THE POWER OF TESTIMONY

 

There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to Christ, so that through him all might believe. Now when the priests and Levites asked him who he was. He confessed freely, "I am not the Messiah." They asked him, "Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" He answered, "No." Finally they asked, "What do you say about yourself?" John replied, "I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way for the Lord.’ The next day John saw Jesus and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world' Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. And the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' I testify that this is God's Chosen One."

No talk in John’s gospel about crowd sizes, although we know they were huge. No mention of John’s clothing or diet of locusts and wild honey, even though they are mentioned in the synoptic gospels. No mention of Zechariah and Elizabeth or the naming of John. Just the “foreverness” of Jesus and the witnessing of John, both of whom were living out the calling which they received from God!

Today, I want to lift up the power of testimony to what God has done in our own lives. Perhaps it’s because I left the world of business for the ministry, but people frequently ask me why I changed careers in the middle of the stream. And my answer is 1) pain- the pain I had given to others and the pain that I had inflicted on myself, 2) an deep emptiness in my soul that wouldn’t allow me to embrace… love, anger, regret, hope, joy, peace, envy, or anything else, 3) a faint but nagging thought that somehow, someday, in some way, I would be free to really “be,” and 4) the testimony of Pastor Luther Ratmeyer, whom I had never met before he told me that God loved me and that God would walk with me as I stumbled and walked to the place God had prepared for me. I’m convinced that I would be drunk or dead now if I hadn’t heard that the good news was news that included me.

And so, I tell my story to let others know this simple truth: Jesus loves them, personally, with all of their dreams and secrets, and that He has the power to give them hope, purpose, and a story to share with others! Indeed, even now, I see people who have witnessed to me… by the stories they’ve told, the questions they’ve asked, and the growth I’ve see them make. People here, and in Joliet, Kalamazoo, the Quad-Cities, and Peoria… have testified to others about Jesus in word and deed. They have visited people in need, they’ve given them rides to church and doctors and other places (thanks, Ruth), they’ve helped others repair things that need to be repaired (thanks Mike and Steve and Curtis), they’ve prayed for others, they’ve made room for others in their own worlds, they’ve fed and clothed others (thanks Sherry, C.L, Harold), and given God the glory.

I know the power of baptism. I’ve seen the tears that flow when adults come up from the water. But today, I want to applaud those who are witnessing to Christ Jesus in word and deed. There’s an old story about a family who was crying for help because they were stranded along the road. Well, a car filled with Christians saw them and pulled over to help. And when they heard their story, they offered a prayer and left a pamphlet. Shortly thereafter, another car of Christians pulled over to see if they could help. And when they heard what the others needed, they gave them rides to a place of comfort and safety, where others could meet their needs. The question is, which group of Christians witnessed to God’s presence? The group who prayed with them and gave them a pamphlet, or the group who helped… without ever mentioning why they were doing it?

People sometimes minimize what they call “the little things,” but what other things are there really? Baptizing is an act that generally takes some sort of credential or authorization, but it doesn’t take anything but love to tell others that God loves them, and won’t give up on them, and knows their name. It generally takes some sort of credential to teach a class in a university… but it doesn’t take much more than joy and opportunity to teach others that God is good. People are glad to tell others that they are fans of the Cubs, even if those they are talking with like the Cardinals, but it’s just as easy to be a fan of Jesus and tell others why. Many people have recommended a doctor or a dentist or a plumber they trusted, but it’s just as easy to recommend Christ to people who are hurting, or to tell them that that you have found something that makes life more joyful and more meaningful. May we thank God for those who have witnessed to us in word and deed!  Amen.

 

GOLDEN CALVES AND OTHER PRETENDERS

If I know who and whose I am- I mean really “know”- I will be far more likely to remain faithful… and far less likely to get “caught off-guard,” or to chase a shiny object as it rolls toward a sewer. For the longest time I didn’t know who or whose I was. In a word, I was “lost.” So I gave myself over to alcohol and spent years wandering in a desert. I had values of course, and sometimes I lived as if I did. I saw myself as a “good person” down deep, but I wasn’t sure what that meant. I wanted to be liked and I wanted to be “somebody.” So, I just drifted along, like a bobber, for the longest time.

I remember a cartoon that depicted a well-dressed man and woman kneeling before an altar that had a huge dollar sign on the throne… and one of them turned to the other and said, “I was happier when we were Presbyterian.” Indeed, but we are tempted to worship things that appeal to us and promise to make us somebody worth knowing. Some people fall in love with alcohol or other drugs, and can’t even fathom a good time without them; other people have the same intense passion for chocolate, or sex, or just pleasing others, but money seems to be God’s biggest competitor for worship. Follow the money, it is said, if you wonder what you are worshiping. In the 12 Step world (and I just had my 47^th Birthday), we ask ourselves questions like these: 1) who/what do I absolutely need in my life? 2) When I’m down and out, feeling depressed and defeated, who/what do I need for comfort and support? 3) Who/what do I need to give me courage and calm my nerves? 4) If I have something to celebrate, if I’m looking for a really good time, who/what do I need to be there? 5) And when someone asks, “who are you?” do you stumble for an answer, equivocate, or say, “I’m a child of God?”

To me, it’s surprising that a golden calf even crossed Aaron’s mind when the people became impatient. It’s sad enough that people who had experienced the wonder and power of God… would abandon God so quickly, but it is incredible that Aaron wanted to please the people more than he wanted to please God. Aaron knew better. Surely he knew better, but when the people cried for a god who would lead them to the promised land, Aaron fashioned a golden calf out of their jewelry. Instead of rising in defense of a God who had already shown his compassion and his power, Aaron invited the people to bring him their jewelry and after he had fashioned a golden calf, Aaron proclaimed “this golden calf is your god.” You can trust in him. Let us celebrate the golden calf, and they did because people are inclined to worship tangible symbols of things that are too big for them!

The golden calf seems ridiculous, but our own world is filled with golden calves isn’t it? Ask yourself these questions: 1) whom or what do I love so deeply that I can’t imagine living without? 2) What thing or things would I never do, not even to save my life? 3) What sins, if any, are out of the question for me- impossible under any condition? 4) Who is your God? 5) Who do you trust with your fears, your doubts, and your identity, today and forever? 6) Or are you clinging to a golden lamb, for as long as you can? 6) Are you a God-pleaser, or a people-pleaser? 7) In whom will you finally rest? 8) what is my work while I am here on earth? These are good questions and they cannot be answered if we don’t know the difference between Almighty God and a golden calf!  Amen!

 

 

 

 

 

RUN, JONAH, RUN

 

I love the little book of Jonah! It makes it clear that God’s grace is too much for us and it makes it clear that God always “gets the man or woman He calls.”

 

In Jonah's day, the world was tough and ruthless, but Assyria was as bad as it got. In 722 BC Assyria decimated the northern kingdom of Israel and then besieged Jerusalem 20 years later. The Assyrians demanded “protection” money, or else. from many vassal states and if they didn’t get what they wanted, they ravaged, tortured, and humiliated the people of the land. The Assyrians were feared throughout the known world, and Nineveh was its capital city. Thus, when God called Jonah to go to Nineveh and give its people the chance to repent, Jonah could hardly believe his ears! Giving the people of Nineveh a chance to be forgiven was absurd,,, and Jonah would not do it. No, he wouldn't do it.

 

So, instead of going to Nineveh, he boarded the first ship to anywhere, to get as far away from God as he could possibly get. But God is always aware. Jonah should’ve known that. He couldn't run from God. None of us can, and Jonah discovered that for himself, when he encountered a life-threatening storm at sea. Running from God is surely a mistake, and in Jonah's case it would've been fatal... if God hadn't sent a big fish to gobble him up... and spit him out... right back where he had been in the first place.

 

Hey Jonah, God called again, how about going to Nineveh and giving them a chance to repent? Well, Jonah was obedient this time, and he soon found himself walking up and down the streets of Nineveh, calling both the "great and the small" to repent and turn to Yahweh. And they did! They repented. They all repented... and Jonah was outraged! He couldn't accept the fact that these hated people would be forgiven. So he threw another fit and pouted, and waited to see what would happen. God told Jonah that He (God) had to be concerned about the 120,000 people who lived in Nineveh... because they didn't know "their right hand from their left," which reminds me of Jesus’ prayer, “Father forgive them because they don’t know what they are doing.” They didn't have a clue... and God has a special place in his heart for the confused and lost.
     

Thus, we encounter a God who is more forgiving than we are... which is hardly surprising because we are afraid of grace. We are afraid that others will take advantage of us and we don’t know who deserves grace and who doesn’t. We may give ourselves the benefit of the doubt, but we are prone to be unforgiving of others. Unmerited grace (and all grace is unmerited) embarrasses us. We protest when it's offered to us and we resent it when it's offered to others. To most of us, grace seems unfair, and even though it is not Biblical, we insist on believing that God helps those who help themselves! We talk about grace,  but we expect others to earn the love they get (and we suspect that this is also true for us).!   
     

Someone once told me that the book of Jonah was written as a humorous account of what God may ask us to do…  but grace is not a joke... and our unwillingness to give it to others is not funny! Expecting God to forgive our deepest sins... while holding our neighbor's slightest misstep against him or her... is not a laughing matter. Friends, let us accept the fact that we are forgiven and forgive others to the point where it seems silly! Pray that God will show us how to give grace and show us how to become a more forgiving people. May we come to see that none of us “deserves” grace... and that no one has ever “earned” it!

SAYING “THANKS” IS ENOUGH

Gratitude, to me, is one-part awareness that God is the author of all good things, one-part letting go and letting God’s, and one-part responding with gratitude. Today, I want to say a few words about being grateful and saying “thanks” because they reflect an awareness that we are already rich in God’s hands! I asked our liturgist to read two passages this morning- one (Luke 19) reminds us that “thanks” is a powerful word, while the other (Matthew 25) reminds us to use the talents we’ve been given- no matter how few or how many we have- to praise our Lord and do His work in our own lives. Gratitude demands that we thank God is word and deed.

Gratitude is possible when we see that we are indebted to God for those people and things that we often attribute to our own efforts. God is with us. The Holy Spirit is lifting us to higher ground, the saints in heaven are cheering for us! If we are to be a grateful people, we need to get rid of the notion that “it’s all about us.” Blessings are not entitlements. They are gifts of God.

 

Sometimes, as I walk along, I try to get out from under my ego, and feel connected to the world around me. The fallen leaves, the breeze that touches my face, the passersby, the laughter I hear from the innocents. the tears of those who are weathered. If I get out of the way, and let God, I feel connected and indebted,    and it is well with my soul. There are times when ordinary days become memorable in ways that seem small. My parents did a marginal job of parenting. There was too much hell and not enough love. But we had some good times too. I remember the day when my father asked me to play catch. It had never happened before that day and I don’t think it ever happened again, but this one day became a memorable day for me when my dad asked, “do you want to play catch?” Dad said that he wasn’t very good at playing catch… and he wasn’t! But I will always thank God for a moment which fed my soul. God has given me many wonderful moments- none deserved- and I thank God for them! My brother, Larry, and I shared a love for the song, “Me and Bobby McGee,” and I recall playing a version of the song to Larry- in his hospital room- not long before he died. We agreed that it was great and I thank God for giving Larry and me a moment of joy!

God has given me a hope that I couldn’t put my finger on for years and surrounded me with a wife and with children who continue to think that I am better than I am! Thank you, Jesus! Meister Eckhart noted that, “If the only prayer you say is thank you, that will be enough.” 

 

Just now, I see that a friend of ours posted a “thank you” note on FB. It’s about her tiny baby- but it says “thanks” to God, and it goes like this: “I will never forget the wires, the blue lights, the tubes, the monitors, the small diapers, and my tiny baby.” Here is another “thank you” note from a woman I don’t know: “I work from home, taking breaks to walk to the market twice a week. I talk to a cashier as she rings up my purchases. I ask about her grandson. She asks about my kids... This year, we check in about her sister and my mother, who both have Alzheimer’s. The brutal disease is robbing us both, and the sad weight of it all can be a lot. But twice a week, someone I’ve never seen outside the market checks in with me and I’m grateful.” It’s a “God thing,” I would say. To God be the glory, and one more: “The day after you died, a mourning dove began visiting my backyard for the first time. He often appeared after I sat at the wooden table, perching on a nearby branch. I wondered whether he came by coincidence (as you would’ve argued), or as a spiritual visitation. Talking to him filled me with gratitude and reminded me that you live on.” Praise God for another “God thing!” God showed up!

Someone once told me that, God will ask two questions when we stand before Him:

 

WHAT DID YOU DO WITH MY SON? Did you trust in the Grace and Love that He offered? Did you show his Love in the way you lived?

 

WHAT DID YOU DO WITH THE GIFT(S) I GAVE YOU? Did you use them for good, whether you received less or more that your neighbor?

And I will add a third question.

 

DID YOU SAY “THANKS”?  Amen!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A LOVE GONE WRONG SONG

 

“A Love Gone Wrong Song”                                         

“Hey, won’t you play another somebody done somebody wrong song… A real hurtin’ song about a love that’s gone wrong… “  It was a big hit for BJ Thomas in 1975, but it wasn’t the first “love gone wrong song.” Isaiah wrote the first “love gone wrong song” nearly 3000 years ago, and his song went like this: I will sing a song about his vineyard for the one I love: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. He dug it up and cleared it and planted the choicest vines. He built a watchtower and cut out a winepress as well. He looked (forward to) a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit. So his beloved cried out…  What more could I have done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad? I chose a wonderful spot for my vineyard. I worked hard to clear the stones and I planted only the choicest vines. Everything looked right, but when I looked for justice (mishpat), I saw bloodshed (mishpakh). I looked for righteousness (tsedaqah), but heard cries of distress (tse’aqah).

Tsedaqah/tse’aqah. Mishpat/Mishpakt. A clever play on words, but I’m not sure that the song has many rhymes. However it’s a powerful and sad song of a love gone wrong. God loved His vineyard (Israel) and He planted it in His promised land. He cleared the ground and removed the stones and debris. And He watched over it and protected it… so that it would bear the good fruit of justice and righteousness! So that His people would treat others fairly and look after those who were vulnerable. Of course, in Isaiah’s day the people of God had dietary laws and laws that governed their worship. But… the fruit that God was looking for (and still looks for) was mishpat and tsedaqah.

He looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit, which is a polite way of saying that the grapes were toxic, rotten, and stinky. He was looking for justice which focuses on the poor, but he saw back-breaking taxes, dishonest schemes, and no interest at all in lifting up people who needed help. And He looked for the sort of righteousness that emphasizes doing the right thing to and for others. Mishpat and sedeqah are not measures of good intentions or self-control. They are relational words because it doesn’t make sense to talk of justice which leaves out the very people God calls us to look after! Mishpat is associated with people who are susceptible to exploitation, such as widows, orphans, and the poor. Widows and orphans were extremely vulnerable in Biblical times and God made it clear that they will surely get His attention if we abuse or ignore them. Immigrants didn’t fit in either and nobody wanted to associate with the poor, but Mishpat is all about “our posture towards the poor,” where giving the poor and the vulnerable help has nothing to do with modern political parties.

God gave His people a Law- a way of living that would please God, strengthen their community, and improve the lives of those who are left out. God sent His prophets to warn His people about their lack of justice and righteousness, but the people grabbed what they could, took advantage of others, worshiped themselves, and either ignored or burdened the very people who have a special place in God’s heart. The people tried to please God… by showing up at the temple when they had too, while they trampled on others and gorged themselves. As Jesus noted, they tithed the smallest of things, like their spices, while ignoring what he called the “weightier” matters of the law, like justice and mercy- mishpat and sedeqah.

 

The vineyard went bad for lack of love- a love that would honor God and respond to the needs of God’s people! A love that welcomed and cared for others, especially those who needed it most. Faithfulness is a way of living, which includes building up our faith through Bible study and prayer… and expressing our faith by loving the very people Christ loved… the hungry, the thirsty, the people in rags, immigrants and others who don’t fit in, and those who are sick and/or imprisoned  

 

Carrying our cross and following our Lord, then, must include feeding the hungry, healing the sick, giving drink to the thirsty, dining with sinners, forgiving others, empowering those who have been forgotten and held down, restoring people who are disabled, and/or possessed… because these actions and things like them bear the fruit we are called to bear!

DON’T MAJOR IN THE MINORS

Some people are tall, some are not. Some people, like me, are “chunky,” some are not. Some people are photogenic, some people look better on the radio. Some people make a point of saying a prayer before their meals, even in public forums, but other people don’t worry about praying before they eat, whether they’re eating in or dining out. Some people serve drinks when they host a church group, but others won’t do that, even though they may drink when their company is gone. Some people are black, some are white, and some are somewhere in between, Some read daily devotionals and attend Bible studies, some don’t consider doing either. Some people try their best to actually tithe, some people are quite comfortable giving what they feel like giving. Different strokes for different folks.

In Paul’s day, the church consisted of people who had spent their lives as Jews… and people who had grown up as Greeks and Romans. And he wanted all of them to focus on their new lives in Christ, and so in our passage today (Romans 14), Paul addresses them with these words: “Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions.  Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables. ³Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgment on those who eat; for God has welcomed them. ⁴Who are you to pass judgment?  ⁵Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds.¹⁰Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.”

Paul, a reformed Pharisee himself, is calling all members of the church to keep their eyes on the number one thing, which is Christ crucified and risen! In Paul’s day there were dietary laws that obedient Jews followed religiously, but Paul believed that converts to the church didn’t have to live with these restrictions. Some of those who showed up at church events would only eat vegetables, others would eat their fill from the entire buffet. If you’re part of the crowd that eats freely, don’t make fun of those who don’t, and if you’re in the crowd that only eats vegetables, don’t judge those who eat more… because we’re not here for dinner, we’re here to worship and praise our Lord. Quit judging. Quit undermining someone else’s faith. Keep your eyes on Calvary’s cross!

Some churches are entirely liturgical, others have a loose format. Some churches sing hymns, some don’t, and of those who sing hymns, some prefer oldies and some like newer ones. Some people love the sound of an organ, others like a piano, and still others feature guitars. Some worshipers dress up, some believe that dressing up is passe. In some churches. People lift holy hands in the air, other congregations wouldn’t even consider it. Some churches have communion every Sunday, some once a month, and some quarterly. Some churches refuse to serve communion to gay people, others encourage the LGBTQ+ commmunity. Some churches maintain that Christ is the only way to God, others insist that God wouldn’t be so exclusive. Some churches hold that there is no hell, others use hell as a reason to behave.

How about you? What practice or belief is absolutely essential to your notion of what it means to be a Christian. Would your faith be damaged if your pastor smoked? Would you have trouble relating to a Christian who doesn’t believe that Christ wasn’t born of a virgin? What makes a Christian… Christian? Baptism, attendance, feeding the hungry and clothing the naked, being active in church leadership? Does it matter what you believe, how you worship, or what you do after church? I remember two deacons who did an excellent job, but they sold tobacco and adult magazines in their store? I also recall a wonderful couple who gave their all to our youth ministry and also gave generously, but they lived together and they were not married. I’ve mentioned a small church who held a hurry-up meeting of their session… so that they could vote not to serve communion to a gay couple who were likely to attend that Sunday? Where, if anywhere, do you draw the line?

Don’t major in the minors! Do worry so much about what others do and believe that you forget to worship and serve our Lord. I’m biased because I came to Christ through grace alone. I wasn’t even trying to be good. I wasn’t even considering repentance, but people were praying for me and they welcomed me, and they were sure that my sins,  though they were many, were entirely forgiven by Christ. Grace, grace, grace… is my first pillar, and the 2^nd is this: Christ crucified and risen! I don’t worry much about people of other faiths and other denominations, or hymnals, or dress codes, but if Christ didn’t die for me, my sins are not covered… and if Christ didn’t rise in victory, it wouldn’t matter anyway because death would be the winner! Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

THE POWER AND BEAUTY OF MYSTERY

 

“The most beautiful thing that we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He… who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed.” — Albert Einstein

 

Life is filled with things that are too big for us, things that we can never understand, things that cannot be parsed and studied, Most, virtually all, of the best things in life are mysterious. Love itself (who really knows what it is), trust, desire, fear, a “calling” from God, the essence of God (what makes God happy, what breaks God’s heart, or is all about the same to God), the loaf and the cup, being fully human and fully God, the value of just one person, a lasting memory that brings a smile to our lips, forgiveness, grace… and a thousand more things that make life worth living are mysteries. We can’t break these things down into measureable parts… without destroying the whole.

 

Today my heart breaks for the people of Israel- and all of the others who are oppressed and slaughtered for simply being who they are. I don’t understand hatred that runs so deeply and so indiscriminately. My father suspected that college graduates were long of information, but short on sense… and I will confess that there are many wonderful things that I just accept… because I don’t understand them. And God is at the top of the list. Like Moses, I would like to know God’s nature. I would like to know God’s priorities and exactly what God expects of me and you. I don’t understand how God can forgive those who are crucifying His Son. I don’t understand why God would love me… but… I desperately need to accept it! I need to embrace it, to make life worth living and to save my soul!

 

Other than Christ, no one had a more honest  relationship with God than Moses did. He felt free to speak his mind to God and God often listened, but in our passage today, he went too far. He insisted on seeing God’s “glory,” God’s essence. He said that, if God fully disclosed His essence, it would empower him (ie. Moses) to be a better servant. He wanted to know God just as well as God knew him… but God said “no.”

 

God refused to show Moses his “glory.” Instead He told Moses to go to a place where He would pass by, but Moses wouldn’t be allowed to see God’s “glory” because He would cover Moses’ eyes as He passed by. Moses would be allowed to get a glimpse of God. He would see God’s back, He would know that God had been there, but he would never see God’s face because YHWH is holy, mysterious, and cannot be fully known.

 

Like Moses, we sometimes get a glimpse of God’s presence, and we see the majesty of God’s handiwork now and then. We can see God’s fingerprints in our lives or in someone else’s life. There are times when we “feel” God’s presence just as clearly as we feel anything else. At times we hear God’s voice in our minds, our hearts, or in words someone is speaking to us.

We see God dimly. We see God from time to time, but we will never see God’s face on this side of forever, because God is mystery! God’s greatness, God’s grace, God’s love. God’s patience, God’s forgiveness, and the essence of who God is… will forever be wrapped in a wonderful mystery!

 

 

SET APART TO BE HOLY

 

The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say: ‘I am the Lord your God. You must not do as they do in Egypt and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan. Do not follow their practices. You must obey my laws. I am the Lord your God.

The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel- not just to the priests and the leaders- and say to them: ‘Be holy (be separate or set apart) because I, the Lord your God, am holy.

You must respect your mother and father. Others may not, but you must because I am your God..

Observe my Sabbaths (as “hoIi-days”). Others may live as if my Sabbaths are designed for them, but you must keep them “holy” because I am your God.

Do not turn to idols or make metal gods, (like they do in other nations). Many people worship themselves and the work of their hands, but you must trust in the Lord,,, because I am your God.

When you reap your harvest, don’t reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest (even if you are tempted to do so). Don’t go over your vineyard a second time or pick up grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner, no matter your view of either group, because I am the Lord your God.

Don’t steal. Don’t lie. Don’t deceive one another. In the family of God we speak the truth and love others as we love ourselves.

Don’t hold back the wages of a hired worker overnight. Pay them without delay. In the household of God, we treat others as we want to be treated.

Do not curse the deaf… or put a stumbling block in front of the blind. Life is difficult, but it is even tougher for people who are disabled. So, if you can’t bring yourself to help them, make sure that you don’t mock them or add to their burdens,

When a foreigner resides among you, do not mistreat them. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.

Use honest scales and honest weights, an honest ephah and an honest hin. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt.

Rules to live by. Family rules. Ways of living that show others that we are part of God’s family. When we entered our daughter’s house in Joliet, we were asked to take off our shoes. My mother didn’t like it…but as part of the family, we took off our shoes, When we had family gatherings in Des Moines, we were more likely to have beer than “pop”, and many of our family members smoked. Other families eschew both of those things, but if you were joining the Shedenhelms, you needed to bring your own pop. Sherry and I pray before meals, whether we’re eating in or dining out, but there was a time when prayer never even crossed our minds. If you were to stop by and visit us, you would never interrupt a movie because I rarely watch them.

 

Families have their own ways, and the family of God is set apart to be obedient and loving. Holiness is what sets the people of Israel apart from the peoples around them. Be holy, God declared, because I am holy. Live in obedience to the laws I have laid down. Others won’t, of course. They will ignore God’s law and even mock it, but God’s family will live as if they are God’s people! Others will march to a different drummer. They may worship themselves and things that catch their eyes. They will violate God’s commandments, modify them, or ignore them altogether. The world will go mad and they invite us to join in, but those who are part of God’s family will stay the course. They will put God first and treat others with compassion. 

 

Just before they entered the Promised Land, Joshua proclaimed, “Choose today whom you will serve. As for me and my family, we will serve the Lord!” In my view, James captured the essence of holiness when he wrote, “Religion that God accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” O Lord, help me to serve you in ways that honor you and also bless others in my community and your family of faith. Help me see others as You see them, Lord, through eyes of love, service and grace.” Amen!

 

 

SACRED MEMORIES

 

Over the years I’ve preached at more than a hundred funerals. Some of them were for family members- my mom, my cousin, and both of my brothers. Some of them were for church friends. Some of them were for people whom I didn’t know well and some of them were for people I didn’t know at all. But they were all sacred to me. Today, I will “lift up” a few of the many who gave me a lesson in faith.  

 

Isabelle Whitley

Isabelle was an elderly woman who reminded some people of the “church lady” on SNL. She was struggling to die when I walked into her room and her family told me that she had been “waiting for me.” I doubt that, but I could see that she was afraid to let go, In time however, with a nurse reassuring her, and with me chiming in, she passed away. I forgot to tell her family that Isabel was the first person to die in my presence.

 

Bus Iglehart

I remember a man called “Bus,” who befriended me and took me to a “Rockies” football game. I loved his stories and took a little pride in the fact that Bus didn’t like most pastors. He and his wife became friends and Sherry and I shared many meals with them. In the end, cancer had its way with Bus. I called on him at his home when he was in hospice care. On each visit I told Bus that I loved him… and I surely did.

 

Will Miner

I remember Wilbur as a witness to our Lord’s love and grace. Clerk of Session, Stephen Ministry leader, family man, friend, and “man of God.” Will blessed everyone who crossed his path. I last saw Will in the Joliet Hospice facility, where he had been for some time. Since he seemed to be feeling good, he told me that he was going to “flunk” hospice, but he didn’t. He passed shortly after that moment, but the last thing he said to me was: “We will meet again!” And he meant it.

 

Johnny Pena

I remember a young man who had gotten off-track somewhere along the line, but he had a heart of gold and a palpable love for his family. He was as sweet and vulnerable as anyone could be. I was blessed to visit Johnny on occasion. I was also blessed to pray with him and and to serve him Communion. In the end, he embraced his Lord, hugged his mom, and moved on to his home in heaven. At Johnny’s funeral we played “Angel Flying Too Close to The Ground,” and I am glad we did.

 

Jack May

I remember Jack. He and his wife attended our church because they saw my name in the paper. It turned out that Jack had worked for my dad in Des Moines. I was blessed to officiate their daughter’s wedding and to have Jack emcee at my retirement get-together. Then Joyce gave me the honor of speaking at Jack’s funeral. Lauding Jack’s walk with Christ was easy to do. And so was celebrating his contributions to our church. But saying “goodbye” to a man I loved was heartbreaking.

 

Jeff Arduser

Jeff and Kelly came into my office searching for a community of faith. Jeff had just experienced a life-changing moment and he wanted to walk with Jesus. And he did, as he struggled with cancer. He walked humbly and he walked faithfully. He walked gently and he walked with assurance. He walked with his Lord and he walked with Kelly. He died believing that he was in God’s hands, and when I left his hospital room for the last time, I saw a rainbow that filled the sky. It seemed to go from one end of the QC to other, and I smiled.

 

Connie Dahl

Not long ago we had a graveside service for my friend, Connie. It was on a morning when Connie would’ve been working in our church’s resale store down the road, but instead, her loved ones were taking their seats before the service began. We talked about Connie’s faith and the love that she had for those in her world. As I claimed Christ’s promise of life beyond the grave, her mother cried. Her tears didn’t come from disbelief. They came from the pain that love demanded.

 

THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN

 

First Church was stately. It had served its neighborhood for decades, but now the neighbor-hood was “in transition.” Most of the old guard had either passed away or moved on, but the church sign still read, “Everyone Welcome.” So a casually dressed, long-haired young man, with tattoos and earrings, entered the church one Sunday morning. When the saints in the pews saw him, they were caught off guard, and they were even more upset… when the young man sauntered down the main aisle, and sit within 20 feet of the chancel. There he was- sitting cross-legged in the middle of the aisle- and everyone wondered what would happen next. But just then, deacon Wilson got up and made his move. The congregation was sure that this stern old church patriarch would set the intruder straight… but instead, he laid his cane down and sat down next to the visitor… in the middle of the aisle. Christ came to First Church that day as an old man who hungered and thirsted for righteousness

 

After he had been baptized by John and tempted by the Devil, Jesus called his disciples aside and talked to them about “life in the kingdom of heaven.” He knew that they would be tempted to seek power and status, and he knew that they would be tempted to make their Christian journey all about themselves. He knew that, in this world, winning is everything and that status, wealth, and titles… set us apart from others. But he wanted them to know that life in the kingdom is based on an abiding love of God and one another. None of us will be at the center of life in the kingdom. We will be loved, of course, but it will not be all about us.

 

We are tempted to think that we will be best served by making sure that we are “uno numero” in our own lives and that we are somehow in competition with others. We are tempted to think of God as our servant and we are often drunk on our own wine! We’re told that we live in a tough and unforgiving world and that we should be careful about getting too close to others. But Jesus said that the kingdom doesn’t work this way, and that we should live as if we belong to the “kingdom of heaven” here on earth.  

 

The kingdom of heaven is centered on God and its citizens praise God as if they are one people. Heaven will be a place of blessings and Jesus told his disciples that we will be blessed if we…

 

1) are the poor in spirit. We will be blessed if we love God and our neighbors. We will be blessed if we rid ourselves of the idea that we are more deserving that others and come to see that love doesn’t keep score and doesn’t understand winners and losers

2) mourn for people who suffer loss, and  3) hunger and thirst after righteousness, Jesus did many things out of compassion, and compassion should define us as well. The presence of God’s kingdom here on earth is filled with compassion, not pride! Seeing others and responding to their pain. Caring about lepers and others who live in the darkness of our alleys, empathizing with the disabled and others who long for a fuller life, responding to widows, orphans, and others who long for acceptance, crying with the men and women- rich and poor, old and young, and of any color- who have buried loved ones, and and all of those who just can’t get free from people and forces that hold them down. Darkness and pain are all around us and if we “hunger” for righteousness, we will get involved. We will run to help them, speak out in their behalf, cross the road to pick them up, hold someone’s hand and listen to them… plus tears that flow from your own heart. All of these (and more) are signs someone is  thirsting and hungering for righteousness! And these people will be blessed because they are serving God and loving others as they love themselves.

4) are meek and 5) merciful, and 6) pure in heart,

7) make peace whenever possible and if it is up to us.

7) keep on serving others and praising God, even if we are scorned and persecuted for it.

The kingdom of heaven marches to a different drummer than we do on earth. It is not about gaining, but giving. It is not about getting love, but giving love. It is not about winning or losing, but about serving and sacrificing. It is not about getting our own way, but about peace. It’s not about “deserving” this, or that, or anything, but rather, grace and forgiving. It is a kingdom where love will have its way with us and where we will finally be free.