THE CHURCH AT LAODICEA

 

The Church at Laodicea wouldn’t say “yes” or “no”

Ephesus was a hard-working and orderly church. They dotted their I’s and crossed their t’s… but they had lost their passion. Pergamum held fast to Christ’s name… but they also tolerated false teaching. Thyatira was commended for their love, but a false prophetess was leading them into immorality and idolatry. The church at Sardis had great reputation. It was the talk of the region… but it was spiritually dead. The church at Philadelphia did the best that they could with limited resources. You can read about these churches in Revelation, chapters 2 and 3, where we get a summary of how the churches of Asia Minor were doing. Asia Minor is in today’s Turkey and the churches within it were like the churches in Peoria or Galesburg to a great extent. Some of them had so much order that they choked off the “ardor” and some of them had more enthusiasm than doctrine. It was a mixed bag for each of these churches… but it was the “lukewarm” church at Laodicea that got the worst grade because they didn’t give Christ much thought, one way or the other. When God stands at our door and knocks, God expects an answer. When the Spirit whispers, “follow Jesus,” our answer may be “yes” or “no,” but God expects an answer!

According to our passage in Isaiah (5:1-9), God had done everything He could for His people. He had planted them on a fertile hill and He put a hedge around them. What is more, He built a watchtower and also provided a wine press. They- the people of Judah- were built for success. And so, God was expectant as He approached His vineyard. He expected MISHPAT (justice)… but found MISPACH (bloodshed). With all of the love God had provided, surely God would find a loving, prayerful, committed, serving community when He showed up, but the planting, the rain, the hedge, and the pruning were all in vain. God had done the work but His people let it die. Israel had every reason to flourish, but privilege always carries accountability. When God calls, we are called to respond… and our response is measured by the justice and righteousness we work for and show in our own lives.

When Christ traded in glory to walk among us, He sought a response from the people. “Do you love me more than these?” “What do you want me to do for you?” “Show me where you laid him.” God sent His Son into the world to save our souls, to be what we are meant to be, and to serve others as Jesus had done. Jesus had no intention of forcing His will on us and he never tried to tell us what we wanted to hear… but He did call for trust and obedience, for surrender, all along the way. He didn’t intend to please everyone. It wasn’t his goal to gloss over sin or to minimize the cost of discipleship, but it was His goal to take a stand for everything that is truly good and loving. He knew that the little gods of this world- money, power, pleasure- had held sway for a long, long time. He knew that people were scared to walk away from the crowd and that they were bullied if they did. He knew that people had deep relationships that pulled them in any number of ways, and He knew that many, many people would choose an easier and softer road. He knew that the choice He laid before them would be challenging and divisive. But He invited them to come and see what He could do. He invited them to choose the direction in which they would go!

But God calls us to make a choice- will you worship me or someone or something else- “yes”, or “no,” but not “we’ll see.” God calls us to surrender and follow Him. He invites us to pick up our own cross of faithfulness and service and He waits for our answer. Our answer may be, “Count me in! Where’s my cross.” Or it may be “no. I’m not strong enough to carry a cross.” One or the other because invitations deserve a response! AMEN!

 

 

THANK GOD- LIFE IS NOT FAIR

 “I'm no stranger to the rain, I've fought with the devil/     Got down on his level” Sometimes I listen to this Keith Whitley song because I’m no stranger to the rain either. I’ve fought with the devil, resisted my Lord, and shaken my fists at the wind. And I know you have too! Life isn’t fair and for better or worse, people rarely get what they deserve. The Bible doesn’t have much to say about things being “earned” or “fair,” but it has a lot to say about “letting go and letting God.” The Bible doesn’t dwell on the ways in which we can be like God ourselves, but it does dwell on grace!

Here's the great truth: GOD ISN’T FAIR EITHER! And here is a corollary: we can’t earn… or lose... God’s love, because God is love! And that brings me to Hosea 11. Hosea doesn’t try to excuse the sins of God’s people. They are self-centered, and they willingly (almost eagerly) chase after idols of many kinds. On their own merit, they deserve punishment. If things were fair, they (and we) would never see the sun, but this passage is not about our sins. It’s about God’s grace!

Hosea 11:1-11 is a touching testimony to God’s amazing grace, and it goes like this: “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.” (vs. 1) He was enslaved and I rescued him from the hands of Pharaoh. I called my people to trust in me, but ″They kept sacrificing to the Baals and burning offerings to idols.” (vs. 2) They loved themselves more than they loved me, and “Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk; I took them up by their arms, but they did not know that I healed them.” (vs. 3) I led them with cords of kindness, with the bands of love, and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws, and I bent down to them and fed them.” (vs. 4) O yes, God bent down and fed them, but the people didn’t listen, and they didn’t even try!

They deserved justice. God knew that. But God couldn’t do it because His love was too great. “How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I hand you over, O Israel? My heart recoils within me; my compassion grows warm and tender. I will not execute my burning anger; for I am God and not a man, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath.” (vs. 8,9) Men and women may yell, threaten, and break relationships with one another. They may strive to win or get even somehow, but God is able to offer unrelenting grace because God is God and not a human. He looked down from his cross with forgiveness in his heart because He is the Holy One in our midst! Amen.

 

AN ARTFUL DODGER

 

“Love your enemies” (Matthew 5:44), Jesus said, but many of us have trouble loving our friends and our own family members. 

“Sell what you have and give to the poor” (Mark 10:21), Jesus said, but many of us love what we have and we think that the poor can help themselves,

“You cannot serve both God and money” (Matthew 6:24) Jesus said, because one of them invites us to love God, while the other encourages us to love what we own and what we want.

“Forgive seventy times seven times” (Matthew 18:21-22), Jesus said. Forgive yourself and others as a way of life, Forgive until the cows come home, forgive those who are crucifying you… because you have been forgiven by God,

“Take up your cross and follow me” (Luke 9:23), Jesus said, because that is what it means to be a disciple. Follow Christ “on the Way,” do what Christ would did, love others in the same way He did; heal, bless, and free others, just as He did.

We know what Jesus said, but we don’t want to live them out. So, we debate what our cross is, and more or less discard His words about forgiving. We hear Jesus’ warning about God and money. We know that worshiping our wealth won’t open heaven’s door, but we continue to try because trusting what we have makes a lot of sense to us. One of my friends, pastor Ron Stewart, put the words, “Artful Dodger” on his license plate because he thought of himself as an artful dodger, who is someone who pretends that he or she doesn’t understand God’s word when in fact, they simply don’t want to trust in God alone.

With this in mind, let’s look at our passage for today. I am starting with Luke 12:22: Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or what you will wear. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.  If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide a treasure in heaven that will never fail… For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. “Be dressed and ready for service and keep your lamps burning because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” Peter asked, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?”

 

When Sherry and I were moving from the Presbyterian housing in seminary to the Lutheran housing, the young man who was helping us said, “What I don’t understand is why you go to seminary. In my church, someone who gets filled with the Holy Ghost just stands up and gives the message, straight from his/her heart. Why do you need to study for so long?” It’s a good question and the answer is… so we know what we’re talking about! One of my cohorts often said, “text without context is pretext,” and I believe he was right. That’s why we go to school, but it doesn’t take a special degree to understand that God wants us to love “Him” with every fiber of our being and love our neighbors every bit as much as we love ourselves, I enjoyed both Hebrew and Greek, but I didn’t need either one to know that I must trust God and live in the now, and learn to see Jesus in each person I meet, and keep an eye on my possessions so that they don’t become too big to ignore. We can be Bible experts without believing a word of it, but we can’t be Christians without following Christ. Amen!

 

 

BE A DOER

 

We Christians talk a big game about the Bible. Some of us say the Bible is "authoritative," or "divinely inspired," or "infallible." Some Christians say they believe every word of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. I heard about one preacher who said he believes the whole Bible from Genesis to maps - as in the maps of ancient lands included in the back of his Bible.

Some churches have a huge Bible at the front of the sanctuary, and they don't start the Sunday service until someone ceremonially flips it open. Some churches stand whenever Scripture is read aloud in worship.

There are many ways people venerate the Bible. Some say the Bible should never be put on the floor. Some say you should never write in your Bible, or fold down the corners of pages, because it's so holy.

Many folks broadcast their esteem for Holy Scripture. They put the 10 Commandments on billboards. They put Bible-verse bumper stickers on their cars. They wear T-shirts that say, "God said it; I believe it; that settles it."

Families seek to honor the Bible, too. I have visited homes where there are Bible verses on the walls. I've walked into houses where there is a big Bible with gold lettering and white lace on the center of the coffee table. Many homes, including my own, have more copies of the Bible than any other book.

Politicians and public officials praise the Bible as well. They quote the Bible in speeches or name it as their favorite book. In 2016, lawmakers in the state of Tennessee, where I live, made national news by approving a bill that would make the Bible the official book of Tennessee. Alongside milk, our state beverage, and the raccoon, our state wild animal, they wanted to add the Bible as our official state book.

We find myriad ways to elevate the Bible as a sacred symbol. Unfortunately, our capacity for symbolically honoring the Bible can outrun our commitment to putting its main themes into practice.

James says, if you really want to honor the word of God, do what it says. Too many Bible verses make it to our ears but not to our hands. Too many scriptures mark our contemplation but not our action.

According to James, if we hear the word of God, or read the word of God, without putting it into action, we are deceiving ourselves. It's like looking in a mirror to find that our hair is messed up, we've got a smudge on our face, and we have little green bits of broccoli stuck in our teeth, and then walking away without doing anything about it. James' point is not about physical appearance, though; it's about the heart. The Bible is a mirror we can look into to see where our witness is messed up, to see where there's a smudge on our heart, and to see how God wants us to enact the word in the world. The Bible is not a searchlight that reveals other people's shortcomings; it's a mirror that reveals our own. It summons us to a higher level of living.

We are not Christian because we hear the word of God. We are not Christian because we mentally affirm that the word of God is true. We are Christians because we believe in Jesus Christ, the Word of God made flesh.

When we consider the phrase "Word of God," it's important to remember that the Word of God is primarily Jesus Christ. In speaking about Christ, John 1:14 says, "the Word became flesh and lived among us." The Word of God, then, is no abstract principle; it's no theoretical notion; it is a concrete and embodied word. When the word of God became flesh in Christ, it not only spoke but also healed the sick, and touched the outcast, and cuddled children, and overturned temple furniture. Since the word became flesh and lived among us, it is the very nature of God's word to be living and active; to be not only spoken and heard, but also enacted. Therefore, we misrepresent the very nature of God's word when we hear it and don't do it, or when we talk a big game about the Bible and don't put it into practice. James is calling us to embody the word of God by doing it.

"But preacher," someone might say, "there are so many things Scripture tells us, so many commands in the Old Testament, so many teachings in the New Testament. Where do we even start to become doers of the word?" James offers an answer in verse 27, where he says, "pure and undefiled religion before God...[is] to care for orphans and widows in their distress." Orphans and widows were some of the most vulnerable persons in the ancient world. They represented disadvantaged demographics within society. A primary way to do the word of God, therefore, is to care for persons who are vulnerable, to love persons who are marginalized, and to help persons who are deprived.

In short, a key way to do God's word is to practice "social justice." Years ago, when my professors first introduced me to the idea of "social justice," it sounded to me like mere ideological rhetoric. But as I read the Bible more and more, I came to see that God's special concern for the destitute permeates the pages of Scripture, and the call for God's people to seek justice for the oppressed resounds throughout the Bible. A few years ago, a researcher at Baylor University named Aaron Franzen conducted a study pertaining to the frequency with which people read the Bible, and how that impacts their views on various issues. His findings showed that despite a variety of predispositions and backgrounds, the more people read the Bible, the more they are concerned about seeking socioeconomic justice for the poor and vulnerable.[i] This research confirms what many Bible readers have known for centuries, that a key way to do God's word is to serve persons who are socioeconomically disadvantaged.

Again, this cannot be something we just hear in God's word or talk a big game about. It's something for us to do. To every Christian that talks a big game about the Bible being authoritative, or inspired, or infallible, James might say, "What are you doing to resource the underprivileged?" To every church that stands when Scripture is read in worship, James might ask, "What are you doing to empower the oppressed?" To every family that has Bible verses on the wall of their home, James might ask, "What are you doing to support the vulnerable?" To every politician who praises the Bible or wants it to be the official state book, James might ask, "What are you doing to care for the impoverished?" To every preacher who studies God's word and stands to declare it on Sundays, James might say, "What are you doing to support the dispossessed?"

One of the true geniuses of the twentieth century was a man named Albert Schweitzer. He was an exceptional organist, an outstanding physician, and a brilliant Bible scholar. He spent much of life studying the word of God and making important arguments about what it says. Schweitzer's arguments about the life of Jesus are still required reading at some theological schools. At one point in his career, Schweitzer surprisingly decided to leave his life of privilege and prestige in Germany in order to become a full-time missionary in the Belgian Congo. He went and did medical mission work at a hospital deep in the jungle. During a BBC interview, Schweitzer was asked why he left his amazing life in Germany to go the Congo. He replied, "I have decided to make my life my argument."

May it be so with all of us who praise the Word of God.

 

 

 

 

"Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger."

James' words are to the point and we do well to apply them to ourselves. If we are constantly verbalizing our piety, we need to take note: "If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless."
 

"Do not merely listen to the word."

For James, the perfect law (the law of love which gives freedom) is something, not so much to be studied, but done. It is something to be lived out in our lives. Living the truth is what is important.

James? emphasis on being ?doers? in this text, particularly regarding oppressed peoples, is part of what creates a big message within a short book. It?s a message that can make some of us a bit uncomfortable, precisely because it has the ability to reignite (or feed the continued flames of) a Christian commitment to social justice."

 

GET INTO THE BOAT

 

GET INTO THE BOAT!

It was sometime in the 80s. We were living in Omaha and I decided to paint the trim that ran under the roof of our home. I could do this with a step-ladder for most of the house, but on the north side, the peak of the roof was 29 feet high and my fear of heights was a huge problem. I would approach the ladder with a great deal of bravado- nothing to be afraid of- and rush up the rungs with my paint brush in hand. But as I neared the top, my legs froze and I hugged the ladder. When I finally made it to the top, I would reach out with one trembling hand and paint another inch or two of the trim… before I scampered back to the safety of the ground.

I was terrified! Scared to death, and I have never gotten over it! My late brother, Randy, on the other hand, was afraid of the sea…thalassophobia which seemed to call to him when he was on the shore. And it is this fear- thalassophobia- that many people in the ancient world had. Several ancient cultures had flood stories and many people in that time believed in sea monsters and other sources of danger. On the 5^th day of creation, Gen. 1:21, God created the great sea monsters, and except for Noah and his family, God destroyed humankind with the great flood. Jonah tried to run from God, but he was returned to his starting place in the belly of a “big fish.” With God on his side, Moses divided the sea, which allowed the people of God to escape from the Pharaoh. Otherwise, the great sea would’ve kept God’s people in slavery.

The sea was a mysterious and threatening thing for sailors and passengers alike, and this was certainly the case with the Sea of Galilee… where sudden, strong, and short-lived storms often occurred. This brings us to our passage today. After Jesus finished teaching about the kingdom of God, He said, “Let’s go to the other side”… of Lake Gennesaret (another name for the Sea of Galilee). Let’s get into the boat and go to the other side, and he meant “now,” without returning to Peter’s home and preparing for the trip. Jesus meant that they should get into the boat “now.” So they got into the boat, not long before a “great windstorm arose and their boat was filling with water.” The disciples were bailing out water and becoming increasingly frantic- so they woke Jesus up and questioned whether he even cared if they died. Rather than responding to such a question, Jesus rebuked the wind and the storm subsided. It was over. Everything was fine, and Jesus asked two questions: why are you so afraid, and have you still no faith? According to Mark, when Jesus calmed the sea, the disciples were filled with great fear yet again, asking one another, “Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

Well, I hope each of you will give some thought to this brief passage, What did it mean? What does it say to us? And I will start with 5 observations of my own:

1.   The disciples were professional fishermen. They were the sons of professional fisherman, and they must have been familiar with the sudden storms that arose on this sea. So, why were they so terrified? Maybe it was their experience that gave birth to their fear.

2.   Getting into the boat is half of the battle. Unless we get into the boat, we will not experience the journey and we will never grow to be the men and women we were called to be. God calls and we respond… or not. We get into the boat… of not, and if we don’t go, we will miss out on all the things we might have see and all the blessings we would have received.

3.   Going to the other side can be a frightening thing! Who or what is on the other side? Will I be harmed or changed in ways that I don’t want to be changed? Will I be liked or will I be treated with disdain? Will the experience be worth the uncertainty that I will endure?

4.   Who was it that questioned whether Jesus cared? What kind of a question is that? I’ve been in my share of storms- you have too- and I’ve prayed to my Lord! I’ve sometimes wished that God would have said “yes,” instead of “no.” or “now,” instead of “later,” but I’ve never thought that God didn’t even care.

5.   Who is this man who can calm the sea and wind? This is a great question. Who is this man who has authority over the forces of nature? At its core, FAITH is more a matter of trust than intellectual assent. Faith is living as if what we claim and hope for… is true. Faith is actually believing that God’s eye is on the sparrow and that God has the whole world in His hands. If we can get a firm hold on the fact that the man who is sleeping in our boat… is GOD, we can rest easy and get a little sleep ourselves, If Jesus is God, we have nothing to fear! Nothing at all! Absolutely nothing! Amen!

 

 

GOD'S JUSTICE IS FILLED WITH GRACE

 

GOD’S JUSTICE INCLUDES GRACE

You know the stories. When God regretted the fact that He created people, He decided to destroy all living things on earth… but then He remembered Noah… and changed His mind. (Gen. 8) When the people of Israel made a golden calf and then attributed their salvation to the calf, God was outraged. He told Moses to stand back because He was going to destroy all of the others, Moses appealed to God’s grace and suggested that such an act would be beneath God. (Ex. 32) When God informed King Hezekiah that he would soon die, it broke Hezekiah’s heart. He cried and pleaded for more years… and God granted him 15 more! (Isa. 38) When God forgave the people of Nineveh because they repented, Jonah threw a fit. He sat under a bush and pouted, telling God that he knew God would be too forgiving and he would just as soon be dead. (Jonah 3) And when Jesus walked the earth, stories of God’s grace continued. Luke tells us that there was a thief who was crucified on a cross next to Jesus. This unnamed man didn’t claim to be particularly good, but he did cry out to Jesus and said, “Remember me.” Remember me when you take your place in heaven, and Jesus said, “Today you will be with me in Paradise!” (Luke 23) When Jesus encountered the Syrophoenician woman, he told her that he could not heal her daughter because he had been sent to the house of Israel. This was true. Jesus didn’t heal everyone, but he was filled with compassion when people were in need and forgotten. So, when the young woman pointed out that “even dogs” get crumbs from their Master’s table… Jesus changed his stance and told the woman that her daughter had been healed! (Mark 7)

And finally, when the three men who visited Abraham finished the meal that he had prepared for them, they got up to leave and Abraham joined them. And as they walked along, one of them asked the others if He should hide from Abraham what He was about to do. (Gen. 18) When it became clear that God planned to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham approached his Lord and asked, “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?” Will you really destroy everyone if you can find 50 people who are righteous? “Will not the judge of the earth do right?”

Some people think that God is at a distance. Some people believe that God must be all-knowing and unchangeable. Some people see God as a Santa Claus who keeps score and puts the burden on His people to be good enough to be loved and forgiven. But this is not what the Bible says in either one of our testaments. Oh, it is most certainly true! God’s character never changes. He has always been and always will be… Holy, Just, and Merciful. But God is not unmovable and God always leaves space for relationships, repentance and redemption. God is Holy, but God is also merciful. Our God is not too far away or too disinterested to listen and respond to our prayers. This does not mean that God is our servant.. but the record shows that God invites us to share our struggles with Him.

God is just, of course and He will never applaud our sins or fall for our schemes! But many of Jesus’ miracles stemmed from his compassion and he died with the words “forgive them” on his lips… out of love! God is love, John said… and in the end, when the Great Flood has come and gone, when Israel’s great prophets are silent, when grace is still hard to find and sin still abounds, the Holy Spirit whispers, “Come from your hiding places, come out of the darkness, lay down your masks, and come home… where you belong. Hurry home and feast on the new life that God provides, AMEN!

 

DON’T WORSHIP A SMALL GOD

 

I don’t want to brag, but I’m something of an expert on small gods. For years I worshiped alcohol and I couldn’t imagine life without it. When things were bad, I needed it to see me through, and when things were great, I needed alcohol to help me celebrate. And then there was the god I called “ambition”- the driving need to get ahead. There was almost nothing I wouldn’t do to get a big corner office and prove that I was “somebody.” And like many others, I worshiped myself- the little baby within that always wanted to be the center of attention. Although it was plain to see that I had “messed up” my life in many ways, I continued to fight for control, partly because I had never known another way… and partly because I didn’t want to give up my sins, especially the ones I liked.

 

But I’m not the only one who has worshiped a small god. Some people worship a small god who is little more than their agreeable and understanding buddy. This god doesn’t ask much of them and is generally satisfied that they are doing the best they can. Some people, most perhaps, worship a small god who is the mirrored image of themselves. This god votes for the same candidates, roots for the same teams, likes the same songs, and holds the same prejudices that they do. Some people, a lot actually, worship the small god of health and wealth. This god doesn’t ask for any sacrifice and insists that rich men and women will have no trouble getting through the eye of a needle. Some people worship a small god who is impotent and can’t do much of anything. Therefore, they seldom pray and when they do, they pray for nothing more than the obvious because, deep-down, they don’t think that God can do much. And then there are those who worship a small god who actually serves them! They don’t feel a need to do God’s bidding… but they expect that their God will do theirs!

 

Small gods are common in our time… but Isaiah encountered a BIG God! Let’s look at our passage one more time-“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw Adonai (the Lord) seated on a throne, high and exalted, and (just) the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs with six wings, two of which covered their faces, two of which covered their feet, and two which enabled them to fly. And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty." Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for." Then I heard the voice of the Lord asking, "Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I… Send me!" (Isaiah 6)

I need someone, God seemed to say, who will take on an impossible task of spreading my word… to a people who will never really hear it! And Isaiah answered, “Here I am, send me!” In the year that King Uzziah died, (c. 740BC) the prophet, Isaiah, encountered a BIG God. A God who shook the thresholds and doorposts of the temple. Isaiah was in the temple when God showed up, but he could only see the bottom of God’s robe because that alone filled the temple. Isaiah’s God was too big to see! Moses’ God told him to take off his sandals because he was standing on Holy ground. And even my parents knew that we weren’t supposed to use God’s name flippantly. Throughout the ages, people have given their lives to a big God who demanded respect and held them accountable for what they did or didn’t do. They worshiped a jealous God who wouldn’t put up with disobedience and idolatry.

A BIG God can be frightening because He can have His way with us, but a BIG GOD can also save us! A BIG God can command us to serve Him and to love Him with every fiber of our being… but He can also forgive us and give us new beginnings. We’re afraid that a BIG GOD won’t let us have our cake and eat it too, but worshiping small gods leaves us small and hopeless. If we embrace a small god we will not be challenged, but we will live our lives with an empty feeling. As John Ortberg noted… “If I live with a small God, I will find it unnatural to pray because I'm not really sure, deep down, that prayer matters anyway, and if I am tempted to lie or cheat to get my way or to get out of trouble, I'll do it…” because the God I worship doesn’t care anyway.

And so, in the end, the choice is ours. We can do business with a BIG God who calls us to serve and obey… or we can settle for a small god who is way too small to care and respond! This then, is the question: Is our God big enough to heal our wounds, forgive us endlessly, and save our souls? Or are we worshiping a small god who is no bigger than we are?  Amen!

 

 

“Cords of Kindness”

 

“If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. (I am just a noise maker)! If I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, (if I’m as smart and as wise as anyone has ever been, but do not have love, it won’t matter at all), and if I have a faith so big that I can remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give away all my possessions, and hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing! If I make a big show of how much I give to the poor and how much more I am willing to sacrifice (1 Cor. 13), but do it without love, I might as well stay home and read a book!

 

When you get right down to it, it’s all about love, isn’t it? God’s creative work, the words of the prophets, the awful death that our sinless Lord dies, and our walk together in a journey we call life- it’s all about love! From the “puppy love” that I can barely recall to the love expressed on death beds all over the world, from the ancient days to this day, it’s all about love… because without love we are nothing! Being loved and loving others is central to our lives and, from the beginning, God has sought to give and receive love also. Listen to God’s words in Hosea, chapter 11: “It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms; but they did not realize it was I who healed them. I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love. To them I was like one who lifts a little child to the cheek, and I bent down to feed them.” God issued many commandments and some warnings too, it’s true… but He leads us with the ties of love!

In an act of love, Christ Jesus came to earth to walk among us and to save our souls. “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) It was all about love… and when Jesus suffered on Golgotha’s hill, among his last words were these:  "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." And before He ascended to Heaven, (John 21) Jesus called a dispirited Peter to join him around a little charcoal fire. The other disciples were there too, but Jesus focused on Simon. It is likely that you know the story: ^“When they had finished eating, Jesus said, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” Simon replied, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” Again Jesus said, “Simon, do you love me?” and Peter answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” Then, for yet a third time, Jesus asked, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the same question three times and he said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” And then Jesus said to Peter, “Follow me” because it’s all about love!

“God is love.” (1 John 4:8)  “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:17)  “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.” (1 John 3:16)) And it’s all about love for you and me too. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as you love yourself.” (Matthew 22:37–39) This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. (John 15:12)

 

It’s all about love, isn’t it? They say that the world will know we are Christians by our love, and we are reminded that… “Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful, arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. It’s all about love!” O Paul, you’ve laid a challenge before me- one that I now see for what it is.  Love is patient… but I’m not. Many people know that. Love is kind… but even that is sometimes a hill for me. Love, you say, is not proud or rude… so I guess I’ll need to quit thinking about who deserves love and who doesn’t. Love, it seems, is something I need to surrender to, and something I need to pray for. I’m not doing my part, Lord, but I sure praise you for doing yours! Amen!

 

 

 

 

 

CARPE DIEM

CARPE DIEM

It’s not as bad as it used to be, but even now my past tries to undermine my present. During the night I am frequently inundated with memories of the things I said and done, or with thoughts of the bad times we had around our house. These “used-to-bees” try to keep me tied to a time that is long gone!  But the past is not where I live and it’s not where anybody really lives because God’s gift to us is called the “present.”

 

And the second culprit is the future because nothing has ever been done in the future. No one has forgiven, or loved, or danced with anyone else… in the future. We can talk about the future- whether AI will be our servant or our master, whether we will establish a colony on some far away planet, whether or not global warming with finally have its way with us- but no life has ever been lived in the future!

 

“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate on the present moment.” ―Buddha

 “It is not uncommon for people to spend their whole life waiting to start living.” ― Eckhart Tolle

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matt. 6:34)

 “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.” (Isa. 55:6)

CARPE DIEM. Seize today. Regrets, sweet memories, daydream, plans for when we get old- these things are common enough, but today is a time for action! When Jesus appeared at the synagogue in Nazareth, he opened the scroll that was handed to him and he read from the book of Isaiah: ““The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free,”

Then Jesus at down and the congregation waited for his   interpretation of these words. Would he address the Roman occupation, the taxes which burdened people who were already poor, or his own ministry? Jesus might have focused on a world to come: "Someday, the poor will be lifted up; someday, captives will be set free, and the day will surely come when the blind will see!” But he didn’t recall the good old days or project what God may do in the future. No, he said, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

And the people were shocked. Faith communities are often consumed with memories of the past and hopes for the future, but our ministry, happens today. If we love someone, tell them to today; if someone who is lonely, visit them today, if someone can’t get to their feet or buy even a modest meal, give them a hand or money for a meal today, if we need to forgive someone or make amends.... do it today. Today is the only time we will ever have to bring good news to the poor, to advocate and work to release the people in our world, we need to do it today! Today… is our time to shine… or walk on by, to love the unlovable or not, to get involved or just hope that someone else does!

In a very real way, the Spirit was upon Jesus. But He was also upon his friends and neighbors. And now, today, it is on us- calling us to serve Christ today!  I am going to pick up my own cross and follow Christ, I’m going to love the unlovable and forgive those whom I don’t want to forgive, I’m going to join this church ministry or that one, I’m going to start visiting someone after church. Yes, I am! And someone will ask “when?” When are you going to start doing even one of these things?

Let it be TODAY! Amen.

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