LET THE WORK OF CHRISTMAS BEGIN

 

LET THE WORK OF CHRISTMAS BEGIN

 

When I became serious about my faith, people told me to read John first. Read the book of John first, they said, and for long time, I didn’t understand why because the other gospels were more compelling to me, especially Mark and Luke. But I have been in love with John’s gospel for some time now… because John focuses on who Jesus Christ IS. He cites Jesus’ miracles and encounters of course, but his greater interest lies in believing that Jesus is, and always was, God. In the gospel I meet a God who came to earth to save my soul and to show me God’s loving and forgiving nature. In John’s gospel, I meet a God who cares about me. I meet a God of love who is present to me… and to all of those who are lost and hurting.

 

There is no birth story in John. No genealogy either, not for Joseph or Mary. John doesn’t mention the wise men or Mary visiting Elizabeth, and many other things… but he does tell us who Jesus was! In John’s view Jesus didn’t achieve divinity when he was born, when he allowed himself to be baptized with a baptism he didn’t need, in the way that he died (with Father forgive them on his lips), or even through the resurrection… because HE WAS ALWAYS GOD.

This is the way in which John’s gospel begins: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.  He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, and walked among us, full of grace and truth.

Jesus was God, but not considering divinity worth clinging to- not if his people were lost and suffering- Jesus emptied Himself of divinity and became one of us. He came to show us where God’s heart is, and he came to be a light that the darkness will never overcome. Jesus came to manifest God’s love… for us and for all people! He came to show us what real religion is and to show us ministry cannot be done without compassion. He had personal and deep conversations with people whom others ignored, and did several of his miracles out of compassion alone. Jesus came to show us that God values the widow of Nain, and the demoniac who was running naked in a graveyard… as much as he valued anyone else. Jesus came to earth to manifest and talk about God’s love… for God so loved the world that He sent his only Son- not to condemn it-  but to save it! God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. This means that you will die- we all will- but you will not perish. YOU will perish if you “believe in,” and trust the One who came from the Father and walked among us full of grace and truth.

 

Oh God, we thank you for joining us in the flesh and for being a light that gives us a way and a goal. We thank you for revealing God’s nature and for showing us that we matter- indeed, even I matter- because you shared your love, time, and attention with people just like us. The man who was blind from birth, the lepers who stood is the shadows, the shepherds who were perpetually unclean, the nameless widow who was burying her son, and massive crowd of ordinary people who were simply hungry. You invited the children to come to your side and you had a personal conversation with a Samarian woman. You cried over Lazarus’ grave and you cried for the people of Jerusalem. You endured rejection and ridicule on the cross, and you pleaded for sip of water. Thank you, Lord, for showing me that God really cares about me and that I will carry to my grave the promise that I will not perish! Thank you also for inviting me to pick up my cross and follow you… so that I might listen to others, tend to their wounds, help them to their feet, offer prayers and support … all in your name.

 

In John’s view Jesus was always Christ. He was always divine and he came to earth to 1) save our souls and 2) to show us how to live with compassion and love. Christmas invites us to live as Jesus did and with that in mind, I will close with Howard Thurman’s poem: “When the song of the angels is stilled, when the star in the sky is gone,  when the shepherds are back with their flocks, the work of Christmas begins… to find the lost, to heal the broken, to feed the hungry, to release the prisoner, to rebuild the nations, to bring peace among the people, to make music in the heart.”

                                                                                 AMEN

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS- 2024

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

 

T'was the night before Christmas-

       when the young couple completed their long

            journey... and arrived in town.

T'was the time of the census, and
      men were returning to their hometowns
            to register ... for the powers-that-be.

One of these men was a man named Joseph-
      Yosef, not Joe, and he came from Bethlehem,
            which means "house of bread" in Hebrew.

It was a homecoming of sorts,
      but he couldn't find a room for his fiancée,

and she was very pregnant with their first child.

 

So,,, they ended up in a cattle shed, behind an inn... 

      grateful for a place to lay their heads...

Miriam (Mary) was in need of rest and shelter

It was there, in that cattle shed,

where she gave birth to a boy named Yeshua,

which comes to us as "JESUS."

 

At the first Christmas... the stars were the only lights.

There was no feast or gift exchange either.

              just a young man, his bride-to-be, and a baby

       lying vulnerably... in a cattle trough

The mood was sweet. The noise of the world

was muffled by the joy of the moment

and the sense of wonder

that filled the cattle shed.

No one could've known it then–

not even the boldest among them,
       but time itself was split in two on this day,
            with BC giving way to Anno Domini (AD)

Before his birth, they lived in a world without hope,

everyone did… and then there was a promise

and a hope that would never be squelched,

 

The shepherds weren’t accustomed to being invited.

Come morning they were still just shepherds... 

              but they were never without hope again!

A couple of years later,
      some astrologers came from Persia

brought gifts of homage...

to the baby King born in Israel.

 

They were "wise" because they sought him,

and worshiped him, and didn’t enter into

His presence empty-handed!

 

Come morning- it looked like just another day-
      with babies crying, women making bread,

and men working at their trade...

But that first Christmas was no ordinary day... 

      and there would never again be an ordinary day...

            because a Savior had been born!

 

God had come to earth,

with gifts of joy, peace, love, hope, and

              salvation to people who needed to be accepted

and saved... more than anything else!

Come morning, it was AD, Anno Domini,
      because our Lord had arrived in Bethlehem. 

            Unto us a Savior had been born! Hallelujah!!

Sherry and I pray that each and everyone of you will experience the depths of God’s love and grace, this Christmas of 2024!  pk

 

Bearing Fruit Worthy of Repentance

“BEAR FRUIT WORTHY OF REPENTANCE”

 

In their minds they had given their best efforts to please the Lord. What does it take, they cried, to please the Lord? (Micah 6:6-7) This was the question and this was Micah’s answer- do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God… which are action words. DO justice. LOVE mercy. WALK HUMBLY. LIVE as if… you have given your heart and soul to God. In Amos’ day (760BC) the people also wondered why God seemed to be so unhappy with them, and in part, Amos told them that their sin rested in the way they treated others. Open your eyes, he exclaimed, and see what’s going on: you impose a straw tax on the poor and also tax their grain; you take bribes and deny justice in your courts; you treat your neighbors with disdain. Quit worshiping yourselves… and let justice roll down like a river and righteousness like a never-failing stream.  

In Isaiah’s book (58:6ff) God told us plainly how to please Him:  “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie
the cords of the yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe them?
Help people stand-up and live with dignity. Open a door for someone who has his or her hands full, listen for a moment (even if you’re in a hurry) to someone’s story, share a prayer, make life easier in whatever ways you can, cheer for others, give others a ride or car fare, sit with someone who is sitting alone… live as if you love God with every fiber of your being and trust that the glory of the Lord will be your year guard!

They came by the thousands for John’s baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins and when John told them to “bear the fruits worthy of repentance,” they wanted to know what he had in mind. Should they take a class in theology, increase their church attendance, make amends like they do in the12-step world, give more generously, work at the food bank, and even sign on to teach Sunday school? And John said, if you want to show others that Christ lives in your heart, let your love for God tumble out of your hearts and touch the lives of others in very ordinary and meaningful ways. Give one of your coats to someone who doesn’t have a coat- if you have two, you have one coat too many- and if you have more than you will eat, share your food with those who are hungry! Tax-collectors were at the river too, and they asked John what they could do to show others that they had repented. And John told them to quit collecting more taxes than they were required to, and it was the same with the soldiers who were at the river. John didn’t admonish them for being soldiers, but if they had given their hearts to God, they should quit extorting money from vulnerable people and be content with their pay.

A year or two ago I asked our great-grandson how he met his best friend and he said, “Well, I was sitting in our cafeteria- alone as usual- and when he came into the room, he sat down right beside me.” I remember a church employee who had “lost” her car and didn’t have the money to fix it. It was a crisis in her life… but one of my friends gave her an old car that had been sitting in her garage. The reason for the quick response was simple. She said, “we had three cars and she had none.” And then there’s the time when our daughter was walking through Central Park on Christmas. Due to a number of unforeseen events she was alone… and lonely. She must have looked lonely because when she passed by a beggar at the gate, he yelled, “Hey, get over here! It looks like you could use a Christmas hug!” And they hugged- the beggar and the artist who lives in Westchester County- and the hug lifted both of their spirits.

I won’t see my friend, Tug, this Christmas Eve- but the smile on his face from last year’s service is still with me. And I will recall the “fruit worthy of repentance” that he had shared with people who touched his heart through the year. There was a cashier at Kroger’s, an employee at Home Depot, a woman at Proctor Home! He blessed them because God had blessed him! They weren’t big enough gifts to replace the lottery, but they were more than big enough to bring a smile to your face and a tear to your eye! God bless!

You don’t need a sermon. Just share the love of God with those whom God has placed along your path!

 

 

DYING TO SELF: IN MEMORY OF WILL MINER

John was with two of his disciples when he saw Jesus pass by, and he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” When the disciples heard this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus asked, “What do you want?” They said, “Rabbi, where are you staying? He said, “Come and see.” (John 1:35-39) If you want to know more about me- if you want to experience my compassion and my power to heal and restore- if you want to know that you are forgiven and loved… come and see!

 

“Come and see” is a great slogan. “Do I have to sign anything? Or agree to something that’s written on your walls? “No, not at all. Just come and see!” Come and see how we feed the hungry and clothe the naked. Come and see how loving we are. Come and see! And if you are lead to know more… we will help you understand the Bible and grow spiritually. Oh, just come and see!

 

But being a Christian is not an academic pursuit or a fan club, and when we invite you to give Jesus a hand, we don’t mean applause! We mean in ministry, in work, with emotions, and in spite of our biases and fears. We will invite you to sing, even if it’s off-key, and deliver food to people who don’t seem to need or deserve it. Jesus noted that, in community and with Holy Spirit power, we will do greater things than He did. So, “come and see” will give way to “come and do.” Please come and do what God has called and equipped you to do- visit, pray, call, cook, serve, clean up, organize, support… and much more!

 

But we don’t do things just to be doing them, and we don’t do things to make others think more of us. We do things for Jesus… and we feed the hungry just because they’re hungry, and serve others without regard to race, gender, political leanings, their ability to repay us or help us in some way… and we serve them, empower them, and brighten their day with compassion and love. If we’re doing things for Jesus, we will do them without judgment and just because love demands. Thus, “come and do” becomes “come and do for Christ’s sake!” “Come and do without any thought of self” because doing things for Jesus will be our highest priority.

 

When Jesus calls a person, he bids him or her to come and die to themselves and live for Him! He is the Lord and we do His bidding. And so, “come and see” becomes “come and do” and then “come and die”… to self. And what is “dying to self”? Well… when pleasing God becomes our greatest joy and loving others in His name becomes our vocation, we are dying to self. When we’re not forgiven, shunned, and no longer count… but it is well with our soul, we are dying to self. When we see our brothers and sisters prosper, and honestly rejoice with them, while our own needs are far greater and unmet: we are dying to self. When we see others, first, as God’s creations, and then as our own brothers and sisters, who need to be loved and forgiven, and helped if need be… we are dying to self.

 

Over the years I’ve known many people who are struggling to “let go and let God,” and they fight against self-will everyday. I am grateful to have known them because they have given me hope… that I too will find peace and joy in surrender! They have shown me that there’s no need for scorecards in God’s kingdom, and they have reminded me that Christ has already set me free… to serve only Him.

 

I will conclude by mentioning elder Wilbur Miner, who lived his life to please God. He had a job and a great family, for sure, but his main goal was to “be Christ” to people in need, and to see “Christ” in all others. Will lived for Christ and he died with God on his mind.

His son, Dan, just told me that when Will was dying in hospice care, he reached the point where he was in considerable and relentless pain. And instead of wondering “why me?” or suggesting that he somehow had earned a better ending, he asked Dan to open his Bible and read the book of Job to him! He died soon after that… be he had already died to self!

 

 

 

 

 

JOB AND THE ACCUSER

 

JOB AND THE ACCUSER

 

The book of Job is a difficult story. It’s easier (for me) to talk about than Jesus’ comments on marriage and divorce (Mark 10), but it’s still difficult because it cuts against the grain of the American dream, and also the “me first” theology that many people hold dear.

A long, long time ago, God was meeting with a number of His “lieutenants” when Satan walked in, The Hebrew word “ha-Satan” means “accuser” and it is one of the few Hebrew words that came to us intact. Satan was known as “The Accuser,” and he was on top of his game when he appeared. He had been “going to and fro” on the earth and God asked if he had paid attention to His servant, Job, who was a man who obeyed God’s law and gave generously to others.

God was pleased with Job, but Satan said that Job would turn on God if God took away all of his wealth, Job was a very wealthy man. The Bible says he had 7 sons, 3 daughters, 500 oxen, 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels… and many servants. Satan noted that It’s easy to praise God if you are on the top of the world. But God was sure that Job’s love ran deeper than that… so He took away Job’s family, servants, cattle, sheep, cattle and everything else! It was all gone… but Job remained steadfast. Well, the Accuser wouldn’t let it go! Job had not suffered enough personal pain, Satan noted, and he would surely turn on God if he did! Well, with a caveat not to kill Job, God gave Satan the “go-ahead” to prove his case. And  Job was attacked with sores from head to toe, and left with nothing… but a pile of ashes and three friends, who insisted that Job must have brought all of this on himself, by sinning!

It’s a challenging story- in part because God is involved in it, and in part, because it goes from riches to rags instead of from rags to riches. We believe that God will bless us if we’re faithful and reward us if we are “good.” And Job’s tale is our worst nightmare because a good person ends up losing everything! And so, what went wrong? Who’s to blame? Is it God, who according to Scripture, let: all of this happen just to show that Job’s faith was NOT based on circumstances? Is it Satan, who seemed to be “hell-bent” on challenging God from the outset? Is it Job himself, for reasons that we don’t know?

Well, the story doesn’t offer an easy answer. Bad things do happen to good people. Sad things do happen to believers. Faith cannot be based on what we want and what we have. In a time when many people expect God to meet their every need and wish, something is haunting about Job’s story. I’ve known of people who pray for a parking place as they’re driving around the parking lot. I’ve known people who pray for their teams to win, even though they know that their friends across the field are praying for the other team. Some people think that prayers aren’t answered… because the pray-er didn’t pray right,

But grace isn’t a permission slip or a reward of some kind. Other than the number of times we forgive other and the extent to which we love, care for, and invite those people who are “other,” or “different” than us, grace is hard to find here on earth. But it abounds in heaven. In fact, grace is the only hope we have! Do we work harder than our neighbors- maybe, maybe not- but we don’t work hard enough to get to heaven! We aren’t good enough to keep bad things from happening. Only God is! And recognizing this is what it means to have real faith and abiding love!

WHO'S THE GOAT?

 

WHO’S THE “GOAT?”

The greatest of all time

 

Who’s the goat- the greatest of all time- and how do we know? How do we even know what the term “great” means? The dictionary tells us that “great” often means very large in amount or degree. “The temptation was too large for Johnny. Her paintings cost a great deal.” “Great” may also mean something like “wonderful” of “fantastic,” like “it’s great to be home,” her meal was “great,” or pastor Ken does a “great” job of preaching.

 

Great means big, impressive, better than, and in some sense, more worthy of an honor or a position. It’s a competitive term. I see that Hank Aaron is the GOAT of the MLB, that Jerry Rice is the GOAT of the NFL, and that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the NBA’s GOAT. Thomas Edison is the GOAT inventor, but Steve Jobs and Nikola Tesla were close. When it comes to singing, who’s the GOAT? Or painting?

 

The GOAT is bigger than, better than, more memorable than, and more important than those who are not the GOAT. But what if we are measuring service, sacrifice, tears, love shown… instead of home runs and touchdowns? What if we’re talking about giving instead of getting, listening instead of talking? Who is the GOAT- the greatest of all-time at the United Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, IL.? I see the stained glass windows and the names that are identified, but I don’t know if one of them is our GOAT. Praise God for those who keep our beautiful old building in repair, for those who stock and distribute food, for those who visit and pray for others, for those few who work in our resale shop, and quilt, and prepare and deliver our holiday food baskets, and for those who show up and help us carry a tune! Thank God for the faithful, but who knows who are GOAT is, or if there can even be a GOAT in heaven?

The New Testament world was filled with slaves and free persons. A doulos was a slave. Slaves did a variety of jobs, but they were always owned and never free to choose for themselves. According to Matthew and Mark, you had to become a doulos to be first in the kingdom of heaven. You had to surrender entirely and “die to yourself,” as Bonhoeffer said. But to be “great” in the kingdom, you had to be a servant, a diakonos, a deacon. A diakonos was free to come and go, but he/she always worked in service of someone else! The ancient Greeks saw service as undignified, but in the kingdom of God, being a servant is great!  Paul was proud to call himself a servant of God.

This brings us to our passage: “Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, ‘What were you arguing about on the way?’ (Because they had been bickering on the way back home). And there was a awkward silence because they were embarrassed to say that they had been arguing about which one of them was the “greatest.” So he sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, ‘Whoever wants to be first must be last, and doulos of all.” In the kingdom of God everyone is a servant- kings, pastors, elders, deacons, teachers, healers, visitors, pray-ers, and everyone else!

And so, James, John and Peter… and Mary, Julie, Harold, Ken… and any other would-be GOATS in the kingdom of God, it turns out that God doesn’t see greatness in the same way we do… because being “great” is not about us! We can’t be great! A great servant is something of an oxymoron, but we can be faithful! We can be “of use” to our Lord by serving the least among us… as if they were Jesus himself. I’ve always liked 1 Cor. 13 because it reminds me that it is all about love… and unfortunately for those who want to be the GOAT, love doesn’t keep score! If I speak in tongues, Paul noted, but do not have love, I am only a clanging cymbal. ² If I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ If I give all I possess to the poor, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is not self-seeking! And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

If we love, forgive, empower, and love some more, and do it… until the cows come home, we may hear our master say, “Well done, good and faithful (servant) diakonos,” but if we do these things in hope of being the GOAT, we will be nothing! Amen!

 

 

 

 

 

WHO DO YOU SAY THAT HE IS?

 

There comes a time in any relationship when we have to get down to business and deal with what it really means. There comes a time when we need to state what our relationship is with someone we love. So, when they reached Caesarea Philippi (in the north of Israel), Jesus asked his disciples to tell him what people were saying about him. Well, (they may have replied) people say a lot of things. Some say that you are a teacher, some say that you are a physician, some say that you are a philosopher, some say that you are Mary’s boy, some say that you are a carpenter. People say a lot of things.

 

But then Jesus got to the crux of the matter and asked his disciples- "Who do you say I am?" Who do you say I am? Be careful when you answer because your answer will speak to your relationship with Jesus and in some sense, it will define who you are as we travel together. Of all of the Bible's profound questions, this is surely at the top of the list!  Who do you say I am? It's a life-changing question and Jesus asks me and you the same question today- who do you say I am? Well, Simon bar Jonah (the son of John) shouted it out, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!" Wow! What a marvelous answer. You, my friend and teacher... are the anointed one of God. You are the man who has come to set us free. You are the Son of the Living God! It was an awesome answer, and Jesus affirmed it, saying. "Blessed are you, Simon bar Jonah" for my Father in Heaven has revealed this to you. "And I tell you that you are Petros (Peter) and on this rock (petra) I will build my church…!"
     

Christ said that he would build his church on such faith, but from that time on Jesus began to talk about his suffering, death, and resurrection plainly. He began to tell his followers what it really meant to be a leader, but “Peter the Rock,” would have none of it! In a bold and inappropriate move, Peter took Jesus to the side and told him to quit talking about things suffering and dying. Peter was bold enough to re-define what it meant to be God's Messiah. In plain English, Peter told Jesus to "knock off" his talk about suffering and dying. He wanted Jesus to embrace an easier and softer way- a way without sacrifice- and Jesus had already heard this temptation in the wilderness. So he turned to Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan, because you are a stumbling block to me!” Get behind me, Rocky! Go back with the other followers... and fix your mind on the things of God!
     

Then Jesus said to all of them, "If anyone wishes to follow me, (s)he must deny himself and pick up his cross." We don't have to follow Jesus. We don't have to get involved, but if we choose to, we will need to be a follower! We will find our purpose and joy in life by going where Jesus leads us. We may encounter a leper on the edge of town, we may meet a widow who is burying her son, we may be asked to take a stand against injustice, we may find ourselves dining with the least among us. No one knows exactly where Christ will lead them, but we do know that if we sign-on for the journey, we must follow... with a cross on our back! Our cross is a cross of surrender, service, and love, that we pick up daily, because we cannot follow Christ on our own terms! No one can, of course, and the cross we carry is a daily reminder that we have chosen the road less traveled... AND a purpose-driven life that will store our treasure up in heaven.
     

Some people insist on a small god- a god whose greatest desire is to make them happy and comfortable. Some people want a God who is little more than a good friend. Some people want a God who asks nothing from them, but this is NOT the God of the Bible… or the God of the Cross! The journey to life begins see it clearly and shout out- you are the Christ and the Son of God! Amen!