Sermon on Isaiah 2:1-5 (Advent 1A)

World Impossible?

There is a battle that rages in every household, at least once a week, if you only own one TV. Who gets control of the remote? It takes compromise, negotiating, sometimes some begging, sometimes an overruling, and sometimes even a few tears are shed, but eventually it gets settled. When the dust clears one person gets to watch what they want to and the rest of the family either watches too or finds something else to do. Who thinks they hold the record for their house? I can tell you that I don’t own it in our house. Not because I don’t want to fight for it. It’s usually because I am doing something else. Lauren loves TV though! When we’re at home and doing things around the house in the evening the TV is on. This usually leads to me watching/paying attention to shows that I wouldn’t watch otherwise because she is in control. We don’t follow any certain shows with regularity, but there is a genre that is a go-to for Lauren. I don’t know if it has an actual title or not, but I call them “makeover/competition.” Lauren will fully admit that she typically watches these kinds of shows for the reveal. Sometimes it’s about the process it takes to get to the end result, but usually it’s to see how radically different the change has been. I have to admit that it hooks me in too.
One that we watch on the food network is called “Restaurant Impossible.” It features Chef Robert Irvine who looks like a pro wrestler. He’s about 6 ft 5, huge muscles and a closely cropped haircut. The premise of the show is that Chef Robert goes into failing restaurants and completely redoes them. He challenges the owners to change what they need to, deals with staff conflicts, fixes the menu and completely renovates the interior of the restaurant. This all takes place in the span of a couple days and with a budget of about $10,000. Chef Robert works under impossible conditions with impossible odds to do some amazing transformations.
The word that Isaiah saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem seems impossible for both its hearers at the time and for us today. During the time of Isaiah the people of Israel were conquered by the Assyrian empire. Some of the people were even carried off to Assyria as a result. War was common and peace was uncommon. Into this Isaiah speaks of a time when the temple of God will be on the highest mountain (the highest point out there), people will stream into it to learn about God’s ways. God will mediate between nations and as a result people will beat their swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks. Instruments of war and destruction being turned into tools for production and peace. Peace will reign and everyone will not want to learn how to fight one another anymore. You can see where the people would have seen it as being impossible. We’re talking a total transformation from everything they had known.
Our world is similar to the world of Isaiah. Every time you turn on the news someone else is dead, another family is hurting, another tragedy has happened. War and famine rage in foreign countries. People are hungry, suffering from illness, have no home, no job, and broken relationships are more common than not. How do we respond to it? Another show Lauren really likes to watch and I have seen more of than I care to admit is Project Runway. Up and coming fashion designers take on challenges and design new garments that are judged by a panel. One of the big names in the show and the shepherd of this flock of designers is Tim Gunn. He is known most famously for his phrase “make it work” When he comes into the workroom to look at the progress of the designers and they are struggling he will give suggestions and then tell them simply “make it work.” It’s actually a joke around our house. Every once in a while Lauren or I will look at the other and just say “make it work” That’s how we all typically approach the things that are going on in the world. We respond by just trying to “make it work” We might look for a real change, but we are mostly left with just trying to make it work. It’s not a full solution. It doesn’t really bring a full peace.
The promise that the people of Israel heard from Isaiah that we hear again today is that God isn’t just going to “make it work”. God will make complete transformation happen. God won’t accept anything less than that. The peace that God will bring can only happen through complete transformation. We see it most powerfully in this image of swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks. You have to remember that during this time iron wasn’t in great abundance. You didn’t just suddenly make new tools and you certainly couldn’t go out and buy new ones. Iron had to be reshaped from what it was into what it was going to be. I don’t know if you remember what a hammer striking an anvil sounds like, but this will be pretty close. (At this point I hit a hammer against an old iron hoe from my house). That is the sound of swords being beat into plowshares. (Another hit) That’s the sound of spears becoming pruning hooks. (Another hit) That’s the sound of destruction being turned into production. (Another hit) That’s the sound of transformation. (Another hit) That’s the sound of peace. (Another hit)
We live in a tension of now and still to come. God has brought peace into our lives now through his son Jesus, but yet it’s not as complete as the picture Isaiah saw. We see illness being fought, people find homes and jobs, the hungry find food, and relationships are mended. Even as some find peace there are many more that don’t. We see God at work in our world to bring complete transformation. We are invited into this as well. At the end of our passage Isaiah says “Oh house of Jacob, come let us walk in the light of the Lord.” By walking in the light of the Lord we take steps toward complete transformation. We walk in the way of peace. We begin to beat swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks. What does it mean to walk in the light of the Lord? I have seen it.
Monday I went with the Little Flock group to Mission Arlington. We sorted coats in one of their buildings so that they could find them easily to give to people who needed them. I was reminded again about how our families here at Shepherd of Life are committed to teaching their children about a different message than what the culture teaches. They are teaching their children about how to walk God’s way of peace, love and service to others. In the second floor of a building surrounded by boxes of donated clothing as parents described to their children what Mission Arlington was and why we were there…I heard this sound (Another hit). On Wednesday when Mark and I delivered meals to those who needed them with Meals on Wheels…I heard this sound (Another hit). On a dark Thursday night where kids had pizza, cookies and got excited about a bingo game…this sound was heard again (Another hit). On a Saturday at a Habitat house…this sound was heard (Another hit). Even in the future as we start construction on the house for Jodi and Jo’ann… we’ll hear this sound (Another hit). When our Advent journey is complete and we come to the manger in the cry of a newborn baby we’ll also hear…this sound (Another hit). That’s the sound of transformation. That’s the sound of peace. Amen.

Sermon on Luke 20:27-38 (Proper 27C or Pentecost +25C)

The God of the Living

Some of you may know what I majored in during my time in college, but I’m guessing that many of you don’t. Anyone want to venture a guess? My undergraduate degree is a Bachelors of Arts in Philosophy. That’s right. I’m a huge nerd. Philosophy is the field of study that confuses almost everyone and even makes a few people’s brain hurt. And I love it! Without Philosophy we wouldn’t have such great questions like: if a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? (Berkeley). We wouldn’t have such great statements like “I think therefore I am” (Descartes). You wouldn’t be able to call someone out on their logical fallacies during an argument. We would all be treating each other as just a means to some end. (Kant). And we wouldn’t have realized that the unexamined life isn’t worth living (Socrates). Okay, so you might think that we would better without all that, but it is all really important. All of those great thinkers and many more have shaped the way we look at the world and interact with each other because of their work in field such as metaphysics, ethics, logic, looking at the way our minds work, and thinking about the way we approach religion, art and literature.. I can tell you, it wasn’t always the easiest being a philosophy major and I’m not just talking about the work load. In fact, there were times I was rather ashamed of it. One of the first questions college kids ask each other when they are meeting for the first time is “What’s your major?” More often than not the really quirky, really eccentric people (that’s the nice way of putting it) would, of course, be the Philosophy majors. I would automatically be lumped into the same place as them. Even if that was the case it didn’t matter much because I enjoyed all my learning and discussions. My major helped me to further develop looking at issues from multiple viewpoints, to think critically and to speak clearly.

So as soon as I read the gospel text for today the philosopher in me got a little excited. The little talked about Sadducees decide it’s their turn to take a shot at Jesus. Luke fills us in that this group of religious leaders doesn’t believe in the resurrection. Here’s why: The Sadducees were strict Torah scholars, in that they only looked at and considered the first 5 books of scripture to be Torah. They were at odds with the Pharisees because the Pharisees looked at the prophetic texts, Psalms, Proverbs and the writings of the rabbis to also be included in Torah. In this situation the Pharisees and Jesus would actually be thinking very similarly. They were on the same side. The Sadducees pose a hypothetical situation based on the laws in Leviticus. To protect a man’s lineage a man would marry his brother’s widow if he were to die without any children. The Sadducees point this out and then create a story that extends it out across seven brothers all who die childless. Then they ask their question, in the resurrection who’s wife would she be? I bet they were pretty smug at this point. They thought they had caught Jesus in a trap he couldn’t explain. They also committed some logical fallacies, but I won’t get into that.

Jesus quickly points out how their story and the concept of the resurrection aren’t compatible because of how different the resurrection is. Where they are coming from is a bit short sighted for Jesus. They are thinking in very concrete terms about the resurrection, and who can blame them? When it comes to this mystery of our faith it is just that…a mystery. The Sadducees, Jesus (at that time) and us are all about in the same boat. No firsthand experience with the resurrection. We tend to think in very concrete terms about the resurrection. We can speculate about what the resurrection is going to be like, but we don’t have any firsthand experience with it. None of us can definitively say what the resurrection will be like. The Sadducees, based on what they had read, thought it better to not believe in the resurrection. In this case, they are assuming that the resurrection will look very similar to what we have going on now in this life. We’re the same way. Instead of thinking about something we have no knowledge about, many people think it better to not believe in the resurrection. For those of us who do believe in it, most of our thoughts about the resurrection tie directly into the thoughts, feelings and experiences that we have during our lifetime. This isn’t a bad thing because truthfully our experience is all we have to go on.

Jesus points out to the Sadducees and us that the resurrection is a whole lot more than we can imagine. It’s going to look vastly different than anything than we have ever experienced. For the Sadducees, it means that the laws that were in place that treated women as property, the concept of carrying your name forward and who you’re married to pale in comparison to the fact that in the resurrection each person will live into their God given identity, “a child of God.” For us I’m not entirely sure what it means, probably much of the same. I may not be able to tell you specifics, but what will be different are the things that cause the injustice and unfairness in our world. It will mean the end of pain, suffering, brokenness and separation from God. It will be as Jesus promises in our text that “they cannot die anymore because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection.” We actually start to experience some of that resurrected life here because of Jesus’ death and resurrection. We are given a new identity as a child of God and we begin to claim that identity in the here and now. It won’t be fulfilled until later, but because of God’s love you can confidently claim that you are a child of God and have a place in the resurrection. That is something that can never be taken away and never given away. It’s a gift that is given to us. In the face of all of the pain, brokenness, unfairness, injustice, separation, anxiety, fear, anything and everything that you might be struggling with, in the face of those things, you can hold up your identity as a child of God because it is always stronger.

There is one more promise that we are reminded of in the gospel today and that is that God is a God of the living. Jesus illustrates this by referencing a scripture that would be very well known to his listeners. He just interprets it in a different way. Out of the burning bush God spoke to Moses saying “I am the God of your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” I am. The name for God. Jesus interprets this as saying something about the nature of God. God isn’t concerned with what’s dead, but rather what is alive. That’s the business that God is in. Not the dead things, but what can be brought out of it. God sees life in everything and God sees everyone as being alive. Even if you are feeling a little burned out, a little dead, when you came to worship this morning know that you are a child of God and God sees nothing but life in you. God is also calling life into you. Looking to fix what has been broken. Looking to use what you feel may not be useful to bring life into others. New life and new things. That’s God’s business. So as you go out into this week may you remember that you are a child of the resurrection. May you remember the hope that we have in our identity as a child of God. And may you see God of the living calling life into you. Amen.

Sermon on Luke 16:19-31 (Proper 21C or Pentecost+19C)

Make a Difference

“I want my life to make a difference. I want my life to make a change. I want my life to do some good here. I want my life to make a change.”  These are the words to the chorus of the song “Make a Difference” by Rachel Kurtz. We sang these words at the National Youth Gathering in New Orleans in 2012 during the first worship on Wednesday night in the dome. Before we embarked into the following days of service, learning and exploring, we started with this declaration. “I want my life to make a difference.” For the High School youth, not to mention the adult leaders traveling with them, it was easy to sing this. That’s why we had come to New Orleans, to make a difference. High School youth at their core want to make a difference. They have the energy, the drive and the vision to reshape the world around them. They also believe that they can. I think that inside each and every one of us their also lives this belief that we can make a difference. We may not have as much energy, the drive might be dedicated to a different place and the vision may not be as 20/20 as it used to be, but it’s there. We believe, at some level, that we can reshape the world around us.

We follow that belief and it is then we run smack dab into something tough. After I read the gospel text for this week I promptly looked up and went “Geeze.” This one is tough. I was tempted…I really was…to just go for something else. Let me look for some other passage that is truthful but not in such a “in-your-face” way. Something convicted me though to get in the middle of it. Then came the temptation to want to stick a fluffy bunny in the middle of it all to soften it up a bit. I can’t do that either…the only remotely cute thing that we get is a dog that’s licking sores. The parable that we have is tough and that’s the way Jesus meant for it to be. One of the main functions of parables is to teach some sort of lesson in story form. Another function, that we experience this morning, is to shake up the listeners. When the parable was read, did anyone else get this sort of feeling of “oooo” or that feeling in your stomach? That is the truth of it all hitting us. We usually hear parables by identifying with one of the characters. In this case, the almost immediate connection for us is with the rich man and we know what happens to him. Jesus is pretty explicit about that.

Jesus’ parable confronts us with the way we are. Sure, we want to make a difference, until we are face to face with Lazarus. Then the song changes a bit “I’m not sure…I want to make a difference. You mean it takes that? To make a change. Well why do I have to do some good here? Maybe someone else, can make the change…” The parable personalizes it. It’s not just about hunger, homelessness, poverty, poor literacy skills, loneliness, joblessness, or any of the other big problems in our world, but now it is a person, Lazarus. What the parable tells us is that the rich man failed to see Lazarus as a person. When the rich man looked across the wall that had been built in real life he saw someone who was not in need, but rather someone who was less than himself. The rich man probably knew exactly who Lazarus was…he had to walk right by him. Even in the afterlife the rich man still doesn’t see Lazarus as a person. He talks with Abraham as though he is on the same level as him. Then the rich man essentially commands Abraham to send Lazarus down to relieve his suffering or at the very least to go to his household to warn his family. Lazarus even in the afterlife is treated as some sort of servant, as less than. The rich man is the one who creates this great chasm in both life and death.

 When we look at people today do we see only their needs or do we see them as a person? I think we know the answer when we read the parable and we have the uncomfortable feeling. We feel that when we’re faced with the fact that we look past people without even acknowledging their existence. It might even be with the best intention: We want to help them. We want to alleviate their pain. Sometimes it’s just because we are wrapped in our own thoughts, our own life, our own hurts and pains. Often it’s in self defense and self preservation: I don’t know what they might do, they’ll just spend the money on something else, or I need to get to something else. In an age where we have the potential to be the most connected and actually see one another, we spend more time trying to stay at arm’s length from each other. I want to get just enough involved to show I care, but any deeper down the rabbit hole and I am out. Relationship is messy and tough. Other people’s lives are messy and tough. Our lives are messy and tough.

It is into this messy and tough world that God came in the form of Jesus. There’s a big word for it because it is a big part of our faith: incarnation. This is huge! God decided to span the great chasm and come live among us. The Word became flesh and got messy with us. God walking along side you and me through the messiest and most tough parts of life. God, in the form of Jesus, then took it one step further “You gave your life to make a difference. You gave your life to make a change. You welcomed all to your table. You’re telling us to do the same.” At the cross, Jesus experienced death, possibly the most tough and messy thing we ever deal with. Death’s tough and God didn’t shy away from it. God didn’t try and soften it up a bit. Jesus came to experience it all so that he could make a change. That change is to shatter every wall and chasm that stands between us and God and Us and each other. To shake us up and help us to see a different way that’s paved with service and love. To see us where we are, but yet, to change us with love and grace.

So do you feel significantly shaken up? The parable is not a hard and fast rule. It’s not a “this will be the case”. It is a story that outlines the way we are. What it doesn’t outline is the way we could be. That part of the story is unwritten. We are writing that part of the story here and now. I want to encourage you to continue to believe. Continue to believe that you can make a difference because God’s spirit working in you will be the one to make a difference. We can’t do it on our own, but with God all things are possible. Someone said that once…oh yeah! That was Jesus. We can make a difference with God’s help. We can reshape the world around us. Tell a different story. Really see people for who they are and love them. You may not feel like you have the energy, drive or vision and that’s okay. That’s why we go together. It’s not easy and it’s messy, but God walks with us. “We want our lives to make a difference. We want our lives to make a change. We want our lives to do some good here. We want our lives to make a change.” Amen

Sermon on Luke 15:1-10 (Proper 19C or Pentecost +17)

Are You Lost?

As a part of my ministry here at Shepherd of Life I work very hard to make sure every possible safeguard is in place. We fill out registration forms, health forms, consent forms, and I always make sure that we have plenty of adult help. I am very careful to make sure everyone knows where to go and that there are always eyes watching. All this planning, all this time, all this carefulness and guess what happens occasionally? We get a code red. Someone decides to wander off. It never fails that every once in a while someone decides that what we are doing isn’t that cool anymore. They want to stay behind and do their own thing. These times are the one of the most unsettling parts of my ministry. The thing that raises my anxiety level the quickest is when one of the kids is not where they are supposed to be. The youth can tell you that I very rarely have to raise and add tone to my voice, I don’t ever yell, but when I don’t know where you are and then I find you… there is definitely an edge to my voice. You can tell that I am disappointed and upset. What they can’t tell you is the immense sense of relief I feel when I see the face of the kiddo that I’m looking for.

We come today in the gospel of Luke to two very well known parables of Jesus, the parable of the lost sheep and the lost coin. We see again how those dang tax collectors and sinners are coming to Jesus, wanting to hear what he has to say. The Pharisees and the scribes are a little grumbly about that. These aren’t the kind of folks Jesus should be hanging out with, much less eating with them and welcoming them as friends. Then Jesus tells two ridiculous parables. That’s right, they are ridiculous. Jesus begins “Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it?” The real answer? No one! No one would leave 99 sheep by themselves out in the wilderness. That’s just asking for trouble. Jesus then continues “Or what women having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?” Again the answer? No one! Putting off an entire day’s work or even staying up all night to search for one coin? Yeah…sure…it’s worth a day’s wage, but still! Not gonna happen. When we read these parables, we think “Oh yeah. I could see doing that. Sure.” That’s because we put ourselves in the place of the shepherd and the woman. We understand losing things. It’s a part of the human experience. So that is the role we automatically see ourselves in..the one who is searching for what is lost.

That’s not the role Jesus has us in. We’re the sheep. We’re the coin. We are the ones that are lost. Now you might be sitting there thinking, “I’m pretty sure I’m one of the 99 or even one of the 9. I’m not wandering off. I mean I’m here at church this morning. It may not have been the easiest to get up and get here, but I’m here!” Sure. You’re here. But that doesn’t mean you’re not lost either. How many of us absorb ourselves in work at the expense of other things, chasing after that promotion or next big thing. How many of our schedules are controlled by an extracurricular because of the way it will prepare our child for the future. How many of us are tormented by the way people think about the way our house looks, the way our car looks or what stuff we have, playing that comparative game in our minds. How many of us pride ourselves on being independent, answering to no one, doing it all ourselves under our own steam. How many of us our stressed, tired, anxious, worried, afraid, angry or hurt about one thing or another. Just plain burned out. Sounds like the one sheep out there by themselves to me. The one sheep knowing that the way that they are going is the best. I’ve got this…no problem.

When I was in late elementary school and early Junior High I remember something my parents used to say when I lost something. As they were helping me look and listening to me claim over and over again “I don’t know where it is! I don’t know where it is!” they would eventually lose their cool a bit and say “Well it didn’t just up and roll away or walk off” We are a coin that can just get up and roll away. If we choose to and often we do, we can hide ourselves pretty well. We hide ourselves away because we are afraid that we’re not good enough. We’re afraid of messing up. We’re afraid that if people saw the real us they would reject us. Or what’s worse if God saw who we really are, that love wouldn’t come so easy.

When we are in the role of the sheep and the coin, God fills in on the role of the shepherd and the women. Remember how I said earlier that the parables where ridiculous? Well they are, because the truth is that is how ridiculous God’s love is. God cares so much about you that the 99 get recklessly left behind in the wilderness just so that God can come find you. God cares about you so much that the house gets swept and searched over and over and over again until you are found. Even though other things preoccupy us, God comes after us again and again with love. Even though we may hide inside ourselves and not let anyone know who we truly are, God searches and pulls us out of hiding. Then, God rejoices. God calls together everyone and says “Rejoice with me because I have found what was lost” and they rejoice too. You can’t imagine the immense sense of relief that God feels when God finds us and gets the chance to see our face again.

Personally I think our world needs a bit more ridiculous. I mean, it’s already pretty ridiculous in a lot of ways, but what if it was more ridiculous with the radical love of God? Friends, we get the opportunity to help bring the message and signs of that ridiculous love to a world that is full of lost people. I’m not talking in the sense that they are lost and it’s our job to fix them because let’s face it…we’re lost too. What’s nice though is we can walk and be lost together. Even in our lostness God will work through us to bring the kingdom. A new path that is paved with love and care. Walking and turning away from the things that hold onto us and turning towards God. What is lost won’t be lost forever because with God doing the searching we can be confident that all will be found and rejoiced over. Amen.

Sermon on Luke 13:10-17 ( Proper 16 or Pentecost +14)

A Saving Touch

There is this interesting phenomenon that always happens at camp on Thursday night. Everything tends to get a bit emotional. The girls normally cry. The guys usually do their uncomfortable fidgeting thing. You would think that the end of the week dance would be the main contributing factor to this. It’s not. It’s actually the last evening worship of the week. One piece of the evening that has been around even when I was a camper is a time of affirmation. I remember how it happened when I was a camper. As a cabin group we would stand in a circle. One by one each person would step into the circle and everyone would place their hand on their shoulders or head. We would go around the circle and everyone would say something affirming about the person in the center. Typically it was reflecting on the gifts we had seen them show during the week. Then the staff person would pray for the person in the middle. Now you know why it would get really emotional! This is some powerful stuff going on! I remember the weight of the hands on me and the weight of the words that were spoken. What we were doing for each other was giving each person a reminder that they were a dearly loved child of God and blessing them for the journey.

What struck me about the gospel lesson from Luke today is the way in which Jesus’ healing takes place. He sees this woman who has had a spirit that crippled her for 18 years. It’s weighed on her so much that she can’t even stand up straight! Again it is Jesus who initiates this miracle. There’s no great test of faith from the woman. She doesn’t ask for it. She’s just there for her Sabbath worship time. Jesus sees her and proclaims to her healing “Woman, you are set free from your ailment.” But that doesn’t make it happen. It’s when he lays hands on her that she is then truly healed.

We can identify with this woman or at least I can. We’ve had experiences where something has weighed heavily on us, on our spirit. You can feel it, right here, in your chest. It can feel at times so heavy that we feel bent over; bearing the weight of whatever it is we’re dealing with. A lot of the time we need someone else to help lift that weight off so that we’re able to stand up straight. Two weeks ago while I was at the Churchwide assembly I started feeling anxious. I started to hear again those voices telling me in general that I wasn’t good enough and begin to call into question who I am. Those voices happen sometime. That day in worship we had the opportunity to explore some different worship stations. One of them was praying with a pastor. I joined a line and waited for it to be my turn. The pastor I sat with was a middle aged African American woman from Chicago. As soon as I sat down she grabbed my hand and asked me how she could pray for me. I shared with her what those comparative voices were telling me and she nodded with a sense of deep understanding. She grabbed my head and pulled me in close and began to pray. As she prayed and reminded me of who I was and whose I was, I felt the heaviness in my spirit disappear.

Today’s gospel reading reminds us of the promise that God gives to us in baptism. It actually starts with baptism and continues in communion. God is not far away. God is close to us. Period. In baptism we receive a new name, child of God. We are adopted into the family. Through word and water we are confident that in Jesus Christ, God is near to us always. Healing, wholeness, renewal and restoration are always there whether we have the strength to ask for it or not. When we’re feeling weighed down and bent over, we can remember that we’re a child of God through baptism. Christ comes to us and says “Woman, Man, you are set free from your ailment.” In communion every Sunday we also receive a reminder of those same promises. In bread and wine, we taste and see that God is good. Jesus draws near to us and we remember him in a simple meal shared in community. God is not far off, but right here to have and hold. When we’re feeling weighed down and bent over, we can remember that we’re a child of God through communion. “Woman, Man, you are sent free from your ailment.”

Another way that we see this and embrace it is through the love that we have in Christian community. It seems as though youth embrace this the most quickly. Every large scale youth event I have been to always has some youth who will make a “free hug” sign to carry around them. They are ready to show the love they have in Christ in a very real way. Of course, since youth embrace it the most quickly you have to be careful in how it’s carried out, thus the creation of the “side hug.” Instead of a normal hug, you just hug from the side. It’s safer and still conveys a certain amount of warmth. It’s almost become an automatic for me from working those summers at camp. The problem is, you can tell it’s a side hug. It’s pretty obvious. It doesn’t totally convey the warmth that a real hug has behind it. But, there are rules that are put in place, I understand, so that those who work with youth or even youth themselves engage in a way that can’t be taken the wrong way. We constantly have to be careful in the way that we interact with each other so that our actions won’t be mistaken for ill intent. The rules keep us safe but also typically keep us at arm’s length from each other. I have to admit that even writing this sermon was difficult because how do you convey the importance that physical interaction can have on us without sounding creeper? It’s obvious that physical interaction is a huge part of our faith. Our faith is embodied it’s who we are. So how do we carry this out as a part of our interaction between one another?

What’s most important to remember is it’s not just the interaction, but also the words that accompany them. What makes baptism and communion a sacrament is not just the physical element, but the words that are spoken as a part of it. Those two things together make these celebrations powerful. We hear the reminder in addition to feeling it. One way that we can do this in community outside of the sacraments is through the process of blessing. This isn’t something we’re too used to, but let’s try it this morning. Yes, I know, again with the full contact, interactive sermons. Here’s the deal, I really like being church among one another not just doing church…so here we go. I want you to find someone near you, trace the sign of the cross on their forehead and say “Name, child of God you are dearly loved.” Be sure to look at them. Don’t look over the top of their head or anything. Also, make sure everyone gets a blessing, no one left behind. Ready? Go. (Pause here until everyone finishes) How did it feel to be blessed? How did it feel to speak the blessing?

We are called through our baptism and given freedom through Christ’s death to go out and bless others. Now we don’t always remember to do that. We get busy, distracted and tend to overlook each other. We forget that we are children of God and we forget that others are God’s children too. Still Christ comes to us through water, through bread and wine and through the sign of the cross to remind us of who we are. Still Christ dies for us to display fully the love of God. That no matter what, God will seek us and embrace us. We are God’s children called and blessed to be a blessing to others. Called to go and embrace all of God’s creation. Think for a moment, who is someone in your life that you interact with every day that could use a blessing? Your goal for this week is to bless them. Find some way to bless them maybe it’s a side hug. Your blessing, your embrace, could be the saving touch that they need to lift a burden off their spirit. It will allow them to stand up straight, free from their ailment. Through you they will see and  experience Jesus. Amen.

Sermon on Luke 11:1-13 (Proper 12C or Pentecost +10)

Lord, Teach Us to Pray

I was about 7 when I first learned it. At Peace, my home congregation growing up, we had these booklets that we got in Sunday School. In that booklet were different things that we could learn about church including the books of the Old and New Testament, the Apostle’s creed, the Nicene creed, the Ten Commandments and the Lord’s Prayer (both versions). If you learned them and were able to tell them to your parents, one of the pastors and another church member then you got recognition at different levels, like learning 3, 5 and all 7. I remember when I got my booklet. I flipped through and decided to start learning the Lord’s Prayer because it was the easiest and the shortest thing in there. My people pleasing side had majorly kicked in. I wanted that recognition so why not start with the easiest and the shortest? As I have grown and prayed the Lord’s Prayer for about 18 years now, it still seems too short sometimes, but I have realized more and more that it is anything but easy.
Jesus’ disciples approach him in the gospel lesson this morning after he has spent one of his many silent moments praying in a place by himself. One of them asks him point blank “Lord, teach us to pray as John taught his disciples.” I find this really interesting. Why would this disciple add in the last qualifier “As John taught his disciples”? A common interpretation is that this disciple was using John as a reference point, “Jesus, John taught his disciples how to pray. Can you do the same thing for us?” A simple request to learn to be more like Jesus since that was the disciple’s job, to become more like their rabbi. Learning to pray like him would be step in that direction. A reflection I had were that maybe the disciples knew something of the prayer John had taught his disciples and they wanted something cool too. While they were hangin out by the Jordan, John’s disciples would pray the prayer he taught them and it was awesome. So the twelve got a little jealous, anxious, or competitive because they knew that any prayer Jesus would teach them would smoke John’s prayer. It would be hands-down, the best prayer ever. But they couldn’t show it off yet because Jesus hadn’t taught them how to pray! Oh no!
Either way you look at it, Jesus teaches them a prayer that we now say every Sunday and even sometimes in between. The Lord’s Prayer. Luke’s version of the prayer is a bit abridged. If you’re looking for the one closer to the one we say it’s in the gospel of Matthew. Jesus’ model for prayer is pretty simple in its formula. It starts with praising God and acknowledging God’s work. It then asks for sustaining things (daily bread), relationship things (forgiveness), and safety (time of trial). That’s it. And that’s a wrap! Just pray like that, keeping those few things in mind and you’re golden. Sermon done! Not quite…
If we stopped there it would leave something left to be desired, especially since we’ve read that parable about the persistent friend and also Jesus’ words about asking, seeking and knocking. We’ve all had experiences where we have been persistent and shameless about asking for things from God, seeking God in those tough moments and pounding louder and harder on the door than Fred Flintstone. And we’re not talking trivial things, but big stuff like healing for friends and family, a job so we can support our family, when we’re afraid or anxious, and when tragedy, death and destruction happens. We’ve also experienced when those prayers have gone unanswered.
 I don’t claim to know much of anything about unanswered prayer. There are all kinds of answers that are given in those circumstances. Some can be unintentionally hurtful like, “it was part of God’s plan.” Some are about the nature of God like, “Well maybe it just seemed like God didn’t answer, but the answer came in a different form.” Some might come from us beating ourselves up “Well maybe I wasn’t as persistent as I thought. If I had just prayed more…” What I can tell you is what I firmly believe in. I place my trust in God and not in the prayer I pray. My trust is in God and God’s unfailing love and grace for us, not in anything I can come up with on my own.
God’s love and faithfulness is present even though we may not always be able to see it. Jesus illustrates it by talking about people giving gifts. We know how to give good gifts to our children, even though we may not always be the best at it. Jesus shares God’s promise with us “If you then, who are evil (ouch), know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.” God will give in abundance the Holy Spirit. Jesus doesn’t say that it will be exactly what we want or what we ask for specifically, but rather the answer is the Holy Spirit through which we receive peace, love, understanding, community and all sorts of other blessings.
What I think is one of the most captivating things about this prayer filled with trust and reliance is the unity it brings. The Lord’s Prayer is written with the community always in mind. It’s never give me today, or forgive me, or lead me not, but always us. It also unites us as the whole Christian church.
I was sitting in Starbucks the other day and it’s always interesting to hear the different drink names. Who thinks they have the craziest Starbucks drink order? The combinations at Starbucks can be really intimidating for a first timer. You can always tell who they are because they stand and stare at the menu board for a while. It’s a language all its own. This idea gets worse when it comes to people talking about theology. When theologians start talking about sanctification and justification and all of the –iations it gets tough to comprehend. At the end of the day when we get together to worship we all pray the Lord’s Prayer. Here in a little bit when we say it together millions of Christians all over the world will be saying it too. It was also said by our grandparents and great-grandparents and our great great grandparents. We teach it to our children and they’ll teach it to their children and they’ll teach it to their children. Really old or really young this is a prayer that can cut through the noise and the confusion of life to reassert our trust in God and God’s unfailing love. A prayer that brings us all together in unity. A prayer that Jesus taught us. A true gift.
I want to end with an illustration of all of this that I bring back with me from camp. It’s a participatory illustration which means you have to help or it will fail miserably. I’m asking you to do this because I believe in you and if you don’t believe in yourself, well… I don’t mind looking silly in front of you all. Here in a minute I want you to begin praying out loud. It doesn’t have to be anything special just start praying and giving God your thoughts and feelings. Then when you hear a prayer you recognize join in. I want to encourage you to listen closely as we are all praying and take your time. It’s not a race. Listen as we pray… (As everyone prays for a bit begin saying the Lord’s Prayer with everyone joining in. The final Amen is the end of the sermon).

Sermon on Luke 9:51-62 (Proper 8C or Pentecost +6)

Home Is Where Your Heart Is

The congregation that I attended when I was growing up was Peace Lutheran in College Station. I have a lot of really good and random memories there. It’s interesting some of the things you remember compared to others. The sanctuary is set in a half circle design similar to ours. I always thought that was really a cool concept. You got to see the other people you were worshipping with. Above the altar area there is a huge dove carved out of wood. During sermons sometimes I would sit and wonder if the pastor and the assisting minister for the day would be able to get out of the way fast enough if it were to fall. And we had the red carpet. I don’t know why, but that red carpet is like a staple in Lutheran churches. I also remember vividly the Fellowship Hall. I spent lots of time there playing different games and doing different activities. There is this one triangle shaped ledge that sticks out over the office area. That was the home run porch for when we played marshmallow baseball. Every time I visit home I wonder if someone finally got up there to get those down or if there is still a stray marshmallow or two still up there. Peace was for the longest time my home congregation. There was, however, this very weird time right when I started here at Shepherd of Life where I wasn’t quite sure where my home congregation was. What will help you understand the weirdness is to understand a part of the candidacy process when someone decides to pursue ordained ministry to become a pastor. One part of the process is having a home congregation that supports you through that time. So even while I was in college I continued to refer to Peace as my home congregation. When I arrived here to follow the call of youth and family ministry, meaning I wasn’t going straight to seminary like I had planned for a while, it wasn’t as important to have a “home” congregation anymore. Shepherd of Life is now undoubtedly my home congregation, but you could see how at first it was a little uncomfortable. I had spent so much time holding on to a “home congregation” for a specific purpose that it took a little bit to transition.

Looking at our gospel lesson today it’s pretty obvious that it can be a tough thing to transition what you consider home. While Jesus is passing through a village, his face set on heading towards Jerusalem, he has three really unique encounters with people. Out of these three encounters we are given three sayings of Jesus that each resemble a soundbyte and are rapid fire. They also seem to be a bit out of character for Jesus.  The first comes when someone says “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus then responds rather oddly, “Foxes have holes, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” The guy didn’t say anything about wanting to settle down anywhere so the answer at first seems a little out of left field. Jesus then calls to another person using his classic line “Follow me.” That person wants to go and lay his father to rest first, but seems open to the call. To which then Jesus responds “Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God” Seems a bit harsh. The last person says “I’m totally down for following you just let me go say goodbye to my folks really quick” to which Jesus essentially responds “Cool, but that means you’re not really cut out for this” What do we make of all this?

What seems like some tough words from Jesus is really him just painting a reality for those he encounters, his disciples that are with him, and for us as followers years later. If you’re going to follow me and do kingdom work then things are going to look much different than you expect them to. I don’t have a place to call home, no set place to lay my head. Chances are you probably won’t either. When you go to proclaim the kingdom and listen to its call it might get in the way of plans you thought about doing…even changing the friendships and relationships you hold close to you now. If you’re concerned about saying goodbye to things now imagine what it will be like down the road when things aren’t as comfortable. This is real talk that we all understand at some level. Think about how your life is different because of your journey of faith. When we take serious the call of Christ to follow it means some pretty radical things. We have to give up and sacrifice some things, mainly ourselves, our pride, our selfishness, our need to control things and make them nice and neat. If you think back to the calling of the first disciples what did they do when Jesus called them. They dropped their nets and immediately followed. What we are seeing today are potential disciples that have potential reservations.

God has been using those sorts of people for years. Every major call story in the Bible when people have been contacted by God for a purpose have had some sort of excuse. I can’t speak well, I’m too young, I’m too old, I’m not good enough, what are other people going to say. That didn’t matter to God though. Through some discussion, sometimes not always the nicest, God has convinced God’s people to do some incredible things. So if you have some reservations like the people in our gospel text today you’re not alone. There is, however, some reality that you will have to face, but it’s not in the fine print. It’s right there for us all to see as we seek to live out and follow the way of Jesus. Jesus’ call to come follow him doesn’t guarantee a simple, straightforward life that has all of the creature comforts taken care of, but what it does speak to us is the fact that we are needed to help bring in the kingdom of God.

There is also a cautionary tale for those of us who are following whether we have reservations or not as many. We see it in the way that James and John react to those who aren’t as accepting. Before the three encounters Jesus and the disciples are going to pass through a Samaritan village. Samaritans and Jews didn’t see eye to eye on everything in Jesus’ day and it usually came out in the form of hatred against one another. For whatever reason this Samaritan village didn’t accept the messengers that Jesus had sent ahead to prepare a place for him. James and John react rather strongly wanting to call down fire from heaven to consume them. They weren’t called the sons of thunder for nothing! As if they could even do that to begin with! Who do they think they are? Sounds to me like they were a bit big for their britches as my grandpa used to say. Some folks have a habit of doing that today as well. When we are met with something different that doesn’t accept us as we are, we are all sorts of ready to call down some fire. Here’s the thing: James and John couldn’t and weren’t allowed to do it and neither are we. We are called to follow Jesus’ example and act in a way that is radically different. To respond with holy love instead of holy fire.

So if we follow on this road that will be twisty, curved, complicated and filled with radically different responses to things, what are we going to find along the way? I was reading a blog post by one of my favorite musicians Michael Gungor this past week. He and his wife Lisa along with some of their musician friends have gotten together and created the band Gungor. They create some awesome music that is different than mainstream Christian music, but talks deeply about the mystery of our faith. He was telling a story about a time that they were playing for worship at a Catholic youth festival and they were invited to participate in the evening Adoration. During this service the congregation lit candles and spent around 20 minutes in silence facing the cross simply adoring Christ. He didn’t know all of the details, but what Michael did feel and understand was the mystery of it all. Then, of course, I had to go down and read the comments… All of them were really positive, many thanking Michael for speaking positively about a church that often is the target of a lot of hate. One phrase kept popping up that really struck me “Come Home.” Comment after comment imploring Michael to “Come home” That caused a lot of questions for me namely: since Micheal didn’t grow up Catholic, how could becoming Catholic suddenly be coming home? It helped me realize a promise that Jesus talks to us about today. When we set off on the road, following his way, we may not find home in a certain place, but we will definitely find home in Jesus. That could be why Jesus reminds us that he has no home. No certain faith tradition or denomination has sole claim over Jesus. This means that who knows what we could discover from those we journey with when we set out on the road. Things might look different and we’ll never know what we could learn and appreciate about others if we call down fire upon them or are held up by our own reservations. What we can be sure of is that we have a home and shelter in Christ who calls us to journey with him. Despite our differences or our reservations we are called to journey together and do kingdom work all while residing at home in Jesus. To proclaim that God has come near. To tell of the good news of God’s love revealed in Jesus Christ. As you journey this week may you remember that wherever you are you are home in Jesus. He’s there to strengthen you with his grace and love. May you also remember that despite your reservations you are called to proclaim the kingdom. May you also learn something different from someone else this week as we journey down the road together. Amen

Sermon on Luke 7:11-17 (Proper 5C or Pentecost +3)

The Potential of Hope

Last weekend my sister and two of her friends came to spend the weekend with us. We had a great weekend visiting the Perot Museum in Dallas and going to the Rangers game on Saturday. I know that the weekend was a good time for them to relax and take their mind off of things. Taking their mind off of things was especially important because of the news that they had gotten before coming. I got a call from Kathryn Thursday morning while I was at the office. She wanted to let me know that they may have delayed coming down until Friday because the night before, one of her friends that she had graduated with from High School had committed suicide. I don’t know any of the details, but what I do know is this bright, caring, ambitious 20 year old young adult is now gone way before he needed to be. Last Sunday evening I got a text from a friend of mine who lives in an apartment complex. There were a lot of emergency vehicles in her area of the complex and she had found out that one of her neighbors had committed suicide. She didn’t know who it was, but had a feeling that I bet many of us have had. “I want to do something…I feel like I should do something, but I just don’t know what to do.” In a very short amount of time people who I am close to had to face death which, of course, means I had to confront it as well.

Then low and behold look at the gospel text that was given to us to look at this morning. This story of the widow’s son is unique to the gospel of Luke. You won’t find it in any other gospel. This story immediately follows the one that we heard last Sunday, the healing of the centurion’s servant. Jesus is traveling to a town called Nain. As he approaches the city gates he and his disciples encounter a funeral procession. There are pall bearers carrying a bier, which is a platform used to carry the body to where it would be buried outside of the city. Lying on this bier is a young man who is gone before he needed to be. It’s important to note that beside him is his mother who is a widow. During this time a woman had no way to earn a living except through her husband. If her husband had died and she was widowed her livelihood then came from her son. In the case of this widow in Luke she has lost her husband and her son, which will certainly lead to a life of poverty and misery. We’re not told, but I doubt she is thinking about those things the moment that Jesus is passing by.

The Bible often talks about the care that should be shown to widows and orphans. These are on the fringes on the outside of society. They are ones who can’t care for themselves. When people are depressed or have anxiety about the future they typically feel on the fringe and really have a hard time caring for themselves. This is what usually leads to suicide. Not being able to see the hope that is in the world. There is no more light. There is no more future. Now, we can debate about whether or not the things that are a stress to teenagers, young adults and even some adults are worth the stress or time spent dwelling on it, but that doesn’t change the fact that for people who are dealing with heavy things, it is very real for them. It doesn’t change the fact that in those circumstances if hope seems lost they might make a decision that will be a real loss. Typically, they won’t ask for help. They won’t ask for healing. They will just make a decision.

Let’s look closely at the story this morning because I want to point out something you may have missed. If you look at the widow or even the crowd from the town you’ll notice that they don’t speak at all. They don’t ask for healing. There is no great test of faith. They haven’t even done anything to exhibit faith. They’re just in the process or mourning someone they have lost. They don’t ask for Jesus’ help. They don’t ask for his healing. In all honesty, in that moment they may not have even known or cared who they are in the presence of. Everything that happens is because of what Jesus does. He sees the woman and has compassion for her. Then he says something that the rest of us can’t ever get away with. He says “Don’t weep.” Don’t ever say that to someone who is mourning. I can almost guarantee you will get slapped, punched, beat up or yelled at. If you want to be insensitive that’s what you say to people. That’s a sure way of becoming a jerk. We can’t say that to people, but Jesus could because he knows what he is going to do. He touches the bier and everything stops. I just imagine this great silence. Everyone looking at Jesus. Jesus looking at the man lying on the bier. And he says to the young man one simple word “Rise”.

At the Perot museum they have one exhibit where you turn a lever that hoists a ball up onto a track which it goes through and drops down through a piece of paper with the help of gravity. This is to help illustrate the physics of motion and energy. One form of energy that is fascinating to me is called potential energy. So here is our short, nerdy, science discussion for the day. It’s almost summertime which makes me think of theme parks. You can also think about energy transfer in terms of rollercoasters too. It’s an easier illustration. As the rollercoaster is pulled up the hill for the first big drop mechanical energy is transferred into potential energy. That moment right before gravity takes over potential energy is at its highest point. When you are sitting on top of the hill waiting to go down you are feeling potential energy. Essentially potential energy is the energy an object holds based on its position.  It is energy that is there waiting to be transferred into another form. The potential energy gets transferred into kinetic energy as gravity takes over and pulls the train car down towards the earth. So what does this have to do with anything?

  I believe that we, as followers of Christ, have a unique perspective when it comes to potential energy. We believe that because of Christ’s death and resurrection we have hope. As Paul so eloquently put it in 1 Corinthians, we have the ability to say “Where, o death, is your victory? Where, o death, is your sting?” It’s not there. Christ’s death and resurrection eliminated death’s power. It no longer holds the ability to cause us anxiety or fear. In the face of death we have confidence in the power of God.  Through Christ, God has seen his creation and has compassion for it. Compassion for the things we experience like our brokenness, our fear, our anxiety. Compassion for us as a person…just as we are. Because of this, we have the ability to see the potential of hope in every situation. Every situation that we encounter in our lives is filled with the potential energy of hope. The hope is there just waiting to be released and transferred into kinetic energy. All it needs is a little push. Jesus knew that there was hope to be had in the situation outside of Nain and he did something about it. He stopped long enough to see this widow, was filled with compassion and acted. It was the little push to release that energy of hope in everyone that was gathered there.

There are people out there though that can’t see the potential of hope anymore. It’s there, but it seems lost. We can do something about that. We have the unique ability to see all kinds of potential hope that just requires a little push. We are called to follow in the steps of Jesus. To slow down and really see people for who they are. To have compassion for them. Then we are called to do what we can do. It’s probably not raising people from the dead. But it is finding ways to transfer some potential hope into kinetic hope for those who need it. To have the confidence in the death and resurrection of Christ, the power of God that we act in the lives of those who may be right in front of us. I’ll let you in on a little secret: they probably aren’t going to ask for help. We are called to see them, not the other way around. We are called to be present and active in the lives of those around us so that through us they can experience the hope that comes through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Then they might just begin to see the potential hope that is around them. May you remember that every situation is filled with the potential energy of hope. May you remember that God has seen you and has compassion on you. And may you remember that you are called to release some potential energy in the lives of those around you. It only takes a little push. Amen

Sermon on John 17:20-26 (Easter 7C)

Alive with the Glory of Love

Okay, so as we start into this time today I want to know something. You don’t have to raise your hand, but be honest. Who zoned out while I was reading the gospel? I have to admit that I may have a little bit. This is some intense stuff we are talking about today! When I first read the gospel text I had two thoughts. First, I had a Beatles “I am the Walrus” moment. You know “I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together.” Next I had an Abbot and Costello moment. “Who’s on first, what’s on second and I don’t know is on third.” As wordy and dense as this passage from John is it doesn’t require a quick wit or any sort of altered state of mind to understand and appreciate it. We just have to dive into it a bit…and dive in we shall.

The way I see it there are three big themes that Jesus is trying to convey to us this morning: Glory, Unity and Love. The last two  especially because of the number of times he repeats those words. If Jesus is repeating something over and over again I have found that those things are pretty important. We’ll get to each of these in turn but first a little more about my family, the women of my family in particular (it is mother’s day after all). 

I come from a family of strong female figures. Both of my grandma’s are definitely the glue that holds our extended families together and they each show their love in different ways. My dad’s mom, I call her Mimi shows her love through preparing food. I always joke that I am still trying to lose the weight she graced me with as a child. After lunch or dinner where she had cooked enough food for an army, where the table was bending slightly in the middle she would always tempt me with a Little Debbie snack of some kind. This was post-dessert mind you. Of course I would take it and eat it, it’s my grandma! My mom’s mom, my Grandma, shows her love through her support of the things that we do. Growing up Grandma would be at a lot of my band concerts, Boy Scout awards and milestones in my faith walk. She also would do a fair bit of teaching too. She taught me about playing games, gardening and how to be the best sports fan out there. My mom shows her love through encouraging me to always be who I am and follow my dreams. Growing up, I remember how we would talk in the car on the way to church for Confirmation or other activities and she would listen and ask questions about what was going on in life. She was interested to know what I thought about stuff which, to a person who is geared to think, is a real blessing! She is still that way today. Lauren shows her love through taking care of people. She really has the gift of hospitality. I like to say that we are running a bed and breakfast out of our house because when guests come to stay we have extra shampoo, soap, shaving cream, toothpaste and toothbrushes. We have pretty much everything you could want.

Now I didn’t mention all the women of my family because you don’t want to be here all day. I don’t blame you. They all remind me of the three things I mentioned above: Glory, Unity and Love. Through doing these things that show that they care about us they bring about unity in our family. I will also be the first to tell you that when you see them in their element, doing these things that they love, it really is a glorious sight. Now, you might be thinking “Really? Glory, Unity and Love as describing family…that doesn’t seem right. Doesn’t really describe my family” Families aren’t always functional, cohesive, and may not be the most welcoming place. But I don’t think these things are unique to the women of my family or even just my family or even family in general. Think back to the last time you saw someone doing something they truly loved. Did what they do help to bring people together? Did you notice something different about them?

This is where we find some space in our gospel from John. At first Jesus talks about glory. He says “The glory that you have given to me I have given them, so that they may be one as we are one.” I’m going to read that again. We are given Jesus’ glory! That’s big stuff, but what does that mean? Jesus’ glory is through love. Jesus lived the life of a servant. Giving to others out of great love and trust in God’s power and reign. That was the glory that Jesus displayed. That when we were unlovable he still loved us. That same glory is given to us. It is a great gift and call that we are given. To love those who see themselves as unlovable. What a powerful thing!

This is so that, as Jesus mentions a couple different times, “they may all be one.” We’re loved and given a share of his glory for the purpose of unity. Now this doesn’t mean we have to like each other all the time but what it does call us to do is to see the face of Christ in each other. We are given love so that we might begin to love ourselves and in turn love others. We are given love so that we can be one with who we are, be one with God and be one with each other.

I don’t have to tell you that we’re not so good at all this. Unity is hard! Unity takes work! To be genuinely unified you have to get messy and things get complicated. Along with that the world has a completely different view of what glory is. Glory is to make a name for yourself! Glory is to make lots of money and live the good life! Glory is going on a TV show and becoming famous! The path to glory that the world paves is one that leads more to stepping on each other than unity.

Here is the good news though. Jesus knows this and so he goes to work by praying for us. Wait, what’s that? Yes. He prays to God for us. This passage from John comes at the end of four lengthy chapters before Jesus heads out to the garden of Gethsemane. As a part of these chapters Jesus prays for his disciples that were present on that night and the disciples to come. In a moment for them of confusion, dismay, anger and fear Jesus prays for them. He prays for unity, glory and love. Jesus prays for you and me: unity, glory and love. That we might be so alive with the glory of love that we would be one with God, ourselves and each other.

This is something that we can do for one another. We pray for people all the time in our congregation during the prayers of the church. We are going to make it more personal today. I want you to take one of the blue cards from out of the pew. Now, in the spirit of full disclosure you have a choice to make. You can either write your name on the card or not, but know that you won’t be walking out of here with your card. On that card I want you to write something that you need to be prayed for. It can be a sickness, something you are struggling with, something you’re worried about, a joy, something you are celebrating. You can be ridiculously broad or very specific. Doesn’t matter to me. Now I want you to fold it in half, take the card and pass it…

We are going to be alive with the glory of love this week and pray for each other. You may know the person you may not, especially if they didn’t write their name. I want you to pray for that person this week. Pray for their struggles or their joys. Just as Jesus prayed for us so we are called to pray for each other. Someone is praying for you this week. Using their gift of glory and love to pray for unity in your life. This is only one way to live out the glory of love, there are many more. If you like praying you could always consider being a prayer partner for the Day School. They need some. It could be taking someone out for lunch this week. It could be writing a prayer for someone on their Facebook status or wall. It could be calling a family member or friend just to tell them you love them. Whatever form it takes this week may you know that you are indeed alive with the glory of love. May you remember that Jesus and someone in this worship service are praying for you this week. And may you find multiple opportunities to unite those around you because of the love that you show. Amen.

Sermon on Luke 13:31-35 (Lent 2C)

I’m Not Finished Yet

Growing up one of my favorite memories from Thanksgiving was playing football with my uncles and my cousins out in the front yard of the farmhouse that my grandma grew up in. This was always an interesting challenge for me because obviously my uncles were bigger than me, they were adults, but my cousins have always been bigger than me too. Let me give you some perspective. My oldest cousin Kiel is about 6’3” and in High School played on the Katy basketball team as a forward. His brother Travis, who is actually 2 years younger than me, is about 6’4” and played on the Katy varsity football team the year they won the state 5A championship. He was one of the line guys for the point after kick, you know them, the guy that just stands up and is supposed to be “wall-like” to keep the kicker protected. One of his first jobs was as a bouncer at a bar in College Station. Yeah, he’s built like that. Then you have…me. Now I’m not short by any means, but by comparison I had my work cut out for me. Mostly, I just relied on…intimidation. When that didn’t work, plan B was go for the ankles, wrap up, hang on and not let go. This usually resulted in me getting dragged through the grass on more than one occasion. Looking back it must have looked pretty comical, me hanging on for dear life hoping my dead weight would stop them, but if anything I was persistent at the very least. I never gave up.

This morning we encounter Jesus in a rather unusual interaction with some Pharisees. Now normally these guys are shown as being the bad guys. In this case a group of them is coming to warn Jesus about the “king” of Galilee, Herod. I say “king” because Herod was in good with the powerhouse of the time, Rome. It was Rome that put Herod in charge of the area of Galilee after his father Herod the great passed away and he used every power at his disposal as a show of cooperation with the Roman occupation. He spent lots of money building all sorts of things including an entirely new city, Caesarea. Okay, enough of a history lesson. Know this, Herod was a bad dude who was a big bully. Israel wasn’t too keen on the Roman occupation and with brute force Herod made sure they were compliant with it. So we have the traditionally bad guys coming to Jesus and warning him about an even bigger bad guy. “Jesus, get out of here! Herod wants to kill you!” This group of Pharisees is concerned about Jesus’ safety and is trying to convey the danger to him. They are afraid of what Herod might do, but Jesus won’t give in.

We have things in our life that try to tempt us into fear; things that try and bring up anxieties and despair. We also have the tendency to hold on to things so tightly that the thought of losing them ends up bring us more fear than joy. What are you afraid of? What are you hanging on to? Personally, what has been bringing up anxiety in my life is losing some of my college friends who I have really gotten to know and love over the past 6 years or so. I’m also hanging on desperately to the idea that I want to do something big with my life. I really want to use the time that I have to do some great things. What about you? Maybe it’s your 5 year plan not working out the way you want to. Perhaps it’s a health concern. Maybe it’s the way your kids are growing up. Maybe it’s looking back and seeing what you could have done or how things could have been done differently. These things and many others can really get in our minds and start to paralyze us. When these fears dominate our thinking we miss out on the life that is in front of us. When we hang on desperately to things for dear life we end up getting dragged through the grass.

Jesus responds to the threat of Herod not running away, but by giving him something to chew on. Jesus calls him a fox which is basically first century name-calling; Very similar to calling him a big stupid, stupid-head. Then he follows up with this “I’m not finished yet,” Jesus still has work to do. People to heal. Demons to cast out. The message of the kingdom of God drawing near to proclaim. Herod is of no concern to him. “Also,” Jesus says, “I’m going to make my way towards Jerusalem because a prophet can’t be killed outside of Jerusalem.” Now enter the lament… Oh Jerusalem, which in this case is representing all of Israel and God’s people. They sure are holding on to some stuff. Jesus compares himself to a hen wishing to gather up and protect all of Jerusalem under her protective wings. Willing to give of his life so that they might be protected from the fox. Willing to bring healing and restoration where there has only been fear and brokenness. Jesus’ lament is the words of a person who feels love so strongly that even in the face of fear and people hanging on to stuff says confidently, “I’m not finished yet.” I’m not giving up on God’s plan.

We’re on our Lenten journey to the cross. At the cross we encounter Jesus and through Jesus God confidently telling the world “I’m not finished yet” This is the strange place that God’s grace and love is revealed. God suffering and feeling the pain, fear and brokenness that we do to give us the promise, “I’m not finished yet.” Knowing that God experienced what we do through his son Jesus we have confidence in the promise still today. “I’m not finished yet.” Out of our fear, our hanging on to things, our worries, our anxiety, our brokenness, we hear the promise spoken clearly and firmly, “I’m not finished yet” I’m not giving up on my plan. I’m never giving up.

There is a new video that is going viral around YouTube. It has over 10 million hits so statistically speaking some of you have probably seen it. If you haven’t, you need to go find a computer and watch it. It’s called “A Pep Talk from Kid President to You.” I put the name and some quotes from it on the back page. It was created by a kid, Robby, and his brother in-law Brad and started out as just them having fun and being silly together making videos. At the end of this video Robby dedicates it to his friend Gabbi who is battling cancer. Robby and Brad make these videos for no other reason than to inspire hope in people. There are a lot of great things that Robby says in his pep talk to the nation. For me one of the greatest lines is, “This is life people! You got air commin’ through your nose, got a heartbeat. That means it’s time to do something!” We have an important call that Robby reminds us of, we all have the ability to create things to make the world awesome and make everyday better for each other. We are able to continually be God’s “I’m not finished yet” to the world. To be a reminder that God hasn’t given up and will never give up. We can be that reminder. It’s time to do something! What will you do this week? How will you be God’s reminder to the world that he isn’t finished yet? As you go out into your week remember that God isn’t finished yet. Remember that you have been blessed with the ability to make someone else’s day more awesome. And remember that you are God’s “I’m not finished yet” to the world. Amen.

Sermon on John 2:1-11 (Epiphany 2)

God of the Ordinary

Last year Lauren and I became good friends with the intern at Calvary and his wife, Alex and Emily, and their daughter Amelia.  Mia will be 2 in May, so any of you that have young children, have had young children or have ever interacted with young kids know that “Going out and doing a bunch of stuff” was not the preferred way to hang out. For Lauren and I that is just fine so we would get together as often as we could to do dinner, maybe watch a movie, but mainly just talk and of course, play with Mia. Sharing and cooking recipes for each other became a main part of our time together and with that sharing lots of laughter, stories, and faith discussions. While they were here in Texas we connected over food. When the time came for them to move back to Ohio we were sad, but also thrilled with the parting gift that they gave to us. They gave us this small recipe book that has some of our favorites from our time together, some suggestions of things to try and some different pictures of Amelia. I love to cook, so it is fun to get to prepare these things and enjoy them, and enjoy the memories that come with them.

Food, watching a movie, sharing stories, laughing, playing…none of these things are overly complicated. In fact you might say that they are rather ordinary. There really isn’t anything special about them in combination. You probably have stories very similar to mine. Time with friends and family that was filled with some ordinary things, but something about that time was special, meaningful. It could have been the place; it could have been the magic combination of people gathered… it could have been any number of things! Here’s another thought: God was present in those times. In and around all of those ordinary things God’s grace and love was present. Makes sense to me!

Jesus’ first miracle as told in the Gospel of John this morning reminds us of one very important truth that I want us to remember: God is present in the ordinary things. You might protest a bit, “But Jonathan it was a wedding! That’s a special moment, not an ordinary occasion!” If you were thinking that you are absolutely right! It wasn’t an ordinary occasion, but it did have an ordinary problem. They ran out of wine! Bummer…party foul. Now what? For some reason Mary seems to take a particular interest in this fact and lets Jesus in on the problem. His response seems pretty formal and rather defensive, “Woman, what concern is it to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.” Now we don’t know what happens next…Mary isn’t shown as saying anything else, but as everyone in this room knows there is this special power moms are given in which they can unravel you with just a single look. All we know is Mary looks at the servants nearby and says “Do whatever he tells you.”

Mary knows something that I believe we know and understand too, though we may not always be able to name it. For her it comes from raising her son. Being a parent gives you a special insight into your children that others may not always see. What Mary knows and believes is this: When Jesus is present, miraculous things happen. We know and believe this too, right? Though what tends to happen is we only call upon it when we need it. When things are going wrong, when we have a problem and need a solution we turn to God. This in itself isn’t a bad thing though it can cause some problems and disappointments. We expect God to come in power and in strength to rescue us. “God, come fix this now with the desired outcome of my choosing!” How did Jesus solve this problem at the wedding?

He has the servants fill 6 huge stone jars with water. These jars were used for the purification rites mandated by Jewish law so were pretty commonplace.  Something ordinary. Then when the servants drew water to take to the chief steward, the wedding coordinator, and he tasted it, it wasn’t water anymore, but rather an abundance of great wine! There wasn’t a big flash. No big production. It was just Jesus working quietly in the background to provide an abundance of the best stuff.

I really like Facebook. It couldn’t be because I was going to college when the social media revolution started and I was the target audience. I have come to appreciate it more in recent years because of the many ways it reminds me of how God is with us in the ordinary. Most often I see it through those people I know who have begun the journey through parenthood. It seems like every day there is at least one thing in my newsfeed that reminds me that God’s grace and love still abound in the normal world. It doesn’t have to be catastrophic. It doesn’t even have to be this awesome mountain top experience. It’s just people, especially kids, living their lives out in the world. If you didn’t get a chance to look at the back page please take the chance to look at it because I provided some of my favorite most recent examples there. It’s a beautiful thing. A beautiful reminder that in our day to day lives, especially for those of us who believe, that God is present with us. Not with a big flash or production, but working quietly in the background to always provide an abundance of grace and love. When Jesus is around, you can be sure unexpected, miraculous, resurrection, restoration, beautiful things will happen.

One of the places that we get to see the God of the ordinary at work is here at church. Through water, bread and wine we continue to receive reminders that God is present here in the stuff of life. Not far off someplace else, but right here present with God’s creation. Today we get the opportunity to experience the beauty that is communion, a physical presence of God with us. It seems to me that our world could use a few more reminders of that. Reminders that God hasn’t abandoned us, but walks with us through our pain, doubt, fear, sorrow, joy, hope and love. Perhaps you need that reminder at this moment, I think we all do. I hope you find it here today. That is one of the most important things we can do for each other is to be that reminder. Our calling also goes beyond this place because God wants to remind everyone of the wholeness and restoration that comes through his son Jesus. We are called to be reminders of that for the world. To live knowing that God is present with us. To tell others of a God of the ordinary things who loves us all so much that He would come to live among us to truly experience the ordinary as well as the highs and lows of life. To share how God is present in our lives and why that makes all the difference. It doesn’t have to be with a big flash or production. You may not even feel like you are equipped to handle such a calling, but remember with Jesus around miraculous things happen. Amen.