night he ate the Last Supper with them and then prayed outside. Jesus was betrayed that same night by Judas, one of his disciples, and he was arrested and led away. Throughout the night and early Friday morning, Jesus was tried and sentenced to death. He was mocked, beaten, and led to the place of execution. On Friday afternoon he died and before sunset he was buried in the Garden tomb. It was a busy and unusual week. The energy and excitement of Palm Sunday changed to the horror of the suffering and death of Jesus on Good Friday. And then on Saturday there is silence. Of course the next day is Easter, the day of resurrection and the empty tomb. But before we can fully appreciate the good news of Easter, it is important for us to make a connection with the pain and suffering of Jesus during Holy Week. It is important for us to remember the way it was. It might help us to consider the way it should have been. There should have been cheering and a warm welcome for Jesus, not just on Palm Sunday, but during the whole week. He should not have been betrayed and arrested. There should not have been a trial or a crucifixion. Jesus should have been welcomed and worshiped by the people of Jerusalem. But Palm Sunday was the only day he got that reception.. It was downhill from there. We can recreate the way it should have been during this week. On Palm Sunday we can lift the palm branches and offer our hearts of praise to God. We can remember the Last Supper and the words of Jesus, who said, “Do this in remembrance of me.” We can be thankful that we have that memory. We can also remember the story of the death of Jesus and know that his death is our door to God’s grace. That is the way it is. As we remember the way it was and the way it is, we can be grateful that God gives us grace through Jesus Christ. We can also hear the challenge to be God’s servants. We can give our lives for the service of God through Jesus Christ, because Christ gave his life for us. That is the way it should be.

Time Management

Time Management Ephesians 5:15-20 Ephesians has been called the “Queen of the Epistles”. (Epistle is a letter to a group of people.) It has been called that because it contains the basic teachings of the Christian faith about what God has done for humanity, and it also gives basic directions to believers about how they should live. The epistle can be divided into two parts. The first 3 chapters focus upon God’s acts of salvation and our identity as the children of God. The last 3 chapters focus upon the Christian life, that is, what people who call themselves children of God are supposed to do. This part of the epistles says that people have a choice: they can either be wise or foolish. Earlier, Paul has described the choice by saying that people can live in the light, or live in darkness. He also writes about those who are foolish, and those who understand God’s will. And he also says that believers should not be drunk with wine, but should be filled with God’s Spirit. Paul also writes about time, and says that people should make the most of their time. Or, another way of saying it is, that it is important for people to manage their time. Each one of us makes important choices about how we use our time. Some choices seem routine; other choices seem to have significant implications. Paul has several things to say about using our time wisely. Using our time wisely is not automatic. It seems to come more naturally to us to let time pass us by, to just go with the flow, and do whatever we feel like doing at the time. Paul writes that Christians should be filled with the Spirit and that means also being led by the Spirit. If we are to use our time wisely, it means that we will follow the leading of God’s Spirit and do our best to do the will of God. Using our time wisely is not just about getting more information. It is not just about what we know, but it is also about how we use the information that we know. And, when it comes to doing God’s will, we never finish learning, and we never have fully arrived. There is always more to experience, and areas to grow as we aim to be faithful followers of Jesus Christ. Using our time wisely means acknowledging that the world around us does not encourage us to make the most of our time. There are many things that call for our time, but not all of them are important. The world around us, and our culture, have not always lived up to God’s hopes and dreams. Using our time wisely is a matter of putting Christ’s will into action. It does not involve reckless abandon and self-indulgence. But it involves being willing to serve and make sacrifices. “Make your life count for something important.” Using our time wisely involves worship. That means more than just worship services, but includes any time of the week or day that we may make a connection with God. Worship is both conscious and unconscious, vertical & horizontal, personal & corporate. It can involve singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs – to each other, and to God. Use your time wisely; make the most of your time. Make wise choices. Be filled with God’s Spirit. Choose who you will serve – yourself or God. Make your life count for something important – in the name of Christ, and for the sake of God’s kingdom.

Faith Is Greater than Fear

Faith is Greater than Fear Mark 4:35-41 When you are on the water, you never know what may happen…. My friend Danny is an avid fisherman. He has fished in a number of bass tournaments. I asked him a few days ago if there had ever been a time when he was on the water and in a storm and was afraid. His answer was, “Which time do you want to hear about?” I told him that I wanted to hear about the time that he was most afraid. He said it was the time that he and a few other men had gone out to sea on a friend’s fishing trawler. They had gone about 25 miles offshore and had a good day, catching lots of fish. When they headed back to shore they ran into a storm about 10 miles from shore. He said they could see 2 water spouts, one on the left and one on the right. They went inside the cabin for protection, and Danny said that the captain came down from the bridge because it was too dangerous to stay up there. When he entered the cabin, Danny said that he looked them all straight in the eye and said, “We’re going to die!” Danny said that you know you are in trouble when the captain says that. Fortunately, the captain was wrong. The water spouts moved away from the boat, and they made it safely through the storm, and reached the shore. When you are on the water, you never know what may happen… In the Gospel story, Jesus and the disciples are in a boat on the Sea of Galilee. Most of the disciples are experienced fishermen, and they know the water. But in this story, a storm comes, and the disciples are afraid. They panic. I have read that the storms on the Sea of Galilee can be pretty powerful. If you get cold winds from the north, and warm winds from the east, you get a storm, and the word is that the waves can be up to 30 feet high on the Sea of Galilee. So the disciples had good reason to be afraid. The boat was being swamped. They panicked and they went to Jesus, who was in the bow of the boat, asleep, and said “Don’t you care that we are perishing?” Or, in the words of the captain “We’re going to die!” Things don’t always go the way we think they should, or the way we want them to go. Sometimes it can seem like we are all alone when problems arise. God may seem far away. Or, like in the story, when a problem arises, a crisis, God doesn’t seem to care. This can be true even, and sometimes, especially when we are doing God’s work, when we are doing the right thing. And we learn that just because we are doing the right thing, it doesn’t mean that we won’t have problems. There are plenty of stories about this in the Bible. The people of Israel are delivered from slavery in Egypt and head for the Promised Land. But it is not a short trip, nor an easy trip. They have problems along the way and it takes 40 years to get there. Jesus calls the disciples to follow him. They do, but it isn’t easy being a disciple. Just because they are following Jesus, it doesn’t mean that they don’t have any problems. Everyone who answered God’s call and followed God’s lead in the Bible stories was afraid at one time or another. We probably also need to admit that it is no sin to be afraid. Fear is a natural response to a threat, or danger. Sometimes fear can motivate us to do things that will help us or others. In the story, the disciples were afraid that the boat would sink and that they would die. They need help. They looked to Jesus for some kind of reassurance. And at first, it seemed that Jesus didn’t care. He was asleep. But Jesus challenges the disciples to have faith in the midst of their fear. He asks them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still not have faith?” Of course he asks these questions after he orders the wind and rain to stop, and they do. The storm passes. The Sea of Galilee is calm. There is peace. And the disciples are no longer afraid. They knew Jesus could help, but seem surprised that he was able to do so much. “Who is this, that even the wind and sea obey him?” Wouldn’t it be great if every time we were afraid, or every time we had a problem, that Jesus would just speak the word, and our fears and problems would be gone? But our experience tells us that things don’t always happen that quickly. In fact, most of the time, it takes a long time, longer than we would like. And we know that some of our problems never go away, that we sometimes have to accept the way things are, and pray for God’s peace in the midst of our circumstances. It would be great if faith in God would eliminate all of our fears and solve all of our problems. But it doesn’t. But faith can enable us to face our fears and to endure our pain and problems. Faith can enable us to have peace even when things are not going our way. Since the early days of the church, the boat has been a symbol of the church. Maybe it was because the first disciples were fishermen. Maybe it was because the church had its beginning near the Sea of Galilee. But the boat can remind us that sometimes there are storms and that with Jesus in the boat, we won’t be swept away. We are all in the same boat. We all have our ups and downs. At times our problems and cares may seem like they are too much to bear. But there is one who can do something about the storms. It may not happen as quickly or as simply as it did in the story, but we are called to have faith. We are called to trust in the One who calms the storms. In the mid-1800’s Horatio Spofford was a very successful lawyer in Chicago. He planned a European vacation for his family, and sent his wife and 4 daughters ahead of him on an ocean liner. His plan was to meet them in Europe in a few days. The liner that carried his family was struck by another ship as it traveled across the ocean. His wife was the only one who survived the collision. As Spofford was traveling across the ocean to join his wife, he wrote these words: “When peace like a river attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll, Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, It is well with my soul.” Sometimes things go great. Problems are solved quickly and easily. We have peace like a river. Sometimes things don’t go so great. We may feel afraid and overwhelmed. But during the ups and downs of life, we are challenged to have faith. Because faith is greater than our fears, and greater than our problems. It is faith that allows us to say, no matter what the circumstances, “It is well with my soul.”

People on a Mission

People on a Mission John 20:19-31 Easter Sunday was last Sunday. It is usually the best Sunday of the year for church attendance. People usually wear their best clothes, maybe even wear a new outfit for the first time on Easter Sunday. There may be lots of lilies and candy on Easter Sunday. But that was last Sunday. The Sunday after Easter is different – not as many people in church, fewer, if any lilies, and the candy is probably gone. Easter Sunday is over, but not the Easter season of the church year. In the church calendar, the Easter season lasts for forty days – from Easter Sunday until the day of Pentecost. There are 7 Sundays in the Easter season. The Scripture reading for one of the Sundays after Easter includes two of the stories of the appearances of Jesus to his disciples. The first story occurs on Easter Sunday night. The second story occurs on the Sunday after Easter and is the story where Jesus appears to Thomas, also known as the “doubting Thomas”. Most people have heard about the doubting Thomas, but the first story also has quite a bit of content in it. As a matter of fact, there are at least four sermons that could be preached based on the words of Jesus in the first story. A sermon could focus on each of these words of Jesus: 1. Peace be with you. 2. As the Father has sent me, so I send you. 3. Receive the Holy Spirit. 4. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven. This sermon won’t be the length of four sermons, but will focus primarily on the mission statement in #2, and will also briefly include how the other three statements are related to the statement where Jesus says he is sending his disciples. Jesus said, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” He says that he is sending them on a mission. Their mission and purpose is to share the good news of God’s love with everyone that they see. They are to live as servants of God and some people will notice and come to have faith in Christ because they see how his followers live and they hear what his followers say. That was the mission of the disciples of Jesus then, and it is the mission of his disciples – you and me – now. But before we take a closer look at the mission, let’s review the other sayings of Jesus in this story. It begins with peace. Jesus said “Peace be with you.” He didn’t just say it once, but two times in this story, and again in the next story about Thomas. That probably means that these were important words. The disciples were hiding behind a locked door on Easter Sunday. Friday had been the day when Jesus was tried, executed, and buried in a tomb. Easter was the day that some of them had discovered that the tomb was empty. They had lost Jesus, were afraid of the Romans, and they faced an uncertain future. Jesus appeared to them and said “Peace be with you.” In the middle of their fear and uncertainty, Jesus gave them the gift of peace. It is a gift that Jesus continues to offer to his followers. When we are distracted or overwhelmed, we can have the peace of Christ. Then we can be guided by God’s mission for us, rather than our own problems. Jesus also tells his disciples to receive the Holy Spirit. First, he offers the gift of peace. Then, he encourages them to receive the gift of God’s Spirit. Jesus told them later that the Spirit would come after he had ascended into heaven. He said that after he left, that God would send God’s Spirit to be with them. That meant that the disciples would never be alone, and that God would always be with them. That same promise is for us as well. We are not alone. God’s Spirit is with us to give us power and direction to be God’s servants. God is with us to help us to do what we thought we could not do, or would not do. We are not sent alone, but God is always with us. Jesus also told his disciples that if they forgive the sins of any, they will be forgiven. Of all the topics that I have preached about, the topic of forgiveness is the one that has gotten the most responses from people. When I have talked about forgiveness, I have said that it means letting go. It means not judging, or holding grudges, or getting even. God is the one who takes care of all of that. If we don’t forgive, it hurts us more than it does anyone else. If we forgive, it sets us free to be able to share God’s love with others. When we forgive, we are free to go in the name of Christ and reach out to others in love. And now we remember the words of Jesus when he said “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” Jesus sent his disciples to continue his work. And Jesus sends us to do his work. We are sent with the peace of Christ. We are not alone, but empowered by God’s Spirit. We have been forgiven by God and do our best to forgive others. All of this is part of the package of being people who are in mission. When we hear the word mission, we often think of going somewhere else, like foreign countries (like Haiti), or other regions (like Appalachia), or places not so far (the next county). But part of the mission message is that we are called to be in mission wherever we are. Each of us is sent in the name of Christ and called to share God’s love. That means places like home, work, school, neighborhood, grocery store, the mall, or wherever you are. That also includes church. A sign as we leave our church parking lot says “You are entering the mission field.” It is true that the mission field is beyond the church property, but it is also true that the mission field is on the church property as well. It is not just out there – it is in here too. We are all called to be missionaries wherever we are. God wants us to share God’s love with everyone. And it is not so much targeting certain people, as it is living the Christian life. It can be something as simple as a phone call, or as involved as a week-long trip to a foreign country. We are sent in the name of Jesus. And so, on this Sunday after Easter Sunday, or one any day, hear the words of Jesus: Peace be with you. Receive the gift of God’s Holy Spirit. If you forgive any, they are forgiven. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.

Up on the Mountain

Up on the Mountain
Mark 9:2-9
The Christian season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. It is a season for self-examination, reflection, and renewal. It is a season when a number of people “give up” something. Some people make changes in their normal routines which may include a change in eating habits. I have heard people say that they are giving up desserts or chocolate for Lent. There is a tradition that some Christians eat fish instead of other meats during the Lenten season. Of course, the main thing is not what someone may give up, but the main thing is that is involves self-denial that can lead to discipline and character development.
In the story of the Transfiguration of Jesus there are several postures that can also help with discipline and character during Lent and indeed throughout the year. The postures that can be found in the story include retreating, watching, listening, and serving.
The story starts with a retreat. Jesus and his disciples get away from the crowds and go up on a mountain to pray. They get away from their normal routines, and change their focus. That is what a retreat does for someone. It gets you away from the pressures, expectations, and distractions of everyday life and can give relief, rest, and a new perspective. It doesn’t have to be a long time. A retreat can last a few minutes, a few hours, or a few days.
Jesus went up on a mountain with his disciples to get away from it all and to get away to God, to pray. It is fair to say that from time to time, we need retreat and get away from our daily routines and focus upon God. The key is to get away, to retreat.
The Transfiguration story continues with the disciples watching. They were up on the mountain and they saw something extraordinary. Right before their very eyes, Jesus was changed. He was transfigured. His clothes became dazzling white. And then they saw Moses and Elijah, two of the great leaders of the Old Testament. They were amazed and inspired.
One of the advantages of a retreat is that we may have to opportunity to see things, and have experiences that we might miss in our daily routines. There is much that goes on around us and within us that we fail to notice because sometimes we are too busy and at other times, we are not paying attention. That reminds us of one of the advantages of a retreat: we may be more alert. If we will take time to watch and pay attention, we may have great visions and dream great dreams.
The Transfiguration story continues with a challenge to the disciples to listen. After seeing the great vision, Peter, the vocal disciple, says that they should build three shrines –one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. But God’s voice comes from heaven and says, “This is my Son, listen to him.” Peter and the others are thinking about a project, but God challenges them to focus upon Jesus, rather than a building project. The disciples are told to listen.
There are always good things that can be done, but this story reminds us that sometimes the best thing to do is to listen for God. We can listen for the sound of God’s Spirit in the wind and the rain. We may hear God’s voice in the voice of a family member, or a friend. We may hear the sound of God at work in the ebb and flow of our everyday lives. We may be tempted to explain, to understand, to control and to act, but God invites us to listen, to wonder, to dream, and to be. There is plenty of time for acting and doing, but the story reminds us that there is also a time to listen.
The Transfiguration story doesn’t end on the mountain. Jesus and his disciples head back down the mountain. The retreat is over, but the effects are not. They return to their routines and their work, but they are not the same people. They have been challenged and inspired to be God’s servants and to continue their work in His name.
We are not invited to get away and to stay away. We are invited to retreat so that we may be renewed and strengthened, then we will be able to return to our routines with a new sense of mission and purpose. Then whatever we do can arise out of who we are and who has called us. We are able to give and serve because Jesus came as a servant and gave His life for us.
The Transfiguration story includes these challenges: Take time to retreat, to get away from your normal routine, and to get away to God. Watch and look, and see God at work in the world. Listen and hear the sound of God’s voice calling you to have faith. Give and serve, because God has given everything for us and calls us to serve others in His name.

The Sound of God's Voice

The Sound of God’s Voice
1 Samuel 3:1-10
What does the voice of God sound like?
In the 1950s and 60s the best-known voice of God was that of a man named Alexander Scourby. He was a native of Brooklyn, New York and had a British accent. His voice could be heard on documentaries and commercials at the time. And his voice was also used for the first recording of the entire Bible in the 1940s.
Who is the voice of God today? It may be a draw between James Earl Jones and Morgan Freeman. Jones is the voice of CNN and Darth Vader in Star Wars. He also made a recording of the King James Bible that has sold over 400,000 copies. Someone has said that Jones is the Old Testament God, fierce and forbidding. On the other hand, there is Morgan Freeman. He has been call the New Testament God, all wise, all knowing, and understanding. Freeman’s voice can be heard on commercials for Listerine and the VISA card. And he also plays the role of God in the movie, Bruce Almighty. So what does the voice of God sound like? We might say Alexander Scourby, James Earl Jones, or Morgan Freeman.
The story about the call of Samuel can also give us an idea about how God’s voice sounds. Samuel would tell us that God’s voice often sounds like the voice of the person in the next room. For he heard a voice calling him in the middle of the night and he thought it was Eli the priest calling him. Samuel heard the voice calling him three times and twice he went to Eli and said, “Here I am.” But the second time Eli realized that it was probably God who was calling Samuel. So Eli told Samuel that the next time he heard the voice, he should say, “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.”
This story about Samuel is about listening for God and saying “yes” to God. We can learn some things from this story that will guide us as we listen for God’s voice and as we respond to God’s directions for us.
One of the things that this story tells us is the God is at work in all the events of life. In the Old Testament times we read that God was at work in the nation of Israel, and in the lives of Eli and Samuel. Throughout the Bible, events unfold, often gradually and naturally. The faith of God’s people ebbs and flows. At times God’s people have great faith and act in extraordinary ways. At other times they have little faith and they wander away from God and God’s great plan for them. In the middle of all the ordinary events of life, God is acting. God is always calling people to have faith, calling leaders to lead, and calling people to serve.
In the Samuel story we see the beginning of a transition in the nation of Israel. The old leadership under Eli is being replaced by a new leader. The new leader is Samuel and the change is God’s doing.
Something else that this story tells us is that God uses people to get the work of God done. When one leader is not getting the job done, God calls another leader to respond. In this story, God calls Samuel to lead the nation of Israel and to provide the faithful leadership that His people need. We should remind ourselves that if we are faithful, that God will call us to make a difference. Even though we are imperfect people, and may feel unqualified and unprepared, God still calls us and can still use us.
If may also be helpful to note that God does not work as quickly as we would like, nor does God always work in ways that we understand. As the Scriptures say, “God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, and God’s ways are not our ways.” God seems to have a lot more patience than we do. God is always able to see the big picture and seems to know that if you rush things, it is not usually as effective as letting them unfold gradually.
One example of this is when God sent His son, Jesus into the world. Jesus came as a baby and was born into a blue-collar family. It was years before Jesus began to preach and heal. And if he had been born into a wealthy family, he would have had more financial resources and access to a better education. Samuel was just a boy when God first called him. Years passed before he assumed his leadership role. Unlike us, God is patient. We want instant results and don’t like to wait. But God’s ways are not our ways. God may have begun something years ago, that is just begin realized now. And God may begin something today that may take years to develop and unfold.
The bottom line is that when we hear God’s call, we can respond and go with God’s plan, or we can go our own way. Samuel hear a voice calling in the middle of the night and thought that it was Eli calling. But Eli told him that it was the Lord calling, and that he should respond by listening to hear what God would say.
God calls us in several areas:
1) There is a general call to respond to God in faith. God calls us to believe and be saved. We are called to gratefully accept God’s gift of life and grace.
2) There is a general call to respond to God’s grace with service. Each of us is called to identify our gifts, and to use them to serve God and one another.
3) There is a specific call to a task, job, or profession. We may be led in a certain direction, or called to make a change, or called to stay right where we are.
But how do we know what God is calling us to do? The best test I know is the end result. Do we accomplish something good? Do we do more good than harm? Do other people benefit from what we do?
It takes faith to respond to God’s call. Faith doesn’t eliminate our uncertainties, doubts, or reservations. It can help us to overcome our fears of acting. And faith can give us a healthy fear of doing the wrong thing, or doing the right thing at the wrong time. Faith allows us to balance assertiveness and caution, action and waiting.
The good news is that God is at work in our lives, calling each one of us to faith and to service. God has great plans and wants to do great things, and God wants to use us to do them. God wants to breathe new life into us, our families, our communities, and our world. If we will only listen, we can hear God calling us and leading us to listen. Like Samuel, our best response is, “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.”

Epiphany Thoughts

Epiphany Thoughts
Phillippians 2:10-11
It usually feels like the Christmas holiday ends around New Year’s Day. After New Year’s Day people are getting back to their normal routines. It is time for back to school and back to work, and most of the decorations have probably been packed away until next Christmas. It feels like Christmas is over.
But in the church calendar, the Christmas season continues until January 6, the day of Epiphany. This is the day that celebrates the visit of the Wise Men to the baby Jesus, the story told in the 2nd chapter of the Gospel of Matthew. So, in the church calendar there are twelve days of Christmas, beginning on Christmas Day and ending on the day of Epiphany. This reminds me of the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas”, but I’m not sure that there is any connection between the song and the Christian calendar except the number of days.
The day of Epiphany reminds me of an email note that I saw several years ago. The subject was the Wise Men and the question it asked was: Do you know what would have happened if it had been Three Wise Women instead of Three Wise Men? The answer: They would have asked directions, arrived on time, helped deliver the baby, cleaned the stable, made a casserole, and brought practical gifts.
Everyone has probably heard something about the Wise Men. The story says that it is unlikely that they were at the stable where Jesus was born, because Matthew records that they entered a house when they came to see Jesus. The story also tells us that it may have been as long as two years after the birth of Jesus that the Wise Men made their visit, because Matthew records that King Herod ordered that all Hebrew boys two years old and younger be killed. The story also doesn’t say how many Wise Men there were. Tradition says that there were three, but the story only says that there were three gifts.
So who were these Wise Men? Studies tell us that they were a respected class of scholars devoted to study of the natural sciences, medicine, mathematics, astronomy, and astrology. They were scientists, and academics. To say that they were astrologers is probably a stretch. For Matthew they represent the most powerful, wealthy, and educated people. They were also the most likely to doubt. But they were not kings, even though the best known song about them is “We Three Kings”. Although they were not kings, they did represent the world’s power and wealth. And they came to bow down before the new king of Israel.
As we recall the story of the Wise Men, we may also note the words of the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Philippians. He writes, “…every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” The Wise Men tell us that Christ came not only for the religious and chosen people, but for the outsiders, the undeserving, and those not chosen. Eventually everyone will bow before the King as the Wise Men did. Their story tells us that Christ is the King of all kings and the Lord of all lords. The story calls us to come and offer our gifts and ourselves to God and to Christ. Today is a good day for us to bow and worship God.