John 1:14

John 1:14 

 The Message 

  I hope everyone had a great Christmas, and every good wish and blessing as we look forward to the new year!  I love this Message version of John's prologue, because it captures perfectly in modern language what God did -- take on flesh and move into the neighborhood, so that we encounter Jesus in our daily lives, because God is in our midst.  God is not distant, waiting for us to decipher the map to undertake a journey to discover God.  No, God comes to us in the person of Jesus Christ, walking among us, so that we might know the light.

  Look forward to journeying through Scripture with you all again next year - feel free to let me know if there are any particular books of the Bible you'd love to explore. 

Sermon for December 26, 2021

Galatians 6:1-5

Galatians 6:1-5 

English Standard Version 

  People sometimes make statements about how the Bible is outdated and doesn't have anything to say to modern life. 

  To those people, I humbly submit Galatians 6:1, a verse that should be placed squarely above and below the login box for any social media site.

  Seriously -- how much of a better world would it be if, just before any comment was made on social media, someone had to consider whether their response was done in a spirit of gentleness?  

  Maybe the church can set an example and be the people leading our society into an era based on gentleness and bearing one another's burdens.  I think that would be a wonderful gift to the world for Christmas!

Galatians 5:22-26

Galatians 5:22-26 

English Standard Version 

  I've always loved how Paul keeps 'fruit' as singular -- all these things work together.  We don't get to pick our favorites and ignore the rest.  It's like asking God to transform part of our lives and ignore the rest!  Tim Keller talks about how we often treat God like an interior decorator, inviting God into our lives but hoping God just shows up and moves around some things in the living room, when in reality God enters in and starts knocking down walls, doing a total renovation, because God wants more for us than we can possibly ask or imagine.

  When we live by the Spirit, God transforms us, day by day.  It's not a linear path, an easy road.  We slowly and surely, over the course of our lives, become more and more like Christ, and the fruit of the Spirit become apparent, each breaking out in different ways, but they all work together to reflect the image of God within us!

Galatians 5:16-18

Galatians 5:16-18 

English Standard Version 

  This passage makes me think of the 10th commandment, which I've heard described as the reward for following the other 9 commandments -- if you seek the Lord with all your heart in all your deeds and relationships, the saying goes, you won't want anyone else's life.  

  The idea is that when you're actively caught up seeking God, when you've fixed your mind and heart on the Spirit, we find ourselves so caught up in what God is doing that the desires of the flesh fade away into the background.  

  It's not flawless, because we're human and we still find ways to sin and fall short, but there is merit to the idea.  God alone can satisfy our every need and desire, so the more we focus on God, the less we have the time and desire for sinful things.  When we let the Spirit lead, rather than our own hearts, we'll end up in much better places.  

  So how can you let the Spirit actively lead you today?  How can you give up control to God in some way, shape or form?  What's that look like for you today, in this moment?

Galatians 5:7-15

Galatians 5:7-15 

English Standard Version 

 

  What would you do if you won a billion dollars tomorrow?  

  If you won such an amount, you'd be free from responsibility.  You wouldn't need to work.  You'd have freedom from financial worry or constraint.

  What would you do?  

  My thoughts often run to the things I'd do for myself.  Houses, cars, travel, etc.

  The Gospel is training us to think about others first.  Our freedom, Paul says, is meant to serve one another in love.  Whatever freedom we gain is to be used for others.  In serving others, we live most closely to how God designed us to live, working together in love.  

  Our prayer, then, should be for God to lead our hearts to look to others first.  May we be courageous enough to deny our own needs in a life of service to others.

Sermon for December 19, 2021

Galatians 5:1-6

Galatians 5:1-6 

English Standard Version 

  When I'm channel surfing, there are certain types of shows that make me click through without even thinking twice.  There's something distinctive about Hallmark movies that you know one as soon as it appears on the screen.  When I see it, my thumb clicks to the next channel before the thought has even registered what I'm watching.  The same with the shows where people talk about sports.  I love sports and can watch almost anything, but I can't get into watching other people debate sports.  You probably have the shows that do the same for you -- be it news or soap operas or football games, there are things that automatically trigger you to move on.

  I think circumcision is one of those triggers in the Bible.  When I come across the word or idea, I just jump forward to the next section.  It's an old debate, and I assume that it doesn't have much to say to me today.

  But what Paul is saying here is very, very important.  The second we add any condition to faith, we've turned away from a grace-based faith and made faith depend on something that we do.  At that point, the grace of Christ isn't sufficient for salvation -- it hinges upon us.  So even if it's something minor or esoteric, whatever it is becomes the hinge point of faith, because Christ is always holding up Christ's end up the bargain.  So Paul is warning the Galatians -- to add anything is to add everything, because then we're back to salvation depending on human works, which is not the direction we want to go.

  Only faith.  But note what Paul says -- only faith working through love.  This doesn't mean that we need to love properly to achieve salvation.  I think what Paul means is that the faith we have is demonstrated in our lives in the love we have to for one another.  Love matters, for in every act of love, we're demonstrating to the world an action mirrored on the love that paid the ultimate price to give us the ultimate gift.

Galatians 4:21-31

Galatians 4:21-31 

English Standard Version 

  There's a lot to unpack here, and we have to remember that Paul is writing to a people steeped in Jewish tradition.  They've been living into this since they were children, and the story of Abraham and Isaac, of God brining life to a barren womb, would have been very close to their hearts.  To this community, the story of Jesus was new, and they're trying to make sense of it all.  

  What Paul is trying to point to is that Jesus didn't appear out of nowhere -- Jesus was part of a story God has been telling since the days of Abraham, and what is happening in Christianity is not something new, but rather the ongoing progress of something very old.  Jesus wasn't trying to start something new, but rather help people rooted in an old tradition see ways the old tradition needed to change.  Similar to how Martin Luther wasn't trying to start a new denomination but reform the Catholic church!

  It's a great comfort to me to know that my faith is rooted in something centuries old.  We're not inventing something on our own, but rather continuing to discover something ancient, rooted in history and springing into the present.  We look backwards as well as forwards, trusting in the Holy Spirit to lead us, to guide us, to invigorate us and inspire us.  And we do this in freedom, for we, too, stand in the tradition of Isaac, born as children of the promise.  

Galatians 4:15-20

Galatians 4:15-20 

English Standard Version 

  There's a verse in 2 Timothy 4 that describes how people will have itching ears and then find teaching that suits themselves, rather than seeking out the truth.

  It's not always easy to hear the truth -- often, we'd prefer to hear what will make us happy, even if this easier message isn't always true.  Much of advertising these days is trying to figure out what people want to hear and combining this with a message of persuasion.  We like to hear what we like to hear!  

  The great thing about the Gospel truth is that while it's hard news, it's always good news.  It tells us that we are sinful, that we are worse than we think, and yet we are more loved than we think as well.  While we are sinful, we have a bold hope that is rooted in Christ.  We are lost, yet we are found.  We are sinful, yet we are redeemed.

  It's a hard message to hear, yet it's a wondrous message to hear as well, assuming we're willing to tolerate the hard message.  If we turn away when we talk about sin, we miss the message of grace.

  It's a hard balance for the church to strike, but also entails people willing to hear, willing to be honest, willing to be broken to discover true healing.

Galatians 4:8-14

Galatians 4:8-14 

English Standard Version 

  Doubt is a real thing -- it impacts everyone.  When we doubt, we have a real choice -- do we dig in, or pull back?

  When we dig in, we surround ourselves with community and are open about our doubts.  We ask big questions.  We study.  We try and figure out if what we know is true or not.  

  When we pull back, we hit resistance and we turn back to what we knew previously, even if that's been proven to fall short of what we need.  It's familiar. 

  The church in Galatia to which Paul is writing was choosing the latter path, and Paul is urging them to reconsider.  He's trying to help them see the value in what they've chosen.  At one point, they understood that faith in Christ alone was sufficient, but the doubts crept in, and they're pulling back.  Paul wants them to dig in, to engage, to study, to gather together and strengthen one another.  It's ok to doubt, but when we do, don't do it in isolation.  Find a community and people who will support you in your doubts and help you work through them, rather than just cover them up.

Galatians 4:1-7

Galatians 4:1-7 

English Standard Version 

  I read something a while back about Paul that makes me read these passages a little differently.  Recall that just before this, Paul is talking about there being no male and female in the church -- so Paul is addressing a congregation of men and women.  Then we turn to this, and it feels like Paul is being exclusive towards sons...  but there's a way to understand this that is actually subversive and radically inclusive.  Given that Jesus is also subversive and radically inclusive, that may be the better way to read it.

  So in those days, the sons received the inheritance.  Being a son is a big deal -- and here, Paul is telling the entire church, men and women, that they are sons.  Everyone in the church is a son, receiving the inheritance that we have in Jesus Christ.  In that day and age, that would've been a huge deal for women to receive the same inheritance as men.  The church is the levelling field, reminding us that we're all equal in the eyes of God!

Galatians 3:21-29

Galatians 3:21-29 

English Standard Version 

  This is wildly scandalous by Paul.  We read it as commonplace, having heard is so many times, but Paul is telling the church in Galatia that anyone can be an offspring of Abraham.  Previously, this was only available to the descendants of Abraham, to the true Jewish community.  But here comes Paul, telling the church that anyone in Christ is welcome and equal in the church.

  I imagine that ruffled some feathers then, and it probably ruffles some feathers now.  We like the church to reflect ourselves, to fit with our expectations... but Christ isn't like that.  Jesus spent his time in earthly ministry widening the community, eating with the outcasts, spending time with those neglected by society.  Jesus shows us how radical the love of God is, and invites us to follow wherever he might lead.  Jesus leads to some places we wouldn't expect, but the Holy Spirit is at work everywhere, and we have to realize that we are the same as everyone -- we're only acceptable to God because of what Christ has done for us, no matter what our life here on earth may look like.  We don't earn extra merit badges in heaven because our life is clean and tidy -- we're covered by grace, and so we are invited to remember that as we gather as a church -- God calls us and sends us, covered in love and grace, to be the church in the world.

Galatians 3:15-20

Galatians 3:15-20 

English Standard Version 

  Paul was addressing particular circumstances and particular issues.  The Galatians were struggling with understanding how grace and the Law worked together, and so Paul worked through it with them, and we have evidence of this.  

  Sometimes, I read it and struggle to know exactly how a certain passage relates to this day and age, but that's because of how relevant Scripture is.  It matters to our daily lives, and so the letters in the New Testament were addressed to real communities wrestling with real issues.  Because of that, we have to work a little harder to translate some passages into our modern lives, but I take comfort in that, because it means that Scripture matters to my daily life, too, to the here and now.  It matters, and so we listen to the words of Scripture, sometimes taking a little longer than others, and eventually come to find what the Holy Spirit has to say to us, here and now, because we are in the midst of the world and called to engage with that outside community.  We're not called to cloister ourselves away, but to be salt and light, in touch with the world around us, and Scripture matters to the world.  The hope of heaven is revealed in the pages of Scripture, and we can all agree that we need a little more hope!

Galatians 3:10-14

Galatians 3:10-14

English Standard Version 

  When you get your driver's license, you have to keep all the laws.  You don't get to pick and choose which ones you like and which you'll discard.  (Although it'd be funny if you got pulled over for something and you had your state-approved list of which laws you'd chosen to follow!)

  In the same way, when you take your CPA exam, you have to follow all the accounting rules -- you don't get to decide which are your favorites and just follow those.  

  Scripture tells us that if we want to follow the Old Testament Law, then we have to follow all of it.  We can't pick and choose.  And if we're going to follow all of it, then that's the way we'd be saved... except we can't follow all of it.  We'll mess up part of it, which means the Law cannot save us.  

  So we need a Savior.  Fortunately, we have one in Jesus Christ.  Which means we don't follow the Law, because we don't just pick and choose pieces of it.  It's all or nothing when it comes to its ability to save us.  

  (We still follow the moral parts of the Law, because Jesus makes it clear that there are still high expectations for how we treat one another.  But that's another topic for another day.)

Galatians 3:1-9

Galatians 3:1-9 

English Standard Version 

  One can almost feel Paul's sense of loss and grief.  Here's a community of people who started out their life in the church as a congregation that joyously received the gift of faith.  They heard the good news that Jesus had died for them, that God had done everything necessary to secure salvation for them, and they rejoiced together.

  And then someone came along and whispered in their ears, leading them to question if God was really trustworthy, if what God had done was truly enough.  They started to doubt, started to wonder, and soon they were thinking they were good enough if they had faith and also did this or that.  Faith was great, but was it truly enough?

  Paul is telling them, and telling us, that faith is sufficient.  What Christ has done is enough for your salvation.  Nothing more is needed.

  It's a hard thing to live into, because our culture is always telling us that we're accepted based on what we've done and what others think of us.  But the Gospel tells us that it's all about Christ and what he has done for you and for me.  

Sermon from December 5, 2021

Galatians 2:15-21

Galatians 2:15-21 

English Standard Version 

  I was actually listening to a Tim Keller sermon on this just the other day.  To justify something isn't to change the thing, it's to change the perspective on it.  If I tell Rachel that I'm going to be home for dinner, and I'm three hours late, she'd be unhappy.  But if I tell her that I was late because I was in a terrible car crash and I was lucky to walk away unharmed, she'd probably change from being upset to being grateful I was home.  I'd have justified my tardiness.

  Similarly, if the kids knew that I was saving some leftover brisket in the fridge for lunch and I found out it was gone, I'd be frustrated, but if they then told me that there was a basket of puppies that was starving and they'd fed the puppies, I'd change my view on that -- they would have justified getting rid of the steak.

  So when we are justified, the reality of our sinfulness doesn't change.  But the way God looks at us has changed -- God doesn't view us as sinful anymore.  Instead, when we're covered in Christ, God looks at us as though we are fully worthy of the glory of God.  You are justified in Christ, and so because of Christ, you appear differently to God.  

Galatians 2:11-14

Galatians 2:11-14 

English Standard Version 

  Paul is fired up!  

  Paul gets upset here because Peter (Cephas) is making life more difficult for the non-Jews looking to join the church. Peter is putting up barriers to others joining the church through his behavior -- he's going along with the crowd because it's easier for Peter, but in doing so, he's not being consistent, and Paul calls him out on it!

  Paul makes a controversy because this matters -- it's not arguing over how many angels can fit on the head of a pin, but a massively important subject about how non-Jews will be included in the Christian church.  This is hugely important as the church grows.

  And so we need to follow Paul's example.  Let's get upset over things that matter -- how the church goes into the world or puts up obstacles for people to experience the love and grace of Jesus Christ.  Let's not get upset over minor things, such as the color of the carpets.  May we recognize how the outside world sees us, and try to view ourselves through the lens of people who don't know the first thing about the church.  We often get blinded by being inside the church, we forget about the outside world. 

  If anything we're doing puts up obstacles, let's tear them down, and rejoice in grace radical enough to include us in the church!

Galatians 2:1-10

Galatians 2:1-10 

English Standard Version 

  How do you deal with people when you know you are right?  How do you approach people whom you know are wrong about something?  What's your approach with people striving to create conflict?  

  Hard questions to answer, especially in this day and age.  Paul had to deal with crafty opponents who would do anything to oppose him, sneaking in to meetings to try and catch him out.  They were certain he was wrong, but Paul didn't waver from the Gospel, sticking to it in confidence.  This was due to his confidence in who stood behind the Gospel -- it wasn't something he had come up with on his own, but rather he had received it from God.  Because of the source of the Gospel, Paul could be both gracious and certain.  Notice that James and John perceived the grace given to Paul, and then entered into fellowship with him.  

  All of this is centered around concern for the poor.  When you see people whose primary concern is themselves or their reputation, be wary.  When they are living for others, focused on the needy, then we can be more confident that their message is indeed rooted in the Gospel.  To believe and adhere to the Gospel is to live for others!

If Cats Disappeared From the World

   I recently read Genki Kawamura's If Cats Disappeared From the World, a short novel that follows the main character as he receives the untimely notice that he'll die immediately unless he agrees to the devil's terms of making one thing disappear from the world each day.  Cell phones and clocks and movies disappear, each buying the protagonist one additional day, and the book is a reflection on how those items change our lives and what really matters when faced with impending death.  

  It's a short book, and one that inevitably leads to deep thoughts about relationships and possessions, how we spend our time and what impressions we leave upon one another in this life.  I wouldn't recommend this book if you're looking for a light read, but it's helpful if you're looking for the chance to think some bigger thoughts about how you want to spend your time and where you'd like to invest.  There's some beautiful thoughts about the role pets play in our lives and how they allow us to deepen our relationships with one another.  

  The most thoughtful part of the book to me is a short discussion at the end about regrets.  As someone who often spends time wondering 'what if', the main character reflects that "there's a certain beauty in regrets.  They're proof of having lived."

  I've spent a lot of time thinking about this.  Every choice leaves the possibility of wondering what might have happened if one had made the other choice, but the fact that we have the opportunity to make the choices we do is a blessing, and what a gift it is to be alive and make choices and move forward based on the best information we have.

Galatians 1:18-24

Galatians 1:18-24 

English Standard Version 

  The poet Percy Shelley wrote a poem called Oxymandias about a statue that proclaimed the mighty works of a king long dead and a kingdom long fallen.  This passage makes me think of the foolhardy king who thought his kingdom would last forever, and our foolhardy efforts to build our own kingdoms, forgetting that we are mortal and the walls of our kingdoms will erode as time goes on.  As the old quote goes, the graveyards are full of indispensable people.

  We are invited to invest our lives in something eternal if we choose.  We can pour our time and energy into a kingdom that will truly last forever, a kingdom that shall reign forever, even if the gates of hell attempt to prevail against it.  

  When Paul preached, the people glorified God, not Paul.  

  May our lives emulate Paul's, that they point beyond ourselves.  In striving for heaven, we'll find earth thrown in as well, rather than striving for earthly kingdoms and missing out on both heaven and earth.

Galatians 1:11-17

Galatians 1:11-17 

English Standard Version 

  I have made lots of mistakes in my life.  Not my favorite pastime, but the reality of poor choices spread over four decades.  I try to be honest and upfront about this, that I am no less broken than anyone else.

  That said, I try not to highlight these, but Paul was very upfront about it, because the church was being established and Paul wanted to be as honest as possible about what God was doing -- because then the church is being based not on what Paul was saying and doing, but rather what God was doing.  God was working miracles through broken people, demonstrating the power of God and the incredible openness of the Gospel.  

  Paul had a checkered background, persecuting the church at one point, but God was at work, and so Paul wasn't beyond redemption, just as anyone hearing this letter wasn't beyond redemption, just as you and I are not beyond redemption.  God is still at work, still building the church, still making disciples.

  So may we give thanks for the grace that invites even us into the church, and may we not look down upon anyone in society, but rather think about how God's grace is reaching out to all.

Sermon for the first Sunday of Advent, 2021

Galatians 1:6-10

Galatians 1:6-10 

English Standard Version 

  If you go to any modern sporting event, there's a good chance that at some point during that event, an announcement will be made that will drive people to go absolutely crazy.  What is the announcement?  It'll be that there are free t-shirts being given away.  At Blue Jackets games, the arena goes absolutely crazy.  At Reds games, a cart with a giant t-shirt cannon drives around while people lose their minds.  All for a free t-shirt that likely doesn't fit.  

  People love free stuff.  My favorite announcer for the Reds used to talk about watching someone ruin a $300 suit for a $3 baseball hit into the stands.  There are things people would pass by if it cost $2, but they'll grab it and go for free!  

  But when it comes to the Gospel, we've been struggling with free grace since the beginning.  It feels like it should cost something, like we should have to do something to earn it.  We can't wrap our minds around the Gospel being given for free, and so when preachers come and start putting conditions on grace, that somehow speaks to some anxiety we have in our hearts and we listen and we follow.  It makes sense that we'd have to give up something to get something.  

  But grace is free.  That's the Gospel.  Any other message is not the Gospel.  

  So may we go wild with joy at what God has freely given us.

Galatians 1:1-5

Galatians 1:1-5 

English Standard Version 

  I believe the hardest thing for Christians to accept and understand is what God has done for you.  The Gospel is the message about the lengths to which God will go to save you from your sin, and here in the beginning of Paul's letter to the church in Galatia, he's rooting this letter in the fact that he's an apostle through Christ, and he begins his letter with the declaration that God gave himself up for sins to deliver us, and that it was the will of God.

  This is the foundation for everything we are building, for everything that we are.  We so badly want to do things on our own, but the heart of the Gospel is that we both can't save ourselves and that we don't need to.  Jesus loves us, and that love led him to his death, all so that you might be saved.

Rabbit Hole

   I recently finished Mark Billingham's Rabbit Hole, a mystery set inside a mental health hospital.  I read a decent amount of mysteries, as they're easy to be absorbed into and a complete distraction from the outside world.  

  Rabbit Hole revolves around a sudden and suspicious death that takes place in the hospital, and the main character is a former police officer who suddenly is immersed in her old role while still dealing with the trauma that led her into her current situation, where her view on reality became tenuous as she struggled to deal with traumatic recent events.

  It's an interesting story, one with an unexpected twist at the end, but I think the real value is the insight that changes in mental health can happen to anyone, at any time.  Life may be cruising along as expected, and then things can change in an instant.  It's easy to take mental health for granted, until it's gone, and suddenly you're trying to make sense of things you never thought you'd have to grapple with.  I remember spending many an hour in bed in the wee hours of the morning trying to deal with racing thoughts and invented situations, something I never would have expected mere months beforehand.  Life changes in an instant, and none of us are immune from this.  

  So when we look at the world around us, and we see brothers and sisters struggling with mental health, may we be compassionate, and recognize our common humanity.  I pray that society continues to invest in pursuing mental health for each and for all, and that we understand how mental health impacts every aspect of life -- it's not a silo that stands on its own, but rather a central point which radiates into every relationship and every part of life.  

  May we always treat one another with kindness, for we need that kindness ourselves.

Matthew 28:16-20

Matthew 28:16-20

English Standard Version 

  I know I say this a million times, but if you were making this up, would you include the detail that some doubted him here at the end of the Gospel?  You'd probably want to finish stronger, right?  But this is what happened -- some doubted, despite having met the resurrected Jesus.  They'd seen him crucified, they'd seen him resurrected... but they still doubted, because dead people don't come back to life, right?

  Despite their doubts, they still followed him here to Galilee.  They had questions, but still wanted to learn more, still wanted to be around Jesus -- he was compelling to them, even if they weren't certain of his identity.

  So do you have doubts?  There's still room in the community of believers for you, for we become disciples as we travel with Jesus.  We learn as we go, growing in faith.  And Jesus is with us, every step of the way.

Sermon for Christ the King Sunday!

Matthew 28:11-15

Matthew 28:11-15 

English Standard Version

  One thing that we find in today's society, and likely every society, is an attitude of arrogance towards the past.  It's easy to think that people from earlier times were simpler, and that our benefit of additional scientific knowledge makes us superior.  It's easy to forget that in 100 years, people will look back at us and marvel what we didn't know.

  Some have accused people from Jesus' time of being less intelligent, more gullible, more willing to believe in the extraordinary.  But they were just as skeptical then -- people simply didn't rise from the dead.  The elders and chief priests didn't believe it when the soldiers told them what happened.  They made up a story to try and keep the peace.  Despite being told the miraculous had occurred, the chief priests, the ones who should be most eagerly awaiting the Messiah, chose to believe that dead people stayed dead, because that's the way the world worked.

  I hope we believe that God can do the miraculous.  I believe that God is still at work, raising hearts to new life, and still doing miracles, even if I can't always see them or grasp them.  I believe and I trust, and I'll move forward with that.

Matthew 28:1-10

Matthew 28:1-10 

English Standard Version 

  Come and go.  This is the rhythm of discipleship -- come to the tomb to see for yourself, and then go into the world and tell.  Come to church to spend time in God's presence, and then go into your community to love as you are loved.  Come to find a community of people broken and redeemed, and then go into the world and tell of the welcoming message of grace and redemption we find in the church.

  Come and go -- they work together.  We are invited and sent.  May we attend to both sides of faith, not neglecting the importance of enjoying the miracle of the resurrection while also paying attention to the world into which we are sent.

Matthew 27:62-66

Matthew 27:62-66 

English Standard Version 

  I love the idea that the guards at the tomb actually needed to be more worried about keeping the dead man inside than the alive people outside!  Little did they realize the cosmic forces they were messing with.

  Some people will say that the grave was robbed and that it's all a hoax.  There's a lot you have to believe for in order to support that point of view.  You have to buy into the idea that the disciples somehow overcame an entire guard of soldiers who were protecting the tomb, and then you have to ignore all the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus.  Most of these disciples would die as martyrs, proclaiming to the very end that Jesus had risen from the dead, when any one of them could have pronounced it a hoax and given up the game.  What are the chances they would all die for a hoax?  

  When Pilate tells a guard of soldiers to protect the tomb, it must have taken something supernatural for that tomb to have been emptied.  God was at work!

Matthew 27:57-61

Matthew 27:57-61 

English Standard Version 

  There's a place in the Gospel story for everyone -- Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy man, saw a place for him and his resources, and he stepped forward when that time was apparent.  Do we hold onto our resources in anticipation of finding an opportunity to invest them in the kingdom?

  And the women were there, always faithful.  A question worth asking -- who are we dedicated to in this world that we'd be there even at this point?  How invested are we in our community that even at the end, we'd still be there.  Maybe it's family, maybe it's friends.  I hope there are people in your church that you are this close to.  Relationships matter.  Find relationships you can commit yourself to.  Let us love selflessly, fully, and in so doing, reflect the endless love of God.

Sermon for November 14

Matthew 27:51-56

Matthew 27:51-56 

English Standard Version 

  If I speak, my words sometimes have impact.  When I'm speaking... more assertively towards my children, perhaps when they're misbehaving, they often stop short and will listen attentively.  At other times, my words don't always have the intended impact, like when I'm warning my children ahead of time about doing something, or perhaps advising them about how to handle certain situations.

  When God speaks, there is immediate impact.  Always.  It's how when God speaks in Genesis, there is immediate impact -- the world is created by the power of God's voice.  We see throughout the Old Testament that whenever God speaks, action follows.

  The same is true in the New Testament -- God's Word, Jesus Christ, has immediate impact in the world.  God's Word has authority over creation, which is what enables Jesus to heal people by speaking. This is something Jesus can do that we cannot.  We are under the authority of Jesus Christ (so be comforted that Jesus speaks a word of grace and love into your life, saying that he will not lose any the Father has given him!).

  When Jesus gives up his life, atoning for our sins, there is immediate impact.  The curtain in the temple is torn in two, signifying our full access to God.  There are immediate resurrections, with saints appearing in the city to many -- one of those things that was written in the Gospels because it could be verified by the many witnesses.  Again -- this was not done in secret, but there were many witnesses to the actions of the Gospels.  

  And through it all, the women were faithful to Jesus Christ.

  

  May we faithfully love and serve Christ in the same way!

Matthew 27:45-50

Matthew 27:45-50 

English Standard Version 

  Jesus, ever in control until the end, gives up his spirit.  He chose to die for you -- it wasn't the nails or the torture or the spears of the Romans that caused his death.  It was a choice, even there -- that's his love for you.  There were so many other choices, but he chose death, because love is the only option for God.

  I don't think we marvel often enough at the life and death of Jesus.  Maybe we've heard the story too many times, or maybe we're just so caught up in what we're doing in the here and now.  It's an incredible thing, someone choosing to die for you.  If someone did that today or tomorrow, perhaps pushing you out of the way of a moving car and taking your place, it would change your life.

  How does Christ's death change your life today and every day?  He laid himself down so that you might live forever.  It should impact us, heavily, every day.

Matthew 27:38-44

Matthew 27:38-44 

English Standard Version 

  At what point do you suppose people realize they've made some poor choices in life?  I suppose some never do -- Matthew reports that the robbers being crucified with Jesus reviled Jesus even as they were dying on the cross with him.  You'd think they'd be in prime position to perhaps reevaluate some life choices and reach out to the one person who offered a path beyond the cross, no matter how slim those chances might be.  But instead, they clung to their old ways, mocking Jesus as they died with him.

  We get stuck in our ways.  It reminds me of the sign by the freeway in Alaska that says to choose your rut wisely, because you'll be in it for the next 50 miles.  What I love about the Presbyterian order of worship is that it includes a prayer of confession every week -- if not more often, we're given at least one opportunity every week to confess everything to God, to notice our ruts and think about how we might change.

  What structures are in your life to confess?  How do you pay attention to your ruts?  And how might you pray to God for the wisdom to change them, and the courage to ask a trusted friend to help?

Matthew 27:32-37

Matthew 27:32-44

English Standard Version 

  As the writer of Hebrews says, for the joy that was set before him, Christ endured the cross.  

  Never forget that you are that joy.  You are the joy that Christ had on his mind and heart when he went to the cross.  You are the joy before him, and the hope of that joy held him to the cross -- it certainly wasn't the nails.  Legions of angels were on hand to sweep down and deliver him from that cross at a word, but that wouldn't have brought him to you, and you were worth it, in God's eyes.

  So don't let anyone tell you that you are not a person of infinite worth.  God considered you worth dying for.  That's a pretty high valuation right there.  So live with grace and peace, never afraid of weakness.

Matthew 27:27-31

Matthew 27:27-31 

English Standard Version 

 We've all made mistakes.  While making some piece of furniture out of wood, I've more than once cut a piece of wood, gone to install it, and then realized it was cut too short.  At that point, there's no board stretcher -- there's nothing to be done but hope I can somehow repurpose other wood to fit the intended design.  

  But this has got to be all time top 10 of mistakes, right?  Right up there with 'I guess we really shouldn't have eaten from that tree after all' is 'maybe we shouldn't have mocked the guy who rose from the dead.'  Imagine how these soldiers felt after Easter morning, when Jesus rose from the dead to demonstrate his power over sin and death.  I bet they felt fairly foolish.

  The incredible thing about Christ is that he wouldn't hold it against them.  There's a spot in Christ's church for everyone, no matter what, even if you're the soldier who mocked Jesus right before they crucified him.  There is grace enough for that. 

  And if there's grace enough for that, then there is grace enough for you.

Sermon from November 7

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Skz1mX2_YeM

Matthew 27:15-23

Matthew 27:15-23

English Standard Version 

  You can't help but wonder how many of those in the crowds had followed Jesus to see him heal people.  Maybe there were even people who had carried loved ones to be healed.  Jesus had been preaching and teaching to large crowds for three years.  Surely, there must have been some overlap.  

  If Jesus had chased the crowds for affirmation, he surely would have been dismayed.  But Jesus never pursued the crowds for their applause -- he served them in the hopes of converting hearts and minds to see that he was the true Messiah.  That's why Jesus was never afraid to speak harshly when it was appropriate -- Jesus wasn't seeking approval for the day, he was building something eternal, and he knew that he would have to pay a terrible price to build that.  

  Crowds are fickle -- we see this on social media all the time, with the crowd turning on someone once considered popular or beyond reproach.  The affirmation of the crowd, while wonderful in the moment, doesn't last.  

  So may we seek what is faithful and not what is transient.  It may seem as though we sacrifice much in the short-term, but Jesus is building a long-term kingdom, one that will last forever, and that wisdom, that approval, is worth far more in the end, for in Jesus' kingdom, there is no end, only eternity.

  

Matthew 27:11-14

Matthew 27:11-14 

English Standard Version 

  There's an old joke about a ship that's sending morse code messages in the midst of a storm.  It's signaling to what it thinks is another ship that it's the largest ship in the sea and the other ship should turn away out of fear of being run over.  Eventually, the other 'ship' signals back that it's a lighthouse on the shore and the ship should turn or perish on the rocks, no matter how strong it may think it is.

  I think of Jesus like a lighthouse on the shore, strong and steady, ever faithful no matter what storms may come.  Like a lighthouse, meant to guide us safely home when the world is dark.  Jesus is silent before his accusers because he doesn't need to defend himself before their accusations -- they will see, soon enough, how wrong they are about him.  He is confidant in who he is and what his mission is, and so he doesn't bend before the wind.

  The great truth of the Gospel is that Jesus isn't just a lighthouse, hoping we can navigate the waves and rocks to reach the shore safely.  No, Jesus goes out into the sea and rescues us, before we even think we need a light, at great danger to himself, so that we might be saved.  The light shines in the darkness, and the light comes to us, so that we might be saved!

Matthew 26:69-75

Matthew 26:69-75

English Standard Version 

  I know I say this a lot, but if the apostles were going to make up a story, they certainly wouldn't include this, right?  I mean, who highlights the worst moments of their lives?  What does it take to be honest about that?

  It's an incredible amount of confidence in grace to be able to disclose your failures.  But when you get it, when you really get it, then suddenly you realize it doesn't matter what other people think of you.  When Jesus Christ, the Messiah, has declared you beloved and called you to lead the church, despite your failures, then you don't worry about your failures, because the love of God Almighty counts for so much more than the opinions of those who might mock your failures.  Their mockery means nothing in comparison to the love that showers into your life.

  And by being honest about those failures is an invitation into the church.  Those of us with failures in our lives are no longer afraid or feel unworthy -- we see there is a roadmap into the church for sinners.  As Augustine says, the church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints.  I can be confidant that I'm not the only broken one in the church -- there are plenty of us, each bringing our scars and warts and secrets.

  May we learn not to fear our failures but to trust God's grace even more.

  May we also learn to be open about our failures and invite others to experience the same grace.

Matthew 26:63-68

Matthew 26:63-68 

English Standard Version 

  Any two people can hear the same thing and come to different conclusions -- we see that consistently in the world today.  What's meant to be words of assurance can be interpreted differently and cause alarm in some people.  We can choose how we hear words -- we can listen and search out comfort, or we can listen in fear.

  When Jesus says that the Son of Man is coming, we can listen in hope, or we can listen with skepticism.  What if Jesus being Lord means you have to change everything?  What if Jesus being Lord means you might lose some of your power and influence?  The high priest heard Jesus' claim and was ready to be skeptical, because of what it might mean for the high priest.  Just imagine how this might have been different if the high priest had been willing to set aside his preconceived notions and listen with honesty, with humility?  He'd have seen the Messiah standing before him, and he'd have fallen in worship.

  We can look back and know this now, but who knows how many chances we miss today?  When we read Scripture, and when we listen to one another, may we do so with honest inquiry, listening in hope, listening in love, and looking for how God might be at work.

Matthew 26:57-63

Matthew 26:57-63 

English Standard Version 

  The chief priests and scribes had three years to build a case against Jesus, and after all that time, they were calling in false witnesses, grasping at straws, desperate for anything to use to convict Jesus.  

  If you or I were in the same situation, we'd likely be pretty anxious.  We'd be looking for any way out, worried about what the next steps might be, worried about repercussions to our reputation or outlook.  

  Jesus, however, is a calm in the midst of the storm.  He's been wrongly arrested, wrongly accused, and yet there is no anxiety there.  He remains silent before his accusers, completely certain of the outcome no matter how broken the process may be.

  This level of confidence and trust is something we aspire to.  When life seems to be falling apart at the seams, the ability to tune our hearts to hear the Holy Spirit whisper silently to us is something to grasp for, to work towards.  May we pray for the spiritual maturity to have such trust in the long-term outcome that the short-term setbacks do not lead us to despair.

Sermon for Sunday, October 31, 2021

Matthew 26:47-56

Matthew 26:47-56 

English Standard Version 

  What weapons do you bring to arrest the son of God?

  I can imagine the soldiers quaking at the thought of arresting Jesus with their clubs and swords, tools which must have seemed so impotent in the face of Jesus Christ.  They'd heard the stories, they likely understood that his power was far greater than anything they had in their armory.  

  God had made a promise in Scripture, and Jesus was here to keep it, no matter what.  And so he went with the soldiers and their weapons, despite his superior power.  When Peter pulled out his sword to fight, Jesus was pointing him to a bigger picture, to a greater fight, to a larger story that was being told.  

  It's important to keep our eyes on that narrative.  The news will often pull your head down into the smaller stories, and we'll get lost in fear and hopelessness there.  We find anxiety when we lose track of the greater story, for we lose track of our true identity.

  But when we focus on the larger story, then we're not pulling out our swords at every opportunity.  When we're certain that we're rooted in eternity and anchored in the love of Christ, then we're able to enter into the smaller stories without getting lost in them.  We can go to the dark places and proclaim grace and love without fear of losing who we are, without fear of being lost.  We can go to people experiencing loss and sit in the darkness, trusting that there will yet be another dawn.  We can go to the darkest corners of the world and know that we will not be lost there, for we have been claimed by the light and marked as Christ's own forever.  There is hope when we remember who we are, and we don't need swords, for we have grace and light and peace, and that is sufficient.

Matthew 26:36-46

Matthew 26:36-46 

English Standard Version

  When we pray the Lord's prayer, we say Thy Will be Done, but it's such a hard thing to pray and fully mean.  We want to mean it... but God asks some huge things of some Biblical characters.

  Remember when Daniel went into the Lions' Den?

  Or when Gideon had to get rid of most of his army?

  Or when Esther risked her life to address the king?

  One way to read the Bible is to read it as a collection of heroes of the faith who we are called to emulate.  And while there are certainly traits of many Biblical leaders, male and female, that we are wise to imitate, the Bible isn't a book about human heroes.  It's a book about God and what God is doing.  The Bible is meant to teach us about how God works through ordinary people, and the best Biblical characters reflect traits of God.  So Jesus is a braver Daniel, willing to demonstrate his mastery over creation.  Jesus is a stronger Gideon, taking on any force one his own.  Jesus is a better Esther, willing to risk his own life to save his people.  All of these Biblical characters are pointing us to God, just as we are called to point to God in our own lives.  We aren't the heroes of the story -- we're the ones who are saved by the true hero who never disappoints, who always wins the day, who delivers us from peril.

  So even if we struggle to truly follow God's will, afraid of what might come, we can give thanks that Jesus always follows God's will perfectly, meeting the demands that we cannot, and it is his faithfulness that saves us.

Matthew 26:30-35

Matthew 26:30-35 

English Standard Version 

  Again, this is really high on the list of the sections the disciples would have omitted if they were making the entire story up.  If they were trying to 'sell' Jesus as ultra-successful and the disciples as the prized recruits ready to take on the world, they likely wouldn't include the section about Peter incorrectly predicting that he'd never deny Jesus, right before Peter denies Jesus.  Oops.

  But these sections are crucial to seeing how human the disciples were.  Peter didn't want to deny Jesus -- he likely meant these words as he spoke them.  But situations change and people get scared and things happen faster than we predict.  Plenty of people never mean to look at their phones when they drive, but then it makes that noise and we figure we can look quickly and it won't do any damage...  Or people think they'll just tell a little lie and they can correct it later and it won't hurt anyone and then things escalate beyond our control...  We've all seen things get out of control faster than we expected.  We think we can be in control, and we often discover the opposite is true.  

  Isn't it marvelous that these are the people Jesus calls into discipleship?  Jesus knows Peter will deny him, and Jesus calls him anyway.  Jesus knows they will all flee to save their own skin, and Jesus calls them anyway.  Jesus knows you'll mess that thing up, and Jesus calls you anyway.  Jesus knows I'm going to forget that other thing, and Jesus calls me anyway.  It's marvelous, and wondrous, and we are the recipients of grace, freely given.

  Thanks be to God!

Matthew 26:17-25

Matthew 26:17-25 

English Standard Version 

  How well do you know yourself?  What are the best things you are capable of?  What might be the worst thing you could do?  

  It's an impossible question -- we surprise ourselves all the time, both in the good and bad.  I suspect that many people have done things impossibly worse than they ever thought they might do, but people also constantly surprise themselves by doing wonderful things they didn't think they could do.

  Here, the humanity of the disciples is on full display.  They've spent three years with Jesus, walking and talking and learning with him, and yet during the Last Supper, they aren't certain as to whether or not they are the ones who will betray him.  They don't deny him here -- they're asking if they are the ones who will do it.  They aren't sure.

  There's something so human about this, so real.  Verses like this help me believe the Gospels report what really happened, because if you were going to make it up, you'd never include this verse.  You'd have Judas as the evil one and the disciples are heroes, certain of their own virtue.  But the disciples recognize that they can fall short and do evil.  They see it in themselves, which is perhaps why they cling so closely to Jesus -- just as they recognize their own faults, they see in Jesus the only solution to the brokenness of humanity.  

  In Jesus there is hope, no matter how broken we may be.  There exists a way forward in Christ, no matter what.

Matthew 26:6-13

Matthew 26:6-13 

English Standard Version 

Jesus Anointed at Bethany 

  6 Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, 7 a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table. 8 And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? 9 For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor.” 10 But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. 11 For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. 12 In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial. 13 Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”

*****************

  Here's Jesus at the house of a leper.  That's extraordinary right there, the idea that Jesus would spend time visiting a house of a leper.  Nobody expected the Messiah to do that -- they figured he'd spend all this time with the rich and powerful people.  They assumed that for the Messiah to have influence, he'd have to be with the people considered influential.  Instead, Jesus spent time with those often not even thought about by the powerful.

  In the house of the leper, there's an extraordinary scene -- this woman comes up and pours out this rich gift of ointment as a way to honor Jesus.  It's not about money, it's simply a heartfelt offering, poured out to the King.

  When we give from the heart, it's not necessarily about the gift.  It's about the act of giving.  Gifts aren't meant to be compared, but instead we're called to simply give as we feel compelled to give, with the hope of honoring God through the giving our gifts.

  So may we pray for the wisdom to give generously, with the hopes of honoring God through the giving of our gifts, pouring ourselves and our resources out in joy and gratitude.

Sermon for October 24, 2021

Matthew 25:31-46

Matthew 25:31-46 

English Standard Version 

  Everyone reads this and wonders -- am I sheep or am I a goat?  I think the thing to take away from this is the importance of serving the poor.  Jesus never wavers in this request -- how do our lives join with God's unending love, particularly for those on the margins of society?  There's certainly plenty of ways to read this and soften the impact, but it's good for us to read this and ask ourselves tough questions.  Do our lives, how we spend our time and our money, point to God's love for those who might be cast out of parts of society?  Do we notice the poor and the needy?  Do we care for them?  

  And if not, do we need to ask ourselves some tough questions and perhaps re-examine our priorities?  

Matthew 24:36-44

Matthew 24:36-44 

English Standard Version 

  Pop quizzes were so stressful.  Almost as stressful as in-class essays, but not quite, because I remember how much my hand would hurt at the end of 45 minutes of writing.  I suppose students today don't have that same experience -- I doubt I'd be able to write nearly as much as I could back then.  But pop quizzes -- they were a test to see how prepared someone was.  Had they been doing their homework, their reading, their preparing?  Or were you coasting, counting on being able to cram before the announced test?

  No one knows when the Kingdom of God will come.  No one knows when this whole party wraps up.  And so how does one live in the light of such uncertainty?  Jesus doesn't tell us this to make us afraid -- I think the point is so that we don't end up in fear due to people announcing that they know for certain when the end will come.  But we should live in a state of perpetual trust, uncertain of the timing but certain of the outcome.  

  Quizzes aren't so stressful when the teacher has already announced that you will pass the test.  Jesus laid down his life to announce this good news, so may we live in quiet confidence and perpetual trust.

Matthew 22:15-22

Matthew 22:15-22 

English Standard Version 

  Do you marvel at Jesus, at who he is and how he is and what he's done?  The Pharisees found time to marvel -- they didn't intend to, but they couldn't help it.  They spun webs to ensnare him and he cut clean through them, like a missile blowing through cobwebs, targeting the hearts of all who could hear.  When the Pharisees realized the brilliance, they marveled.

  We marvel at lots of things.  We marvel at fancy cars and the lives of the rich and famous and mansions that sell for $30 million.  We marvel at social media personalities who make $50,000/month and people who make millions playing video games.  We marvel at the latest iPhones and binge-able series.  We marvel all the time, and some of the things in the world are marvels.

  We rarely set aside time to marvel at Jesus.  Maybe the world is just so busy, but we've forgotten how to marvel at the idea of the God who created the universe and then fell so deeply in love with God's creation that God wrote himself into the story, entering into the pages of the story to redeem the people who had gotten everything wrong.

  Marvel at the God to whom everything belongs, and who takes responsibility to set all things new, even you.  It's worth marveling at.

Matthew 22:1-14

Matthew 22:1-14 

English Standard Version 

  Sometimes I wish faith was easier.  Sometimes I want to pull it over me like a warm blanket, letting it comfort me against all the hardships in the world.  And there are plenty of passages that do that, that remind me of grace and provide a light in the dark world.

  Other times, I read the Gospels and feel like I'm in the dark!  Maybe I just don't want to confront my own shortcomings.  Maybe I'm comfortable and don't want to be challenged!  I think we can all be a little defensive in our heart of hearts, wanting all the good things Jesus promises and not wanting to pay any price, not wanting to sacrifice any comfort.  We want Jesus' rewards on our agendas.  

  Jesus comes to remind us that he, in fact, is Lord, and we are not.  Jesus also spends a lot of time reminding us that it's better this way, but we tend to tune out that part.  We check in for the rewards and the promises of peace, but tune to another channel when Jesus confronts us about our false idols.  Martin Luther said the heart is a factory of idols, and he's not wrong -- we worship lots of things, and often all the wrong things.

  Fortunately, Jesus loves us in spite of our failings and is willing to take on the punishment, but he pushes us in the process to live like God is king and to stop letting our agendas drive our lives.  May we sacrifice our desires, and trust that God's desires for our lives are greater than our own.  So much of our age is therapeutic -- we chase our own desires, and yet we often end up miserable and wondering why.  We can't truly trust our own desires -- so if we trust God, we often have to give up things in the short-term, but what we get in the long-term is so much richer, and God tells us that we'll get short-term peace thrown in as well.

  What keeps us from signing up for that program?

Matthew 21:28-32

Matthew 21:28-32 

English Standard Version 

  The message I hear in this is that Jesus goes to everyone, and the invitation isn't rescinded when it's first offered.  The first said they would not go, but there was room in the kingdom when they showed up.  So let none of us think that we're too far gone for the Kingdom -- but rather there is always room for at least one more, no matter when they show up!

Matthew 20:29-34

Matthew 20:29-34 

English Standard Version 

  If someone you know is trying to lose weight and you see them eating three Big Macs every night at McDonald's, you'll likely suspect that perhaps they don't quite it.  Or imagine you know someone who is trying to control their impulse spending, and that person is wearing brand new shoes every time you see them.  You'll likely think they don't quite get it, right?

  The great crowd is following Jesus, and yet when two blind men cry out, the crowd rebukes the two men.  They're clearly missing something, right?  Here is Jesus, who consistently has made time, even when heading somewhere else, to heal the broken and tend to the needy.  People wanted the miracles, but they were missing the message.

  So when we read the Gospels, let's be amazed at the amazing things that Jesus does... but let's be sure we read the message, too.  Let's be sure we're listening to the one who sends us to care for the broken and hurting world, who teaches us to love selflessly, to share with the needy, to give, no matter what.

Matthew 20:1-16

Matthew 20:1-16 

English Standard Version 

  As I'm sure you've heard somewhere, the global supply chain has a few kinks in it.  There was a story just last night that said you need to buy a Christmas tree now if you're in the market, because they'll be completely sold out by December and you won't be able to find one if you wait.

  From the perspective of people facing scarcity, this story makes sense.  The workers who have worked all day feel like it isn't fair for people who have worked less to receive the same -- if these workers drain the purse, then what if there isn't enough?  It's fear-driven.

  But from God's perspective, there is abundance.  There is plenty for all, so those who have worked an hour don't impact those who have worked all day.  There is sufficient grace.  Removing fear allows us to celebrate that we all receive the same grace, rather than live in fear.  We can invite others in without worrying about how it impacts us, because we know we receive enough -- we trust that we will be fully satisfied by the God who assures us that God can meet every need, and that every desire will be perfectly filled by God.

Matthew 19:23-30

Matthew 19:23-30 

English Standard Version 

  Life sure would look differently if we took this seriously, wouldn't it?  Imagine a bunch of people competing with one another to be last, to put everyone else first... paints a different picture than what you see in the world, doesn't it?  

  We're hard-wired to try and be first, and Jesus knows this about us, which is why he spent so much time not only teaching us about servanthood, but also showing it to us.  He washed feet.  He listened.  He healed.  He traveled to see people who might not otherwise have heard.  He reached out.  He made the effort, at inconvenience to himself.  The entire incarnation of Jesus was a demonstration of selfless service -- Jesus didn't have to leave heaven, but Jesus chose to leave heaven so that we might join him there.  

  It was all a free choice.

  So pick something to try and be last in today.  Pick the slowest line at the grocery store.  Go out of your way to visit someone, meaning you don't optimize your time.  Listen to someone's story.  Help someone with a project that doesn't help you at all.

  Be last.

Matthew 19:16-22

Matthew 19:16-22 

English Standard Version 

  I'm having a hard time imagining looking God in the face and asking, "Which of those rules did I need to keep?"  There's only one answer to that, right?  And then the next thing I'm supposed to say is, "Oh, I was supposed to keep ALL of them?  But there were so many!"  That'd be the extent of that conversation...

  It's a pretty bold thing for the young man to say that he's kept all the commandments.  I certainly will be claiming no such thing.  But by doing so, he's making the claim that he doesn't need anything.  He's been able to satisfy everything required of him by his own strength.  And if you need nothing, where does God fit into the picture?

  Jesus is trying to teach him compassion.  Jesus is trying to introduce lack into his life, so that he'll see how much he needs. As he goes away sad, he's clearly devastated by the thought.

  One helpful practice for all of us is to recognize how much we need.  One option is to do that through giving away everything you own.  I certainly wouldn't stop you, although Jesus doesn't tell everyone to do that.  Jesus interacts with lots of people, rich, poor, and in-between, and this one is the only one to whom Jesus gives this command.  But we're wise to think about what we need -- all of our stuff, all of our success and material resources, can keep our eyes and our hearts from realizing that we have deep, deep needs.  These are needs that only God can fill, and our sin prevents us from meeting them on our own.  Jesus wants you to see this, because only then will you come to Jesus with an awareness of your need, and you'll discover that God longs to fill that need through a free gift of grace.

  

Matthew 18:23-35

Matthew 18:23-35 

English Standard Version 

  When we pray the Lord's Prayer, we petition God to forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.  Someone once called that 'as' the most dangerous word in the entire Bible!

  There's probably 1,001 ways to read and interpret this parable.  To briefly sum it up, Jesus is telling us that the grace we receive should transform how we treat others.  In some ways, it's probably that simple.  If we go out into the world and treat others without being strongly influenced by the grace we have received, are we living faithfully?  If Sunday morning worship doesn't help guide our hearts for the remainder of the week, are we truly allowing Christ to be Lord of our lives?

  Questions worth asking, in my opinion.

Matthew 18:10-14

Matthew 18:10-14 

English Standard Version 

  It's easy to read this story and think that it's great that Jesus goes looking for the lost sheep.

  It's life-changing when we realize that we are the lost sheep that Jesus has gone looking for.  

  Do you believe that Jesus is rejoicing over you?  

  Do you believe that God doesn't want a single lost sheep to perish?

  Give thanks for the God who comes looking for you, and for the God whose will it is for you to have life, and have it abundantly.

Matthew 18:1-6

Matthew 18:1-6 

English Standard Version 

  When I hear my children talk about how they spend their days, and then I think about how I spent my day, I often think that being like a child sounds like a great idea.  Sometimes, I'll ask Charlotte what she plans to do with a day.  "Play," is usually the response, sometimes with detailed plans, sometimes with little more than just 'play'.  Sounds lovely, doesn't it?

  In Jesus' time, children weren't regarded very highly, so to be told to be childlike would've been scorned by the elite.  No one who wanted to be serious would be like a child.

  But to be like a child is to trust, completely and whole heartedly.  To be a child is to marvel and wonder at the world.  To be a child is to immerse yourself in something.  To be a child is many wonderful things.  There are some not-so-wonderful things as well, but to be a child is to receive gifts with joy and to fully depend on a parent to provide for your needs.  

  To be a child is to know you need help, and to look to the one who can provide.

Matthew 16:24-28

Matthew 16:24-28 

English Standard Version 

  When you think about the most valuable things in your life, where does your faith fall on that list?  When you think about what you'd sacrifice anything for, what comes first?  When you imagine yourself pursuing something so valuable that you'd never give up the chase, what is it?

  Christ is pushing on the apostles - not to make them comfortable, but to help them see the unsurpassed value and beauty of the Gospel.  It's worth EVERYTHING.  In the short term, there is sacrifice, and nobody likes sacrifice... but in the long term, the gain is so much greater than the cost.  Christ is reminding us that what we get in return is so much greater than anything we'll ever be asked to give up.  

  So take a moment today and think about how and what you're pursuing.  It's not an easy thing to do -- most of us are so busy that we're running on autopilot from task to task to task.  But pay attention to the shape of your life, because what you do daily becomes what defines you.  The little things add up to our lives, and we don't want to omit faith in our daily choices.  

  May we pursue Christ above absolutely anything else.

Sermon for Sept 26, 2021

Matthew 16:13-20

Matthew 16:13-20 

English Standard Version 

  It's pretty easy to lose sight of the last part of Jesus' declaration here -- the gates of hell will not prevail against the church.  

  Remember this if you're ever tempted to lose hope.  Things are often not going the church's way, but the church is an eternal institution with the all-powerful God at its head.  The church isn't going anywhere, no matter how many articles may be written about the church being irrelevant.  May we rest from anxiety about the future of the church, knowing it is secure in Christ's hands, and may we then take part in our congregations with the joy of knowing we are part of something eternal, and that while individual congregations swell and grow and somethings fade and close, they are joined in the river of the eternal church that goes on forever, and they participate in the life of something far greater than we can imagine.  May that give us joy at the privilege of partaking in something so great!

Matthew 15:32-39

Matthew 15:32-39

English Standard Version 

  We have a choice in how we see the world.  The disciples looked and saw what they didn't have -- enough bread to feed the crowd.  Jesus looked at the crowd and saw what they didn't have, but he also saw their devotion, and he saw them with compassion.  

  When we look at the world with compassion, we see differently.  While we still see lack, we see people with eyes ready to understand at a different level.  We see the things that are there, in addition to the lack.  We look with eyes of the heart ready to identify with those we see, for we all know need.

  May we find the satisfaction we're so hungry for.  Only Christ can truly offer this.  In him, we find abundance beyond what we can ask or imagine.

  

Matthew 14:34-36

Matthew 14:34-36 

English Standard Version 

  Have you ever had the experience in a restaurant where you're dining with someone and your dish is extraordinary?  What's the first thing you want to do?  So often, you're imploring the person you're with to try a bite, to experience the same joy you're experiencing, to share the food that is causing delight.  

  Or maybe you went out to a new park, and it was beautiful and serene and incredible, so you found a friend and brought them to experience the park with you.

  This is similar to what's happening here.  When people recognize Jesus, they went and found community members in need, and they brought them to Jesus.  

  Although in this setting, they went another step.  Not only did they bring their friends to Jesus, but they then implored Jesus.  They became advocates for their friends and colleagues.  This is the church at its best -- not only going out into the world, bearing the Good News of Jesus' love and power, but also going to Jesus and interceding on behalf of the world around us.  The church goes back and forth between the world and Jesus, and in so doing, we are filled with awe and wonder and delight through the grace of God.

Matthew 14:28-33

Matthew 14:28-33 

English Standard Version 

  I've always found two things about this passage fascinating.  The first is that Peter's situation doesn't change when he sees the wind -- it's his attention that changes.  Peter was standing on the water when his attention was focused on Jesus, and the wind was roaring, but Peter wasn't afraid.  But when he turns his attention from Jesus, then he is afraid, and he beings to sink.

  The second thing is that Jesus reacts immediately, instinctively, to Peter's danger.  Jesus doesn't wait until Peter sinks or gets two-thirds of the way under the water to reach out.  Jesus isn't trying to teach Peter a lesson - Jesus loves Peter and reacts to save him.  Jesus waits until after he has saved Peter to ask about Peter's doubt.

  We are all Peter.  We all have diverted attention, looking around at the world, and often ending up very afraid.  When we keep our attention focused on Jesus, and knowing both the promises Jesus has made and the ability Jesus has to keep all those promises, then we're less afraid.  And when we do get afraid, may we remember that Jesus is always ready to save, willing to save, strong enough to save.  

Matthew 14:22-27

Matthew 14:22-27 

English Standard Version 

  For me, the hardest part of COVID, the most stressful part, has been all the things we haven't known, about the virus and how it spreads and the vaccines and how long they last.  The list of things we now know is growing, but there's still so much that we don't know.  I remember 18 months ago when we thought we could hunker down for 2 weeks and get this under control, and 6 months ago when we thought we'd roll the vaccine out and get this under control, and it still feels like it's out of control in so many ways.

  The disciples are in a situation where they don't understand.  We can all agree that people don't walk on water.  We may be more advanced in our scientific knowledge in the present day, but no one believed that people could easily walk on water, now or then.  So this would have been unknown, and in the midst of this unknown situation, the disciples are in a storm at night, and so they can't see a way forward.

  To the disciples, Jesus tells them, do not be afraid, because Jesus is near. 

  To you and I, Jesus tells us, do not be afraid, because Jesus is near.  

  May we trust in the presence of God, exhale our fears, and believe that the one who is on the throne, who is in control, is always near.

Sermon for September 19, 2021

Matthew 14:13-21

Matthew 14:13-21 

English Standard Version

  The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. 

  It's in the 23rd Psalm, and we find that truth here again in Matthew -- they all ate and were satisfied.  

  In Christ, we find our true satisfaction.  Only God can give us what we truly need so that we don't hunger any more.  We spend our lives trying to find other things to satisfy, but truly, only God can do this.  

  May we find the wisdom to turn to God for what we truly need.

Matthew 14:1-11

Matthew 14:1-11 

English Standard Version 

  When I say that I want to win the lottery, I have a very specific vision of what that looks like.  I'm sure others do as well -- we're often not thinking about the downsides that so often occur in those situations.  

  Just like when I say that I want to eat lots of brisket, I picture myself enjoying it.  I'm often not thinking about the inevitable stomachache that follows from me eating twice as much food as I need to!

  When I think about how my life should go as a Christian, I have a picture in my head.  I should get all the benefit from living a life filled with peace and comfort, and that will spill over into every area of my life.

  But it doesn't always look exactly like we want it to.  Through Jesus Christ, God has secured for us an eternal victory, and over the scope of eternity, our life is more 'successful' than we could ever ask or imagine.  We will dwell with God in perfect peace and be completely satisfied.

  That said, it doesn't necessarily mean that our life on this earth will always look exactly like we want it to.  John the Baptist didn't imagine that his faithfulness would lead him to be beheaded.  And yet he followed where his path led.  We often don't imagine that our path will lead us to challenging spots, and yet we are called to follow where God might lead.  I pray none of us end up in the same position as John the Baptist, but even when the worst does occur on this earth, Scripture reminds us that there is an eternal scene that is playing out where joy and love and life are eternally victorious, and in that scope, we will dwell forever.  

  So may we follow with courage, and dwell in security, even when life proves challenging.