1 Thessalonians 4:1-8

1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 

English Standard Version 

  Paul blends theology with real life -- we need to understand why we believe what we believe, and then Paul gets into the details and how that matters in day-to-day life.  Paul stresses that it matters in our private lives as well -- even so far as to matter in our sexual lives, too.  It matters how we live when the doors are closed and no one is watching.  Our faith matters in the most intimate parts of our lives, because God cares about every part of our lives.  God cares how you live in public and how you live in private.  Our faith changes how we interact with friends and business partners and lovers.  Faith matters from when you wake up in the morning until you go to sleep at night, and it matters while you're sleeping to.  What you believe matters, and how you live matters.  We don't turn off our faith -- and when we bow the knee to proclaim Christ as Lord, we let Christ be Lord over ALL of life, not just the parts that we want to hand over.

  So what are you holding back from God?  Are there areas of life that you're afraid to hand over to God?  Trust me, it's better off in God's hands, and we will end up richer and fuller when we hand it over to God.  It doesn't make it easy, and God knows there are parts of my life that I struggle to hand control over, but I know that I should... I'm just selfish and have a hard time trusting.  It's easy to trust myself, but it's better to trust God!

Sermon for August 30, 2020 based on Mark 6

1 Thessalonians 3:6-13

1 Thessalonians 3:6-13 

English Standard Version 

  We are a nation of individuals.  When we think of our goals, we so often think of our individual goals.  We think of career goals and savings goals and dreams that we'll accomplish.  Maybe it's the way our schools are set up, or perhaps it's simply the ethos of the country -- we look out for #1.  

  It's refreshingly tender the way that Paul addresses the Thessalonians.  The good news of their faith is food for his hungry soul.  He doesn't consider his job done well if he preaches a good sermon and leaves town well paid -- it's an ongoing relationship, an interdependency in which he craves the success of another.  He defines his success on the well-being of the community, and so his earnest prayers are for his fellow Christians, because in hearing of their good news, he is overjoyed.

  The Kingdom of God is interdependent -- we are one body, linked together through the work of the Holy Spirit, all imperfectly striving together to love and to serve.  We in the modern church would do well to think about how to live this out in the here and now -- how can we find joy in the success of others? 

  This does connect to the protests in today's America.  For too long, those who are succeeding have been content, while others who are falling behind, due to a complex multitude of reasons, haven't been considered essential to the joy of the successful.  We'd be wise to think of how we can find joy in helping lift one another up, hearing the voices of those who are suffering and finding ways to support the poor and downtrodden.  Can we mourn for a divided society, and invest in one another to the point where we, like Paul, are thrilled to hear good news from other communities?  Can we worry less about ourselves and more about one another?

1 Thessalonians 3:1-5

1 Thessalonians 3:1-5 

English Standard Version 

  I know that I've said it before, but I'm going to keep saying it -- let no one tell you that suffering is not a part of the Christian life.  There are preachers in this world who will proclaim that suffering is due to a lack of faith, or that if you pray hard enough or believe properly, you won't have suffering, but that you'll have plenty of money and perfect children and a trim waistline.  These people are wrong.  They're also probably asking for generous donations and the only thing that really happens is they end up with plenty of money.  

  The apostles in the Bible, the ones who walked with Jesus and listened to Jesus (and abandoned Jesus) and ultimately died for Jesus, well, they had really strong faith.  But they suffered for it.

  Here, Paul is telling the Thessalonians that Paul was going to suffer, but his focus isn't on his suffering -- it's on encouraging the faith in others.  That's what Paul cares about -- not about the suffering!  The suffering was just a part of life -- the faith in Jesus Christ is what mattered!  

  So if you are suffering in any way, this is not a reflection of your faith.  It's the reality of living in a broken world, and everyone suffers in different ways.  The people who you see portraying a perfect life on social media have suffering, too.  They just don't post about it on social media because it's not very popular.  

  But it's okay to have suffering.  God still loves you, still treasures you, still considers you God's glory and joy.  So do not give up hope.  Despair loses and God wins!

1 Thessalonians 2:17-20

1 Thessalonians 2:17-20 

English Standard Version 

  When you don't have children, it's really easy to know exactly how you would parent children.  Once you have them, however, it's far more challenging in reality, because we're all imperfect.  Well, I'm sure I was a perfect child, but most kids, anyway...

  What kids need is someone to encourage them, someone to support them, someone to love them.  They need a stable base, and while they certainly need discipline and correction, they need to hear words of affirmation.

  We all do, don't we?  No matter what, we all need to occasionally hear that we are someone's glory and joy.  

  Why do we need to hear that?

  Because we were made for it.  Our hearts were formed in such a way that we were created to hear God say that we are God's glory and joy.  In this life, when we hear those words from  people who truly love us, their love is pointing to God's love.  This is ultimately who we were made for, and so when sin comes along and distorts the voice of God in our ears, substituting that voice with other voices that deceive and ultimately betray us, we're reminding of how deeply we need to hear words of love, that we are God's glory and joy.  

  On the cross, God shows you the fullness of God's love for you, and in demonstrating the willingness to die for you, God is saying to you that you are God's glory and joy.  So today, even if only for a moment, close your eyes and remember that God is saying you to, "You are my glory and joy."

1 Thessalonians 2:13-16

1 Thessalonians 2:13-16 

English Standard Version 

  As Presbyterians, we believe that when the preacher is preaching, the Holy Spirit transforms this into the actual Word of God, so that what reaches your ears and hearts are not human words but God's Word, which has transforming power.  As a preacher, I breathe a sigh of relief at this, but as a hearer of sermons, it gives us (I podcast a number of sermons) quite a bit of responsibility.  As someone who listens to sermons, if we tune out or let our attention wander, we're not just tuning out the preacher, but we're not listening to what God has to say to us.  

  So may we listen with a great sense of anticipation, ready to hear what it is that God has to say to us.  May we listen with a sense that God is at work, through the speaker and in our hearts, and may we be transformed through a lifetime of listening to God speak to us, calling us to imitate Christ.

Little Fires Everywhere -- by Celeste Ng

   I recently finished Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng, a book based in Shaker Heights, OH.  As a former Cleveland resident, I did enjoy recognizing some of the landmarks.

  It's a book about the Richardson family, who leads a very planned & wealthy existence in Shaker Heights, and what happens when their world collides with the Warren family, who lead a dramatically different life, consistent only in its geographic inconsistency, defined by the two people in it more than location.

  The story is one about what defines you, about what defines a family, about how the places we live define us.  It's a story about home, and what that means, and how we find our way there when we don't know where it is.  

  Home is a loaded concept.  For many, it brings a cherished sense of warmth and love -- it's a concept  to be treasured, an idea to keep in the depths of your hearts that offers warmth even in the coldest nights of life.  For others, it's a painful memory filled with conflict, one that forces an individual to adapt.  Home can be wonderful and complex and lovely.  

  The sense of home is, for Christians, something that we know in the depths of our hearts but also seek, because we know that the world is not as it should be.  We know that our true home is in the future, and it draws us forward.  That feeling we get when we understand that things aren't fundamentally quite right -- it's the knowledge we have within us of what home truly is, and stress that is caused by the discrepancy between the two.  It is God who, acting through Jesus Christ, has opened the way back home for us.  For that we hope, with great anticipation, knowing that we cannot grasp it on this side of the veil.

  Little Fires Everywhere is a quick read, but a thoughtful one, if you read it well, because it makes you think about how you interact as a family, about how your hopes and dreams have shaped your life, and it makes you think about home.  For me, this always tunes my heart to the Kingdom of God -- and the knowledge that our heart's true home belongs in God alone.

1 Thessalonians 2:9-12

1 Thessalonians 2:9-12 

English Standard Version 

  I've never had the greatest appreciation for people who tell me what to do but have very little interest in demonstrating an interest in doing the same work.  It's incredibly frustrating to be told what to do by someone who had demonstrated a lack of interest in participating alongside you.  

  Paul, who by most accounts could likely get away with not joining  in the labors of those to whom he is addressing (the line 'I wrote half the New Testament' probably goes a long way), is clearly toiling alongside those he addresses.  He's exhorting them and encouraging them, but also seeking to live a holy life in their midst.  He knows that it matters how they live as well as what they say.  

  Our actions matter.  Living out our faith is vitally important in this day and age, especially given that camera phones are everywhere and always seem to be videotaping everything, but even when no one else is looking, may our actions match our words match our hearts, that all may align and point to the grace of Christ.

1 Thessalonians 2:1-8

1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 

English Standard Version 

  There's a great blend of humanity here, one the church of today would do well to emulate.  First, though, a note -- they did not seek glory from the people & made no demands, even though they could have.  This verse should help prevent you from ever giving money to a televangelist with a private plane or who has amassed great fortunes.  I feel very strongly about this, but will try and avoid a tirade here....

  What happens in these verses is two concepts collide.  First, Paul came with boldness, not trying to please people, but focused on pleasing God.  Paul was preaching the Gospel and did not hesitate to proclaim the truth.

  However, Paul also came as a nursing mother to her children.  There was a tenderness, a sweetness, a delight in the congregation.  A nursing mother naturally attracts her children -- they run to her (and cry out for her at all hours. Kids don't want dad at 3 a.m., a fact in which I rejoice.)  In the same way, Paul was not abrasive to the congregation.

  The church does well to hold on to both fronts.  It's easy for the church to be sweet, to be attractive, but lose the boldness to proclaim the Gospel.  The Gospel has some sharp edges, and there were sermons that Jesus gave that drove the crowds away.  The church can omit the challenges in order to keep people coming, but in doing so the church can fall short in building up disciples.  Similarly, if the church focuses too much on bold proclamation but fails to care for the needs of the people, it fails as well.

  May we love with boldness, mix grace with truth, never losing sight of the people, made in the image of God, worthy and deserving of our love.

1 Thessalonians 1:2-10

1 Thessalonians 1:2-10 

English Standard Version 

  I'm typing this on Wednesday evening, August 19, a day that is always... complicated.  It would have been my friend Mikhil's 38th birthday today.  It's been 20 years since he died, and I still think about him often, think about how unfair this world can be, how far this beautiful orb has drifted from the course upon which God set it.  As I wrote the other day, God created with good intent, and yet sin fractured it, and like a marble hitting a dent in an old wooden floor, it's been rolling differently ever since, heading in another direction, one fraught with peril, and so often we're hanging on for the ride, uncertain what lurks ahead.  There have been other reminders of sin's grasp lately, but aren't there always?  We don't have to look far to see the ways that we betray one another, the way our bodies betray us, the way mistrust creeps in like fog on the windows, obscuring the way we see one another, begging to be wiped away by a hand stronger than our own.

  When I think of the 1st century world, it wasn't an easy place to live.  Life could be short and vicious, and the Roman empire wasn't known for its patience with those who didn't appear to be toeing the party line.  Religions were common, gods were common, and in that melting pot of cultures and religions there was an upstart faith, proclaimed by people who weren't afraid to look the brokenness in the face and proclaim that not only was this not the way God intended the world to be, but also that God had entered into creation, writing God into the story, and personally sacrificed so that the world might be set right again.  

  And the best part of the story, apart from the audacity to proclaim hope and joy in a world broken by sin and often descending into chaos (can't imagine what that might be like, right?  "Hello, I have 2020 on line 2, offering a brutal reminder...  Hello?"), is that God has chosen us.  God didn't set some treasure in the depths of the earth and hide codes for us to discover if we lived perfectly, as though it was some movie where only a few make it to the end (side note:  National Treasure is the best Nicholas Cage movie) -- no, the Gospel came in the Holy Spirit and with power, announcing to all who would hear that God has chosen us, God has redeemed us, freely and without merit, because God loves us.  Despite all that has gone wrong in the world, God is still choosing us!  And not only does God choose us, but God invites us to be a part of setting things right -- we're part of the plan!!!!  We're not perfect, and yet we're invited into God's perfect plan, where things work together for good, like a jigsaw puzzle where half the pieces have been battered and torn and had orange juice spilled on them but, when assembled by someone with great care, come together to create something beautiful and ultimately perfect, despite the imperfections of the individual pieces.  You and I are part of the puzzle!!!  This is the Good News of the Gospel -- that even if you feel like one of those old jigsaw pieces where the ends are coming apart and you can see all three layers and the top has creases and there's one part hanging on by a threat... you're going to be part of a picture that is flawless, and you'll be in there, ultimately made whole, because the grace of God fills and heals all the brokenness.  

  So friends in Christ, the world is broken and hurting.  If you're like me, you have been carrying scars for years.  Like the fragments of cartilage in my knee, they decide to flare up on certain days, reminding you that things aren't what they used to be, and perhaps you think they never will be set right again.  Perhaps you get discouraged by the chaos on television or in the newspaper or in your living room or in your heart.  Perhaps you wonder if there really is a power that can set all this right.

  I think of the women going to the tomb on that first Easter morning, not expecting a resurrection.  Jesus had talked about his death and resurrection for years, but who expects someone to walk out of a tomb after they've been crucified by the Romans, who were not slouches when it came to killing people?  They were grieving and wondering if the sunrise would ever be as bright  as it once had been.  They were hurting because they missed their friend, who left a hole they didn't think could ever be filled.

  The historical reality of the resurrection changed their grieving into dancing and their tears into laughter.  The historical reality of the resurrection drove Paul and Peter and James to ultimately give their lives because they had experienced a new reality, one that no longer ended in despair, but rather had its resolution in hope.  They laid hands on him, they ate with him, and with every passing second, they saw that things would be set right, and they dedicated their lives to telling everyone they could.  Two thousand years later, you and I are the recipients of that legacy -- we can have hope because they shared their hope.

  Which means, of course, that we need to share our hope  But first, some of us need to find it.  Like a winning Powerball lottery ticket or a mint condition Johnny Bench rookie card, it's worth looking for, because it can change your life --- in ways far more powerful than wealth can promise (well, wealth promises that, but it can't deliver on those promises ultimately).  When life seems gloomy, we need to take a moment (or sometimes a week or a month) and remember what is said here in verse 4:  GOD CHOSE YOU.  You matter, because you matter to God, and God descended from heaven, died on a cross, paying the ultimate price, so that God would be able to choose you and save you from sin and death.

  Remember that, friends.  As you laugh or worry or dance or mourn -- God chose you.  God continues to choose you, today, tomorrow, and on into eternity.  Like a three year old chasing bubbles in the backyard on a warm summer day, God finds delight in you that you didn't think was possible.  God loves you, friends, and no matter how dark those storm clouds may loom on the horizon or how painful those scars may be or how deep those worries may sit in the depths of your heart, God has chosen you, and God is powerful enough to ensure that nothing can remove you from the palm of God's hands and the depths of God's heart.

John 3:16-21

John 3:16-17

English Standard Version 

  Often in sports when someone commits a foul, we try and figure out their intent.  Were they trying to harm someone?  Or was it an accident?  It's that way in other parts of life, too.  If you trip and accidentally spill a glass of water on someone, it's received very differently than if you throw that water glass at someone.  At least, I assume it is.  I've never actually tried this, but I wouldn't recommend this as an experiment.  If you happen to break a law, it'll be received very differently if that is your intent.

  So we can think about God's intent as well.  When God created people, God did so out of love, in God's own image, declaring them to be good.  And when things went wrong, God's intent is to gather people back to God, going so far as to give up God's only Son, God's intent, as stated here in verse 17, is to save, not to condemn.  

  Let us learn to trust God and set aside our nervous anxiety that God is looking for some reason to declare us not worthy, some excuse to condemn us.  God intends to save.  God is willing to sacrifice to save.  And so if we can trust God's intentions, and that can free up nervous anxiety for you, how will you use that extra energy you now have?

Genesis 1:1-2

Genesis 1:1-2 

English Standard Version 

  I come back to these two verses a lot -- they teach me something about the reality of God.  I believe that the earth was created out of nothing.  Perhaps this means that God created a tiny ball of super dense material and then spoke a word and there was a large explosion that could conceivably be called a big bang and then the entire universe sprang into being.  The Bible is a theological book more than it is a scientific book, so I'm comfortable reading the Bible, still having questions, and yet believing that God is the author of the moon and the stars.

  But before the beginning, in that place before time and space existed, God was there, hovering over the face of the waters.  As a pregnant mother waits for a child to be brought into the world, God was there, filled with love.  When there was nothing but watery chaos, God was there.  If God is love, then God's creation is formed out of love.  The intent of the universe is love.  God is perfectly holy, and so there is a demand for holiness that must be met, leading us down the road where a price must be paid once sin enters the picture, but that's for another day.  In the beginning, there is perfection, and there is love.  One day, that is all that will remain.

  I imagine the Spirit of God hovering close, bringing order, bearing love.  Chaos is real.  But love is greater.

Restless

   I finished reading William Boyd's Restless yesterday, and I'll give it 4 stars.  It's a novel that bounces back and forth between a young woman's adventures as a spy for the British during the early days of WWII and her daughter's discovery of this previously unknown side of her mother's identity.  It's a shock to the daughter, who discovers that her mother's somewhat uneventful early life was a false front for tales of spycraft that crossed continents and played a part in Britain's war efforts.  The daughter, who now has a child of her own, is trying to reconcile this new information with what she knows about her mother.

  We never really know another person, do we?  We know as much as they choose to reveal, and we take it on faith that what is revealed is true.  There are some people who have prove themselves to be unreliable, and so we discount everything they say.  Others we grow to know on more intimate levels, and we share details about ourselves, revealing layers of our stories and personalities that build trust over the years.  The people closest to us know the most layers, the greatest hopes and the deepest fears, and in turn, we know their stories as well.  With this knowledge comes responsibility, for the better you know someone, the deeper you can cut them when you choose to do so.  Also, the greater you can love them, because you're uncovering more about who they are and can love more of the person, because you know more of the person.  It's a wonderful feeling to be loved as we are by the people who know our deepest faults and fears -- it's liberating, as we move from fear of rejection into awe at the experience of being loved.

  Social media in the modern world is interesting because it allows people to build narratives about their lives.  Some of these are more true than others, and some reveal deeper layers than others do.  However, as a society we accept them as fact, and often feel betrayed when a person reveals an aspect of their personality that doesn't match whatever image they are curating through social media.  It reminds us that we don't always know people, and that people are complicated.  Someone can honestly reveal the sides of their personalities they want others to see while hiding the darker parts they'd prefer to keep in the shadows.  We all do this to a certain extent.

  This makes God's love all the more amazing.  God knows you completely, and God accepts you in love.  God knows your weaknesses, and so there is no need to build a pretense -- we can be honest about confessing our faults and our fears, because God knows them, and God has offered grace in spite of those failures.  We are known, and we are loved.  It's a wonderfully freeing concept when you grasp it -- you can realize how exhausting it is to hold up false fronts that make it look like you're holding everything together perfectly.

  William Boyd spins a great story in Restless, and it's worth your time.  His novel tackles questions of trust and what it means to be looking over your shoulder for an unseen enemy.  Do those who are always looking hold an advantage over those who are blissfully unaware of an enemy?  And who are our true enemies?

Psalm 22:29-31

Psalm 22:29-31 

English Standard Version 

  We often think of our lives as a biography -- it has a beginning at our birth, and concludes upon our death.  Perhaps there is a brief afterword, as our legacy extends through those who remember us, but in time, that diminishes.  

  In the community of faith, however, our story is part of a much larger story, one that is not written by us and is therefore not limited by time as we are.  While our chapter on earth may be brief, our part in the story is much, much larger and extends to and through the end of the book!  Our story adds to an enriches the entire story, as the story of God's works are told over and over again.  

  Where else can we find access to the eternal?  Where else are we welcomed through a free gift, made worthy to stand before the throne through the actions of another?  What other book welcomes us into a community that stretches across time and space and welcomes as equal members heads of state and the poorest people who have ever lived?  What other story has a character who predicts his own death and resurrection and then achieves them both as predicted?  

  There is no other story in which I would prefer to play a part.

Sermon for August 16, 2020

Psalm 22:22-28

Psalm 22:22-28 

English Standard Version 

  It's an exciting time to be a sports fan.  The Columbus Blue Jackets played a 5 OT game the other day/night, and it's the talk of the town.  Rachel and I went for a 45 minute walk after one of the overtime periods, came back and watched additional hockey.  The shortened baseball season creates a stir, and the entire nation is debating the decisions made around college football.  There are approximately 17,000,000 websites dedicated to sports teams and leagues, so whenever someone sneezes in the sports world, everyone speaks of it.  For any sports fan, myself included, an important question to ask is what the true object of worship is, for our passion for a sports team can easily eclipse other passions.

  Do we speak of what God has done for us with the same passion and energy?  We should, right? The local baseball team is extremely unlikely to procure eternal life for you, and if we have learned anything about sports teams, we know that nothing is ever free (stadium pricing makes the food on an airplane look downright cheap!).  God gives us grace as a free gift, offering us joy and peace beyond comprehension simply because God loves us.  Do we sing God's praises from the rooftops?  Do we offer shouts of acclamation?  Do we use our life to invite the ends of the earth to remember and turn to the Lord?

Psalm 22:16-21

Psalm 22:16-21 

English Standard Version 

  The Psalmist is in a pretty low place.  A company of evildoers has already divided his garments and cast lots for his clothes. 

  Sound familiar?  They did  this with Jesus.  Jesus was brought low, but the battle was not over.  It takes great courage to continue to hope in the midst of strife, but Jesus demonstrates this by being willing to endure suffering, willing to endure pain, so that we might know that there is light in the darkest of nights.

  From the mouth of the lion, we can be saved!!  Even when the sword is at hand, there is salvation in Jesus.

  So no matter the peril, there is hope.  From the longest stay in the ICU to the deepest night in the grip of addiction -- there is hope.  Always know the light is still shining.  Christ has come, and as the shepherd who pursues the lost sheep, Christ will pursue you, to the ends of the earth, and beyond.

Psalm 22:9-15

Psalm 22:9-15 

English Standard Version 

  When someone asks you how you are doing, you likely say "fine".  You may not be doing fine, but that's how we reply.  Often, we don't want to burden anyone else with our problems.

  One of the many things I love about Scripture, particularly the Psalms, is how honest people are with their feelings.  They don't hide their situations.  If you ask David how he's doing, he tells you here that trouble is near, there is no one to help, and that his heart is melting like wax as he lays in the dust of death.  That's a desperate situation, but the only way forward is to admit that's how he feels.  Only when we accept our desperate situation will we be honest about depending on God to carry us forward.

  So be honest, to your community of faith and to God.   If life is particularly hard, be open about it.  It doesn't mean you're weak -- it means you are human.  And it also gives others permission to admit their weakness.  

  Me?  I've got 3-4 different joints that hurt, I'm going slightly crazy due to COVID, and I don't know what God has in store for me.   I am immensely grateful that we have our health and that the impacts of the last few months have been limited to canceling various things that we were looking forward to, all of them discretionary, but I'm frustrated and uncertain and feeling somewhat pent-up.  My enemies aren't roaring like a lion and it doesn't feel like I'm in the dust of death, but that's where I'm at.

  What about you?  How are you honestly doing?  How can I pray for you?

Ephesians 3:20-21

Ephesians 3:20-21 

New International Version 

  This verse sat in the back of my mind all day yesterday.  I don't know what it is about this verse or this time -- maybe the Holy Spirit is simply reminding me not to think too small.  Imagine with me, for a second, that you were present with God one half second before creation, and God asked you what God should create.  Would you have thought of this universe, in all its beauty and complexity?  Or imagine that God set you on the earth after it had been made, once the land had been carved from the sea, and God told you that God was about to create things called animals, and asked you to dream of them.  Would you have dreamed up the porcupine and the platypus and the porpoise and the pigeon and the praying mantis?  Imagine God told you that God was going to create a community of believers -- would you have dreamed up something as diverse and beautiful as the body of Christ, filled with people from every place of every color?  

  Now imagine that you lived in Jerusalem in 10 B.C. and you were poor and hopeless and paralyzed and God told you that God was going to send you a Savior.  What would you have pictured?  Would you have pictured someone who looked like you, who identified with your poverty, who listened to you and acknowledged you and honored you and then offered you eternal life with peace and joy?  Could you have dreamed up something like that? Or would you have asked for something smaller?

  When I was much younger, my uncle Hugh told me he was taking me to a breakfast buffet.  In my mind, I pictured your typical buffet, but upon arrival, I was stunned at the bountiful display that was overwhelming several tables.  Somewhere, there still exists the picture I took of the buffet.  I had never seen such a breakfast.  It was more than I ever could have asked or imagined.

  God is able to do so much more than we can ask or imagine.  May we open our hearts to the amazing things God has in store, in this life and beyond, and let us pray for the wisdom to celebrate the greater vision of God. 

Psalm 22:6-8

Psalm 22:6-8 

English Standard Version 

  Conventional wisdom can be a very, very comforting thing.  Going with the crowd makes you feel safer, as it justifies your decision.  If everyone else is moving  in the same direction, it's so hard to breakaway.  

  What happens when life is falling apart and everyone is encouraging you to turn from God?  When life is one pothole after the next and the wheels are falling off the car and people ask you why you cling to God, what do you say?  The crowds may say that things look bad now, so why not opt for an easier path. 

  The reality is that those who are able to cling to God in the midst of challenging circumstances are those who are able to take the long-term view.  If you're sailing to Hawaii from California, a storm halfway won't deter you, as you're focused on the goal and recognize that storms are simply a part of the journey -- the goal is clear, so you push through.  You can endure the taunts of those who question your decisions when short-term opposition arises because you are confidant in your long-term goal.  

  All things work together for good.  This doesn't mean that all things are good -- but over the course of the long run, good prevails.  So no matter how deep our despair gets, we can continue to trust God, in knowing that the end of the story will yet bring rejoicing.

Sermon for August 9, 2020 -- Mark 5:1-20

Psalm 22:1-5

Psalm 22:1-5 

English Standard Version 

  So often, we're uncertain of the outcome.  

  We look around and don't recognize the landscape, and so we wonder what the next chapter of the story holds.  

  What Scripture often reminds us to do is look backwards.  Psalm 22 is rooted in the story of King David, who brought chaos into his house through his own sin, and yet the promise of God never departed from him.  He, too, could look backwards as he prayed, and draw assurance from the fact that God delivered his ancestors, and so God is reliable.

  The first words of this Psalm are what Jesus cried out on the cross, in the grip of the agony of sin, the full weight of it falling upon Jesus.  In his pain and despair, Jesus looked back.  

  We, too, can look backward in times of uncertainty.  We can see God's faithfulness spread across the pages of history, and we can see Jesus on the cross, fully demonstrating God's great love for us.

  So while the future may be uncertain, the element of God's faithfulness will be there, trusted because of what we have learned from the past.

Philippians 4:14-20

Philippians 4:14-20 

English Standard Version 

  Sometimes, everything seems pretty small.  Ever look up at the night sky and wonder about significance?  I know that Scripture tells me about my eternal importance to the Father, but I can't help but wonder at times, when everything feels large and I feel very small.

  And then I read about the gifts of the Philippians, who sent help for Paul in the midst of his troubles.  It probably didn't feel very big, did it?  A small gift, sent to one man who was in trouble.  What difference could it really make?

  Well, two thousand years later, I'm here reading about the gifts of the Philippians.  They were willing to share what they had in a stressful time, and the memory of the gift echoes through the centuries, reminding us that what we do does matter -- acts of love are an echo of God's great gifts of love, and they resound in the human heart.  It matters that God loves us, and it matters that we reflect this love to others, sharing what God pours into us.  

  I don't know how the gifts that you share, big and small, will impact lives.  

  But they will.

  So we should give them.

Books of the Bible in Five Minutes: 2 Samuel

Philippians 4:10-13

Philippians 4:10-13 

English Standard Version 

  Notice the order in which things happen -- the Philippians were concerned for Paul, and that leads Paul to rejoice greatly in the Lord.  How can you show your concern for another, that they, too, might rejoice greatly in the Lord?

  Paul has learned a great thing here -- he has learned how to be content in all situations.  We would do well to imitate this.  Often, our thought process is to imagine a situation when we'll be content.  I'll be content if I can get that job.  I'll be content when I reach that financial goal.  I'll be content when I retire.  I'll be content once I get past this or that.  We do this all the time, putting off contentment, waiting for circumstances to change.

  Paul learns that he can face any situation when he realizes the radical love of God.  Because God loves Paul, Paul doesn't need the world to change before he will be content.  Because God has secured Paul's future in heaven, Paul doesn't need certain circumstances to happen before finding peace.  Because Paul has discovered peace in Christ and continues to pursue a deeper relationship with God, the exterior rumblings do not rattle his composure.  No matter what is occurring in the world or to his body, Paul's soul is at peace.

Philippians 4:8-9

Philippians 4:8-9 

English Standard Version 

  We easily forget that we're in control of our thoughts.  So much media bombards us so consistently that we get carried away and our minds run away from us, usually surfing on the wave of anxiety that is circling the globe ceaselessly.  We don't always notice at first the way our mind starts racing, and then often we'll realize at the end of the day how we were passively reflecting the anxiety.

  To fight this spirit of anxiety, Paul offers this advice:  think on things that are just and pure and lovely.  Concentrate your thoughts on these things, and your mood and actions will follow.  Find what is true and honorable, and elevate those things in your thoughts and in your speech, and in so doing, may we shine Christ's light in this dark and anxious world.

Sermon for August 2, 2020: Mark 4

Today's sermon is from Mark 4.