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Weekly Sermons
THE HOLINESS OF LABOR
John Thomas
New Palestine UMC
September 5, 2010
Colossians 3:12-17
Well, here we are; Labor Day weekend. Can someone tell me where the summer went? I had a dream about a week ago that I woke up and there was about 6 inches of snow on the ground, and it was real cold outside. I remember thinking in my dream, “But I thought that it was still summer yesterday.” And yes, it is true, the older we become, the faster the months and years seem to fly by.
But anyway, this is Labor Day weekend. It is the unofficial end of summer, the time when we begin to think about the Fall, and football, and the turning of the leaves. It also is a time to reflect upon the meaning of our lives, and the purpose of our activities.
It is said that some people live to work, and that some people work to live. I think this is true. There are some people that just LOVE their work. Indeed, they LIVE to work. Their work is their LIFE. Everything about their lives revolves around their work. Their jobs energize them, and they feel most alive when they are at work.
I have seen some pastors who were like this. It was nothing for these pastors to work 70 hours or more a week. I remember a friend who told this story. He said that he was finishing a quick supper at home, and getting ready to head back to the church for an evening meeting. His young son came up to him and asked, “Daddy, can I go to the church with you?” The pastor responded, “Well, I suppose, but why would you want to go the church when you could stay here and play with your friends?” The little boy teared up and said, “Because you’re a lot more friendly when you’re at the church.”
Sadly, I have seen a number of such work-a-holic pastors pretty much dry up and die when it came time to retire. They had no life beyond the parish. One such pastor said to me, “I don’t know what to do with myself. Ministry is all that I know and all that I have ever done. Now that I don’t have a church, I feel like I don’t have a life.”
I find this type of personality both attractive and not so attractive.
It is attractive because these people get a lot of things done. They work hard to make sure that things are accomplished, and they don’t rest until the job is done, and done right and well. They ARE friendly and happy while at work. They seem to have endless energy, since their work is the source of their energy. I wish I was more like that, driven, a go-getter, highly energized and productive.
But I also find this lifestyle rather unattractive. Such people really DON’T have a life beyond their work environment. I’ve seen a number of marriages collapse when retirement arrives because the husband and wife discover that they are married to a stranger in whom they find no energy and with whom they have nothing in common. And I have seen some of these people literally die shortly after retirement. It truly is a case of no job/no life; and idleness sucks the very life out of their souls and bodies.
Over a decade ago, I began to develop symptoms of clinical depression. It was hindering my job, my marriage, and my relationships in general. So I began to see a psychologist, and ended up doing about 16 months of counseling. At one of the later sessions, he asked me what I did just to have fun. Fun? Life is supposed to be fun? I once heard an older minister colleague say that when ministry quit being fun, he was going to retire. Ministry is supposed to be fun? I didn’t have an answer to the counselor’s question.
So he gave me some homework to do before the next session. Essentially, he asked be to develop a “bucket list,” or 25 things that I would like to do, or own, or accomplish during my life; AND he said that these 25 things had to be NOT related to my work.
I actually came up with a compelling list, and had fun doing so. I showed my list to my counselor, and we talked about each item one by one. At the end of the session, he looked at me right in the eyes and said, “Thomas, it occurs to me that there is not a single thing on this list that you cannot accomplish if you just set your mind to it. Don’t you think that it is about time that you got a life?”
Before my next and final session with my counselor, I had purchased a new pick-up truck and a bass boat. He was so pleased.
All I am saying is—if you are one of those who lives to work, I am glad that you have found something that gives you life; but I also hope that you learn to develop a life beyond work, for the sake of your family, and for the sake of your own life.
Now, the other side of this coin I also find attractive and unattractive. My father was one who genuinely worked to live. Employment, for him, was just a means to earn money. And he earned a decent enough living working in the factory. When he moved from Tennessee to Indiana, he left a sharecroppers job that was paying $1.25/day—per day. Upon getting hired at Delco in Anderson, we was making more than that per hour. And he worked faithfully at his job for about 40 years to earn a living. But his LIFE was not his job; his job was NOT his life. He found his life in hobbies such as chopping wood, or carpentry work, or vacationing in Florida. And he was a much more happy and friendly person when he was chopping wood, or helping build sheds, or walking the beach.
That is attractive to me, to develop a life beyond my job, to have an activity that restores my energy and my soul. And these folks tend to retire well. Oh, they may pick up a part time job just to have something to do and to earn a few extra bucks. But many of these people make their hobbies their life, and they are content and at peace. I find that attractive.
But what I don’t fine attractive about this lifestyle is the thought of having to endure years of forced labor just to have a life after retirement. Many of the work to live people find themselves employed at jobs that they don’t like—my father was one of those. He was so bored and so fed up with the politics between management and union, that he hated to go to work. He was very unhappy at work, and that unhappiness affected his home life as well. You will often hear these folks say things like, “I hate my job, but it’s a job, and it pays adequately, and I have a pension plan here. So, I guess I’m stuck here until I retire.”
Work-a-holics enjoy their jobs, but they don’t have a life beyond their work. Work-to-live folks find pleasure in things beyond their jobs, but frequently find their jobs unfulfilling and thus something that they simply dislike.
But there is another way to look at labor. And Labor Day seems like a good time to explore it.
Just prior to my coming to this church, many of you did an in-depth study of the book, The Purpose Driven Life. And I think that what I believe about life is close to what the book presented. I believe that God has put each of us here to accomplish his will in the world. And what is God’s will but that we love God with our whole hearts, and love our neighbor as ourselves? Living lives of love, compassion, mercy, hospitality, helpfulness, encouragement, and peace—THIS is God’s intended purpose for our lives—living out the Kingdom of God in our lives so that his love may permeate everyone’s lives and we all may live together in peace.
THAT is what life is all about. I have come to believe that it matters not so much WHAT we do, but HOW we live our lives at WHATEVER we do. I believe that we all are called to fulfill God’s will in the world, and we can do that in whatever endeavor we find ourselves. Yes, I believe that some people are called to specific professions—ministers, teachers, doctors, counselors, fire-fighters, police officers . . . carpenters, bakers, cooks, farmers, homemakers. But our primary calling is to see whatever we do as an opportunity live out God’s love. Whatever our job or our labor or our hobby or our lot in life, we must see each and every moment as an opportunity to paint God’s love on the canvas of life.
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to make this point in some of his speeches. Here are some of his words:
All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.
If you are called to be a street sweeper, sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. Sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, “Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.”
Whatever your life’s work is, do it well. A man should do his job so well that the living, the dead, and the unborn child could do it no better.
Do you see what I am trying to say? Life is neither about working to live or living to work. It is about serving God in whatever endeavor we find ourselves. At work, at hobby, at play, at leisure, while shopping, WHEREVER, our calling is to uplift humanity in the love of God. Work, like life, is NOT about ME, but about loving God and loving others. And we will be most happy when we make life and work, not about me, but about loving God and loving others. Each and every occasion in life is an opportunity for us to fulfill our purpose on this earth; and when we DO God’s love in the world, it is THERE that we find our very lives.
Jesus said it this way, “Those who would save their lives (in other words, live for oneself), will lose it; but those who lose their lives for the sake of the gospel (in other words, live for God and others) will find it.” It is in living for others that we find our very lives.
Labor, then, is simply a means to fulfill God’s love in the world, in the lives of those around us. The way we sack a customer’s groceries is just as real an opportunity to witness to the love of God as writing a sermon—maybe even more powerful. For as powerful as words are, it is what we DO that speaks even more powerfully.
In the words of the apostle Paul, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly . . . and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
As the Savior said, “Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength; and love your neighbor as yourself. Do this,” he said, “and you shall LIVE.”
HOLY MOSES?
John Thomas
New Palestine UMC
August 29, 2010
Exodus 1:8-11a, 22, 2:1-10
Oh! Hi, there. I suppose you are curious regarding my identity. I am Moses, a birthright Hebrew, son of the slave of Pharaoh’s daughter. I understand that our ancestor Joseph was here last week. Well, a lot has happened over these 400 years or so since the days of Joseph.
As you heard from Joseph, our ancestors moved to Goshen during the 7 year famine under the authority of Joseph himself. There, our ancestors flourished in the land of fertile soil and the nourishment of the waters of the River Nile. Because of their success, their numbers grew dramatically, and their influence in Egypt became significant. At first, all was well in Pharaoh’s favor. But with the death of the kind ruler, a new Pharaoh came into office who saw the Hebrews as a threat to his reign and his nation. We fell into disfavor with Egypt, eventually being taken into slavery. Our lives were miserable, our people scattered across the land, our hope for freedom destroyed. For 400 years, we have been slaves here in this forsaken land. And for 400 years our prayers seemingly have fallen upon deaf ears.
The current Pharaoh was so paranoid of the Hebrews that he ordered all newborn Hebrew males be slaughtered so that there could be no Hebrew army arise to challenge his authority. We seemed destined to be slaves forever.
This is where I come into the story. My mother was the slave to the very daughter of Pharaoh. Unlike her father, she was good woman full of compassion. She and my mother had become quite good friends, and she treated my mother most respectfully. When it was learned that Mother was with child, even Pharaoh’s daughter was filled with joy . . . that is, until I was born, a male. The law said that I was to be exterminated. How my mother languished, and Pharaoh’s daughter’ heart was touched. For three months, they schemed together to keep my gender a secret, but that could last only for so long. But to spare my life, Mother and Pharaoh’s daughter developed an elaborate plan. Mother made a tiny boat of reeds and palm leaves, just big enough for me to lay in. Publically, she proclaimed that it would be better for me to be swept down the Nile River in the hopes that someone might find me and give me a life that she could no longer provide. But here is where the plan took place.
You see, there was a hedgerow between Mother’s mud hut and Pharaoh’s daughter’s chambers that ran down to the banks of the river. When the day came for my release, “it just so happened” (wink, wink) that Pharaoh’s daughter was standing by the bank of the river at the time that Mother “just so happened” (wink, wink) to launch my little boat. What Mother really did was to push the boat so that “it just so happened” (wink, wink) to run aground at the feet of Pharaoh’s daughter, who proclaimed that she had just found a child that she would claim as her own. But, of course, “it just so happened” (wink, wink) that she was too busy to nurse the child herself, and she wondered what to do. Then, she looked up, and as “it just so happened” (wink, wink) there stood her slave woman. SHE could raise the child in behalf of Pharaoh’s daughter.
And that is how I survived the slaughter of Hebrew male infants. Pretty cool, eh?
Well, I grew up as Pharaoh’s adoptive grandson, and enjoyed more than my share of earthly delights. Eventually, I was put in charge of the guards of the slaves at one of the work sites. That was good, for I could keep an eye on my people and keep them from unnecessary harm. But one day, during my morning rounds, I came across a ruthless guard who was mercilessly beating up a Hebrew slave, spewing out hatred and ethnic slurs. It was more than I could stand. So I jumped off my horse, dragged the Egyptian guard off his, and, well, I killed him. Even as the adoptive grandson of Pharaoh, I could not avoid the harsh law of the land. I was a murderer on the lam.
Somehow, I managed to escape that day, and found myself running for my life. I took the high road out of town, crossing the Red Sea, and heading south into the Sinai desert. Even Pharaoh’s men would never venture into this vast wasteland for fear of perishing. So I ended up in the desert, begging for food and water, and searching for shelter wherever I could.
Eventually, I ended up at the town of a Godly man named Jethro. It just so happened that Jethro’s daughters were trying to water their flock at the town well. But the male shepherds of other tribes drove the daughters away. After all, the men get the first access to the well; the women would have to wait their turn. But when I saw this, I took the empty jars of the women and drew the water myself. Wearing my Egyptian guard’s uniform, the men had nothing to do with me. So I took the water and gave it to the women. As it happened the women were the daughters of the Godly man Jethro. And for my assistance, Jethro not only have me a job, he gave me a wife from among his daughters.
For several years, I lived on Jethro’s estate, tending his flocks and earning a decent living. I was quite comfortable and well settled in the land of Midian, content to be a herder, husband, and father; that is, until one day . . .
The strangest thing happened. I encountered what you call the burning bush. Oh, burning bushes were not strange. In fact, in the searing heat of the summer in the desert, it is quite common for wads of sagebrush to spontaneously combust. Wildfires are a natural occurrence, so at first, I paid the burning bush little mind. But all other bush fires quickly burn up and disappear. But not this one. It seemed to burn, but not be consumed. So I said to myself, “Hey, I gotta get a closer look at this thing.” So I approached the burning bush that would not be consumed.
But just as I approached the burning bush, I heard a voice speak from it. It scared me right out of my sandals, which was not a bad thing, for I realized that I was standing on hallowed ground. For the voice that emanated from the burning bush turned out to be no other than God Almighty, the God of my ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Now I was terrified. What had I done to stand face to face with God?
Then the voice said something about having heard the cries of my people in Egypt, and the time had come to do something about their horrible predicament. “Good,” I thought to myself, “its about time. I’m delighted that my people have gained God’s favor.” Then I wondered, “How is God going to accomplish all this.” Then God told me.
“I want you to return to Egypt and negotiate the release of my people.” “I’m sorry, but for a moment there I thought I heard you say that you wanted ME to go back to Egypt and negotiate the people’s release.” “You did,” the voice replied. “You gotta be kidding! Uh, remember, I’m wanted for murder in Egypt, they really are out to get me.” “Don’t worry; your adoptive grandfather is dead, and a new pharaoh is in power. You will be safe, for I am with you. Besides who among the Hebrews knows Egypt and its political network better than you? And who better knows both the Hebrew and Egyptian language than you? And who would know this wilderness better than you? Who on earth would be better qualified to negotiate my people’s release than you?”
I had to admit, the Lord had all of the angles covered. And now, the bush that would not be consumed had now consumed me with a relentless and inescapable fire in my heart. Try as I might, I could not get away from this call, this mission. Finally, I relented and said, “Okay, let’s say that I go back to Egypt. Both the Hebrews and the Egyptians will think I am nuts, being sent by a burning bush. So just who am I to say sent me and not get laughed out of the land? “Tell them that I sent you.” “And who did you say that you were?” “I am; I am life; I am existence; I Am Who I Am. Tell them that the Great I Am sends you. They will know.” So back to Egypt I went.
All these years, I have prayed for my people, beseeching God to liberate them from their suffering. Little did I know that I would be the answer to my own prayers. You know what they say, “Be careful what you pray for, you just might get it.”
Well, you know the story of the plagues. God sent a series of plagues to help my negotiating angle, but with each plague, Pharaoh’s heart became all the more hardened. Instead of making life better for my people, things were only getting worse. Even they were becoming skeptical of my words and anxious about my efforts. But finally the final plague was proclaimed.
The Lord said that we were to prepare for a long journey on this very night. For tonight, God would send the angel of death across the land of Egypt to strike every first born offspring of every species as a final warning to Pharaoh to let my people go free. So I shared the story first with Pharaoh, and then with the Hebrews who made preparations for the flight. Then the Lord instructed us to offer a sacrifice, and cook the meat and eat well, and then to paint the doorpost of our homes with the blood of the sacrificial lamb. When the angel of death swept across Egypt, she would see the blood of the sacrificial lamb on our doorposts, and she would “pass over” our homes and spare the lives of our firstborn.
And that’s exactly what happened. So distraught was Pharaoh, whose one firstborn son had died, that he finally gave us our marching orders. And we ran, and we ran. Then Pharaoh fell into a fit of rage and ordered his army to chase us down and kill every last one of us. They had us penned against the waters of the Red Sea. We were utterly helpless with nowhere to go. But the Lord ordered me in that still irresistible voice to raise my staff toward the sea. And as only God could arrange it, the waters parted, and we sprinted across to the other side to safety. Then, when Pharaoh’s army attempted to follow us in pursuit, God brought the waters together again, wiping out the whole attachment and sealing our freedom.
Of course, as you know, this was only the beginning of our woes. Many times over the next 40 or so years, we faced incredible challenges of hunger, thirst, morale and other issues. Many times the people thought about going back to Egypt where they at least had bread and water, and shanties to live in. But God was with us, leading us, keeping us from destroying ourselves. For an entire generation, God led us around the forsaken wilderness, helping us to recover our religious and nationalistic identity, and purging us of our Egyptian ways. And, be sure, no one of my generation ever got to cross over into the promised land; not even me. But Joshua took over for me in my last days, and he DID lead our children and grandchildren back into the homelands of our ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
I still don’t know why God chose me, of all people all across history, to be the one to negotiate my people’s release. Me? A murderer? A deserter? A common everyday manual laborer? All I know is that God pursued me through the wilderness until I finally gave in to my destiny.
So what do I want you to remember about our encounter today?
-You can run, but you can’t hide! God will find you out and pursue you to the ends of the earth.
-Everyone has a purpose in life; and true joy is discovering what that purpose is and pursing it.
-Doing God’s will can be down right terrifying at times; but not doing it is even worse.
-If God calls you, he WILL equip you.
-Never, never give up. God hears our prayers and will answer them in due time.
-Sometimes we may be the answer to our own prayers.
But Moses WAS consumed by God’s call—could not rest until he finally gave in
(I resemble this remark!)
We are children of the God who pursues us, even into the wilderness
WHAT DOESN’T KILL US MAKES US STRONGER
John Thomas
New Palestine UMC
August 22, 2010
Genesis 37:1-4, 25-36
My name is Joseph. I am the 12th son of Israel, otherwise known as Jacob. But I am the apple of my daddy’s eye, the only son of his more beloved wife, Rachel. I think my father told you about how he loved Rachel, but that Laban made him marry Leah first, and then finally Rachel. I realize that it sounds strange to you today for a man to have multiple wives, but it was most acceptable in ancient days.
But Mother remained childless for years and years, while Leah and Mom’s servant woman bore many children for Father. Finally, after many years and tears, I came along. The 11th, the first of 2 sons of Rachel.
Some people say that I was a little spoiled. Okay, okay, I was a brat, especially toward my older siblings. As Father’s favorite, he let me get away with far more than the others, especially when it came to work. To be honest, I just didn’t do very much, while my brothers worked long hours in the heat of the wilderness, tending to our flocks and herds. I . . . just sat in the shade, admiring the multicolored cloak that Father gave me. I didn’t know it at the time, but my brothers hated me and the favoritism that Father showed toward me.
I also developed an ability to have dreams and to interpret dreams at an early age. I had several dreams in which I became the heir to Father’s estate, and my brothers became my servants. Of course, I would tell my brothers about my dreams, and they feared that Father might actually name me heir. That caused them to hate me all the more.
One day, Father sent me into the wilderness to check on my brothers—The Spy, they would call me. But when I found them, they were not tending to the flocks, as they were supposed to be doing, but had gone into town for a little fun and refreshment. Oh, was I going to have fun with this; Father would be furious.
Little did I know, however, that my brothers saw me coming, and their hatred of me fumed. They decided to get rid of me. Some even wanted to kill me; and to be honest, looking back on those days now, I can kind of understand. But instead of killing me, they sold me in slavery to an Egyptian caravan. Then they slaughtered a lamb, poured some blood on my beautiful cloak, tore runs in it, and told my father that I had fallen into an animal trap and was eaten by a wild animal. It broke Father’s heart, of course, but my brothers had their freedom of me.
When the caravan arrived in Egypt, I was sold to one of Pharaoh’s high ranking military commanders, the captain of the guard. I thought it best for me to work hard, and before long, I gained the favor of my owner, Potiphar, such that I was promoted to chief servant. The Lord obviously was with me, and all that I did was quite prosperous, if I must say so myself.
And back in those days, I was quite the handsome young man. So much so, Potiphar’s wife became enamored with me, and tried to get me to . . . well, you know. But I loved the Lord, and to lie with her would be an abomination. Many times I evaded her temptations. But one day, she caught me with my over-shirt off. After refusing her yet again, she grabbed my shirt, tore her night gown, and screamed that I had tried to . . . well, you know. I guess this was her way of getting even with me for snubbing her advances. Well, I didn’t know what to do, and I ran, making me look all the more guilty. When Potiphar heard his wife’s accusations, he was furious, and threw me into prison with some of the most notorious criminals under Pharaoh’s custody.
Still, the Lord was with me. Apparently He had plans for me that I knew not of. But I worked hard to gain the chief jailer’s favor, and before long, he put me in charge of oversight of the other prisoners. Two of them were former servants of Pharaoh. One night each of them had weird dreams, and fretted about what they might mean. Well, being the dream specialist that I am, I interpreted the dreams. One of them, I said, would be released in 3 days and return to his former position in Pharaoh’s house. The other one, I surmised, would be killed in 3 days in a most hideous way. Of course, I asked the one returning to Pharaoh’s house to speak kindly of me to Pharaoh so maybe I could get out of that miserable prison.
The dreams came true. But how quickly the surviving servant forgot all about me, until . . . One night Pharaoh himself had a weird dream. In it, there were 7 fat cows, and 7 skinny cows, and the skinny cows ate the fat ones. Then he dreamed that there were 7 big, fat, juicy ears of corn, and 7 skinny, puny ears of corn, and the 7 puny ones ate the 7 big ones. He was so perplexed as to what the dreams meant. Then, the servant remembered me and told Pharaoh about my dream interpreting abilities.
Within minutes, I was in the presence of Pharaoh, who told me about the two dreams. Then I said that God has been trying to warn him of what was about to happen in Egypt. There would be 7 years of abundant harvest, followed by 7 years of extreme famine, and unless the abundant harvests be stored, Egypt would surely starve during the famine. So impressed was Pharaoh of how strongly God was with me, that he immediately made me secretary of the interior, second in command only to Pharaoh himself, and I began supervising the agricultural industry of all of Egypt.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, my predictions came true. Fortunately, from the abundant harvests, we were able to store an incredible wealth of supplies. Unfortunately, the famine was severe beyond imagination. But throughout those 7 lean years, we were able to ration food so that all the people had enough to eat to survive. Eventually, word got around that Egypt had abundant supplies stored, and people came from everywhere to find food.
The famine was as widespread as it was severe. Even my father’s family had nearly perished. The famine had wiped out what little grass there was for the cattle and sheep, and Jacob had lost nearly everything. So he sent 10 of my 11 brothers down to Egypt to purchase grain, keeping Benjamin with him, lest he lose all of his sons and heirs.
Funny thing—my brothers already were adults when they sold me into slavery, so they hadn’t changed too much over the years. But I was but a skinny teenager, and I had changed considerable in size and appearance. In other words, when they came begging to buy grain, I recognized them, but they did not recognize me. Who would have imagined that they would find the brother they betrayed wearing Pharaoh’s signet ring and the fine clothing of Egypt’s second in command? And I talked to them through an Egyptian interpreter to further hide my identity.
I wasn’t sure if I loved them or hated them. Still, if they had not sold me to the Egyptians, we all would have perished in this famine. It wasn’t my brothers to gave me to Egypt; God himself had sent me there for this very purpose, to save my family.
But I wanted them to suffer at least a little. So I accused them of being spies and threw them all in prison. Then I agreed to let 9 of the 10 go free with a small portion of supplies, and told them that I would give them more when they brought to me their other brother, the remaining son of Jacob and Rachel—I wanted so badly to see my one full-blooded brother. I knew Father would be reluctant to comply, not wanting to lose his only other son of Rachel. But the 9 complied. I gave them some grain, and then placed the money they bought the grain with in their packs.
They returned to Palestine, and told the story to Father. He was nearly heart-broken, but finally agreed to send Benjamin back with them to Egypt. The small amount of grain I sent would not last very long, and this arrangement was the only way that he could get all of his sons back. Finally, he agreed.
When they returned to Egypt, with Benjamin in tow, I nearly lost my composure, and had to run from the room for a few minutes. Then I chose to have a little fun with my brothers. I gave them a large supply of grain, released their brother from prison, and sent them on their way, again placing their money back into their packs. But in Benjamin’s pack, I placed my special silver drinking cup. After they had left, I sent a posse after my brothers, which accused Benjamin of stealing my cup.
All were brought back. Benjamin and all of my brothers swore on their lives that they had not stolen either grain or cup. But I prevailed, requiring them to leave Benjamin behind to pay for his deed, but the rest could return home with the grain.
Judah then stepped forward and pleaded for Benjamin’s release. He recounted how Father already had been grief stricken at the death of one of the sons of Rachel, and if they were return without Rachel’s other son, Jacob would be destroyed.
At that, I lost it, and could continue the ruse no further. I commanded my servants to leave the room. Then I approached my brothers and talked to them myself, in Hebrew, revealing who I really was. They were utterly shocked, and immediately became afraid of my intentions. But I assured them that I had become convinced that my coming to Egypt was not their will at all, but God’s will, so that I could provide life for the hungry, including my own flesh and blood. When they finally realized that I had forgiven them, we all cried together, so much so that all of Egypt could have heard us.
Even Pharaoh was moved of heart, and instructed my brothers to return home and fetch my father, and to bring the entire household, including what livestock had survived the famine, and to make their home in the fertile land of Goshen. Father was on his deathbed from grief by the time my brothers returned to him. But upon hearing their story, and learning that I was still alive, he perked up and said, “My son Joseph is still alive? I must go and see him before I die.” And my family flourished in the land of Goshen, and my father died a happy man, knowing that all of his children were safe and sound in Egypt. His only request was that he be buried back home, where his father, grandfather, his mother and grandmother, and Leah, his first wife had been buried. And I am glad to say that Pharaoh granted me this special favor, giving Father a royal entourage to accompany me on the journey.
So what are the lessons that I would want you to learn from my life?
1—You get yourself in deep trouble thinking too highly of yourselves.
2—What seems to be bad at the moment may be a blessing in disguise.
3—Even when bad things do happen, remember, God can use even bad things to bring about good.
4—Even when all seems lost and all hope seems futile, God sees and blesses, and will help you cope and eventually flourish. Just work hard and keep the faith.
5—What doesn’t kill you will make you stronger.
6—No matter how bad you may have it, someone else is doing even worse, and you can be a blessing to him.
7—And, of course God is good (all the time); all the time (God is good)>
FAITH IS A FULL CONTACT SPORT WITH NO PADDING
John Thomas
New Palestine UMC
August 15, 2010
Genesis 32:22-30.
Good morning. My name is Jacob, son of Isaac, twin brother of Esau. I am honored to be with you this morning, especially since, as I understand, you recently met with my grandfather Abraham.
I am so proud to be Abraham’s descendent. He truly was a pillar of faith, and I am but a shadow compared to such a great man. But his faithfulness to his deep trust in God has been an inspiration to me across the years, especially over the course of this past decade. Oh, it took a while for me to come back to the faith; but I am so thankful that God continued to pursue me, especially after all that I had done.
Maybe a little background would help. My father, Isaac, was the only son born to my grandparents, Abraham and Sarah. Yes, there is my father’s half brother, Ishmael, but that’s another story. Anyway, like my grandparents before them, my parents, Isaac and Rebekah, remained without children well into their middle age years, such that they almost had given up hope of having any. But God kept promising my father descendents, like my grandfather before him.
Finally my mother became pregnant with me and Esau. It was a difficult pregnancy; and mother was troubled. It was as if Esau and I were competing with one another even before we were born. Mother even asked the Lord why she had to suffer from us, and the Lord told her that two nations were alive in her womb that would live in contention with one another. And he said that one of us would be stronger, and that the older shall serve the younger. That wasn’t exactly what Mother wanted to hear; but how true were the words of the Lord.
When we were born, Esau and I were fighting. He was born first. He was real hairy and was reddish in color. So Mother named him Esau, which means red. But apparently as Esau came out of the womb, I was holding onto his heel. Now, back in my day, grabbing one by the heel indicated contention and competition. So amused by this sight was Mother that she named me Jacob, which means heal grabber or one who supplants. Words could never have been more true.
Esau, the hairy one was the macho one. Always hairy, he loved the outdoors, and spent much time tending the sheep and hunting wild game. Father always liked Esau best, because he too was an outdoorsman and loved to eat wild game. I, however, was more introverted, and did not enjoy the outdoors. Not only was it hot out there, but hunting game is a perilous adventure. They don’t call my homeland the wilderness by accident. So I spent most of my time with Mother. Esau called me a Momma’s boy and a sissy, and Father pretty much ignored me. But I suppose that if the roles were reversed, I would have done the same.
As the first born, Esau stood to inherit all of Father’s estate, and Esau had pretty much made it clear that I would get nothing from him, but would have to leave and start my own business. I so deeply resented Esau’s position and attitude. I would have done anything to get at him, to steal his blessing. Besides, Esau had married a couple of Canaanite women, which deeply troubled Mother AND Father—those unclean relatives of Ishmael—who were just trying to get the inheritance that they thought should have been Ishmael’s.
Mother resented Esau’s attitude and lifestyle also. So, with Father on his deathbed (you see, he was 60 years old when I was born), and Esau hunting in the wilderness, Mother plotted a scheme to deceive Father into naming me his heir. So Mother made sleeves out of wool for me to wear, so I would feel hairy to Father. And she found one of Esau’s jackets so I would smell like the wilderness. Then she took me in to Father.
By now, Father was almost blind, and could not even rise up in bed. And before he died, he wanted to officially grant his inheritance. So Mother took me to Father. The ruse worked. For at first, he wanted to greet me. My voice was not as deep as Esau’s, so Father’s suspicions were aroused. So he asked to hold my hand. The wool of my sleeve felt like Esau’s hairy paws. Then Father asked to be served some of the game that I would have killed. Fortunately, Mother had kept some of Esau’s earlier kill and had it ready to serve Father. Still not convinced that I was Esau, he asked me for a kiss. When I leaned over to kiss my father’s cheek, he held onto me and smelled my clothes. Esau’s jacket fooled Father, and so he gave me his irrevocable blessing. I was the legal heir to Father’s estate. I, Jacob, had supplanted my red faced brother.
Esau was furious, to say the least. He begged Father to reverse his blessing, but Father was bound to his sworn oath. There was nothing left for Esau. Esau swore his own oath that day that upon Father’s death, he would kill me for my deception. Mother was told of Esau’s oath, and told me to pack my things and escape to her family over in Haran, many days travel away. She told me to stay there until Esau’s anger subsided; then she would send word for me to return. I took her advice, and grabbed a few belongings and some food and water, and high-tailed it out of town.
Then the strangest thing occurred. As I slept one night on the way to Haran, I dreamed that the Lord visited me, and the Lord gave me the same blessing that He had given to my father and my grandfather—to be the ancestor of a great nation that will bless the earth with the Lord’s plan for salvation. When I awoke, I was scared to death. So I built an altar and blessed it with oil, and swore to give the Lord a tenth of whatever he would provide for me in return for his blessing.
Eventually, I arrived at Haran. I came across some men at a well, and introduced myself as a relative of Laban. They immediately pointed toward a young woman herding sheep toward the well, and told me that she was Rachel, Laban’s daughter. She was so beautiful. So I introduced myself to her and gave her the traditional kiss of greeting, and retrieved some water for her sheep. While I watered the flock, Rachel ran and told her father of my presence. He, then, ran to greet me, delighted to meet his sister’s son. He invited me to stay with him and his family.
Life was different over at Haran. Laban, Mother’s brother, took me in as a hired hand, and I became a sheep herder—so much for not liking the outdoors. But I became pretty good at it, if I may say so myself. And I grew rather fond of Rachel, the younger daughter of Laban. So I eventually found the courage to ask Laban permission to marry Rachel. For seven years, I labored in Laban’s fields to gain Rachel’s hand in marriage. Finally, the day came, and at nightfall Laban sent my wife in to me. But when morning came, I realized that it wasn’t Rachel, but her older sister, Leah. Man, I was furious, and demanded to know why Laban had done this to me. He said that it was improper by his customs to allow the younger daughter to marry prior to the older one. But he said that if I would agree to stay on another seven years, that I could marry Rachel also next week. What could I do? I agreed; and Laban kept his word.
But the Lord must have known that I preferred Rachel over Leah. For Rachel remained barren, while Leah started dropping kids left and right. There was Reuben, then Simeon, then Levi, then Judah. The Lord was keeping his promise to me for descendents, but by the wife that I did not love. Then Rachel had her servant bear children in her behalf, like Hagar had done for Grandfather—and then there was Dan and Naphtali. Then Leah ceased conceiving; but not wanting Rachel’s step-children to outnumber her own, she had her servant bear more children for her—and there was Gad, then Asher. Then, lo and behold, Leah gives birth to Issachar, and then Zebulun, and then a daughter, Dinah.
THEN, by God’s blessing, Rachel, herself, conceived and bore me a son, Joseph, the apple of my eye—but that’s another story. All told, I ended up with 12 sons. Twelve! Abraham’s and Isaac’s promise was being fulfilled after all. With 12 sons, there would soon be 12 tribes, and hundreds, even thousands of descendents. WOW! And we all lived happily ever after, right?
WRONG! By now, I had become successful at herding such that Laban’s sons were jealous, and had convinced their father that I was a swindler. So I packed up all of my family, my goods, and my herds, and fled, for the Lord had instructed me that the time had come for me to return to my homeland. Yes, there were some tense moments as we left Laban’s country; but eventually he and I came to an agreement, and we went our separate ways.
But the fun, or the trouble, was only beginning, not ending. Yes, the Lord had instructed me to return to the land of my father . . . uh, the land of my brother, Esau, who gained the inheritance after I fled in fear of my life. It was now 20 some years later. But old Red was slow to forget, and even slower to forgive. Still, God compelled me to return and to make things right with my brother.
My God, I was scared, more scared than the day I fled for my life. I REALLY didn’t want to go back. Esau, after all, had every reason to want to kill me, the way I deceived Father and stole Esau’s blessing. But God would have it no other way. I HAD to return. And now, the news of my returning has reached Esau, and he is coming to meet me, and he has 400 men riding with him.
And so I wrestled. OH, how I wrestled! By day and by night, I prayed and prayed. I reminded the Lord of his promise to me and to my father and grandfather. But Esau was coming with 400 men, and if he so wanted, he would destroy not only me, but my wives and my children—so much for the Lord’s promise.
I sent my entourage with my herds ahead of me, as gifts to my brother. Perhaps when he sees that I am repentant and don’t intend to challenge him anymore, maybe his anger will subside. Then I sent my servants, and my wives and children across the river that I might pray alone this eve before facing my brother.
And, O how I prayed. All night I prayed, wrestling with God AND with temptation. And wrestling with either God or temptation is a full contact sport. Neither God nor temptation wears pads. It’s straight on wrestling. And how I wrestled! I wrestled with God’s will for me to return; and I wrestled with the temptation to turn and run for my life. But I could not win against God, and I would not run with temptation. But by morning, I had prevailed against temptation. And I accepted God’s will to face Esau, and trust in God’s word and promise, like my father and grandfather before me.
I walked ahead of my servants and family. And when I saw Esau and his army approaching, I knelt and bowed before him seven times, as a servant is to do for his master. Then I saw Esau dismount and run toward me. I dared not to look. But instead of jabbing me with his dagger, to my relief and surprise, Esau embraced me and kissed my face. And together we wept, not as enemies or rivals, but for the first time . . . as BROTHERS. And he refused to accept my herds as gifts, saying that he had done very well himself, and he gave me a portion of land as my own, and he blessed my wives and children.
GOD IS GOOD! He has kept his promise to me and my ancestors. But why? Why me, of all the people on the earth? Why has he chosen me, the supplantor, the liar, the cheater?
-God is in the saving business, not the condemning business—just as Jesus will teach
-God loves even the sinners, and uses us to accomplish good in the world
-God is faithful even when we are not
-and if God can use a Jacob like me, then just think of all the good He can accomplish through you
I LIKE OLD ABRAHAM, WARTS AND ALL
John Thomas
New Palestine UMC
August 1, 2010
Genesis 12:10-20, 22:1-8
My name is Abraham. Actually, my given name is Abram. I was born and raised in a city-state called Ur. Researchers believe they have found the ruins of the ancient city, and it appears they have. Ur is in the western portions of modern day Iraq, and in my day it was a thriving commerce city that specialized in the manufacturing of, I believe you call them, religious paraphernalia—icons, idols, figurines that represented the various gods of the surrounding regions.
My father, Terah, was one such retailer. He sold religious images and trinkets, and was himself a rather religious man. He taught me and my brothers, Nahor and Haran, to worship and seek divine guidance in our lives. And I, myself, spent a lot of time in prayer trying to discern the will of the divine. And we had a lot of time to do that, being sheep and cattlemen ourselves.
It can be a little lonely out there in the desert tending the herds. But this provides me quiet time to pray and consider what a Godly life is like. And the Divine has revealed to me that the Godly life is one that is centered on love, hospitality, and providing for the needs of the people. Friends and strangers alike, all are loved by God, and God is most pleased when we provide hospitality and care for others. That I believe with my whole heart.
But even then, those who live Godly lives are not immune to tragedy or ill fate. My youngest brother, Haran, fell ill one summer—he contracted a fever—and there just isn’t much you can do when the fever sets in. He eventually died, leaving my poor old father broken hearted. And since I am the eldest of Terah’s sons, it befell me to take in my brother’s son, Lot. Having no children at the time, my wife, Sarai, and I raised Lot, and I taught him many things about our trade, and about our faith in the Divine.
Then on one of those lonely days in the desert I had this irresistible compulsion. It was as if God himself was present with me, standing beside me, whispering in my ear. I tried to pass it off as a dream, though I was not sleeping. I even feared that I might have contracted the fever myself. But this voice within me seemed to be say, “Abram, I want you to leave this place, and take your family, your livestock, and your workers and go to a place that I will show you. There you will establish yourself as a blessing for the whole world. For through you and your descendents, I will make my plan for salvation known to all people.”
This was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done. My father was too old for such a migration, and my brother Nahor would stay and care for my aging father. This meant that I would be leaving almost everything that was important to me behind—my father, my brother, my aunts and uncles, my cherished friends . . . my land . . . the land of my ancestors . . . my language, my culture, my religion. It was the most heart-wrenching thing I ever have done—to leave. But I had to. God called, and I must go.
But where, where am I to go? I did not know. All I knew was that I had to go, to the north, across the barren desert, to a place that only God knew. Reluctantly, Sarai and Lot came with me, and all of our servants. Weeks and weeks went by. Everyone, including myself, began to wonder if I had gone mad. But suddenly we found ourselves in a land of trees and grass and fertile soil. Today, you would know this place as the regions surrounding modern day Jerusalem. Lot settled in the southern region, I in the north.
So here we were, in the land promised by God. And we all lived happily ever after. WRONG! You see, God had promised that I would be blessed with descendents who would tell all the world of God’s salvation. But we had no children. It’s hard to have descendents as numerous as the grains of desert sand when you have no children. And not only that, but after we settled in the Promised Land, a famine set in and wiped me out. You talk about having a test of faith! Maybe I WAS delusional. And in my desperation I began to do weird things—ungodly things, things I am terribly ashamed of.
Sarai and I left Shechem and traveled south to Egypt to escape the famine. That’s where things went horribly wrong. You see, Sarai was one of the most beautiful women you have ever seen. The pharaoh had a reputation as a womanizer, and had been known to kill the husbands of beautiful women and taking the women into his harem. I have never been so scared . . . and so selfish . . . in my life. I made Sarai promise me that she would lie to Pharaoh’s soldiers and tell them that we were brother and sister. Maybe they would spare my life if they were to come for her. And they did. And we lied. And I sold my beloved Sarai into the harem of Pharaoh for a number of sheep and cattle—all to spare my miserable life. So much for being a Godly man of faith.
But the Lord was not finished with me yet. The Lord afflicted Pharaoh with misfortune because of Sarai, and when he discovered the truth about us, Pharaoh returned Sarai to me, and begged me to take her and the herds and cattle he had given me, and leave, that the Lord might grant him peace.
When we returned to Shechem, I learned that my nephew Lot had been taken prisoner by a neighboring warlord, who also had stolen all of Lot’s goods and servants. Immediately, I organized and militia and went in pursuit. We found the warlord’s camp during the night, and we ambushed them while they slept. We killed every last one of them, and Lot returned home with all of his estate. Truly, God was with us.
It was upon returning home that God once again spoke to me, promising me his blessing. But I told him right then and there that it was hard for me to believe in this promise since Sarai and I were still without children—you can’t have descendents with children. But God told me to look at the night sky. He said that my descendents would be as many as the stars of the heavens. So I worked well into the night, building an altar, and making sacrifices of my finest livestock to the Lord. Eventually, I fell into a deep sleep. During that sleep, the Lord told me that my descendents would fall into slavery for 400 years, but that they would return to this Promised Land. When I awoke, I saw a pillar of fire descend from heaven and devour the meat of the sacrifice. I was terrified.
Still there were no children. My now, Sarai had aged beyond her childbearing years. Now, this may sound strange to your ears, but according to the custom of those days, Sarai legally could allow her personal slave women bear children in her behalf. And so Sarai gave Hagar, her slave, to me, and she conceived and gave birth to Ishmael, my son—but not Sarai’s.
I should have seen the trouble to come; but I was desperate to have a son to be my heir who could keep God’s promise to me. There was such jealousy and animosity between Sarai and Hagar—Sarai heartbroken at not being able to have children; Hagar contemptuous toward Sarai. Sarai even threw Hagar and Ishmael out of the homestead; but I pleaded with Sarai to let them return. After all, Ishmael was my son. Sarai relented, but the hostilities persisted.
Still the Lord continued to promise me many descendents, and descendents Sarai’s womb. Whatever! But the Lord has been real good to me, and faithful in every way. All I could do was live as faithfully as I could to the Godly principles that I had discerned in my younger years.
Then the strangest thing occurred. One day, as I sat under the shade tree outside my tent, three journeyers came passing by. They looked weary and thirsty. So I did the only decent thing a man of faith can do. I offered them hospitality. I would not let them pass by but that I feed and water their camels, and provide water for the men to wash, and provide them with a full meal and drink. I insisted. I HAD to. That is what God expects from faithful people—love mercy, compassion—hospitality—ESPECIALLY to the passing strangers.
But when the men rose to continue their journey, they said the oddest thing—they said that Sarai would soon give birth. Sarai! Give birth! She overheard what the men said and busted out laughing at such a ridiculous thought—giving birth, at her age. But God said, is such a thing too great for the Lord of hosts? And, lo and behold, Sarai became pregnant, and gave birth to our very own son. And at that, the Lord gave us new names. Sarai became Sarah, as if she were a new woman. And I, my name became Abraham, which means “ancestor of multitudes.” And my son we named Isaac, which means “laughter,” because Sarah laughed at the thought of pregnancy.
And we lived happily ever after. Right? WRONG, again.
I was so proud. God had answered my prayers and granted me my most cherished petition. Sarah and I have our own son who shall be my legacy and the father of multitudes. Sarah became rather braggadocios; and I was so smug that I finally let Sarah kick Hagar and Ishmael out of the household. God had delivered; we were God’ chosen and most beloved. Or so I thought.
But then came the very most perished of commands. God ordered me to offer a sacrifice to prove my faith in him and his promise. Of course, I’ll do that. What sacrifice do you desire? Isaac?! No! No, Lord! Not Isaac! He is my son! He is the one through whom you were going to keep your promise to me! Not my own flesh and blood! No! Please no, God!
But God persisted. Again, I was compelled; I had no choice. So one day I led Isaac into the hill country where we often offered sacrifices to the Lord. Usually, we loaded the wood for the fire on the back of the animal we would sacrifice to carry to the altar. But today, I loaded the wood on Isaac’s back. The irony did not escape Isaac, who asked where the sacrificial lamb was. All I could manage through my swollen throat was, “God said he would provide one for the sacrifice.” When we arrived at the altar, I took the wood off Isaac’s back and stacked it upon the table. Then I took the rope we used to tie the sacrificial animal and wrapped it around my own son. Isaac naturally was terrified and pleaded for me to regain my sanity. But I HAD to do this. The Lord had insisted, and I must prove my trust in God’s promise. And if this was the sacrifice that God needed for me to prove my faith, then . . .
I laid Isaac upon the altar and raised my knife to make the lethal blow, when I heard a familiar voice from heaven call my name. I fell to my knees and cried out “Here am I,” the proper response of a slave to his master. Then the voice said to me that since I had not spared even my beloved son to prove my faith in God’s faithfulness, that I was to spare Isaac’s life. And there in a thicket, the Lord DID provide a lamb who had become entangled for the sacrifice. Even now, this whole episode makes me sick to my stomach. I still don’t understand WHY God put me to such a test. But God kept his promises—he DID provide a sacrifice, that turned out NOT to be my son; and through Isaac, my descendents HAVE become more numerous that the stars in heaven and the grains of sand in the desert.
And I don’t understand why God chose me, of all the people on the face of the earth, to become the figure through whom God’s message of salvation would be delivered unto all the tribes of the world. I was but a meager sheep and cattle herder living in an obscure little village called Ur. And after all that I have done to prove my UNworthiness, the Lord STILL used me for his grand eternal purposes.
And why would God have the writers of the Bible record all of the despicable and UNgodly things I have done?
Lessons
-God can and does use even people like me to accomplish his purposes
-God is one of incredible and unspeakable love and compassion, who forgives us our sins
-God love YOU, indeed if God can love me
-and God wants to use YOU to bring the Good News of love, mercy, compassion, forgiveness and hospitality to your family, friends, neighbors, and, yes, even and especially the strangers in your midst
HONORING THE VISION
John Thomas
New Palestine UMC
July 4, 2010
John 8:31-32
I’m going to talk about dreams and visions today. See if you recognize any of these.
When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness—that to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed—that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness . . . But when a long train of abuses and usurpations . . . it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
The King:
-not allowing locals to establish laws pertinent to their local conditions
-not allowing the people to elect legal or governmental representatives
-holding legislative hearings at times and places that make it difficult for the people to be representative
-dissolving local governments so as to keep his authority absolute
-not replacing such governments, which sends communities into chaos
-not allowing fair immigration and making difficult the ownership of land
-not allowing local people to administer justice
-made the office and salary of Judges totally dependent on his own will
-has established numerous laws and enforcement bodies to harass the people
-has kept a standing army without the consent of our people
-has made the army superior to any local law enforcement body
-has set his own laws over the people, not allowing them any consent or participation
-protects his soldiers against charges of murder against our people
-has cut off our trade with other countries
-has imposed taxes on us with our consent
-has deprived us of the right of trial by jury
-has deported our people to be tried for false allegations, where they have no representation
-intimidates us with threats of absolute martial law
-has abolished our attempts to create a legal or justice system
-“has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people”
-is employing mercenaries “to complete the works of death, desolation, and tyranny,” an act “totally unworthy of the Head of a civilized nation”
-has compelled our own people to enforce these abusive laws even unto death
-has instigated insurrections and agitated Indians to make war against us
-our every petition regarding these things “have been answered only by repeated injury, and such behavior is truly tyrannical and such a one “is unfit to be the ruler of a free people
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions do, in the name, and by authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare, that these united Colonies are, and of right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the Sate of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as free and independent states, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which independent states may of right do. And for the support of the Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.
What a dream! What a vision of what the nation could be like! And what a wonderful foundation of faith did our founding ancestors build their vision and dream upon!
Here is another.
I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.
Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.
But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.
But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.
We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline.
I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.
This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."
Wow! This still is one of the greatest orations ever uttered by human lips!
Here is yet another.
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation, so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
What an incredible speech, penned on the back of an envelope! And what an incredible vision! All three of these documents are strokes of genius, and have to be in the all-time top ten statements of history.
But there is one even better. Do you want to hear it?
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him might not perish, but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, NOT to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.”
What Thomas Jefferson, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Abraham Lincoln understood was that this experiment in democracy can succeed ONLY if it be built and sustained upon the solid foundation of the Rock of ages. And a nation built upon faith in God, and attuned to Godly principles WILL work to assure that all men AND women ARE equal, and that ALL people, regardless of race, religion, gender, or any other walk in life are FREE to pursue life, liberty, and happiness.
Such a nation WILL labor to eliminate racism, poverty, illiteracy, substandard health care, and other human issues that divide us and give rise to crime and hatred. And such a nation will strive to let the world to seek Godliness and democracy as the highest standards of human existence. And lest any of us become complacent or lazy in this endeavor, let us remember that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.
It is our mandate to grow in faith and maturity so that we CAN fulfill both the will of God and the Godly vision of freedom for all of God’s people. Let us be the solution, not the problem. And let us be Christians, people born into the heart of God, who believe in and strive for the Godly state of democracy.
SO, WHO DIED THAT WE WERE APPOINTED AS CRITIC?
John Thomas
New Palestine UMC
June 20, 2010
Luke 6:37-42
Oh, I suppose it always has been this way. But for me, it all started back with the sharp witted TV situation comedies of the late 60’s and 70’s. Laughter seems to make anything all right, anything from happiness to sadness, from praise to insult, from optimism to cynicism. The canned laughter of those old shows encouraged us to laugh at things that otherwise might not be welcome into our homes.
For instance, the All In the Family show took us into the home of a stereo-typical New York City, Irish Catholic home. Archie Bunker was the old fashion paternal boss of the house, with wimpy wife Edith, their temperamental and rebellious daughter, and her husband. Meathead, a stereo-typical late 60’s radical, stood as the diametrical antithesis to Archie. Archie was a blind patriot; Meathead was a Viet Nam war protester. Archie was a blatant racist; Meathead was exactly the opposite. Archie was an old fashion patriarch; Meathead was pro-Women’s Liberation. Archie was hardcore Catholic; Meathead was a believing agnostic who accepted all people regardless of their religious or atheistic orientation. Archie was vehemently prejudiced against gay people; Meathead was pro-gay rights.
The producer of the show, Norman Lear, essentially had Meathead play the role of his own life’s philosophies and theology. Meathead reflected Lear’s beliefs, which ran counter to the popular culture of the previous decade or so. But rather than preaching his viewpoints, Norman Lear instilled humor, at times biting, but always timely in so far as he made us laugh at his characters and at ourselves. Somehow the laughter made it okay for Lear to bring his way of thinking into our living rooms on a weekly basis, and to challenge our prejudices in creative ways. Sure, Archie almost always was set up as the proverbial “straw man” that made us cheer when he finally came to realize the error of his beliefs, even if we somewhat believed like Archie did.
And there were other such shows. Moving On Up was based on a character from All In the Family, except from the opposite direction. This show was about a Black family, whose patriarch was a bitterly cynical Black man, who always had to have his prejudices challenged by his enlightened family members. Then there was M.A.S.H. about the 4077 medical army unit whose job it was to try to save the lives of wounded soldiers of the Korean War. But while set in Korea, everyone realized that the show really was about Viet Nam, and was to the military and the Pentagon what All In the Family was to civilian life. Again it was laughter that allowed these situation comedies bring issues into our homes and our hearts and minds that we otherwise were uncomfortable or unwilling to deal with on our own.
But what also happened was that the humor and laughter of these, and other, sit-coms gave birth to a rampant cynicism that is still very much a part of our culture today. Archie Bunker and Meathead were constantly arguing, yelling and screaming, and insulting one another. And while their debates stood for a bigger debate occurring in our society at the time, their tirades, reinforced by the canned laughter, made it okay, acceptable for us to lambast each other similarly. Genteelness was thrown out the window. Common respect for differences of opinion was not tolerated. Being a rebel and cutting against the grain of society became the norm. Those whose opinions were contrary to our own were stupid, unforgivable, fit only to be trod underfoot. Suddenly, it was okay for me to think that just because everyone else disagrees with me only shows how stupid everyone is. THEY are the ones with the problem; I am the savior who has come to upset the apple cart and the money-changers’ tables. And the sooner everyone else comes to recognize the ignorance of their ways, the better off the world will be.
Cynicism became the mode of operation. Name-calling and stereo-typing became acceptable, even if the stereo-typing was the butt of the sit-com’s jokes. Stereo-typing was okay as long it was about them, not us. And suddenly labeling became fashionable. Calling those we don’t like by certain titles that we don’t adequately define became the norm.
Here is a prime example of this. In the late 70’s and early 80’s, Politician Newt Gingrich took advantage of this cultural phenomenon to write a Republican manifest that is still utilized by the party for campaign strategies yet today. Basically, Gingrich instructed his colleagues to label everyone whose viewpoints they disagreed with as “liberal,” and everyone he agreed with as “conservative.” The cleaver thing is, he never clearly defined what those tags meant except that the “liberal” tag would be assumed to be nasty, while the tag “conservative” would be assumed to be awful. That was bad enough; but the Democrats, not wanting to be offensive in that politically correct era, allowed it to happen by never defining the terms conservative and liberal either. Neither word is positive OR negative in and of itself, but only as used by those who used them. Conservatives are not bad people; liberals are not bad people; moderates (which most people really are) are not bad people. They have varying viewpoints on issues that each should be listening to and learn from one another.
But the point is, Archie Bunker and Meathead opened a can of worms that we may never live down. They taught us that it is okay to yell, cuss, and scream, and cut each other down, rather than sit down together and learn from one another in respect and hospitality. And even yet today, many of the TV sit-coms and many of the TV and big screen movies portray religious people, parents, and other mainstream figures as stupid and incapable of doing or saying anything positive. Religion is portrayed as heartless, prejudiced, and arrogant; parents constantly have to be enlightened by their children, who must save the world in behalf of their incompetent parents and adult leaders.
But, aw, who cares! They are just a bunch of liberal, commie-sympathizing, atheistic, hate-mongers, right?! Ha, ha, ha! It’s sad, isn’t it? It makes me wonder, who died that we were appointed as judge and critic?
Comedian Henry Cho was a wonderful wit. He is full-blooded Korean, but born and raised in the deep south. It is hilarious to visually see this Asian man speaking excellent English with a strong southern accent. He tells a story about a lesson he learned from his wife, who is from Arab, Alabama. I was in Arab just about two months ago, in fact. According to Cho’s wife, the town was supposed to be called “Arad,” but the city water tower painters misspelled the name, and put a “b” where the “d” was supposed to be. Supposedly, the town officials decided that it would be too much trouble to re-paint the tower, so they just changed the name of the town to Arab.
Anyway, Cho says that he learned, from his wife, that it is okay for Southern people to say anything about anyone, as long as you follow your statement with the phrase, “Bless his heart.” For instance, someone may say, “Look at that fat man over there . . . bless his heart,” or, “Oh, look at that ugly baby . . . bless his heart,” or, “That woman over there is a real (bleep), bless her heart.” It is as if “bless his or her heart” throws enough compassion on the statement for it not to bring judgment upon ourselves. You can almost hear Meathead saying of Archie Bunker, “He sure is a fat, prejudiced, obnoxious, self-righteous pig, bless his heart.” But such is the charm of Southern critique.
Speaking of critics, Jesus was being criticized by the religious leaders for not making his disciples ceremonially wash their hands, lest their food be rendered unclean. Jesus responded by saying that it is not what goes into the mouth that renders one unclean, but what comes out of the mouth; for what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and betrays what’s really in there.
What does our words say about our hearts, and about the attitudes that we harbor within? Why is it that so many of us are quick to criticize and slow to negotiate, rethink, or to compromise? Who died that we became judge and critic? And why do we think that, just because we believe thus and so that this is the only right and valid way to believe?
My ancestors were good at reminding me that finger-pointing is actually a self-incriminating exercise. I mean, look at it, when I point my finger at anyone, there are three of those critters pointing right back at me. In other words, when I am quick to accuse someone of something, I really need to be looking at my own prejudices and biases. What is it that makes me think my opinion or stance on some issue is superior, and someone else’s inferior? Why do I think that I am so much more right or righteous than someone else? Why do I think that I have all the answers, and don’t, therefore, need to learn from you?
Jesus asked a pointed question that our society needs to wrestle with, we really do. His question was, “Why is it that we can see the splinter in our neighbor’s eye when we can’t see the log in our own?” My wife asks this rhetorical question this way: Yes, the guy who just pulled out in front of you in traffic made an idiotic move, but why do you let him bring you down to his level by shouting and pointing your finger at him?”
I learned a little about this the night that our oldest son was nearly killed in an automobile accident. He is a sheriff’s reserve deputy, and was riding highway duty with another officer, and were responding to an emergency call when they hit a patch of black ice and crashed. Both were critically injured. When we got the call at 3 o’clock in the morning, we left New Palestine immediately, and at 4 o’clock, we were standing in the emergency room in Terre Haute. Yes, you hear me correctly, I made the 1 ½ hour drive to Terre Haute in less than an hour.
A couple of times, we would come upon a car or truck driving slowly in the passing lane, passing an even slower vehicle. I would flash my lights trying to communicate my need to pass. That only made the other car go slower to prove to me that they were more in tune to obeying the speed limit than I was. At first, it made me angry; but then I began to remember all the times that I had done the same thing, and I would think to myself, “What an idiot to think that he doesn’t have to follow the same laws that I do.” Now, I understood that maybe the idiot behind me DID have an emergency in his life. Maybe there really IS good reason why the idiot cut me off at the 4-way stop. And even if they don’t, who am I to presume a superior attitude over anyone else? Why do I strain at a gnat but swallow a camel? Why is it easy for me to see the splinter in my neighbor’s eye, but not the log in my own?
How much more pleasant would our lives be if we would retire from judgment and cynicism? How much more energy might we have to invest in worthwhile endeavors? How much more peace might we experience in our hearts and in our lives and in our families and in all of our relationships if we were to stop pointing our fingers at others, and focus on our own needs instead?
The Bible gives us what we refer to as The Golden Rule. You know it. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Criticize others as you would want them to criticize you. Practice cynicism toward others as you would want them to practice cynicism others. Label others as you would want them to label you. Speak to and treat others as kindly as you wish to be treated and spoken to. Judge others as you would have them judge you. For the way we are judged should be no different that the way we judge others.
Cynicism or hospitality? Critique or empathy? Judgment or compassion? Which do you prefer . . . from others . . . from God?
May the heart of God become your heart. May the peace of God become your peace. And may your judgment match that of God himself, who judges us with love, mercy and compassion.
A SALUTE TO FATHERS AND FATHERHOOD
John Thomas
New Palestine UMC
June 20, 2010
Matthew 6:9
(Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul—p. 95)
Some of you are familiar with Charles Barclay, the rotund “round mound of rebound.” Charles currently is an NBA analyst for the Turner cable broadcasting networks known for his unabashed opinions and straight-faced humor. During his playing days, he was one of the shortest power forwards at 6’5”, but at well over 250 pounds, he could use his weight to block off opponents to get rebounds galore. He was one of the best players at his position of all times.
But Charles was perhaps better known for his off the floor escapades. Pretty much all of his adult life, Charles has been a partier and a loud mouth. He still has a drinking problem, which has landed him in numerous legal predicaments, he gambles, he womanizes and otherwise lives a less than exemplary livestyle.
During the mid years of his playing career, some of the game’s greats criticized Charles for not being a better example of children, who watched not only his game, but is other lesser worthy antics as well. Charles, in sharp reprimand, publically retorted, “I am not a role model. I have never been a role model. And I don’t want to be a role model.” For those comments Charles paid a heavy price from those who charged that he had no concern for the younger generation, and was at best irresponsible to live his raw lifestyle publically. And even yet today, Charles has not lived down either his lifestyle or his comments about role modeling. He happens to be funny, generous with his wealth, loved by his colleagues and his former opponents alike. It’s just too bad that he lacks the desire to BE a role model, and to help shape the attitudes and behaviors of those who watch him so closely.
I actually heard Charles Barclay try to explain what he meant about not wanting to be a role model. He admitted to his errant ways, and explained that what he meant to say was that he was not worthy of being a role model, and wanted to discourage kids from being like him, especially off the court. Then I hear Charles say what many of us have heard from would-be role models across the years, “Do as I say, not as I do.”
I would be rich if I could have collected a dollar for each time my father said that to me. “Do as I say, not as I do.” And you probably have heard it or said it yourself. But role models are essential for the development of young lives. And EVERYONE IS a role model, even Charles Barclay, whether for better or for worse.
When I was about 3 years old, we lived out in the country near Anderson. Just about a block away from our house was a gas station that was owned by one of the most foul-mouthed individuals ever to walk the earth. He was a crusty old fellow, but a kind and generous as you would ever find. But out of his mouth came every foul and filth known to humanity.
He had a favorite word for Santa Claus, one way too starchy for church. But he was teasing me about the coming of Christmas, and asked me if that (BLEEP) was going to stop at my house that year. All of the men just laughed. What did I know?
A week or so later, we were in the car with my father’s sister, who was a rather religious and upright woman. As we drove down the street, we came across a billboard with Santa Claus on it. I pointed my three year old finger toward the billboard and shouted, “Look, there is that old (BLEEP).” I thought my aunt was going to choke to death while my dad struggled to keep control of the car. I was so proud of myself. My dad was so embarrassed.
Role models—each and every one of us is one, whether we want to be or not.
There was a TV commercial that aired some 20 years ago or so that tragically, yet accurately portrayed how important our modeling is around children. You may remember it, if you are old enough! The scene showed a father and little boy walking down a gravel road together. The father put his hands in his pockets, the little boy put his hands in his pockets. Dad stopped and bent over, picked up a rock, and gave it a hurl. The little boy, again, did exactly what his dad did, picking up a rock and tossing it. Then the father reached into his shirt pocket and took out a cigarette and stuck it in his mouth. The camera then zoomed in on the little boy who intently watched his father light his cigarette.
We ARE role models whether we want to be or not, whether we like it or not, whether we are aware of it or not. “Do as I say, not as I do,” doesn’t cut it. Actions talk louder than words.
Jesus once told a parable, saying that a father needed some farm chores done, so he went to his sons and asked for their help. The first son told his father that he didn’t want to do the chore, so the father left him. But afterwards, this son felt bad about denying his father’s request, so he got up and went and did the chore. Meanwhile, the father asked his second son to do a chore, to which the son eagerly agreed to do so. But once the father left him, the second son went back to doing what he had been doing, and never got around to completing the chore. So, Jesus asked, which of the sons did the will of their father? Naturally, it was the son who first said no, then went on to fulfill the chore.
This was Jesus’ way of saying that actions speak so much more loud than words. What we do reveals much more about us than what we say. What we do is so much more powerful than what we say. The best role model is the one who both says and does good things. But be sure, it will be our actions that betray our hearts, and it will be our actions that will fill the hearts of children.
Today is Father’s Day. It is the day when we obey one of the Ten Commandments which says, “Honor thy father and thy mother.” And it is a special day as we honor our dads, or as we are honored as a dad.
But this also is a painful day for surprisingly many folks. Not everyone was blessed with a loving father. Some people never had a father or a father-figure in their lives. Others had fathers who were far less deserving of honor than others. Some fathers have been sources of pain for many of us, and Father’s Day tends to cause all those painful memories to rush to the surface of our minds again. And then there are those of us who no longer have our fathers; they have gone on to their eternal reward. Father’s Day makes us miss our fathers, even if those fathers were worthy of our honor.
But what I want to say is, men, every one of you IS a role model to someone, whether you know it or not. It may be to a son or daughter, or a grandchild or great-grandchild. It may be a student in our classroom, or an athlete on our team. It may be the boy next door, or the girl across the street. It may be the young man who works with you, or the neighbor trying to find a niche in life. But SOMEBODY IS watching you, learning from you, imitating you, emulating what you do. We may not want to be a role model, but we are.
So, to me, Father’s Day and Mother’s Day are opportunities to honor our parents as best as we can or are able, yes; but they are occasions to honor and give thanks for ALL of the worthy role models who have served to shape us into the people we are today. Fathers, grandfathers, uncles, cousins, in-laws, coaches, teachers, preachers, neighbors, soldiers, law enforcement officers, firemen, ditch diggers, foremen, men of all walks of life who gave us healthy habits and advice—such men have served as fatherly-figures for us, and it is good to remember them and say a prayer of thanksgiving for their lives.
If there are any still living, give them a call or send them a letter or email. In some way, let them know how much they mean to you. Some of them probably are unaware that you were watching and learning from them, and will be surprised at your regard. And, oh, how that will make their day, their week, their year, their life!
And if you have no other fatherly figure to rely upon, I commend to you one Jesus of Nazareth, the one who taught us to pray to God as our loving daddy, as one who CAN be trusted and IS worthy of our honor. Learn from Jesus, from his life and teachings. See what he did and emulate his life. You can do no wrong in doing so. Rather, you will find your very life.
Please, don’t underestimate the power of role modeling.
(Chicken Soup for the Christian Soul, p. 185)
JUST WHO IS GOD?
John Thomas
New Palestine UMC
June 13, 2010
John 14:25-26, 16:12-18
One of the things that I really like about the Bible is that it presents mysteries and confusing passages and brutal honesty, and leaves it to us to figure it all out. I would much rather wrestle for truth and to be mandated mercilessly. And today, we have such a confusing mystery thrown right into our laps.
For much of my adult life, I have been trying to figure out this notion of a Trinity in the Christian tradition. On the one hand, we are taught that there is only one true God, and to entertain the notion of multiple gods is to commit blasphemy. Okay, I get that. But then we are taught that there are three persons of God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—distinctly different, yet one and the same. Huh?!!!
Mine is very much like the reaction of Jesus disciples when they first encountered the notion of a Trinity. First, Jesus said to them, “I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.” Then he went on to say, “A little while, and you will not longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me.” The passage goes on to record the disciples reaction to all this: “What does he mean by saying to us, ‘A little while and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’; and ‘Because I am going to the Father’? And what does he mean by this ‘a little while’? We don’t know what he is talking about.”
Huh?! Say what?! What on God’s green earth are you talking about?!
Well, we know a little about what Jesus was talking about, thanks to some 20/20 hindsight. “A little while, and you will not longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me,” refers to his death, when the disciples will not see him for a little while, and to his resurrections, when the disciples will see him for a little while. But what is all this stuff about a Father, and an Advocate or Holy Spirit? Is there another God that the Father is revealing to the disciples? Isn’t the Father the same thing as God? And if so, how can Jesus also be God if he prays to God; and how can the Holy Spirit be God if it is being sent from God? How can there be a Father, a Son, and a Holy Spirit if there is only one God?
Huh?! Say what?! What on God’s green earth is Jesus talking about?! What is this mysterious thing we call the Trinity?
I’m glad you asked. No I’m not. For to some people this whole notion of a Trinity makes a lot of sense. For some, the idea of a three-in-one, and one-is-three is easy to grasp. But to a hillbilly like me, who also happens to have a degree in pragmatic philosophy, I admit, I struggle with this Trinity thing.
Now, please understand, I am not arguing against a Trinity. If the church says there is one, that’s okay with me. I’m just saying that this Father-Son-Holy Spirit thing is hard for me to wrap my head around. Is it one, or is it three? Which is it? I mean, how can it be both one and three at the same time?
You and I have heard various attempts to explain the Trinity.
One of those likens the Trinity to a person who proverbially wears multiple hats. I, for instance, am a father to my three sons; and I am a husband to my wife, and I am a pastor to the church, and I am a semi-professional bass fisherman to my fellow fisher folks. Likewise, then, God can be seen at times as the Father, who, to us, is the Creator and Origin of the universe; then at other times we might see God as the Son, who became the flesh and blood incarnation of God in the person of Jesus; and then at other times, we might see God as the Holy Spirit, who is the ongoing presence of God’s energy and creativity that empowers and energizes people yet today. The Trinity, then, would be one God, wearing three distinctly different yet interconnected hats.
Another attempt to explain the Trinity I refer to as the various windows theory. If I were to sit in a room with three windows, one each on three walls of the room, you would see different perspectives of me, but from no one window can you see my entire profile. From the window to my back, you would see only my profile to the back of my head—my bald spot. From the side window you would see the side of my face. From the window to my front, you would see my thin but aspiring facial hair and my facial features. From none of these windows can you see me entirely; but from these three windows you can put together a fairly accurate description of what I look like.
So it is with God. From one window, we see God from the perspective of the Creator, the Father of the universe. From another window, we see God in Jesus, perhaps with Jesus being a window into which we can see the personality and heart of God. Then from yet another window, we can see God as the creative energy still being incarnated in the world as inspiration and joy in people everywhere. From just one window, we cannot see all of who God is; but from the three windows available to us, we can get a good, well-rounded concept of who God is and what God is like.
You know, both of these attempts to explain the Trinity do make some sense. They both are saying that there are basically three ways that we experience the same God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is the same one God experienced in all three; we just experience or understand God in three different ways. And the more we come to understand and appreciate each expression, the more complete our understanding of God is.
Perhaps the best explanation of the Trinity I have come across can be found in the book, The Shack. If you haven’t read The Shack yet, I highly encourage you to do so. The author creatively expresses my own theology so eloquently, yet simply, that I dare not try to improve upon it. But in the story, the main character, Mackenzie Phillips (or Mack), suffers a heart-crushing loss. The cure for his unbearable grief is to spend a weekend at the shack with the Trinity. And I love the way the author expresses the Trinity.
The Father, at least for Mack, is expressed as a robust black woman I liken to the face on Aunt Jemima pancake syrup, who refers to herself as Poppa. Poppa is always busy preparing lovingly prepared meals and otherwise providing for Mack’s every need for the weekend.
The Son is expressed as a middle-aged Middle-easterner with brownish skin and the stereo-typical nose. He is very gentle and kind, wise, and embodies the wisdom and love that is the nature of Poppa himself. He is one with whom one can relate personally, and through whom we can experience Poppa in human terms.
The Holy Spirit, or Sarayu (which is Asian Indian for Spirit), is an Asian Indian woman of sort; I mean, you can kind of see her, but not really. She is more of a mist, and is hard to grasp or measure in any way. She moves about as she pleases and makes herself present to whomever she pleases. She claims to be the creative, right-brain, happy-go-lucky, inspirational aspect of God who touches people’s souls and collects their tears and sets them free from their burdens.
Poppa says that the reality of God is far too difficult a thing for humans to grasp, so she has to express herself in concepts that humans can grasp. God is, . . . there is God’s maternal/paternal nature, who unconditionally loves her children and wants to provide them with all they need in life.
Then there is the Son, the incarnation of God in human flesh. And although the Son is completely God, he also is completely human and never used his God-ness to intervene in human history, but was fully human so that 1) we could experience in our own terms what God is really like and what our lives are supposed to be about, and 2) that God could come to experience our humanity, and more fully appreciate us. Now, God knows us intimately, and we may know God just as intimately through Jesus.
Then there is Sarayu, the Holy Spirit, who is the means through which God remains active in human affairs, in our very lives. She is the expression of God’s desire to be alive in us, and to enable us to live creatively and fully. She is the one who makes it possible to become the people that God created us to be. She is how God’s life becomes our life so that we are truly and fully alive.
To me, this makes a lot of sense. There is one God and Father of us all, the Origin and destiny of all creation, and the soul of the universe.
Jesus, the Son, was God’s attempt to connect intimately with God’s children, and one that was ultimately successful. God became incarnated in Jesus, and in doing so, God lived among us as one of us. Through the human Jesus of Nazareth, GOD lived our lives in our flesh. GOD experienced our lives. GOD cried our tears when pained or grieved. GOD laughed our joys and celebrations. GOD suffered our temptations, and felt our fear and loneliness. GOD suffered our death. But in so doing, God demonstrated beyond any shadow of doubt how much God loves us.
So, to whom was Jesus praying when he prayed to God? Was he praying to himself? No, the human Jesus was praying to the God we pray to. Jesus was a fully human as any one of us. But he surrendered himself entirely to the life of God such that it truly was God who we experienced through Jesus. Jesus was God’s son, just as you and I are God’s sons and daughters. And so Jesus sought to worship and honor God, and prayed to God on many occasions, and who found his energy and inspiration in God. But it was God who lived through Jesus. There is no conflict between Jesus and God, only total harmony. Jesus was the man through whom God lived and expressed himself fully to us.
The Holy Spirit, then, is truly a mystery/experience of God who is still intimately involved in our lives today. This is how we explain Godly inspiration. This is how we feel God’s presence in our lives. This is how God continues to relate to us, and continues to create through us, and minister to us and through us. It is GOD himself, totally and fully, but described in terms that we mere mortals can understand.
There is one God . . . who is our Creator . . . who came to live among us in Jesus . . . and who continues to fulfill creation as our inspiration and companion. To believe in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is to believe in GOD in terms that we can we can comprehend.
As scary as it may sound, I DO believe in God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—one God of us all. And when understood through the concept of the Trinity, I can see just how good God is and just how much God loves us, and continues to touch us and inspire us in our daily living.
Is that cool or what!
A GOD FOR ALL PEOPLE
John Thomas
New Palestine UMC
June 6, 2010
Genesis 11:1-9
Acts 2:1-13
I was listening to a comedy routine by one of my favorite comedians recently. He was talking about visiting Canada. Apparently he was in Quebec, because he was complaining that he could not understand anything that the Canadians were saying. They were speaking French, and with an attitude. The whole time he was there, he said that he was paranoid, afraid that the Quebecans were hurling insults at him as an American, and as one who could not speak French. He concluded his comments about Canada by saying, “I couldn’t wait to get out of Canada, where everyone speaks French, and get back to the good old US of A, where everyone speaks . . . Spanish.
Have you ever been somewhere and you could not speak the language? It can upset your equilibrium, and cause you to become afraid.
Now, some of you may be aware that I happen to be bi-lingual. I am fluent in both English AND Hillbilly. I AM. And it comes in handy occasionally.
For instance, my wife and I went backpacking in the Smoky Mountains with another couple years ago. Vicki is from Elkhart, in northern Indiana, and still has some of that mysterious northern accent. The couple we went with also were from the north, and their accent reflected their heritage.
One day, we stopped in southeastern Tennessee at a mom and pop restaurant. The waitress welcomed us and asked for our drink orders. Both Vicki and the other young Yankee lade, in their most perfect northern accents, asked for “iced tea.” The waitress looked at them rather eerily and said, “Whut wus thait?” Again our ladies asked for “iced tea.” Again, with her face contorted in confusion, the waitress said, “Y’all wont whut?” Finally, I intervened and saved the day by telling the waitress, “They wont swuet tue.” With a look of relief she retorted, “Then whuy di’nt y’all suay suo!”
It really comes in handy to be able to speak more than one language! I’m reminded of a comment made by former British leader, Winston Churchill, who said, “American and England are two nations separated by a common language.” Even if two folks speak the same language and use the same words does not mean that they are using those words alike.
Here’s a good example: And English school teacher was looking for rooms in Switzerland. She called upon the local schoolmaster to help her find an apartment that would be suitable. Such rooms were found, and she returned to London for her belongings. She remembered that she had not noticed a bathroom, or as she called it, “a water closet.” She wrote to the schoolmaster and asked if there was a “W.C.” in or near the apartment.
The schoolmaster, not knowing the English expression, was puzzled by the “W.C.,” never dreaming that she was talking about a bathroom. He finally sought advice from the parish priest. They concluded that she must mean a Wayside Chapel. The lady received the following letter a few days later.
Dear Madam:
My wife, being rather delicate, hasn’t been able to attend regularly. It has been six months since she last went. Naturally it pains her not to be able to go more often.
I will close now with the desire to accommodate you in every way possible, and will be happy to save you a seat either down front or near the door, as you prefer.
It is difficult enough for folks to communicate when they are using the same language. But when two people cannot speak each other’s language, watch out!
My first experience with this was on my trip to Haiti, back in the early 80’s, with Rev. Glen Beck. This was my first experience at both being an ethnic minority—the town where we were staying was 100% descendents of Africa; plus they only spoke Creole, a language similar to French—I only spoke English and Hillbilly. I have to admit, I felt so lost and vulnerable. It would be like a person from Haiti moving here to New Palestine, who has had no cultural or language orientation.
The same thing happened to us in Puerto Rico a number of years ago. For my doctoral program, I took a course entitled “Christianity and Cultural Immersion,” which took place in Puerto Rico. Now, Puerto Rico is an American colony, and most of the people there speak good English. But their primary language is Spanish. In Puerto Rico, the natives speak Spanish, their signs are in language, and their newspapers and TV shows are in Spanish.
Vicki and I arrived in Puerto Rico a day or so ahead of the rest of the class. We wanted to get exposure to the culture and the people. After we arrived and managed to settle in our room, we decided to go for a walk and look for a place to eat. Lo and behold, a few short blocks away, what did we fine, but a familiar sign—Burger King. All right! We would feel right at home here; we know the menu and the cuisine. Oh but . . . the menu was scribed in . . . Spanish.
Not knowing the Spanish words “papa fritas,” we tried to order hamburgers with french fries, Whopper con quesso. The worker kept saying, “No! No quesso.” How rude could she be to refuse us our french fries, so we kept demanding our quesso. Finally, the man behind us in line leaned over our shoulders and said, “She says they have no cheese.” “Oh,” we said, “we don’t want cheese, we want french fries.” He looked up at the worker and said, “Dos Whoppers con papa fritas.” Everyone around us had a good laugh, then, at our expense. We grabbed our food and ran back to our room to hide our shame.
Why does there have to be so many languages? There are thousands of them. Even in Europe, there are over a dozen languages. Even on this continent, the various tribes of Native Americans had their own separate languages. In the jungles of Africa, there literally are hundreds of various languages and dialects. And in our own country, drive 8 hours south and try to order “iced tea” and see what happens. Why are there so many languages? Why could not we all have learned one common language? Why didn’t God enable us all to speak alike?
Three thousand years ago, someone apparently asked their tribal historian similar questions; and so the story of the Tower of Babel was rendered. Was there really a community known as Babel? Was there a time when all the tribes of humanity spoke one common language? And if so, why did God confuse humanity by taking away their common language, and make them speak all sorts of various languages?
To be totally honest, I don’t know the answers to these questions. Historical anthropologists tell us that humanity evolved and developed from several regions around the earth. They believe that all humans first evolved in Africa, and then scattered across the face of the planet. But it is evident that the very dark skinned people developed in Africa, while pale yellowish skinned people developed in eastern Asia. Pale white people seem to have developed in northern Europe, while diminutive brown skinned people developed in Central and South America, and were distant relatives of the reddish skinned people of North America. And yet another brownish skinned people developed in the Middle East.
Perhaps it is true that all of humanity is descended from ancient Africans; I don’t know, I wasn’t around at the time to know. But it is evident that as wide spread as human civilizations wandered, it is no wonder that they speak so many different languages; and even those who shared a common language used their words differently.
The biblical historian/storyteller believed that humanity, or at least a large portion of humanity that lived in close proximity at one time, spoke the same language. As they migrated together, they decided they needed to build a monument in honor of themselves, the great people that they were. So they made plans to build a tall tower, one so tall that it would reach the heavens themselves, one so grand that they could lord it over all the other peoples of the world, and all the other peoples of the world would bow in awe and submission to this superior race.
But God had a different idea. He felt he needed to put these arrogant folks in their place. And there place was not in heaven, where God lived. Their place was on the face of the earth, on equal footing with all the other tribes and races. So even while the people of Babel were in the midst of erecting their tower, according to the storyteller, God struck them and removed their common language such that no one could understand one another. And with no common language, the project fell into shambles, and the people scattered into numerous tribes now divided by language, pride, defensive paranoia. They developed separate cultures, governments, and religions. Would there ever be a way to unite the people again, to get them to lay down their differences and to live together in peace?
Then came Pentecost. The word Pentecost refers to the 50th day following Passover, and is a Jewish holiday celebrating the planting the new year’s crops, and thanking God in advance for the harvest to come. Pilgrims from many different nations would have been in Jerusalem to celebrate the Pentecost, people divided by culture, race, and language.
Jesus’ friends happened still to be in Jerusalem following Jesus’ death, burial, and mysterious resurrection. Before ascending into heaven, Jesus instructed his friends to stay around and disciples and friends of Jesus were all together in the Upper Room when all of a sudden strange sounds and appearances began to occur. The hair on their necks stood out as they heard a rush like a mighty wind, and things that looked like tongues of fire coming to rest on each of them. IT HAD TO SCARE THEM OUT OF THEIR WITS, it surely would me.
But suddenly, each person in the room began to speak words in different languages, just like the people at Babel, except the words they spoke were in the languages of the pilgrims in the streets below. And they all marveled how these simple Galileans could speak their languages, and how they could be hearing about the Good News of Jesus Christ in their native tongues.
This miracle of Pentecost reversed the curse of Babel. Suddenly everyone was becoming united in one body of faith in Jesus Christ. Though the message came in many different languages, the people were being united in faith; they were hearing the same story, being offered the same salvation of and reconciliation with the one God. At Pentecost, GOD MADE IT ABUNDANTLY CLEAR THAT ALL PEOPLE ARE HIS CHILDREN, AND THAT HE LOVES ALL PEOPLE FULLY AND COMPLETELY. THE SALVATION WROUGHT BY JESUS WAS FOR EVERYONE, regardless of race, religion, culture, creed, gender, orientation, educational or economical status, or any other marker that otherwise divides us. And God used his followers to communicate his favor to all the people in all of the world—by enabling his followers to speak the language of the people.
Today, the church is given the responsibility of communicating the Good News of redemption in Jesus Christ to the world. And if the lesson of Pentecost tells us anything, it teaches us that such reconciliation between God and the people can happen ONLY when the church SPEAKS THE LANGUAGE OF THE PEOPLE it seeks to witness to. We are successful at fulfilling our mandate as a church ONLY when our worship and ministries SPEAK TO THE LANGUAGES, NEEDS, AND CULTURE of the people. If they cannot understand what we are doing or saying, they see no need for us in their lives. But as we connect with the people on their terms, only then can we succeed in introducing them to Jesus, who truly is the Savior of all people in all times and places.
In closing, there are two things that I want you to know from all of this. 1) God loves YOU, and understands your needs and your circumstances, and speaks your language fluently. 2) God wants you and me to reach out to those out here in language, worship, and programming that effectively communicates the redemption of Jesus Christ in means they can relate to and understand. Someone once introduced us to Jesus in words and means that we could understand, and He has brought us this far. Now it is our turn to introduce a new generation to an ancient story that is as relevant today as it was back when. But how will this new generation know about this until we learn to speak a common language?
WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS, READ THE INSTRUCTIONS
John Thomas
New Palestine UMC
April 23, 2010
II Timothy 3:10-17
Comedian Paul Rodriquez has a rather funny spiel about men and women. And I think he may be right. He says that women are the more intelligent of the genders, and that the really intelligent women are those who let their men believe that they are more intelligent.
For instance, he says, a husband and wife decide to go out for dinner. Four hours later, they are still driving around looking for the restaurant. Not wanting to make her husband feel badly, the wife finally chimes in, “Dear, I think we just entered Canada. I was just wondering, considering that the restaurant is only a few blocks from the house, why are we in Canada?” The husband responds, “Oh, uh, yes, I know. I, uh, just wanted to know what Canada looks like, and since we were in the area . . . you know.”
Why is it that we men have difficulty admitting we don’t know something? And why is it that we don’t like to stop to ask for directions? And this is nothing new.
I remember one time, when I was but a child, my parents and I were driving to Tennessee to visit my grandparents. This was back before there was an interstate 65. So we had to drive through downtown Louisville.
My father hated to drive in big towns, so he delayed the start of our trip to put us in Louisville late at night. He also had difficulty following highway signs. And even though there was precious little traffic on the streets at midnight, he managed to drive down the same street three times, trying to find his way out of town. Frustrated, he pulled up behind a car wearing Tennessee plates. I remember my father saying something about following the Tennessee car, hoping this guy knows how to get out of Louisville.
And he did. We trailed him out of Louisville, out into the country, off the main highway, onto a narrow tarvy road. By this time Dad was beginning to doubt the wisdom of his mission. But when the Tennessee car turned down a gravel lane, Dad turned the car around and retraced our route back to Louisville. Going down the same street for now the fourth time, he spotted an all-night gas station/diner, and finally stopped and asked directions. The proprietor laughed and said, “I saw you pass by here several times, and wondered when you might stop and ask.”
Why? I don’t know. I, of course, never get lost. Oh, I’ve been temporarily mystified, but never lost. And I am pretty sure that the inventor of automobile GPS units was a woman, who knew that her husband would never stop to seek directions, but might follow a computer’s instructions. Even then, we men enjoy showing how much more we know about directions than our TomToms!
And why is it that, inside all of these do-it-yourself kits, do they bother wasting money and paper by inserting instructions in the packages? Can someone explain that to me? I know how to put stuff together. All you do is connect this gadget to this what-cha-ma-call-it with this little do-hickey, and voila, hum . . . it doesn’t work. And what is it with all of these left-over parts? Maybe I’ll just take it all apart and try it again, then it will work.
I bought my dad a grass seed and fertilizer spreader for his birthday one summer. I read the instructions, and it said that you should not fill the spreader more than ½ full, lest the spreading mechanism break. I told my dad about the instructions. But he insisted that he knew more about lawn spreaders than either me or the instructions, and proceeded to fill it to the brim. He took one step, then we heard the spring go “boing.” And that was the end of the lawn spreader.
Ladies, you can complete this sentence. Are you ready? “When all else fails . . . try and try . . .” what, oh, “When all else fails . . . read the instructions.” It may bruise our manly pride, but, my, life would be so much easier if we would only read the instructions before we engage our manly pride.
You are aware that two weeks ago, the church built two houses for the Millard Fowler Foundation, an organization similar to Habitat for Humanity. And it was a great joy to actually build something that will improve a family’s life.
I was involved in a similar build some time ago. And like here, the crew leader gave very specific instructions about how a wall should be built and how the OSB board be applied to the wall. Well, one of the volunteers was a self-subscribed carpenter who thought he knew more about construction than the crew leader. So he decided to do things his own way, which he concluded was a better way to build a wall, and had three walls built before the crew leader caught him. It took a rather lengthy argument for the crew leader to show the volunteer how his personal version would not line up properly with the ones everyone else was building, and the volunteer was angry because the crew leader made him reconstruct his three walls rather than making all the other workers rebuild their walls to match his.
Instructions? I don’t need any stinking instructions! Wanna bet?
Unfortunately, I see a lot of men AND women living their lives exactly the same way. They are living on the fly, making it up as they go, living on their own terms, not bothering to get instructions or directions along the way. And they are lost, confused, frustrated, and defensive.
I’ve heard folks say, “That’s the thing about life, they don’t give you any instruction manuals.” Oh yes they do; we just have to admit that we need the instructions. We just have to learn to rely on the maps that life HAS provided us.
(Hold up Bible) When all else fails, there are always the instructions. Better yet, BEFORE all else fails, read the instructions and follow the maps. You’ll be surprised at just how easy it is to get things together and to arrive at our desired destinations in life.
By the time Paul wrote his letters to Timothy, he knew that his life would soon end. Timothy was a young convert who showed considerable wisdom and understanding of the Christian life. Paul had taken Timothy under his wings and was grooming Timothy to be his successor. And with his execution pending, Paul wanted to ground Timothy in all that was good. And so Paul wrote, “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.”
(hold up Bible) THIS is our life’s instruction book. Unfortunately, so many people are very unfamiliar with it. Oh, it makes a good paper weight and dust collector, but it is, o, so much more than that.
The very first Psalm reads: Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers; but their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law they meditate day and night. They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all they do, they prosper.
It is all in here. It is. The Bible is God’s roadmap, it is God’s instruction manual. There are scriptures in here for every occasion in life.
. . . But where do we start? I’m so glad you asked.
If you are interested in learning about what is in the Bible, here is what I recommend. First, take a Bible out of the pew rack in front of you. You may have to share with your neighbor, and that is okay. Take out a Bible. Now, open it near the back, and find the page number at the top of the page. This back section is called The New Testament, and contains writings about Jesus and about the early church shortly after Jesus’ resurrection into heaven.
Now, turn back to page one of the New Testament. The caption at the top of the page reads, “The Gospel According to Matthew.” The word gospel literally means “good news,” and refers to those books that talk about the life and teachings of Jesus. Begin your study of the Bible here, with Matthew.
I recommend beginning with Matthew because Matthew was a left-brain, very organized man, and his gospel is written accordingly. The first three chapters give background information to provide a setting for Jesus’ life. Chapters 4-7 are a summary of Jesus’ ministry. The rest of the gospel, then, is an exposition of chapters 4-7.
Begin here. It is vital that your journey through the Bible begins with the very core of our faith, with Jesus himself. Okay?
Then read the Book of Acts, which begins on page 119 of the New Testament. It is a comprehensive history of the development of the church and the Christian faith.
Then I recommend reading from the Old Testament, starting first with Genesis and Exodus, the first two books of the Bible. Then the Psalms and Proverbs. Then go back to the New Testament and begin reading the letters of Paul. Romans is the first of these in the New Testament, and immediately follows the Acts. Read all the way through to The Book of Revelation. Stop there.
Don’t read that on your own. It will only confuse and frighten you unless you know how to read such bizarre literature. When you are ready for the Book of Revelation, let me know, and we’ll schedule a class and study it together.
But again, begin with Matthew, then Luke, then Genesis through Exodus, then the Psalms and Proverbs, then the letters of Paul and others up to Revelation.
READ THE INSTRUCTIONS! For herein lies the information you will need to live your lives in faith and Godliness, in peace and prosperity, in love and contentment.
THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD
John Thomas
New Palestine UMC
May 16, 2010
John 10:1-5, 14-18, 27-29
Over the years, I have heard a recurring question asked, one that is quite troubling and haunts the human soul. I’ve heard it over and over again, and reflects one of the most basic pains common to humanity. It is one that I have wondered myself. The question is this: “Can I trust God?”
That’s a very basic question, is it not? Can I trust God? Is God trustworthy? Can I trust in God’s goodness, in God’s faithfulness, in God’s love?
I am tempted just to reply with a quick “of course” and move on. But that just doesn’t cut it. To people who ask about God’s trustworthiness, this is no trite or trivial matter. It is a matter of the soul. It is a foundational question around which one’s whole life is woven. One’s entire outlook on life and approach toward life, one’s entire self-perception hands in the balance. I understand this quite clearly, and I deeply respect the question, for I, too, have had my own questions and concerns.
The world teaches us some very distorted notions about the nature of God, and it is difficult to sort through these distorted notions on one’s own.
Some of you may remember me telling you about an incident from my childhood that shaped my early understanding about the nature of God.
I was about 5 years old, and was playing army in our front yard. At one point, I pretended to get shot. So I fell to the ground and lay still for several moments. Now, please understand that I was my mother’s only child, and I was born when she was 41 years old. Apparently, during the time that I was laying on the ground, my mother looked out the window to check on me, and saw me lying on my back in the yard. She came busting through the door, screaming, in dire panic. Her screams startled me and I jumped to my feet. I explained that I was just playing army and was pretending to be wounded. My poor mother cried, “Don’t you ever scare me like that again, young man. Besides, God is watching you and may just believe that you want to be dead.”
Now, Mom did not intend to wax theologically. She was just trying to deal with her intense fear over my welfare. But it would take me another 30 years to get over fearing God. Basically, she had just told me that God was capricious, perhaps even malicious, but surely gullible and not so trustworthy to understand that I was just a kid and that I was just pretending.
I think that a lot of us grew up believing in a God who sat upon heaven’s throne with lightning bolts in hand, ready and perhaps eager to mete out punishment for every little mistake we made. But if that were true, just what kind of God, what kind of love, is that?
I again came to question God’s trustworthiness during my pre-adolescent and adolescent years. By this time, my father had resumed his heavy drinking, and life on the weekends at my house was pure hell. On Friday and Saturday evenings, my father would disappear, making the rounds from one bar to the next. Then, at about 2 o’clock in the morning, he would miraculously find his way home in a drunken stupor. He would wake me up and make me get up to listen to his threats against my welfare if I ever were to behave like him, or if I were to step out of line in any way. This man who was twice my size and had been arrested for attempted manslaughter years before, would get in my face and threaten me, even though I was guilty only of wanting to go back to sleep. And if he were to see me nodding off at 3 o’clock in the morning, instead of giving him my undivided attention and devotion, the threats would begin all over again.
Oh how I prayed. I prayed that God would intervene and stop the midnight madness. I prayed that my dad would stop drinking and stop verbally abusing me and my mother. I prayed that God would make my dad pass out so that I could go back to bed and the abuse end. But the drinking continued, and the midnight madness continued, and the nightmares continued for years.
I could not help but wonder—why didn’t God do something? Didn’t God care? Why should I give my devotion to a God who, for all practical purposes, was untrustworthy, uncaring, and unfaithful? Maybe it WAS my fault; maybe I was unworthy of God’s graces.
I understand the questions. I have lived them over and over across the years. Can I, can we, trust God?
Yes we can!
If Jesus taught us nothing else, he wanted us to trust God.
Jesus once observed that the birds neither labor or toil for a living, but that God was faithful toward them, and provided them with food and provisions. Then he concluded, if God provides for the birds of the air, how much more does God love us and will provide for us. In fact, Jesus said, God knew us even before we were born, and loves us so intimately that he knows the number of hairs on our heads (that is easier regarding some of us!).
And Jesus, in addressing God, taught us to trust God. The word Jesus used to address God was “Abba,” which the Bible translates “father.” But that is not the best translation of abba. For abba was the affectionate term that a child used when addressing his earthly father. “Daddy” would be a better translation of abba.
Jesus referred to God as “Daddy.” And a good daddy, according to Jesus, is one who is faithful, loving, trustworthy, one whose driving desire is to provide for his children even if that meant laying down his life for them.
And the premise of today’s reading about the Good Shepherd has everything to do with God’s faithfulness and trustworthiness. The Good Shepherd, said Jesus, is one whose primary desire is the welfare of his sheep. The Good Shepherd knows his sheep, by name, and goes so far as to lay down his life for the welfare of the sheep.
And that is what Jesus did. He showed us God’s faithfulness and trustworthiness as he went all the way to the cross that we might have eternal life. THAT is how far God would go; THAT is how far God had gone to prove his love and faithfulness toward us.
In Jesus, God’s very soul became flesh. GOD lived among us and showed us how much He cares for us. When Jesus healed the Roman centurion’s servant, God’s compassion proved true. When Jesus conversed with the hated Samaritan prostitute, the breadth of God’s love was born out. When Jesus rescued the woman condemned to death for adultery, the very soul of God was laid bare for all to see.
If Jesus taught us nothing else, he insisted that God’s faithfulness, God’s love, God’s trustworthiness was pure and true. God is with us in every moment of life, and is as dependable as the sunrise in the morning.
I have learned that, while God could not stop my father from drinking, God could, and DID, give me the strength to endure, and the determination NOT to repeat my father’s shortcomings against my own family. And I have learned that God is not at all interested in zapping me with lightning bolts, but is ever concerned that I come to trust him and his love for me. And I have learned that God may not give me what I want; but God WILL and DOES give me exactly what I need, if I am only aware of God’s activities in my life.
If you learn nothing else this morning, I hope that you will hear this. YOU CAN TRUST GOD. YOU CAN TRUST GOD. YOU CAN TRUST GOD. YOU CAN TRUST GOD—who loves you genuinely and purely, and wants only what is best for you—who even laid down his life that you might live.
And if you learn nothing else during my tenure as your pastor, I earnestly desire that you come to realize just how LOVEABLE you are and just how LOVED you are by your heavenly Daddy. Yes, YOU CAN TRUST GOD. I believe that with all my heart.
JESUS’ LAST COMMANDMENT: OUR PURPOSE AS A CHURCH
John Thomas
New Palestine UMC
May 2, 2010
Matthew 28:16-20
This passage from Matthew represents Jesus’ last words to his disciples in Matthew’s gospel. Scholars sometimes refer to this passage as The Great Commission, which are Jesus’ definition of what a church is supposed to be about. My entire understanding of ministry is based on these words: “Go and make disciples of all peoples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.”
As a high school grammar major (believe it or not!), I am all about splitting sentences into sub-clauses to see how a sentence is supposed to be read. This sentence, “Go and make disciples of all peoples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you,” makes a lot more sense if you do that to it.
It has 3 major clauses: 1—Go and make disciples of all peoples, 2—Baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and 3—Teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. The last two clauses modify the first one. If you diagram this sentence, it looks something like this:
--baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Spirit
Go and make . . . peoples
--teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you
Grammatically and realistically, what Jesus said was we, the church, are to be about making Christians. And we do that in two ways: 1—we bring in new people (baptizing, converting, winning new disciples), and 2—we take care of the ones we already have (teaching).
So, if a church is to be faithful to Jesus’ Great Commission, it will be in the mission of reaching out to new people to make them disciples, and of reaching in to build up those already in the church. I refer to the ministry of attracting new people as Outreach ministry, and to the ministry of building up those already in the church as Inreach ministry—Outreach and Inreach. Okay? Is that clear?
During the mid and late 1980’s, I served The South Indiana Conference of The United Methodist Church as a church consultant. I visited dozens of churches in all phases of growth and decline. From St. Luke’s, on the north side of Indianapolis, which averages over 3,000 per Sunday in worship attendance, to a little church near Columbus that averaged about 10 per Sunday. I’ve seen churches that were growing rapidly, and churches that were dying rapidly. I’ve been a part of new church starts; and I’ve assisted in the closing of churches. My experience pretty much spanned the gamut of church growth and decline.
During those years, I began to notice a trend among growing churches, and another trend among dying churches. So I studied and tested these trends for my doctoral dissertation. Let me share with you what I discovered.
In a nutshell, churches that were declining, even dying, were engaged almost exclusively in Inreach ministry. Churches that were growing were engaged almost exclusively in Outreach ministry. Let me briefly explain.
((Linda, I want to compare these two models of ministry one line at a time, doing the Inreach trend line one, followed by the Outreach trend line one; then Inreach trend 2, followed by Outreach line 2. Can you design the overhead so that each “trend” comes us one at a time until the whole chart is visible at the end?))
INREACH (Declining) OUTREACH (Growing)
-programs of nurture and care of members -programs aimed to attract new people
-church older than 15 years old -church less than 15 years old (most)
-average age of members 55 or older -average age of members 35 and younger
-experiencing numerical decline -experiencing numerical growth (rapid)
-financially solvent -financially challenged
-members: warm, friendly, “family” -members: cold, uncaring
-“visitors”: cold, uncaring -“Newcomers”: warm, friendly, “family”
-driving principle: tradition -driving principle: innovation
-power resides in laity, who protect -power resides in pastor and staff who
the tradition envision growth through innovation
Do you see the difference between these two models of ministry? I have identified at least three problems that churches need to address.
One—you can’t get Outreach results using Inreach activities, attitudes, and philosophies. You can’t get oranges if you plant corn. Jesus said, “You reap what you sow.” The problem is, Inreach churches want to get Outreach results (growth) without compromising their tradition. It won’t, indeed, cannot happen.
Inreach churches are good at taking care of their own people, but that is only half of the Great Commission. IF they continue to fulfill only the second half of the Great Commission and not bringing new people into the fold, those churches WILL eventually run out of people to take care of. These churches will die and close; it’s just a matter of time.
Two—Inreach churches do a good job of fulfilling the first half of the Great Commandment. But the problem is they have some difficulty keeping people for the long haul, which means these churches don’t have a strong cadre of devoted members who will contribute both financially and time-wise sacrificially and generously. Those churches are like houses built on sand, and can be gone as quickly as they sprouted up.
Three—Healthy churches are those which manage to strike a balance between Inreach and Outreach ministries. But the problem is, this is SO difficult to pull off. Why? because of the tension between the philosophies of newcomers and long-term members, and the things that each group treasures about their church
Inreach vs. Outreach: The Seven Infamous Words of Churches
“We’ve never done it that way before.” (contrast)
And so you can see how these two points of view mix like oil and water. It takes a tremendous amount of energy and intentionally and assurance to get both parties to respect each other and to give each other room within the same church to do what is meaningful and sacred to them. The BIG problem comes when compromises can’t be reached. Who is going to win? What is decided DETERMINES the future of that congregation.
One of the consultations that I performed was for a small church on the near eastside of Indianapolis. They were down to 35 members, 33 who were over 78 years old. Everyone of those 33 were in attendance for our meeting. They wanted to know why the Conference had sent me there to close their beloved church. I told them that I had not been sent there to close their church, but to explore their future as a church. So, I asked them, “Where do you see yourselves 25 years from now.” There was a long, uncomfortable silence. Finally one of the older gentlemen of the gathering held up his hand and said, “I guess I hope to be in heaven.” One by one, they all nodded in agreement. So, I asked, “Then you don’t envision ministry beyond your few remaining years together?” “No,” they answered. I asked, “How long can you afford to pay the bills and the pastor, and keep the doors open here?” The same older gentleman answered, “We can’t pay the bills now; that’s our problem.” “So,” I said, “you are telling me that the time already has come for you to close up shop?” “I suppose so,” was their sad response.
They had lost the ability and desire to be busy about the first part of the Great Commission several years before, and now they had run out of money and people.
My question for you is, where do you perceive the church to be 25, 50, 75 years from now. I see a growing and vital ministry here 25, 50, 75 years from now—IF we continue to make the changes necessary to remain relevant and attractive to the needs and worship styles of emerging populations. And THAT is why we are in the process of making changes in this sanctuary. We are NOT changing it for us; we are changing it for the future, we are changing it for “them,” we are changing it to keep pace with the culture of the people who WILL be here 25, 50, 75 years from now.
The church IS NOT OUR church. It is CHRIST’S church. And as followers of Jesus Christ, we MUST provide facilities and ministries that enable us to FULFILL Christ’s Great Commission. It is our reason for existing, our very purpose, our divine call.
As long as I am your pastor, I promise you that there will continue to be worship services of both the traditional and the blended worship styles as we have had for the last number of years. I promise you that, those of you for whom these worship styles are meaningful and helpful to your spiritual development. I WANT to accommodate our traditions . . . I also WANT to enable innovation and make it possible to perform various forms of worship to accommodate the worship styles of newcomers for generations to come. WE CAN DO BOTH. WE WILL DO BOTH. I FULLY INTEND FOR US TO FULFILL BOTH ASPECTS OF JESUS’ GREAT COMMISSION, and to be faithful to God’s call upon us to be a church of Jesus Christ.
The Great Commission
We exist to serve the ministry of Jesus Christ
Not for ourselves (alone or even primarily)
PERFECT RECONCILIATION
John Thomas
New Palestine UMC
April 25, 2010
John 21:15-17
Let me start with a question today, one that we might have to think about a moment before settling on an answer, and one that has haunted humanity for a very long time. Are you ready? No, that wasn’t the question. The question I’ve been pondering is this: Is it possible to sin so badly that even God cannot forgive?
It is a question that is worthy of pondering. But I ask it delicately, because I realize that many people, perhaps some of you, have done things that we are not proud of, things that we don’t want to remember, things that haunt us. Many of us, most likely, have wondered if God could ever forgive us of our past, or something in the past. And guilt is a powerful thing. It can haunt us and hurt us. It can render us helpless, immobilize us, make it difficult to engage in healthy and loving relationships with others. It can make us physically ill and emotionally detached. It can rob us of our very lives.
Tom was my best friend during high school. He and I were known to . . . oh, engage in the kinds of behaviors that some high school teens do, things that were both illegal and immoral. We were sinners. Tom was even more notorious than I at venturing beyond godliness, but down deep, he was a good guy; he really was.
After high school, Tom joined the army; I went to college. Near the end of my first year in college, I accepted Christ into my life. That summer, Tom was on leave and we hooked up one evening. It was fun being with Tom again. We made each other laugh, and there was nothing that we could not share with the other.
Eventually I got around to sharing with Tom about my new found faith and how God had relieved my guilt and replaced it with joy. I asked him if he had any interest in doing so himself. I remember him saying, “I’m really happy for you. That’s cool. But I’m just not ready for that. I still want to have fun while I’m young; maybe when I’m a little older. Besides, you know me and what all I have done. I’m just not sure I can face God yet. Maybe later.”
I saw Tom a couple more times that summer and we hung out together and had a good time. But I haven’t seen him since. I don’t know if he ever got up the courage to face God or not. I can understand his hesitancy; but I sure hope he’s found peace with the Lord. I really do. That kind of guilt can weigh a person down and rob them of life.
Is it possible to sin to the point that even God can’t forgive us? We’ve all, perhaps, heard talk about “the unpardonable sin,” a sin so horrible that even God can’t forgive. But no one, not even the Bible, has defined what that sin may be. The Bible mentions “the unpardonable sin,” but it does not define it. Is there really an unpardonable sin, and is it possible to commit this unpardonable sin and not know it? How can we avoid it if we don’t know what it is?
I’m reminded of a story about a woman whose name we shall call Bernice. Bernice was a nice person. Everyone liked Bernice, but she was very cautious about letting people become close. She seemed to be on guard about something, and kept her relationships on a casual basis. Her friends would invite Bernice to join them on outings, but rarely would she go. They invited her to go to church with them, but that she would not do. Oh, she believed in God, she would say, but church was just not for her. Then she would withdraw into her own little world until the subject changed.
As the months passed, Bernice’s health began to diminish, although her doctor could find nothing wrong. She lost a lot of weight. She withdrew from her social contacts, and refused the company of her friends.
One of her friends became so concerned that she asked her priest to visit her friend. The priest had developed a reputation of being able to hear the voice of God, and seemed to know just what to say to folks during troublesome times.
One day, the priest went and paid a visit upon Bernice. The woman was kind enough during his visit, but she just seemed very sad. They exchanged the usual niceties for a while. Finally the priest said to her, “I suppose you know why I am here.” She nodded. He went on, “Your friends are very concerned about you. So I am here to see if there is anything that I can do.”
The woman was silent for a few moments, then said, “I know you have the reputation of being able to hear the voice of God.” “So people say,” he replied, “and I can tell that you must be bothered by something rather deeply. Would you share it with me?”
“Oh, no,” she replied. “I have done something grievously wrong, something I did many years ago. I thought I could get past it, but I can’t. And I am too ashamed to say what it was. But it keeps haunting me such that I can’t face my friends anymore; I can’t sleep at night; and I’m afraid to go to church or even to pray. Father, perhaps if you prayed to God for a while, maybe God will reveal to you what all this is about. Then we can talk. Would you pray for God to reveal this to you, then come back when you have heard from the Lord?”
A week later, the priest went back to the woman’s house. “Did you pray about my problem?” she asked. “Yes, I did,” replied the priest. “Did the Lord reveal anything to you that we may talk about?” “Yes, he did.” Hesitantly, the woman asked, “And just what was it that the Lord revealed to you about me?”
The priest smiled politely, took her by the hand, and said, “The Lord said that He doesn’t remember what it was that you did all those years ago.”
I love that story. The priest hit the nail on the head. God does not dwell on the past. To God, the past is . . . well . . . the past, and the only things worth hanging on to from the past are the good memories and the lessons we have learned. Otherwise, let the past be the past. God does; so should we.
But that still doesn’t answer our haunting question. Is there a sin so grievous that even God cannot forgive?
You know, after 57 years of pondering this question, I can come up with only one sin that might be difficult for God to forgive, but I’m not sure about that one. But I can think of no worse sin, perhaps, than denying God himself. Would that not be the most offensive thing that one could do, to turn God away, to remove oneself from God’s good graces, to deny God?
I believe we can find the answer to these questions, and to our haunting question, in today’s Bible reading.
This episode takes place sometime after Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, but before he ascended into heaven. Jesus seeks out his friend, Peter, and has a strange conversation with him. Not once, not twice, but three times Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me?”
“Peter, do you love me?” “Yes, Lord, I love you.” “Then feed my sheep.”
“Peter, do you love me?” “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” “Then tend to my flock.”
“Peter, DO you love me?” “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” “Then feed my sheep.”
Why did Jesus ask this question three times? Surely it began to weigh on Peter’s heart that Jesus might doubt his love. And by the third time, Peter bears his soul and pleads with Jesus to believe him when he says that he loved him. But why three times?
Do you remember what had taken place just a few days earlier? Do you remember the previous conversation that occurred between Simon Peter and Jesus?
Jesus had just announced that someone would betray him that evening into the hands of his enemies. Each of the disciples were greatly troubled by this and asked who it was that would betray Jesus. Peter boldly proclaimed that he would not betray Jesus, even if that meant dying in Jesus’ defense.
Now do you remember what Jesus said to Peter that evening? “Peter, I tell you, before the rooster crows this morning you will have denied me three times.” And following Jesus’ arrest, on three occasions, Peter was accused of being one of Jesus’ followers. And each time, Peter denied knowing Jesus—three times. Not once, not twice, but three times Peter denied Jesus. And upon the third denial, they were bringing Jesus out of the chief priest’s house just as the rooster crowed. Jesus turned and made eye contact with Peter, who suddenly was filled with the worse guilt and remorse he had ever known.
Not once, not twice, but three times . . .
But Jesus would not let Peter’s sins separate him from his friend. So before Jesus ascended to heaven, he had another conversation with Peter, this time asking Peter if he loved him. Not once, not twice, but three times Jesus asked Peter if he loved him. And that third time, Peter replied, “Lord, you know everything . . . you know my failures, my very sin, and you know how miserably sorry I am for betraying you and how ashamed of myself I am . . . but surely, Lord, you know that deep down in my heart, I really do love you.” And each time, with each of the three questions, Jesus told Peter essentially to prove his love with his life and service. As Jesus said elsewhere, “By this they will know that you are my disciples in that you love one another.”
Not once, not twice, but three times Jesus forgave Peter. Peter’s virtually unforgivable sin was forgiven; Jesus’ reconciliation was perfect and complete. What had happened in the past would stay in the past. What mattered now was the present and the future. Jesus had already forgotten what Peter had done, and he wanted Peter to move on and live a life of redemption and service.
So, no, I don’t believe there is an unforgiveable sin that we can commit that forever separates us from the love of God. I can imagine no greater sin that what Peter committed that fateful night. But if Jesus can reconcile Peter into his love, we have nothing to worry about. God loves us, and WANTS to be reconciled with us. He already has forgotten what happened in the past, and he wants us to let it go as well.
It’s okay. You can trust God, and you can trust that God loves you just as you are, right now, and he wants to live with you, and in you, and through you. Our lives may not be perfect, and they never will be. But God’s reconciliation IS perfect, for you and for me.
BELIEVING THE UNBELIEVABLE
John Thomas
New Palestine UMC
April 18, 2010
John 20:19-22, 24-29
Faith. Believing. These are critical, crucial, foundational words in the Christian tradition.
The Bible demands that we believe. Throughout Lent and on Easter morning, we emphasized John 3:16, which says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him might not perish, but have eternal life.” In the first chapter of John, the author writes, “to all who received (Jesus), who believed in his name, he gave power to become the children of God.” And Paul put it bluntly when he preached, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.”
Faith. Believing.
Jesus talked a lot about faith, believing. It was a center-piece theme for him. He asked the blind man if he believed, and he was healed. The Roman centurion told Jesus that, rather than go to the centurion’s house, all he had to do was to say the word and he believed that his servant would be healed. The Syrian woman impressed Jesus so much with her belief that he said of her, “I have not seen such faith in all of Israel,” and he healed his daughter.
I remember vividly the preacher at my Grandmother’s Southern Baptist Church outside of Loudon, Tennessee, Rev. Bernard Courtney, preaching about faith. His eyes blazed with hell-fire as he exhorted us to turn from sin and BELIEVE in the Lord Jesus Christ as our only hope to escape the eternal punishment that awaited every sinner. And he was rather skilled at scaring us half to death, and at persuading folks to turn to faith.
But even as a child I remember wrestling with the question, what is faith? What does it mean “to believe?” And all across the years, these questions have haunted me. What DOES it mean to believe? What DOES it mean to have faith? Is it really possible to believe whole-heartedly? Is it possible to have complete faith? And, if I have any doubts at all, does this mean that I am still outside God’s favor?
The Bible reading for today talks about faith. It was the day of the resurrection of Jesus. Most of Jesus’ closest friends were together in the Upper Room where they had shared the Passover meal 3 days earlier. It was a safe haven where these friends could hide from those who had killed Jesus, and consider what to do next.
Their hearts were broken. Their spirits dashed. Their hopes and dreams shattered. And now, some of the women among the group had claimed to have seen a vision of angels who announced that Jesus was not really dead after all.
Are these women crazy? Have they gone mad? They all had seen Jesus crucified. They all had seen him taken down from the cross and placed in a tomb. Oh, I’m sure that they wanted so much to believe the women, but no such thing as this had ever happened before. How can the dead be alive again?
Then, suddenly, a figure appeared in their midst. How did he get in there? The doors were all locked and secured. Yet there he was. And he spoke to them; and they knew it was Jesus. As impossible as it was to believe, there he was, alive, talking to them. Oh, they wanted to believe. Then Jesus showed them his hands and his feet, where the soldiers had driven the spikes. And they believed.
Some of the friends of Jesus were not in the Upper Room when this occurred. One of those was Thomas, known as the doubter. He had gone out for some fresh air, probably to be alone in his grief and pain. When Thomas returned to the Upper Room, those present told Thomas about their experience with the resurrected Jesus. And I can understand Thomas’ reluctance to believe their words—perhaps because I, too, am a Thomas. But how can you just believe in such impossible images as a resurrected body?
Thomas wanted proof. And he got it. Jesus reappeared and Thomas got to witness for himself this impossibility-come-possible, this unreality-become-reality; and his doubt turned to belief.
Then Jesus said, “You believe because you have seen? Blessed are those who believe and yet have not seen.” That’s me and you, and everyone else who had been touched by the gospel of Jesus Christ ever since that incredible day.
Fine. But is it really possible to believe beyond any shadow of doubt?
In my first full-time appointment, I had a woman who was facing some rather significant surgery, and she was scared. Her family called me a couple of days before her surgery and told me that Mom was a mess. She was not sleeping at night, and she just sat and cried all day long, shaking in total fear. So I went to their home for a visit.
Mom made all the family leave the room so just the two of us could talk. When she finally composed herself, she wanted to know why, if she really had faith, if she really believed in God, she was in such intense fear. If her faith were genuine, wouldn’t she be at peace? But since she was afraid, that meant that she must have some measure of doubt, which mean that she really did not believe, therefore she feared that God was disappointed in her and that he would abandon her, and she might die and go to hell. But, she said, she had been a believer all of her life, and it terrified her that in this time of need, she was so afraid. She then asked my opinion about her fear and her doubts.
What do you say? What do you believe? Are faith and doubt opposites? If you have any doubts, does that mean that you really don’t believe, and therefore are outside of God’s grace? Are not faith and doubt mutually exclusive?
The Bible tells the story of Jesus’ conversation with a man who had doubts. The man needed a miracle from Jesus, and Jesus asked him if he believed. The man’s response is golden, for, I think, he speaks for ALL of us when he said, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.” And Jesus ministered to the fellow.
JESUS MINISTERED TO THE FELLOW. He did not turn his back on the man. He did not chastise the man. He did not belittle the man. He did not abandon the man because of his unbelief. Instead, Jesus gave the man what he needed. And what did the man need—love, compassion, understanding, acceptance.
I don’t think Jesus saw belief and unbelief, faith and doubt, as mutually exclusive. They are not opposites. They are two sides of the same coin of the human soul. There is a part of us that believes, or else we would not be here. And there is a part of us that doubts—and that may be a part of the reason that we are here—to grow in faith and to be reassured that our doubts are not abnormal and do not separate us from the love of God.
They don’t. Remember, as Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemene—remember how he fought the temptations of doubt and fear? Remember, as Jesus was dying on the cross—remember what he said? “Father, why have you forsaken me?”
God is no stranger to doubt. Jesus knows what it is like to struggle with belief and unbelief. God did not turn his back on Jesus in the midst of his struggle. Rather God remained faithful unto Jesus; and God remains faithful to us even in our unbelief.
No, faith and doubt are not mutually exclusive. Would you like to know the rest of the story about Jesus’ words upon the cross? Jesus actually was quoting the Bible when he asked why God had abandoned him. (read portions of Psalm 22)
I believe Jesus acknowledged that doubt and faith are not opposites. Rather, doubt and faith are natural parts of who we are. God is not surprised about this. There is a part of us that believes, and there is a part of us that doubts. That is normal. It is normal to have doubts. It also is normal to have faith. AND you can have both at the same time.
One of the most sincere prayers that any of us can utter would be to echo the words of the man to Jesus two centuries ago, “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief.”
Jesus honored the unbelief of the man. Jesus honored the doubts of Thomas. And no doubt that Jesus honors our wrestling between faith and doubt, between belief and unbelief.
Herein lies the wonder of the incarnation. When God became flesh in Jesus, God experience OUR life. He became one with us that we might become one with him. And through Jesus, God knows first-hand what our existence is like. God KNOWS our belief; God KNOWS our unbelief. God KNOWS our fears, our frustrations, our weaknesses, our doubts. And God is okay with that. I believe that with all my heart, as much as humanly possible. But when God put on human flesh, God affirmed our humanity, God embraced our humanity—our successes and our failures, our joys and our pain, our belief and our unbelief. And God’s love STILL embraces us.
So, Jesus’ friends were in the Upper Room, experiencing what must have been the lowest moment of their lives, the time of their deepest doubts. But do you remember what Jesus said to his friends at their deepest moment of doubt? “Come on, you pathetic heathens; suck it up or I will deny you God’s grace!”
NO! That’s not what Jesus said to the disciples as they wrestled with their deepest doubts and fears. What was it that he said?
“Peace; peace be with you.” THAT’S what he said. He said, “Peace be with you.” In the midst of the storms of doubt, Jesus spoke, “Peace be with you.”
And that is what Jesus brings to us, whether we are in a season of belief, or a season of unbelief. He brings us his peace, his assurance in God’s faithfulness toward us.
The woman facing surgery asked me to pray for her. And I did. She then said that although she was still scared, she would work on believing. Then she asked what all she needed to believe in to get God’s grace. I asked her a simple question, “Do you believe that God loves you?” “Yes,” she replied. And I said, “Then that’s all you need to know.”
No one is capable of believing perfectly. But one thing that we can cling to, even during the seasons of unbelief, is, “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” And, ultimately, that is all that you need to know.
IN THE BREAKING OF THE BREAD
John Thomas
New Palestine UMC
April 11, 2010
Luke 24:13-35
I love this story from the Bible. Not only does it show how much Jesus loved his followers, that he would pursue them himself, but it also gives us a prime example of what it means to BE a follower and a servant of Jesus Christ.
The story takes place on the third day following Jesus’ death. A lot of strange things took place that day.
The first strange thing:
-Since Jesus had died just prior to sundown on Friday, his burial rituals had to be delayed. Sundown on Fridays is the onset of the Jewish Sabbath, the day of rest and worship. It would be improper to perform any form of labor on the Sabbath. In fact, Jesus’ friends had to act fast to get Jesus off the cross and into a tomb before sundown as it was. There simply was not enough time to apply the burial spices and perform any kind of ritualistic ceremony before Sabbath set in. So his friends had to wait until sunrise on Sunday to be able even to see how to perform the burial procedures for Jesus.
So the women—that would be Mary Magdelene, perhaps Mary the mother of Jesus and her sister, and probably Martha, the sister of Lazarus, and maybe some of these women’s friends—went to apply the burial spices and to finish the mummy-like rapping of Jesus’ body.
That leads us to the 2nd strange thing:
-None of the men who followed Jesus went with the women. Perhaps they were afraid for their own lives. But all the way to the tomb, the women worried about how they would move the great round stone that sealed Jesus’ tomb. But when they arrived at the tomb, to their surprise and even horror, the stone already was rolled away. But not only that, but the tomb itself was empty, except for the cloth that had been laid over Jesus’ body.
The women were terrified. They cried out to whoever was near to tell them where they had taken Jesus’ body. But the two “men” who stood close by told the women that Jesus’ body had not been stolen or moved. Then they reminded the women of the Bible verses that Jesus had told them about being raised on the third day—Friday, Saturday . . . Sunday! The third day!
The women believed! They remembered the scriptures and they believed! And they ran back to the Upper Room where the men were and told them what they had seen and heard. Peter and some of the others took off in a sprint and discovered the details just as the women had said. Yet they were not so easily persuaded of a miracle.
Strange event #3:
Some of the followers of Jesus, distraught from the horrible course of events that led to the crucifixion and death of Jesus, had decided to leave Jerusalem for home. There is a major artery in Israel that runs from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Somewhere about half way between these two cities lays a community known as Emmaus. It existed in Jesus’ day, and still does to this day. Today, the road to Emmaus is a bustling 4-lane interstate type highway. In Jesus’ day, it was but a dusty foot trail.
But these two former followers of Jesus were on their way home on the road to Emmaus, talking about all the things they had witnessed and experienced the week before. Then they met another man also walking along the way. Pretending not to know what the two disciples were talking about, the loner asked them about what they were conversing.
They looked at the man as if he were an idiot, then replied, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” “What things?” he inquired. They answered, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth.” Then they went on to describe how they had hoped this charismatic prophet was the Messiah who would redeem Israel. But the chief priests persuaded the Romans to let them crucify Jesus. Then, strangely, some of the women had gone to the tomb that very morning only to discover that it was empty. And they claimed to have had a vision from some angels about Jesus being raised from the dead. But when the men went to see for themselves, they discovered the tomb to be empty, but they saw neither angels nor a risen Jesus.
Then things got even stranger for the two disciples:
The stranger they were conversing with began to quote scriptures from the ancient prophets about the Messiah having to suffer and die before entering into his glory with God. Pretty good stuff, actually!
Then, as darkness began to set in, the two disciples decided to stop and camp for the night. The stranger was going to go on, but the two disciples pleaded for him to stay with them. It would be unsafe to travel alone after dark; it would be better and safer for the stranger to spend the night with them. Thieves would not bother 3 men together.
IN OTHER WORDS—these two disciples of Jesus PROVED their godly hearts by offering the stranger safety and hospitality. That was the #1, prime directive of every good Jew, to offer hospitality to everyone, and especially to strangers. And the disciples’ hearts were in the right place. They genuinely cared for the welfare of the stranger, and they provided protection AND FOOD for this solitary one.
But little did they expect the strange occurrence that was about to take place:
After the disciples had prepared supper, probably of unleavened bread and wine, and perhaps some dried lamb’s meat, the stranger did a strange thing. Just as they were about to eat, the stranger got up and took the loaf of bread, said a prayer of blessing, and gave the bread to the disciples.
But they had seen this done before, exactly in the same way as the stranger had performed for them. Where was it? Who was it? Then, suddenly, it dawned on them. This was no stranger in their midst; it was the Resurrected Jesus! Of course! Didn’t their hearts glow within them while he opened the scriptures to them? Didn’t they know in their hearts that they seemed to have already known this stranger? Didn’t they feel encouraged and blessed while they walked the road together? Did they not feel all the more strongly about persuading him to stay with them that night?
And just as suddenly as they had come upon the stranger on the road to Emmaus, the Resurrected Jesus disappeared from their sight.
So encouraged and excited were these two disciples that they broke camp immediately and returned to Jerusalem in the darkness of night to tell those back in the Upper Room what they had seen. And when they got to the Upper Room, those there also were blubbering about also having seen the Resurrected Jesus! Then the two told the rest of their own encounter, and how Jesus had made himself known to them “in the breaking of the bread.”
I want to suggest that Jesus still makes himself known to the world “in the breaking of the bread.” Any time anyone provides hospitality to another, Christ himself is encountered. O, we may not recognize him immediately, just as the two disciples failed to recognize Jesus for quite some time. But any time anyone provides hospitality to another, Christ himself is encountered. It is in the providing of hospitality, it is in the breaking of bread together, that Jesus is revealed to the world.
(Nazi concentration camps—prisoners would sneak bread to others who were not well enough to go to mess)
(Haitian woman on my work mission trip)
JESUS is recognized, JESUS reveals himself through the breaking of bread and providing of Godly hospitality for others.
This is why Jesus told the parable about the Last Judgment and pronounced salvation to those who had fed the hungry, and gave water to the thirsty, and provided clothing to the poor, and gave shelter to the homeless. For, he said, as we do to one another, we also do so unto him.
It is in the breaking of bread and providing for the needs of God’s children that Jesus, himself, is revealed. He is revealed to the world in our faithfulness, and people take notice and deeply appreciate genuine, Godly love and hospitality. It is the greatest and most sincere form of witness that we can do as we prove God’s love in the way we live out God’s love in the world.
(Sunday school discussion about breaking bread in Jesus’ honor)
He’s right. EVERY time we break bread is an occasion to remember Jesus and to honor him—ESPECIALLY at those times we break bread with ANY of God’s children.
Jesus is made known, the resurrection is proven, in the breaking of the bread.
April 11—communion (?); commissioning Quest staff@ 10:15
EASTER SUNDAY
Children’s Moments
“Things are Not Always As They Seem”
Grandfather/watermelon
Things are not always as they seem.
That’s when he taught me how to tell a ripe watermelon
On the Sunday morning after Jesus died
-women went to his tomb to finish the burial procedures
(describe tomb and stone)
-worried about how to move the big round stone
-but stone already was moved, and the tomb was empty
-it was not what they expected
-did not know what happened to Jesus, it seemed as if someone stole his body
But things are not always as they seem!
(Break empty egg over volunteer’s head)
Remembering How Much God Loves Us (walking around sanctuary, solicit answers)
What is the measure of love? How do you know when someone really loves you? How do you know when you love someone else?
Jesus: “No greater love . . . friends”
Paul: “While we were . . . for us”
John: 3:16-17
He considered us friends; he fell on the grenade for us.
How much does God love us? (Cross) That’s how much!
How far would God go to prove his love for us? (Cross) That’s how far!
Being Easter People
What difference does Easter make in your life?
Russian story #2—gathered secretly to worship; just as beginning, several soldiers broke into the room with weapons, reminded people that worship was illegal, and told all those who wanted to live to deny their faith and leave, all who refuse to deny their faith and stay will be shot. Several people got up and ran out. Doors closed; shots fired; but no one got hurt. Then, one by one soldiers took off uniforms—not soldiers after all, but underground Christians. Leader apologized—knew there were government infiltrators in gathering, only way they knew to weed them out.
What difference does Easter make in your life?
-enough to refuse to deny your faith in the face of aka machine guns?
-enough to draw you into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ?
-enough to cause you to make personal and family decisions based upon faith?
-enough to drive you into frequent and regular worship attendance?
-enough to make you want to get your kids into Sunday school and youth group?
-enough to cause you to reconsider your personal habits and lifestyle?
Easter people are people of the resurrected Christ. They get it. They believe it. They feel it. They live it. Resurrection power is alive in their own lives, redeeming their souls and shaping their very lives. Easter people are eager to feel the presence of the resurrected Christ in their hearts and yearn for God’s presence and leading in their lives. They know that their Redeemer lives precisely because their Redeemer lives in their hearts.
THE DEPTH OF GOD’S LOVE, THE COST OF SALVATION
John Thomas
New Palestine UMC
March 28, 2010
Palm Sunday
Isaiah 50:4-9a—The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. Morning by morning he wakens—wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught. The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, I did not turn backward. I gave my back to those who struck me, and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard; I did not hide my face from insult and spitting.
The Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame; he who vindicates me is near. Who will contend with me? Let us stand up together. Who are my adversaries? Let them confront me. It is the Lord God who helps me.
Observer—I’ve never seen Jesus so intense and determined. Against all warnings that harm will befall him at Jerusalem, he will not relent. Instead, he reads passages from Isaiah that seem to inspire him and drive him onward. I truly admire his faith; but I have a bad feeling about going to the holy city.
Matthew 21:1-11—When (Jesus and his disciples) had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, just say this, ‘The Lord needs them.’ And he will send them immediately.” This took place fo fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, saying, “Tell the daughter of Zion, Look your king is coming to you, humble and mounted on a donkey and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking “Who is this?” The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Observer—Wow! What a day! This was not at all what I expected. I was fearful of what going on to Jerusalem would bring. The Pharisees already have put out the word that they don’t want Jesus here. But the people! What about those wonderful people! They heard that Jesus was approaching, and formed a line on both sides of the trail. They hailed him as if he were a mighty and victorious warrior coming home triumphantly. They called him king and savior of the lineage of David. Some even laid their cloaks on the road so as to protect Jesus from the dust. Others cut the large fronds from the trees and laid them down on the road. Now, Jesus rode a donkey, in fact the colt of a donkey. Victorious warriors and kings ride huge white horses. The donkey is considered a beast of burden, so I don’t know what that was about. But he insisted riding a beast of burden into the temple grounds. But what a triumphant entry! The Pharisees pretty much stayed out of sight, probably afraid that the crowd would turn on them if they tried to get at Jesus.
Maybe I was wrong. Maybe everything is going to be okay after all.
Matthew 23:25-38—(At the temple, Jesus cried out, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may become clean. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside look beautiful, but inside they are full of the bones of the dead and of all kinds of filth. So you also on the outside look righteous to others, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous, and you say, ’If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ Thus you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your ancestors. You sakes, you brood of vipers! How can you escape being sentenced to hell? Therefore I send you prophets, sages, and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some of you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town, so that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of the righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. Truly I tell you, all this will come upon this generation.”
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often I have desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you, desolate.”
Observer—I . . . I think I am going to be sick. Oh my gosh! What is Jesus thinking? Sure, he and the Pharisees have had some confrontations over the past couple of days. But now he has gone and done it. He’s let them get under his skin with all of their harsh criticisms and false accusations against him. Surely he understands how dangerous his words and behavior are. Formerly, the Pharisees only disliked Jesus; now they hate his guts. He has essentially cussed them out, in their temple, in front of thousands of pilgrims. I’ve never seen this side of Jesus before. Wow, he is angry. His brow is wet with sweat; his lips are thin and taught. His eyes . . . his eyes are bulging and as sharp as daggers. His veins are pulsating on his neck. Tears are streaming down his cheeks. We’ve got to get him out of here. He is signing his own death warrant. Come on, some of you help me get him out of here before the Pharisees strike him down where he stands.
Matthew 26:47-56—While Jesus was still speaking with his friends, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived; with him was a large crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; arrest him.” At once he came up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him. Jesus said to him, “Friend to what you are here to do.”
Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and arrested him. Suddenly, one of those with Jesus put his hand on his sword, drew it, and struck the slave of the high priest, cutting off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve thousand angels? But how then would the scriptures be fulfilled, which say it must happen in this way?” At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me as though I were a bandit? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not arrest me. But all this has taken place, so that the scriptures of the prophets may be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.
Observer—I told you I had a bad feeling about this. After his attack on the Pharisees at the temple, the tension had been thick enough to cut with a knife. Even at the Passover Seder meal, which is supposed to be joyful and celebrative, this dark cloud seemed to hover over the table. Peter was mad. The disciples were scared. Rumors were flying about one of Jesus’ friends betraying him.
Then he led us from our Upper Room, down past the chief priest’s palace, through the city gates, and out to a quiet olive grove lined with beautiful flowers. The serenity and beauty of that place seemed surreal in the face of the rest of the day. Still, Jesus was far from being at peace. He was deeply troubled. It was as if he had seen his own ghost. He cried and sweat drops large enough to be blood, asking God to spare him of something. But each time he prayed thusly, he also said, “Nevertheless, thy will be done, O God.”
Then we heard this noise. Jesus noticed first, and rose to his feet. An entire entourage streamed into the garden, carrying torches. Then we could see that these were the chief priest’s armed guards. Leading them was one of the disciples, Judas, called Iscariot. And he walked over to Jesus and kissed him. Then the soldiers grabbed Jesus and a fight ensued until Jesus cried out for them to stop. Then they took him away and threatened to kill anyone who got in their way. We all ran like spooked sheep. I guess we now know who was to betray Jesus tonight. ALL of us!
Matthew 27:27-31, 33-44—Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole cohort around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on his head. They put a reed in his right hand and knelt before him and mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head. After mocking him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him, then they led him away to crucify him.
When they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), they offered him wine to drink, mixed with fall; but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. And when they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves by casting lots; then they sat down there and kept watch over him. Over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”
Then two bandits were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by derided (Jesus), shaking their heads and saying, “you who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking him, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he wants to; for he said, ‘I am God’s Son.’” The bandits who were crucified with him also taunted him in the same way.
Observer—Look at what they have done to him! Somehow, the Pharisees managed to sneak Jesus through the night to the Roman’s headquarters. And somehow they managed to get the Romans’ approval to . . . CRUCIFY Jesus, even though their head hauncho declared that he had done nothing wrong. Darned wishy-washy Romans. They want to occupy every land but don’t want to be responsible in any manner.
Listen to the crowd! Can this be the same people who hailed Jesus as their savior and king, who now cry “Crucify him, crucify him!” at the top of their lungs? How can they do this? He’s done nothing them except give them hope in these otherwise hopeless days. Where are his allies? Where are his friends? Where are God’s angels? Doesn’t anyone care about what’s going to take place? Doesn’t God care?
Matthew 27: 45-51, 54—From noon on, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “This man is calling for Elijah.” At once one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink. But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last.
At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split. When the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were terrified and said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!”
Observer—I think I’m going to be sick. Just 5 days ago, everything looked so bright and hopeful. People from all over the world hailed Jesus as their savior and king. Many of us vowed to defend him to the death, we were so certain that he was God’s special servant, the Messiah. The sun was shining, the day was bright, the future even brighter. Just 5 days ago . . .
But now, look. The whole earth is filled with darkness. It is as if night has fallen, and it’s only about 3 o’clock in the afternoon. It is as if heaven itself is grieving what is happening.
They’ve done it. The Pharisees managed to get Jesus crucified. And there he is, nailed to that ugly, cruel cross. The blood! Who could imagine that a man could lose so much blood and still live? And the mocking and jeering! Why can’t they just leave him alone. But they spit on him, and call him names, and deride his character, all in front of his mother. He doesn’t deserve this. She doesn’t deserve this. How can anyone hate someone so much? He was only trying to help people. He was only trying to help people find God.
Only now, after he is dead, do they begin to understand. “Surely this man WAS the Son of God,” one of the Roman guards sighed after watching heaven and earth grieve. Now, they get it.
O my! What have we done?
March 21 DEM BONES GONNA RISE AGAIN
Ezekiel 37:1-14—Valley of Dry Bones
John 11:17-44—raising of Lazarus
Ezekiel’s vision of a valley of dry bones describes our own lives, even our society—dry, lifeless, hopelessly expired. But the Lord told him to preach to the disembodied skeletons. When he did, the bones began to rattle, then they came together, then sinews tied the bones together, and then their bodies became intact—yet still they did not live. The Lord told Ezekiel to preach some more, and as he did, the bodies came to life because the Lord had “breathed” the “breath” of life, via the 4 “winds” and so their bodies and “spirits” came to life. The word ruach in Hebrew means wind, breath, and spirit. It was the word of the Lord that brought new life to the dead bones; it was the word of the Lord that raised Lazarus from the dead. It is the word of the Lord that gives life to our dry (dying, dead) souls yet today.
(This is not a complete sermon.)
I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW
John Thomas
New Palestine UMC
March 14, 2010
Ephesians 5:8-14
John 9:1-7, 24-41
**song—I Can See Clearly Now—would like to play it at beginning of sermon
We used to play a game with our youth groups way back when that was loads of fun. We would set up a room with a bunch of obstacles, such as chairs, tables, tubs of water, and so on. Then we would take the kids into the room and let them see all of the obstacles. We would tell them that they would have to walk from one side of the room without upsetting or stepping into any of the obstacles.
Immediately, the kids would begin to say, “No problem,” and begin jumping over the chairs and crawling under the tables. THEN, we would tell them the rest of the story. Taking them to another room, we explained that we were going to blindfold them and lead them one at a time through the obstacle course. We called it a trust building exercise. One of us would lead them through the course, and they would have to trust their partner to lead them safely. If they made it safely through the obstacle course, they could stay in the room and watch their friends do their turn. If they failed, they would have to go to the back of the line and wait for another turn. Then we would line them up and get them psyched up real good.
But, what the kids did not know, but that we did know, was that there was someone else in the obstacle course room . . . removing all but one or two of the obstacles. Essentially, it was but a barren room with maybe one chair and one table still set up just for special effect. But the kids were completely unaware of this twist of events. For all they knew, ALL of the obstacles were still in place.
LET THE FUN BEGIN!
We would blindfold the first person, and lead them in. We would walk them through, leading each one by hand, constantly reminding them of the obstacles they had seen earlier. We’d tell them to step widely over the bucket of water (which, of course, was no longer there); and we’d jerk them aside occasionally so they would not bump into a table or lampstand that was no longer there; then we would lead them to the one table still there, place their hand on the table, and have them crawl under the table.
After successfully maneuvering through the obstacle course, we would remove the blindfold to reveal the empty room. Yes, they were embarrassed, but they were comforted to know that they would now get to cheer on the rest of their friends as they completed the obstacle course. We even would let some of the successful kids lead their friends through the course as an exercise in building trust.
When the blindfold finally was removed, the kids could see clearly, and everyone had a good laugh. It was so much fun! (except this trust building exercise caused the kids never to trust us again).
Have you ever done a blind trust walk? It is where someone puts a blindfold on you and takes you on a walk through a woods, or busy city, or a strange building. You really are at the mercy of the person leading you around. You can’t see anything. You don’t know where you are going. You don’t know what is in front of you, or on either side. It’s downright scary to be kept in the dark.
I’ve also experienced this disorientation when spending the night at a relative’s house, or at a motel that is new to me. If I wake up in the middle of the night and have to take a comfort walk, I have to sit on the edge of the bed and try to remember where I am before attempting to make my way through the dark. It’s not unusual to bump into things and become disoriented. It can be a painful, if not frightening, experience. You feel lost, afraid, alone, embarrassed, confused, helpless.
Those of you who have ever been in a church after dark know what this feels like. There are few more scary places than a dark church building. After 33 years of doing this, I still get spooked. It is so dark, and so quiet. What few shadows there are play tricks on your eyes; you just know you saw movement over there. And there are so many places for thieves and robbers to hide in ambush. You know someone is going to jump out from a dark corner and scream at you, or grab you by the arm, or some way give you a heart attack.
I hate the dark! The only time I like it is when I am trying to go to sleep. But even then, I like a small night light or a silent TV to ease my mind.
Jesus played upon the contrast between darkness and light frequently. He referred to darkness as a time when thieves sneak in and rob, and when attackers stalked their prey. But he also referred to the darkness of the soul, the blindness of the heart and mind. And, to Jesus, the darkness of the heart and mind was far more dangerous than the darkness of the night.
The story of Jesus healing the blind man is a good lesson about all this. Jesus and his disciples were walking along the street one day, a Sabbath day, the day of worship and rest, when they happened upon a man who had been blind since birth. The ancients believed that such maladies as blindness or leprosy or other physical conditions were God’s punishment for sin. So, one of the disciples asked Jesus who had sinned, the man or his parents, that he should suffer as such. Jesus rejected the old order and said that no one had sinned, but that this was an opportunity to honor God by helping one of God’s children. Then, referring to himself as the Light of the world, Jesus healed the blind man, and suddenly the man could see the light of day for the first time ever.
He could see! Darkness had been shattered. He now could walk on his own without the assistance of others. He could avoid the pitfalls by himself. But even more, now he could look into the eyes of his parents and his friends for the very first time, and see their faces, and to fully appreciate his surroundings. How wonderful!
But the Pharisees, the religious leaders of the day, were troubled. “Who did this to you?” they demanded. “Who is this sinner who would dare violate the Sabbath by doing work such as this?” The man replied, “I don’t know if he is a sinner. All I know is that I once was blind, but now I can see.” The Pharisees continued to criticize Jesus and mock the healed man for breaking the Sabbath laws. Finally the man had enough and stated, “It is astonishing that this man opened my eyes and now I can see, but you who have eyes can’t see the Godliness of servant of God!” And they threw the healed man out of the Temple.
Jesus once warned about dark minds saying that the mind is the eyes of the soul. If the mind is dark, how dark the soul must be! But if the mind is light, the light shines throughout the soul.
There are few things more sad than an unenlightened soul. It is a fate far worse than not having sight. These folks think they can see, but they are as blind as if they were wearing blindfolds. They impede progress; they criticize wisdom and relish ignorance; they mislead the impressionable and do harm to the innocent. They strain at a gnat while swallowing a camel. They pick at the splinter in the eye of their neighbor but fail to see the log in their own. They are so convinced of their own rightness that they fail to see the shortsightedness of their own teachings. They trade the truth to preserve themselves and unwittingly violate their own principles in so doing. They are far more concerned about rules and traditions than they are about mercy, and compassion. They work so hard at protecting what they have that they cannot see what they do not have.
And it is sad. They are missing out on so much of life. Ebeneezer Scrooge comes to mind as a prime example of the blindness of the mind and the darkness of the soul. Dark souls are lonely and unhappy, perhaps rich in the things of the world, but poor and empty of the heart.
Yes, it is sad. John’s gospel tells us, “This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.” (John 3:19-21) “The light has come into the world, and the people loved darkness rather than light . . .”
Fear, angst, vengeance, resentment, gossip, distrust, mean-spiritedness, spreading falsehoods, impeding progress and goodness, accusations, dirty politics, pessimism—all these things are darkness and turn our minds and souls dark. They block out light and diminish life. They drag us down as well as those around us. They choke our very souls.
Now, before we set up an us/them dichotomy, we must admit that all of us go through episodes of the darkness of the soul on occasion. The loss of a loved one, the loss of employment, the feeling of abandonment, loneliness, depression, or a sense of betrayal or sadness—all these things, and more, can bring on seasons of darkness. And we all have felt such things from time to time. We all have our moments of darkness. Each of us knows what it feels like to be alone with nowhere to turn.
O, but we DO have somewhere to turn to for help. We DO have someONE we can call upon to help relieve our darkness and to restore light into our lives. Whether our darkness is recent and temporary, or our blindness has been lifelong, there IS hope; there IS light.
In John 8:12, Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”
Jesus is in the light giving business. He is in the life giving business. And where there is light darkness scatters; it disappears. To be sure, there is no such thing as darkness. Darkness is simply the absence of light. Dark souls simply are souls whose light has been diminished or extinguished. And how dark the darkness can be! But where there is light, the darkness flees. Jesus IS the light of life. HE illuminates our darkness, warms our coldness, and breathes the breath of life into our very souls.
Let us open our hearts to the light. Let us learn to trust God’s goodness and let him illuminate our souls. May we let the light of life to shine deeply into our darkness. For in so doing we will find the very life that we have been longing for.
GOT LIVING WATER?
John Thomas
New Palestine UMC
March 7, 2010
Exodus 17:1-7
John 4:5-15
Inspirational speaker, Jeanne Robertson, says that there are several layers of friendships. Some folks are friends, you know, casual acquaintances with whom we have friendly relationships—such as the teller at the bank, or the cashier at the grocery store. Then there are good friends, people we share an occasional laugh with. Then there are best friends, a circle of people with whom we can let our hair down, and share stuff that is more personal. But, she says that each of us has a bestest friend, a friend that is closer to us than a sibling, with whom we can share our deepest secrets because we know that friend loves us unconditionally, just as we love that bestest friend unconditionally.
Well, during my childhood, Doug Shupe was my bestest friend. He ate most of his dinners at our house rather than his own. We stayed all night at each other’s house nearly every weekend, and spent the night either watching Sammy Terry scary movies or playing war with my extensive army men collection. And when we went on vacation, Doug was in the back seat of the car with me.
One summer, we took Doug to Daytona Beach, Florida. Now, Doug had never seen the ocean before. I don’t know if you remember the first time you saw the ocean, but seeing this vast body of water can be an overwhelming experience.
Where we arrived at Daytona Beach, the ocean was hidden by the motels and hotels, and the road went up a slight rise until you literally were pulling up on the beach in your car. I remember as if it were yesterday. Doug was sitting on the edge of the back seat, eager to get his first glimpse of the ocean. Then, we crested the incline, and it was almost as if we were going to land in the Atlantic. Doug’s eyes grew as large a saucers as he exclaimed, “Gawd, look at all the water.” And as you know, at the ocean, that’s all you can see, as far as you can see—water, water everywhere.
Anybody thirsty? You will be before the sermon is over, because we are going to talk about water today. But we also are going to talk about life. For without water, there is no life. Period. A person can live for over a month without food—not very well, but it can be done. But a person hardly can go 48 hours without water at the risk of serious and permanent injury or even death. The body is 98% water, and unless we replenish it often, our life runs out.
Have you followed some of the miraculous survival stories in Haiti? Some of those good people have defied science itself. There was the grade school boy who was buried under the rubble for over a week. When the rescuers finally freed him and carried him to safety, he waved his arms in triumph and thanksgiving. Then there was the teenage girl who was buried for over two weeks in a convenience store, but managed to reach a couple of bottles of water from her entrapment. Then there was the man who defied all odds by staying alive for nearly 7 weeks beneath the rubble. Once he was removed from the debris, doctors determined that other than being extremely dehydrated, he should make a complete recovery. How did this blessed soul stay alive for 7 weeks beneath the collapsed building?
Apparently a neighbor discovered the man after a few days. But he had no means of digging through the concrete. And the town where the victim was buried was a long way from help, and hard to get to. So this neighbor managed to find some precious water, and was able to get it to the trapped man. Needless to say, without the efforts of this Good Samaritan, the poor man would surely have died long before rescue teams arrived on the scene.
Water. Cool, clear, water. It is the essence of life itself. Without water, there is no life, WE would not live.
Moses experienced a near mutiny in the deserts of the Sinai when the people ran out of water. So desperate were they that they talked about the good old days in slavery where they at least had water to drink. So God led Moses to a hillside and instructed him to touch the rock of the hillside with his staff. When he did, water came gushing out and the people were saved.
Our Holy Land tour group visited the traditional site of this miracle, which is located in Jordan. And, indeed, flowing forth from the rock face of a hillside is a small steam of good, potable water. There were people there filling their jars as we watched.
To be sure, sources of fresh water are few and far between in the Middle East, and especially in the regions of Jordan and Israel. Oh, there are a number of wells of water, but most of them are NOT drinkable. You may recall that much of the Holy Land is well below sea level, much like our own Death Valley. There is no where for the water to flow once it gets down so far below sea level. And you know what happens when water is trapped and is unable to flow—like the Great Salt Lake, or even the Dead Sea in Israel, or even the oceans themselves, when the water can no longer flow, all of the minerals in the water settle and collect. Eventually the water will become so dense with salt and minerals that it is rendered useless, unfit for consumption. So while there are a number of wells in Israel, the majority of them are dead waters, salt water wells, and to drink from them would bring certain death.
Those precious few wells that did collect living water, drinkable fresh water, were, and still are, more valuable than gold. And this is why Israel is so adamant about keeping possession of the Golan Heights in northern Israel and southern Syria. That is where the origins of the Sea of Galilee are located, streams that literally flow out of the rocks of hillsides, just as in Jordan. And the Sea of Galilee is the primary source of fresh water for all of Israel. If the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River were to fall into the hands of an enemy, it could bring Israel to its knees instantaneously. The waters of the Jordan River and the Sea of Galilee is the lifeblood of Israel, and it would die without it.
This is the backdrop to the story of Jesus’ encounter with the woman at the well.
Jesus was in the middle of a journey from Q’mran, the home of John the Baptist, to his own hometown of Nazareth. There were two routes that Jesus could have taken. One would have been north from Q’mran along the Jordan River for several days of walking, then turning west through the Valley of Armaggeddon for another day or two of walking, then climbing the steep hill up to Nazareth.
The other route was considerably shorter, but it was avoided by any good Jew. You see, this route went directly through the middle of Samaria, the land of the despised distant cousins of the Jews. Samaria was considered unclean by the Jews because a former queen of Samaria had polluted their religion with her own pagan beliefs and rituals. So strong was the hatred toward the Samaritans that the Jews not only avoided going into Samaritan territories, but if they encountered a Samaritan walking down the street, they literally would cross over to the other side lest they somehow come into contact. Such contact would render the Jew super unclean, and an extended period of ritualistic cleansing would be required before he could re-enter his community, or even his home.
But Jesus apparently held a different attitude toward the so-called unclean. Instead of taking the long, kosher route, Jesus cut straight through the heart of Samaria. On what was probably a hot, sunny day, Jesus stopped at an oasis to sit in the shade until the temperatures cooled off in the afternoon. The oasis was called Jacob’s well, which had served as a fresh water source for over 1,700 years.
While he was sitting there in the shade, a woman came to the well to draw some water. Now, the timing of her arrival is crucial to the story. It was midday, the hottest time to be out and about. Any good Jew or Samaritan would be observing a siesta during the heat of the day. The only people who would be doing chores, such as collecting water, would be the outcasts of the community, who could roam about more freely while the others were asleep. By identifying the time of day, the author tells us that this woman not only is a Samaritan, but a prostitute as well. In other words, kosher Jews would consider her the dirtiest of the dirtiest of the scum of the earth. Unkosher would be a compliment of such a despicable soul. And NO kosher Jew would ever set foot in Samaria, let alone talk with one of its citizens, let alone a Samaritan hooker.
But when the woman showed up at the well with her water pitcher, Jesus asked her to pour him a drink. He apparently had no means of gather water for himself, and the disciples had gone into town to buy some food. The Samaritan woman recognized the dress of a Jew, and was surprised that a Jew would be there in the first place, and then would address her and ask for her assistance, for as the author points out “Jews do not associate with Samaritans.”
But Jesus told her that in exchange for a drink from the water of the well, he could give her living water, which would quench the thirst of her heart, her soul.
The woman knew the difference between living water and dead water. That’s why she was at Jacob’s well; it was the only source of potable water, living water, for miles. But what she failed at first to understand was that Jesus was not talking about physical water, but about spiritual water.
Jesus was talking about the source of spiritual life. He was saying that our souls need living spiritual water just as much as our bodies need living physical water. Just as our bodies will die without consuming physical water on a regular basis, so too will our souls die unless we refresh our hearts with spiritual water—cool, clear, living, spiritual water from above. His words were, “Whoever drinks of the water that I give him will never thirst . . . (and) will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
In similar fashion to last week’s discussion of being born again, drinking of spiritual water is an ongoing activity. When Jesus said, “Whoever drinks of the water that I give him,” he really is saying, “Whoever drinks and keeps on a drinking of the water that I give him.”
Spirituality, to Jesus, was continual, ongoing activity. To neglect the soul was a dangerous as to neglect the body. And just as we need to drink water frequently to keep the body adequately sated, so too do we need to drink heaven’s water frequently and continually to keep the soul sated and healthy. And we do this by a variety of means: worship, prayer, meditation, reading the Bible, getting into a Bible study or a Sunday school class, and helping others in their need. All of these activities nourish the soul. Without them, our souls dry up. But with them, our souls thrive and peace fills our being.
The very first Psalm reads: Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of scoffers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of (living) water, which yields its fruit in season, and whose leaf does not wither.”
Life is a desert. Christ is our oasis in the desert of life.
Got water? Got Christ?
THERE IS NO CONDEMNATION
John Thomas
New Palestine UMC
February 28, 2010
Romans 5:1-5, 13-17
John 3:1-17
The story of Jesus and Nicodemus is one of the least understood or appreciated passages in the New Testament. But there are a couple of things that we need to know before we try to make sense out of their conversation.
1—Nicodemus is a Pharisee, a rabbi, and as such is a member of the ruling religious party of his day. Even during the Roman occupation of Israel, the Pharisees were allowed to rule over the religious and cultural aspects of the Jews. Their job was to interpret the laws of Moses, the first 5 books of the Bible, and to enforce strict obedience to those religious laws. They were biblical fundamentalists and preached that only strict obedience to the letter of the law could gain God’s favor. For the most part, the Pharisees opposed the teachings and ministry of Jesus, and eventually would put him to death.
2—Another key point to understanding this passage has to do with the Hebrew word “ruach.” Ruach is a many splendor word that can be translated, and thus used, in various ways. The three main meanings of ruach are these: 1) breath, 2) wind, and 3) spirit. There is a passage in the Old Testament that uses all three meanings. Ezekiel’s vision has the prophet commanding the Winds . . . to breathe . . . the breath of life . . . into the mortal bodies that their spirits . . . might live—ruach. Jewish religious thinkers have produced very creative plays on words with ruach; so does Jesus.
3—It will be helpful to know that the phrase “born again” that we have heard many times when talking about salvation may be better translated “born anew,” or “born from above.” So even in this phrase, Jesus continues his play on words. Another thing to know about the phrase “born again” is that the tense of the word implies an ongoing process, not a one time event. The Greek word should be translated something like this: “No one can see the kingdom of God unless his is being continually, over and over again, born from above.”
Okay, are you ready to dive into the story?
The story says that Nicodemus, a Pharisee, went to speak with Jesus. Note that the story explicitly tells us what time of day this meeting occurred—at night. Nicodemus went under the cover of night to speak with Jesus. In other words, Nicodemus wanted to meet Jesus, but he did not want his Pharisee colleagues to know. He was breaking rank, and, in all honesty, was taking a big chance in meeting with the Pharisee’s #1 enemy. If the ruling counsel were to discover this encounter, Nicodemus could be stripped of his duties and removed from rabbinic ministry, or even possibly worse.
So Nicodemus’ intentions were genuinely motivated. He truly had been touched and impressed by Jesus’ teachings and the miracles that Jesus performed. And apparently Nicodemus was not alone on the ruling counsel, for when he approached Jesus in the shadows of the night, his words were, “We know you are a teacher who has come from God.” As a body, the Pharisees were not at all of this opinion; but there were a few enlightened souls who recognized the truth of Jesus’ words and the genuineness of his ministry. And so Nicodemus put his professional life at jeopardy to meet with this divinely inspired teacher.
But here is where the confusion begins. Jesus frequently said things seemingly to stun people, to catch them off guard. I don’t understand why. I suspect he was testing the sincerity of his listeners’ intentions. But sometimes it catches us and them off guard.
A gentile woman begged Jesus to heal her ill and dying daughter. But instead of doing so, he responded that he had come to minister only to the sheep of Israel. But she persisted. Jesus then asked the rhetorical question, was it appropriate to give food from the table to the dogs. The woman humbly replied that even the household pets get to eat the crumbs that fall from the table. Jesus remarked that he had not seen such faith even in his own people, and then he healed the woman’s daughter.
Jesus often responded differently that we might expect. Referring to someone as a dog catches us off guard. We don’t understand. We are at his mercy for understanding.
When Nicodemus pays Jesus this compliment, “We know you are a teacher who has come from God,” Jesus again makes a seemingly rude and pointless comment, “Truly I say to you, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven unless you are born again (or born from above).”
WHAT, asked Nicodemus. SAY WHAT? People only get born once. We can’t crawl back into a womb and repeat the process. Your words are absurd! What on earth are you talking about?
Ah, but do you see? Jesus is NOT talking about things on earth. He is not talking about earthly things, but about heavenly things; not about physical things, but about spiritual things. He says so much by saying, “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.” Ruach gives birth to ruach. Our mothers gave us our first birth; God’s Spirit gives us the second birth. Our mothers brought our bodies into the world; God’s Ruach breathes the breath of life into our very souls. Jesus goes on, then, to say the ruach blows wherever it pleases; you can hear it, you can see its effect, but it is not of this world.
And Nicodemus replied, “But how can this be?”
Can you blame him? You see, Nicodemus, a Pharisee, was a literalist, a fundamentalist, one who taught that religion was an earthly activity, something that we do to gain God’s favor—strict obedience of the law. But Jesus was saying that faith was NOT something that can be earned by earthly activities, but was something NOT of this world, but from heaven.
In Romans, Paul made the case that there is nothing that we can do to earn God’s favor. If anything, the things that we DO end up condemning us. We are as helpless against the temptations of the world as Adam was in the Garden of Eden. Obedience of the law is futile, for we only end up in disobedience, which corrupts our very nature, our very souls. So salvation cannot be earned, it cannot be gained through earthly efforts. It only can come from heaven. THAT is why Jesus came into the world, to prove God’s incredible love for us. He came even while we were yet (and would forever be) sinners and died for us. Our earthly lives only condemn us as we fail to live up to the law; salvation only comes from above, from heaven, as an incredible offer of God’s love.
Flesh gives birth to flesh. Fallen nature leads only to fallenness. But Spirit gives birth to spirit. God’s Ruach breathes the breath of life into our spirits, and save our very souls.
Say what? How can this be? What does this have to do with me?
Jesus challenged the very core of Nicodemus’ belief system. He challenged Nicodemus to think deeper, or higher (!), and to see that is it God who saves US. We can’t do that for ourselves. But the salvation of our very souls is a SPIRITUAL matter, a RUACH matter, a matter of God’s unimaginable love for us. It is a matter of God breathing the breath of life into our souls, and giving us spiritual, eternal life.
Have you been born again? Have you been born from above? Have you let God’s Ruach breathe life into your ruach? Are you getting your life anew from God on an ongoing basis? Are you being born again and again and again? Are you letting God’s Spirit renew and refresh your spirit daily?
It is God’s plan, God’s desire that we be a being born again and again. And no verses in the Bible say it better than those precious words in John, chapter 3: “For God so loved the world that he have his only son, that whoever believes (and keeps on believing) in him might not perish, but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, NOT to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.”
How can this be? Can such a complicated matter really be this simple?
This was put in perspective for me by a former parishioner. I remember asking him why he always so happy and so much at peace. He just smiled and said, “I’m being born again.” Then he went on to say, “When I wake up in the morning, the first thing I do is thank God for the gift of life. I get to be alive again today, and I’m real thankful for that. And the last thing I do before I go to sleep at night is to thank God for the day he gave me to live and love, and for the chance to get a good night’s rest. I tell him that I hope to get another day tomorrow; but if my time runs out while I am asleep, I thank him for all the days of my life, and for his promise to take me home. Then, if I wake up tomorrow morning, the first thing I do is thank God for the gift of another day of life.” Then he concluded, “You know, since I’ve started doing that, the whole day feels better. My cup is half full instead of half empty. And it just seems that whatever comes my way, I am better able to handle it because I know I’m not alone, but that God will enable me to handle whatever happens.”
Being born again and again is a matter of trust and thanksgiving. It is a matter of the heart and soul, not of law and obedience. It is a gift of a loving God who seeks not to condemn us, but to breathe the breath of life into our spirits daily, hourly, constantly, 24/7. It is a relationship in which we give thanks to God for his incredible love and unspeakable gift of life, and in which we rest confidently in God’s ultimate goodness. And it’s there for each and everyone of us. God’s gift is for you, and you, and you. All we have to do is open our hearts and let his love in—to be opening our hearts again and again, and letting his love in again and again, and forever more.
Have you been born again? I mean, are you a being born anew from above again and again? Let it begin right now.
HOW MUCH SIN CAN I GET AWAY WITH AND STILL GO TO HEAVEN?
John Thomas
New Palestine UMC
February 21, 2010
Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7
Matthew 4:1-11
I have a sign on my office door that asks the question that a lot of us would like to know the answer to. Have you noticed it? It reads: How much sin can I get away with and still go to heaven?
I happen to think this is a very relevant question, because I guarantee that there is not a single one of us here today, or anywhere else for that matter, who, not only has been tempted, but who has given in to temptation. Am I right, or what? There is not a single day, or even a single hour but what we are faced with any number of temptations. And none of us are able to pass every test that comes our way.
(Pat belly) Be sure, some of our shortcomings are more obvious that others. Some temptations are more alluring than others. And some temptations are more harmful than others. But all temptations cause us to wrestle between what is good and right and what is neither good nor right. My Funk & Wagnalls dictionary defines temptation as something that is alluring, attractive, seductive, an attempt to persuade someone to do something evil or unwise. And, again, not an hour passes in our lives but what we will have to wrestle with the angels and demons over some choice we make.
It all started way back, way back, at the very beginning of humanity. Temptation began the day that God gave Adam and Eve free will. You see, the first chapter of Genesis says that God created humanity in God’s image, a near equal, so that God could have fellowship and relationship with someone. Being made in God’s image means that we humans can think on our own, and have the ability to make choices, and be creative and expressive, and even be rather independent. It also means that we have the capacity to love, and to choose to love. God gave us freedom so that God and we can have a genuine companionship, and a mutual respect and regard for one another.
But with freedom came the capacity to choose. Yes, we were created free so that we can love God genuinely. But freedom also gives us the capacity to choose NOT to love, nor to rely on God for our lot in life. Freedom gives us the capacity to fend for ourselves, to make our own decisions, and to turn our backs on God and Godliness—if we so choose. And it had to be this way. Love cannot be true love if it is forced or contrived. Love can be true love only where there is freedom. And freedom risks being violated or abused. But without freedom, there is no love.
So God gave us freedom; He made us in his image. He loved us so much that he gave us the ability to love in return; but in so doing He gave us the capacity to walk away from God and love, and to turn to our own devices, faulty as they may be.
And God tried to warn us. We just didn’t listen. When God gave Adam and Eve freedom, he told them that not everything in the new world was good for them, and warned them not to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. God tried to warn us. But wanting to be “like God,” Adam and Eve ate the fruit that only God can digest, and it’s all been downhill ever since. Yes, God tried to warn us, but we refused to listen.
And we still refuse to listen. We still try to appease our own appetites by our own devices; and we still fall on our faces as pitifully as Adam and Eve. We think that we can make our own decisions. We think we can make our own way in life. We think that we can provide for ourselves. And what’s worse, we even believe that we can fudge or cheat just a little without creating any real harm. “Just this one time,” gets said a lot, followed soon thereafter by “okay, just one more time, but that’s all.” And before we know it, we are in over our heads and don’t know how to get out.
I don’t care how strong we think we are, or how smart we thing we are, . . . we’re not.
Tiger Woods thought he could keep his secret life just that, a secret. John Edwards apparently thought the same. We may think we are in control, but we are not. You see, that is the sin of the Garden of Eden. No, it was not about the bedroom. It was about trying to be like God. We want to be like God, rather than being God-like. We want to be in control, but we can’t control ourselves, let alone anyone else.
The Bible speaks squarely about this when it says, “Be sure, you sin will find you out.”
Nothing good can come out of yielding to temptation. Even the small ones have their negative effects.
-One more scoop of ice cream doesn’t sound like much of a sin, but (pat belly) our sin WILL find us out.
-A polite conversation with that hotty won’t hurt anything.
-No one is going to miss it if I take one of these ink pens from the office supply.
-I’m just going to stop and have one—well, okay, maybe just one more.
But open the door once, and the next time it is easier to open it a little wider. Jesus said that once we give in to a temptation, it is seven times harder to resist that temptation the next time it comes around. Give an inch, and lose a yard.
I tend do believe that Tiger’s and John Edward’s problems started with a seemingly harmless exchange. But when they gave an inch, they lost pretty much everything they valued. The road to perdition is paved with innocence and good intentions gone awry.
Now, let me stop for a moment and say this. I do not intend to be playing a blame game or putting myself over anyone. Nor do I intend to sound so preachy, as this does. I’m not about that. This shoe fits me all too well. I am as exposed to temptations as any of you, and I don’t always fare very well against it. I am acutely aware of just how full life is of temptations. And I don’t intend to be condemning of anyone, not even Tiger Woods or John Edwards. All in all, they are good people who got caught up in a game they had no business playing. And I hope that they, and all of us, can learn to accept God’s grace and move on toward a higher walk in life.
But it happens to all of us to some degree or other. I’ve never done what they have done, but I’ve fallen, and I will fall again. As the Bible says, “There are none who are without sin.” We are in this struggle together. And it is a struggle. We all are tempted. Sometimes we choose wisely; sometimes we don’t. And when we don’t, it hurts, whether we realize it at the time or not. Our sin will eventually find us out. And when it does, it will hurt. It simply will.
The Garden of Eden story has a spooky part to it that we don’t like to hear, but which bears this out. Remember when God warned Adam not to eat of the forbidden fruit, God also said, “For in the day that you eat of it you shall die.” In a manner of speaking, it is true; when we yield to temptation, we sow the seeds of spiritual death. A part of us is damaged, and, if left unchecked, that part of us . . . dies. Paul said this is the wage of sin.
Nothing good comes from yielding to temptation. It is the very nature of sin—sin hurts, it hurts US as well as others; it drives a wedge between us and what is good; it undoes good, and stifles progress; it robs us of life; it hinders spiritual growth and chokes our very souls; and it damages our witness and the ministry of Jesus Christ.
But there is good news in the midst of all this. God still loves us. The Bible says, “God showed his love for us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
God is a lot more wise and knowledgeable that we give him credit. God knew very well that Adam and Eve would eventually eat of the forbidden fruit. He is too smart not to realize that. The freedom with which He created us has in it the capacity to turn away from God as well as to turn toward God. It is no surprise to God that we fall short of perfection. Perfection simply is not possible. But God loves us so much that he gave us freedom, and with the freedom the capacity to strive toward what is good and wholesome. God gave us the capacity of repentance. And what is the definition of the word repentance but to “turn and walk in the opposite direction.”
Yes, freedom gives us the capacity to walk away from God; but it also gives us the capacity to turn and walk back in God’s direction. God made it that way precisely because God loves us that much.
In First Corinthians 10:13, Paul wrote, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. But is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your strength, but with the temptation will also provide a way out so that you may be able to endure it.” (Sometimes I wish God didn’t trust my strength so much!)
What that tells me is: 1—We are never alone. God IS always with us, and wants what is best for us. 2—It tells me that God KNOWS our temptations, and KNOWS our ability and inability to resist them. He KNOWS we are going to fall from time to time. But that does NOT diminish God’s love for us.
Oh, and one more thing: What we did not hear from the Garden of Eden story is what happened when Adam and Eve had to leave the Garden. Before God sent them into the world, the story says that God sewed garments for them to wear. The gist of the Hebrew words in the passage implies that God clothed, or covered, or protected Adam’s and Eve’s vulnerability. Yes, Adam and Eve were evicted from the Garden of Eden as a result of their sin, but God loved them so much that He did not send them into the harsh world alone. Not only did God go with them, but God clothed them so as to help guard them against the harshness that awaited them.
THAT is the very nature of God. THAT is who God is and how much God loves us, all the time. It is God’s nature to be understanding, forgiving, healing, redeeming, loving unconditionally. He restores life; he heals brokenness; he instills trust in his faithfulness toward us. He brings peace even in the midst of chaos.
So what about our original question? How much sin can I get away with and still go to heaven? Actually, I really don’t want to go there. As Jesus said at one of his temptations, “Thou shall not tempt the Lord thy God.” I think it is best to avoid sin as much as humanly possible—not because it might make God mad, but because of the destructiveness that sin brings upon us.
Rather, the point to all this is: God is always with us, and will help us in our struggles against temptations; and, when we do fall on occasion, God will be there to help us back on our feet, and will encourage us to go a little farther before we fall the next time. Our task is NOT to see how many times we can fall, but to see how far we can go between falls, and to make those falls less and less frequent. And God WILL be there to help us all along life’s way.
THE MEANING OF LIFE
John Thomas
New Palestine UMC
February 7, 2010
Isaiah 58:1-12
Matthew 5:13-20
I love this story from Matthew, and Jesus’ words about the purpose of his life. He said that he came, not to abolish either the Law or the Prophets, but to fulfill them both.
For centuries, there had been a debate among Jewish scholars about the intent of the scriptures. Basically there were two schools of thought: one could be summed up as defenders of the law, that is the religious law; the other could be summed up as defenders of the prophets, such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Micah, and others.
The school of the law drew their religious views mainly from the first five books of the Old Testament. Commonly referred to as The Torah, or The Books of Moses, these passages are considered to be the oldest portions of the Bible. Some Jews believe that Moses actually penned all five of the books himself. Those books include Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, and basically are the history of the ancient people from creation to the release of the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt.
The major figures in these books include Adam and Eve, Cain and Able, Noah (and the ark), Abraham and Sarah, their son Isaac, his sons Jacob and Esau, and Jacob’s sons, whose descendents become the 12 tribes of Israel. Moses then appears after the Hebrews have been slaves in Egypt for almost 500 years, and leads God’s people to freedom. For an entire generation these newly freed slaves roamed the deserts of southern Israel awaiting the day they would re-inherit the homelands of their ancestors—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Many Jews believe that the Torah was scribed during this 40 year period of roaming in the desert. Genesis includes the creation stories, as well as the history of the people through Abraham and his immediate descendents. Exodus describes how the Hebrews became slaves in Egypt, and the events leading up to Moses. It also includes a rough chronology of the 40 years of wandering, describing events such as the giving of the Ten Commandments, and Moses turning leadership over to Joshua.
The other three books, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy include an exhaustive, if not exhausting, list of rules, laws, and religious rituals that the people were to obey. The reason for these laws was for ordering the community life of the ancient Jews, and for distinguishing them from the indigenous people and their religions and cultures. The Jewish Law kept the Jews “clean” from corrupt and ungodly activities of their neighbors, and gave the Jews a sense of nationality and distinctness.
But across the years, obedience of the Law became central to the religion of the Jews. The lawyers were adamant that the Law HAD to be obeyed, or else God would become angry and separate himself from the people, and even become vengeful against them. Obedience to the law was equated, essentially, to salvation and God’s favoritism. Those who disobeyed the law were confronted and dealt with harshly, and were required to go through extensive rituals of cleansing and restoration before they could return to their community and even their homes. Such religion serves as a basis for today’s fundamentalism and ultra conservative theologies, who paint a picture of a vengeful God who zaps anyone who steps out of order, and seems almost eager to cast the sinner into the eternal fires of hell.
So, the religion of the Law had to do with obedience of the law, and could be said to be the religion of the head, of understanding and obeying the law.
The Prophets, on the other hand, was a school of theology based on the teachings of the great prophets of Judaism. To make a long story short, the prophets saw their role, not as arbitrators of the law, but as interpreters of the law. In other words, the Prophets refers, not to the letter of the law, but to the intent of the law.
An example might be the practice of abstaining from pork. The ancient law forbids Jews from eating pork. The lawyers did not care for any reasons; the law says don’t, so don’t. The prophets might say that the reason pork was avoided was because there were no refrigerators back then, and there were no safe ways to cure pork. Unless pork was eaten almost immediately upon slaughter, it would ruin and become poisonous. So the problem with pork was not so much that God hated hogs, but that pork was unsafe after a very short time. Lamb’s meat, however, was healthier, could be cured for longer storage, were cleaner than hogs, and you could use the sheep’s wool for clothing and their skins for bottles and for writing paper.
Thus, the prophets were less concerned about keeping the letter of the law, but more concerned about basic human nature. The lawyers demanded strict obedience to the law; the prophets emphasized the intent of the law. The prophets taught concepts such as love, compassion, hospitality, and servanthood as being the nature of God, and the calling of the faithful.
So the religion of the Prophets had to do with themes of love and justice, and could be described as the religion of the heart.
Then came Jesus. The Pharisees, or religious leaders of his day, were lawyers, biblical fundamentalists, literal interpreters of the Bible, who demanded strict obedience of the law from the people. They ridiculed Jesus frequently as one who would bend the rules and was leading the people away from the teachings of Moses. And, indeed, Jesus appeared to be a little more lax about the rigidness of the law—such as letting his disciples gather grain for food on the Sabbath, and eating without first going through the ritual of cleansing, and healing the sick on the Sabbath. And Jesus’ message and entire life was all about the concepts of love, compassion, hospitality, and servanthood. And clearly Jesus assumed the Messiah role spelled out by the prophets, Isaiah specifically.
But Jesus did not intend to diminish the books of Moses or to neglect the law. I believe that Jesus understood not just the letter of the law, but also the intent of the law. So his teachings reflected a thoughtful reflection upon why the law said what it said, and he interpreted the law, the religion of the head, through the law’s intent, the religion of the heart.
He said that he had come not to abolish either the law or the prophets, but to fulfill them both. According to Jesus, the scriptures included both purposely. He was saying that the law was important because of the intent behind them. And he was saying that the prophets were important only because they were enlightened by the law. For Jesus, this was not a matter of either/or; it was a matter of each school of theology informing the other in order to comprise a well rounded spiritual lifestyle.
And what does a well rounded faith look like? To Jesus, I think it looks like this: a person who lives a clean life because they love God, and whose life is dedicated to the things that matter most to God—such as love, compassion, mercy, hospitality, and justice. The prophet Micah described a well rounded faith as one which—does justice, loves mercy, and walks humbly with God. Jesus said it this way: Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength; and love your neighbor as yourself. LOVE God, others, and self. And, friends, if we love God, and love others, and love ourselves with a pure heart, there is no need for the law. A well rounded faith LIVES the law; it does not hurt others and it does not disobey God or Godly principles. It is at one with God; it is in sync with God’s very heart. It is in the likeness of Jesus himself. And THAT is how Jesus fulfilled both the law and the prophets. His heart and his head were right with God.
I have to say that I LOVE the Isaiah passage for today. As a child of the 60’s these themes of justice vs. religious rituals invigorate me. What religious ritual is it that Isaiah says pleases the Lord? “Is not this the (ritual) that I choose, to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house: when you see the naked to cover them, and not to hide yourself from hour own kin? . . . If you remove the yoke from among you, and the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil, if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday. The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong.”
Acts of genuine love, mercy, compassion, hospitality; these equate as justice, and speak to the very heart of God. And such heart-felt servanthood stirs the very souls of all the peoples of the world—Christian, Jew, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Universalist—all of God’s children. And if we humans PRACTICED these matters of the heart, if we PRACTICED our faith, if we PRACTICED love, compassion, and justice—WE WOULD HAVE PEACE ON EARTH. What is it that drives conflict but injustice? What is it that drives most crime but poverty? What is it that causes us to turn our plowshares into swords and our pruning hooks into spears but the evil that drives prejudice, greed, and enmity? Yet what is it that could bring an end to all of this but breaking the bonds of injustice, and giving food to the hungry, and satisfying the needs of the afflicted”?
Modern day Israel—a walled country aimed at crushing the hearts and economy of the Palestinians
No wonder the Palestinians shoot rockets into Israel—they are starving to death in their own homelands
Shortly after 9-11, being asked to serve on a panel to discuss the possibility of war in Iraq. I talked about the right to defend oneself; and I affirmed the words of other panelists that we could afford the war and we would displace the dictatorship in Iraq. But, I added, before we spend hundreds of billions of dollars, that otherwise could be used to rebuild our own infrastructure and roads and schools and hospitals, to destroy a nation, why don’t we try investing 1 billion dollars in the infrastructure of the Palestinians and the Iraqi, enable them to become self-sufficient and allow them to feed their children, and thus take away the reasons Muslims hate the United States in the first place. Muslim man in audience wept.
Jesus said that he was the light of the world, a beacon of hope to the Gentiles and the Jews alike. He also said that this is OUR role. WE are the salt of the earth. WE are the light of the world. WE have the opportunity to live out the law and the prophets, and to affect justice in God’s name for all of God’s people. What better way is there to east the tensions between us and the Muslim world than to be GOOD CHRISTIANS, and to serve the needs of the afflicted?
Yes, we do have a right to defend ourselves against enemies of freedom. But we also have a right to strive for peace and justice as a means of deterring ill will and eliminating the reasons for conflict. And what a rewarding life it is to live for the Godly principles of love, compassion, mercy, hospitality, and justice, and to love God, others, and ourselves genuinely from the heart.
THAT is the purpose and meaning of a life in Christ.
LIVING A FAITH THAT IS ALIVE
John Thomas
New Palestine UMC
January 31, 2010
Micah 6:1-8
Matthew 5:1-12
We have touched on this theme and the passage from Micah a couple of times across the 5 ½ years I’ve been here. But it is one that is most worthy of revisiting from time to time, for Micah has taken the high road regarding religion and what it means to be a person of faith. What Micah says sums up in one verse what all of the Scriptures, the Law and the Prophets, tried to say. And if everyone were to live by this summation, there would be no war, no conflict, no hunger, no poverty, no oppression, no ambushing, no gossip, no hatred, no insults, no malicious activity at all.
So why can’t we just . . . do this? Because the standard of faith of Micah supersedes anything that we have ever done or even been exposed to. The failings and shortcomings of humanity are far easier to incorporate in our lives than incarnating the higher principles of God. I KNOW! I know how difficult it is to practice the values of Jesus and the prophets. I know how difficult it is to keep anger under control, or to keep the mouth shut, or to turn the other cheek, or to respond to evil with godliness. I fail at that frequently—although, thank God, not as frequently as I once did when I lived on “the other side of the tracks.” But hillbilly is difficult to keep in check.
But living lives of godliness is hard work. It makes us to live against the grain of contemporary society. It goes against many of the values and principles that we were taught. And it requires what are sometimes painful sacrifices to live the godly life. But, you know, when you stop for a moment and ponder what that life would be like, it really is worth pursuing.
Like us today, the people of Micah’s time were concerned with what it takes to please God, to gain God’s favor. And the people were searching for black and white answers—kind of like computer language—1 or 0, good or evil, do or don’t, heaven or hell, God’s favor or God’s condemnation. They didn’t want any gray areas about anything. They wanted it simple. And they wanted someone to spell it out for them.
Especially in hard times, we would like someone to tell us “thus saith the Lord.” We want someone who projects a confident demeanor who has a special connection with heaven, and thus who can spell it out for us. Perhaps then we will be able to please God, and avoid difficulties, and live happily ever after.
That is why Moses gave us the law—to give us guidance as well as limitations. Two of the largest books of the Bible are devoted to laying down the law. Do this, don’t do that; and if you DO do that, do this to get yourself back in good graces with God. And the Bible’s laws spell out almost everything we need to know—according to some.
It tells us what days we can do certain tasks, and what foods are kosher, and what rituals we are supposed to perform before we eat kosher food. It describes the punishment to be meted out for various transgression according to the severity of the transgression—you know, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. For practically every occasion in life, there is a Bible law—very many that we don’t follow any more.
According to the Bible, it is okay for us to own slaves, as long as they are from neighboring nations, and not our own. So it is biblically acceptable for us to own a couple of Canadians, just not anyone who is an American citizen. It also tells us how many wives (plural) a man can have, and how many concubines (ladies of pleasure) he also can keep in his household. Now, I’m not advocating these things, you understand. The Bible’s laws also tell us that we are not supposed to eat pork—which makes me wonder why ham has become the widely accepted meat for Easter dinners!
Sorry for the digression; my point simply is this. Moses tried to lay down the law in order to keep his people on the straight and narrow path that is pleasing to God. But, as Moses found out, and to what we also may attest, the law doesn’t work in keeping us on the straight and narrow. If it did, we would have no need of police departments and judicial systems. Most people know what they should or shouldn’t do, but many break the rules, the laws, anyway. The law will not make us Godly. It only will measure how miserably far we fail to keep the law.
Adherence to strict rules does not a saint make. Rules, laws, and even religious rituals do not affect the soul. Sometimes, they don’t even affect our consciences. And they certainly don’t make us pleasing before God. They only show how far short we fall of Godliness.
Righteousness is not about the law. Righteousness is a matter of the heart.
Micah asked several rhetorical questions to prove this point. He asked if there is any law, or any religious ritual, or any magical formula that we must utter in order to gain God’s favor. And some of the sacrifices that he mentioned were huge sacrifices. “Shall I come before (the Lord) with burnt offerings?” This was a sacrifice that offered the best of the best of one’s herd as a sin offering, one that only the wealthy could afford to do. “Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil?” The answer is NO. “Shall I give my firstborn for my transgressions, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”
I’m curious. How many of you are the oldest of your parent’s offsprings? Aren’t you glad that we don’t do what they did back in ancient days? It was customary for parents literally to sacrifice their firstborn child as a way of proving to God that they believed God would be faithful and give them many children. To keep the firstborn was considered an act of greed and disbelief in God’s family planning. Micah reminded the people of this absurd practice that once was a part of their belief system, as was having multiple wives and concubines, and owning slaves—which they had stopped observing. And by pushing the envelope this far, Micah is establishing the fact that it is not sacrifice, or obedience to the law, or the observance of any religious ritual or formula that earns God’s favor. NO! Religion CANNOT and WILL NOT save us. There is nothing that we can DO that will invoke God’s love. Laws and rituals only show just how far we miss the mark.
So, what is it, then, that the Lord expects of us? Or as Micah wrote, “(The Lord) has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but . . . to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
It is not laws or rituals that God wants from us. It is not right understanding and theology that makes God happy. Salvation is not a matter of the head; it is a matter of the heart. Actually, if we would only USE our heads a little more, our hearts might also be in the right place. But what I think Micah is saying is that God doesn’t want sacrifice or strict rules; God wants our hearts, our faith, our very lives. And if we give God our hearts and incorporate his Holy Spirit into our lives, we will fulfill the law. It is not the law that gets us into trouble; it is our hearts desires. It is not the law that will save our souls; it is accepting God and Godliness into our hearts, and then our lives will BE Godly, and wholesome, and full of God’s grace and goodness.
Jesus told a story about a rabbi and a sinner. The sinner had become convicted by his life’s shortcomings, and fell on his face to plead for God’s forgiveness. The rabbi, who was obedient to the letter of the law, prayed a prayer thanking God that he wasn’t like that sinner crying on the ground. Jesus then asked the question, who do you think was justified in the heart of God that day? Who do you think? The sinner crying for forgiveness? You are right. Then Jesus said to his listeners, “Go, now, and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’”
The law cannot save us. Religion cannot save us. Reading the Bible cannot save us—although that is a very good thing to do! Rather, salvation is a matter of the heart; and when God saves us, our hearts are mended, and Godliness becomes our very lives. Do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God. Let God’s love reign in your heart, and you will LIVE God’s purposes, and live out Godliness.
I think this is why Jesus began each of the statements in the Beatitudes with the word, “Blessed.” At first, Jesus’ words sound like foolishness—blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are those who mourn, blessed are the meek, blessed are those who hunger and thirst. We hardly would consider such people as “blessed.” We would consider them pitiable, perhaps even jinxed or under God’s disfavor. But not Jesus; he declared the poor in spirit, and those in mourning, and the meek, and the hungry and thirsty, and even the merciful, and the pure in heart, and the peacemakers on the other end of the spectrum, “blessed.”
You see, Jesus is saying that regardless of our lot in life, we have God; or better yet, regardless of our lot in life, God still has US. WE HAVE God’s favor. But what we may not have is a heart receptive to God, and what God has for us. And THAT is a matter of the heart, of the soul, of the very core of who we are.
In Ephesians, chapter 2, verse 8, Paul wrote, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” And in Galatians chapter 3, Paul gives a longer exposition of the gap between law and faith. In verse 10 he wrote, “Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law.” Then, in chapter 4, verses 4-7, he stated, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children (of God). And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts.”
We already HAVE God’s favor. Jesus died on the cross to prove that to us so that God’s Spirit might live in our hearts and save our very souls. And when our souls are saved by God’s remarkable gift of love, our very lives are affected by the invasion of God into our hearts. When God’s love rules in our hearts, our lives WILL become Godly. God’s salvation MAKES A DIFFERENCE in who we are and how we live.
O, none of us will ever be perfect. The law points that out quite clearly. But we CAN and WILL grow in spiritual maturity AS WE LET GOD’S LOVE BECOME OUR HEARTS AND LIVES. We WILL do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly through life with our God. We WILL consider ourselves “blessed” regardless of our lot in life. And we ARE blessed, precisely because GOD LOVES US, and GIFTS us with his grace and goodness.
So life is not so much a matter of what we do, but what we have in our hearts. And if God’s love is in our hearts, we just WILL seek justice for the oppressed, and practice kindness in our relationships with our friends, families, and even our enemies, and we WILL walk HUMBLY through life BECAUSE we walk with God.
ARE YOU GOING TO FISH OR CUT BAIT?
John Thomas
New Palestine UMC
January 24, 2010
Isaiah 9:1-4
Matthew 4:12-23
You know of my passion for fishing. I come by it naturally. Both of my grandfathers were avid fishermen, especially my mother’s father, who was my childhood hero. To borrow a line of reasoning from Luke Skywalker of Star Wars fame: I am a fisherman like my father, his father before him. So any time I get to deal with a passage about fishermen and fishing, I get all energized. Especially during this frigid time of year, it is refreshing to think about boats, and nets, and baits, and fish. (deep breath, sigh)
My grandfather Peters told this as a true incident. I’m not sure if it is or not, but it makes for an amazing story nonetheless. He said that there was a fisherman who had a reputation of using Tennessee crankbaits to catch fish. I think up here they refer to Tennessee crankbaits as dynamite. But this fellow apparently was too lazy, or too busy, to catch fish in the conventional way, so he would light a stick of dynamite, drop it in the water, wait until the dynamite exploded, and then haul in the stunned fish as they floated to the surface.
The story goes that he was out in the Tennessee River one day, using his Tennessee crankbait, when the game warden happened upon him. Being anxious to catch the fellow plying his trade, the game warden slipped his canoe out of the back of his pickup truck, quietly slid it into the water, and silently paddled out behind the man. The man reached down and lit a stick of dynamite. Just then the game warden surprised the fellow by asking, “So just what are you going to do with that dynamite?” The fellow answered, “I’m fishing.” The game warden replied, “Now, you know that using dynamite for fishing is illegal; and if you drop that stick of dynamite into the river, I’m going to have to haul you in to jail.” The man looked at the game warden, then at the dynamite. Then he tossed the sizzling stick into the game warden’s canoe and said, “You gonna fish or what?”
Wouldn’t you love to have seen the expression on the face of that game warden!
Today, some folks use a similar slogan to get people to make up their minds about things. If someone is him-hawing around and hesitant to commit to a course of action, you’ll often here a bystander say, “You gonna fish or cut bait?” Are you going to get involved, or are you going to sit on the sidelines?” And sometimes, it is difficult decide.
I thought of this as I read Matthew’s passage for today. The slogan, “You gonna fish or cut bait,” applies to a couple of occasions herein. The first has to do with John the Baptist’s inquiry of Jesus. The other has to do with Jesus recruiting his first disciples. And perhaps one more application of this slogan would have to do with us. Let’s see.
We saw last week how Jesus already has visited his cousin, John, for baptism. At his baptism, John spoke of Jesus as the One who was to come, a reference to Old Testament texts prophesying the coming of the Messiah. There was no doubt in John’s mind who Jesus was; and John saw Jesus’ baptism as the onset of what was to come.
After Jesus was baptized, he then spent a considerable amount of time fasting and praying, and otherwise preparing himself for the ministry to which his Father had called him. He knew what awaited him down the road, and it all weighed heavily upon his soul. And why not; the next three years of his life would be spent under the shadow of the cross. We don’t know just how much time has elapsed between the baptism and where the text picks up today. But it must have been quite some time, and still Jesus was keeping a low profile.
John, on the other hand, was a fiery preacher with a bold tongue. He preached his fire and brimstone sermons everywhere he could get an audience. And he was quite famous for not pulling any punches. His words sharply criticized both the religious leaders and the Roman officials, much to the joy of the masses of the poor and oppressed. And John did not care if the religious leaders and Roman officials were present. He was quick to point his fingers in their faces and warn them of the wrath God. Unfortunately for John, these powerful figures were less than receptive to John’s criticisms; and eventually, his harsh words landed him in jail.
John now considered his purpose fulfilled. He saw himself in the role of Isaiah’s voice crying out in the wilderness, the forerunner to the Messiah, the one who was to announce the arrival of God’s Savior. He had done that faithfully and forcefully; and now he had completed his job. But where was Jesus? Where was this Messiah that he had proclaimed and even baptized? Is Jesus really the one? Or was John mistaken. He wanted to know. What was Jesus waiting for?
So John sent some of his disciples to find Jesus and ask, essentially, “You gonna fish or cut bait?” “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we search for another?” Jesus told them to go back to John and tell him what they had seen—the sick were being cured, the blind receiving their sight, the deaf hearing, the dead being raised, and the good news being preached to the poor”—all signs of the Messiah, according to Isaiah’s prophecies.
Matthew then tells us that upon hearing that John was in prison, Jesus began his ministry. John’s arrest was the catalyst that pushed Jesus out of preparation mode, and into ministry mode—from cutting bait to actually fishing. Leaving the wilderness near where John had been stationed, Jesus returned to his hometown of Nazareth, surely to pay respect and say farewell to his mother and family. From there, he went to the northern regions of the Sea of Galilee where some of his friends and cousins lived, and in so doing, he fulfilled the words of Isaiah, and defined the purpose of his work: Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali (two ancient tribes of Israel), on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death, light has dawned.” And we are told that “from that time Jesus began to proclaim, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’”
The first thing Jesus did when he reached Capernaum was to begin recruiting disciples to learn from him and to carry on his work beyond his own lifetime. Simon and Andrew were fishing near the shore when Jesus called, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” And immediately they dropped their nets and followed Jesus. Just down the shore were James and John, helping their father mend their nets. Jesus called to them, and they also dropped what they were doing and went with Jesus.
Last week, the Gospel of John made it sound as if Jesus had never met these guys before. But I rather doubt that. This rendering of the story implies a previous familiarity among these 5 men. We know that Jesus has been here before. This probably is where Jesus turned water into wine at a wedding feast. And Jesus knew exactly where to find Simon and Andrew and James and John. In fact, it probably was James’ wedding where Jesus turned the water into wine, for later we are told that Jesus’ and John’s mothers were sisters. Add also the fishermen’s immediate response to Jesus’ call, and you just have to believe that they not only knew Jesus, but were aware of their inclusion in Jesus’ plans. Nevertheless, when Jesus called, they responded. When asked if they were going to fish or cut bait, they became fishers of men.
I also want to suggest that it is no accident that Jesus began his ministry where he did. The town of Capernaum sat at the northern tip of the Sea of Galilee. To be sure, Capernaum was a Jewish community located within Israel—but just barely. Syria/Lebanon lay just a short jaunt to the north, and Syria/Jordan just to the east. The region known as the Decapolis was a 10 city circuit (deca) that ringed the Sea of Galilee, with most of the towns in Syria/Jordan—clearly Gentile country. And Jesus spent a considerable amount of his ministry within Gentile communities and among Gentile people, a fact that offended the religious leaders down in Jerusalem, and turned the stomachs of staunch Jews of his day.
But Jesus spent much of his ministry among the Gentiles, and often was amazed at the depth of faith he found there and the warm reception that he often was afforded. He felt quite at home there. In fact, he believed this was where he was supposed to spend a portion of his ministry. Jesus clearly believed himself to be aligned with Isaiah’s prophesied Messiah who was to deliver Galilee to the Gentiles, the Good News of God’s love and redemption to those outside the Jewish community. He believed that God wanted EVERYONE to hear the gospel of acceptance, and that the purpose of Israel as the Chosen People, and himself, as God’s chosen Suffering Servant, as delivering God’s message of hope to all the rest of the world.
Jesus’ life and ministry was completely and entirely all about bringing God’s children into the family of God. He made no distinction between Jew and Gentile, or male and female, or slave and free. He came to give EVERYONE hope. He came to give EVERYONE access to the throne of grace. He came to give God to EVERYONE.
And, as John wrote in the first chapter of his gospel, “to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God.” To ALL who received him, Jew or Gentile, he made them children of God.
Even today, Jesus is the light of the life, the Galilee of the Gentiles, the savior of the world. And even today, to all who receive him, he makes them children of God.
The ministry of Jesus was all about love, and hope, and redemption. He was all about receiving and accepting all people, regardless of walk in life. He was all about restoring sight to the blind, and hearing to the deaf, and life to those whose hearts were dead. He was all about restoring people to God, and helping them find their very lives. Jesus was all about extending good news to those of us who so badly need some good news, and to making sure that we understand just how much God loves us and accepts us.
So now, I guess the onus is on us. Are WE going to fish or cut bait? Are we going to accept God’s invitation to be his sons and daughters? Will we believe God, and believe God’s words, and place our trust in his faithfulness? It’s okay; you can trust Jesus; you can trust God. You can let yourself be loved without fear or reservation.
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
John Thomas
New Palestine UMC
January 17, 2010
Isaiah 49:1-7
John 1:32-42
What is in a name?
According to my father, EVERYTHING.
Like some of you, no doubt, my father and his siblings grew up in dire poverty. It was no fault of their own. My grandfather worked his fingers to the bone trying to eke out a living from the red clay soil of eastern Tennessee. But, like the old song from the 1960’s comedy show, Hee Haw, “if it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all.” That would have been a fitting theme song for Charlie Thomas in the 1930’s.
He had labored tirelessly as a sharecropper to save up enough money to purchase his own farm. Some time around 1930, he heard about good farm land available out west in Texas for sale at a good price. He moved his family away from the Smoky Mountains and settled on a farm near Burkburnette, Texas. According to my father, who was a young child at the time, the farm was very successful, and they were doing very well.
But there were two things that happened at about that time. Does anyone remember what those two tragic events were? 1—The Great Depression spread its death grip across the entire country. Banks collapsed; people lost their life’s savings as well as their jobs. 2—The Dust Bowl was created mainly because of land clearing and irresponsible tilling techniques. The winds of the western plains simply picked up the freshly plowed soil and blew it as far east as Washington, D.C. The accompanying drought dried up the wells, rivers, and reservoirs, and the entire farm industry from Texas to Wyoming was devastated.
The north central regions of Texas were hard hit, and my grandfather was wiped out. His savings had disappeared with the bank failures. His crops and cattle were evaporated by the dry, dusty storms. My father told stories of hunger; his father would disappear around supper time and purposely skip evening meals so that his 5 children would have a morsel or two to eat. Popcorn was the fare tu jour on many occasions. And one of his most painful memories was waking up on Christmas morning to sight of his father disappearing into the barn, sobbing and crying almost hysterically, because he did not have any money to buy his children Christmas presents, not even an apple or orange to put in their stockings.
Eventually, Charlie Thomas sold his hard-earned land for pennies on the dollar, and with change in his pocket, moved his family back to eastern Tennessee. He labored as a white-slave sharecropper until the day he died, literally. He was killed on his tractor on his way back from his last trip to the grain elevator before he was to retire that evening. The only thing he owned when he died was a milk cow, a little Studebaker sedan, and a change of clothes.
But, through it all, Charlie Thomas preached to his children, who then preached to us, their children, that there was a wealth far more precious than cash. Can you guess what that was? No, he was not a religious man, so it wasn’t faith . . .necessarily. But the one wealth that he, and so many of the poor of his generation, proudly held, was their name. Boy, I sure heard that sermon over and over and over and over again.
“Your name is Thomas. Your grandfather’s name was Charles Jacob Thomas. Your father’s name was John Burton Thomas. And your name is John Charles Thomas. Every one of our names is given in honor of an ancestor, who proudly bore that name in honor of an earlier ancestor. NEVER, EVER, shall you take the Thomas name either in vain or for granted. The Thomas’ WORKED HARD for their living. They never accepted handouts. And they fought for their honor. So, if anyone diminishes the name Thomas, or otherwise insults a Thomas, YOU are bound to defend the name. It is something to be proud of. So defend it, and never, ever betray or darken your name. If you do, you will never get your honor back, and you will disgrace your very name, and the names of every one of your ancestors. We may not have much; but we have our name and our honor. THAT makes us rich.” (end of family sermon!)
What’s in a name? EVERYTHING, at least that is what my father told me. And, indeed, there is a lot to a name. I think we have lost a little something in these times. In ancient days, and in some tribes and clans today, names had special meanings. Native American and African names often meant something beyond just a name. In fact, children typically were named after a patron animal or scenic vista. Then, when they reached adulthood, they were given NEW names, to symbolize either their accomplishments or their potential. Screaming Eagle might be a name given to a vocal warrior. Braveheart might be dubbed upon someone who had shown unusual courage. Lion Claw could stand for a gallant warrior who was notoriously effective in engaging an enemy. Names meant something beyond a mere identification. I don’t have any idea if John or Thomas mean anything. I seriously doubt it. It simply is a moniker given me to identify me from someone else. But names mean something really special for some people.
We talked briefly last week about people being given a new name in the ancient world when they applied for citizenship in their new community. And the Book of Revelation speaks about being given new names in the world to come.
During the era in which the Revelation was written, Christians were under intense persecution. The Roman Emperor, Domitian, was a demented soul, and considered himself to be a Roman god to such an extent that he required residents of the empire to bow before his statue and pledge their allegiance to “Caesar, my Lord and my God.” All who did so had their names written in the official log of their community, and would be spared the persecution meted out upon the insubordinates who refused to pledge their allegiance. Those who refused to reference Domitian as their lord and god were subject to punishment, ostricision, and even death. Christians believed that only God deserved such reverence as “Lord and God,” and were torn between living and betraying their true Lord and God.
The Book of Revelation was written to encourage the Christians to cling to their faith even in the face of persecution and death. According to the text, Caesar was not the only one keeping a book of life. God was keeping one also, and was recording the names of those who held the faith in his book. God would be so pleased to see one’s faithfulness in the face of persecution, in fact, that He would give that person a new name, one that could never be erased from God’s book and which would signify this person worthy of heaven and eternal life. Yes, names meant something, perhaps everything, to the ancients.
John’s gospel tells us that when Jesus received his first disciples, Andrew and Simon, he gave Simon a new name. The new name given him by Jesus in their native Hebrew language was Cephas, which was the word for “rock.” In the Greek, the language of the New Testament, Cephas is translated as Peter, which is intentionally similar to the Greek word for rock, petros. This new name for Simon, The Rock, meant something special to Jesus. For, as he later would say, it would be upon this Petros that he would build his church. Simon Peter, the Rock, would serve as the foundation of the faith that we still follow today. His name meant something, to him, and to us.
Even Jesus was given a new name. When Jesus came out of the Jordan River, following his baptism by John, the voice of God spoke and said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, in whom I am well pleased.” The Bible called this Son of God by several special names: Son of man, Son of God, Messiah, Christ, The Lamb of God, Emmanuel. I especially like Emmanuel, for it literally means, “God with us,” or “God in our midst,” or “the very presence of God.”
Another name that is ascribed to Jesus is Suffering Servant. Isaiah talked about God’s special servant who would come to unite the world in peace, faith, and love. And in doing so, Isaiah not only renamed God’s Messiah, he also redefined the intentions and nature of God. Isaiah’s passage tells us that God’s servant was to be a light to the Gentiles, a servant of all of humanity, not just of the Jews alone. And, my, is that great news for you and me, who are as Gentile as anyone can be. It is God’s nature, God’s very heart, to love ALL of the earth’s children as his very own.
So that means that we, too, are given new names. God proudly renames us as sons and daughters in whom he is well pleased, just as he referenced his special servant and Son, Jesus. And that is the most precious naming that ever can occur for us. God proclaims us as His sons and daughters. And, friends, this strikes at the very heart of Christmas. Christmas is nothing short of God reclaiming his children. God went so far as to be born into our flesh to gather us from every corner of the world in his name. White, black; male, female; young, old; European, African, Asian, Native American, Jew, Arab, Persian, Aboriginals—ALL of God’s children are given names that are forever etched upon our souls, and in the heart of God.
So, what is in a name? Everything, for all eternity!
BRINGING THE WORLD TOGETHER
John Thomas
New Palestine UMC
January 3, 2010
Isaiah 60:1-6
Matthew 2:1-12
The story of the Wise Men has long captivated the imagination of people since it was first told. But there is a lot more to the story than first meets the eye.
The story says that wise men from the East came to worship the newborn king of the Jews. Who were these wise men, where were they from, and what was it that brought them to Jerusalem?
First of all, the story tells us that they were “wise men.” The word used in the text, however tells us a lot more than that. These wise men actually were astrologers, watchers of the night skies. It was common practice in those days for kings to have an advisory board to help in his governing, just as our president today has a cabinet and chief of staff to help him. That is who the wise men were, advisors, perhaps even secretaries of state, to the king.
The ancients paid a lot of attention to the heavens. The Great Pyramids of Egypt are said to be perfectly aligned with the stars of Orion’s Belt in the heavens. Stone Hinge is believed to be an ancient solar calendar. The Great Temple of the Mayans was built to honor the summer and winter solstices. And their 12,000 year cycled calendar was perfectly attuned to the movement of the earth, the sun, the other planets and the Milky Way Galaxy. So accurate is this astrological calendar that they predicted the alignment of the planets, the sun, and the center of the Milky Way to occur on the winter solstice of 2012 ( December 21) nearly two centuries ago. And they were exactly, perfectly, correct. It also happens to be the last day on their ancient calendar which has led some fanatics to conclude that December 21, 2012 will be the destruction of the world and the end of time.
Yes, the ancients paid a lot of attention to the heavens. Major decisions of policy, war, and other critical events frequently were based on the readings of their astrological advisors.
So, the wise men, or magi, as they were called, were ancient astrologers who held considerable power and prestige in their countries. They not only were advisors to the kings, but they also traveled occasionally as representatives of their kings and kingdoms much like our Secretary of State today. And according to Matthew, these astrologers witnessed a special occurrence in the night skies.
Modern scientists have produced computer programs that trace the movements of the heavens for centuries in the past. They claim that in about the year 4 BC or so, one of the major comets would have been seen in the western skies at night in the Middle East. Was this what the Magi saw and interpreted as a special sign from the God of all?
The story tells us that the Magi visited Israel during the reign of King Herod, the Roman appointed figure-head of a Jewish king. Herod was notoriously paranoid; stories are well documented to support this claim. But here comes a troublesome glitch. Our calendar tells us that Jesus was born at what we refer to as year 0. Yet, according to accurate historical records, Herod died somewhere between 4 & 2 BC. So how could Herod be king when Jesus was born and when the Magi came to visit the newborn king?
Quite simply; the calendar is off by about 4 years. We know for a fact that this King Herod did, indeed, issue an edict to destroy all of the male children of Bethlehem 2 years and younger, just as Matthew tells us in the verses immediately following today’s reading. So Jesus would have to have been born sometime between 6 and 4 BC to have been alive at the time the edict was issued. And as incredibly paranoid as Herod was, it makes sense that this edict was issued to destroy this potential rival for his throne, just as Matthew reports. So, our calendar is off about 4 years; this is actually January 3, 2014. And this is why I was not among those so paranoid about Y2K because I knew that the 2,000th birthday of Jesus had already occurred some 4 years before.
Anyway, Herod’s edict and the passing of the comet both occurring around 4 BC give exceptional credence to Matthew’s story of the Magi visiting Jerusalem and asking Herod where the newborn king might be born. The Jewish scriptures clearly indicated that the Messiah would be born in the city of David, as Luke calls it in the Christmas story, which, of course, is Bethlehem—where Jesus is reported to have been born and the scene of the mass murder of male children 2 years and younger some time between 4 and 2 BC. Fascinating!
So, we can be sure of when this story occurs, and what the role of the Magi was—representing their respective kings to pay homage to God’s special king-to-be which the heavens had proclaimed via the star of the West. But who were they and from where did they come?
Honestly, we don’t know. The story doesn’t answer either of these questions. Legend has supposed that there were 3 magi, based on the number of gifts that were brought to the baby Jesus—gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They even have been given names, although the Bible does not report their names at all. Nor does it tell us what nations they represented. BUT, a little speculation may be insightful in answering this last question.
Matthew tells us that the magi were from “the East.” The East always has been a troublesome place for Israel. East of Israel were 3 of their most notorious enemies of all times, even to this day—Iraq, Syria, and Iran—formerly known as Babylon, Syria, and Persia respectively.
Syria would have been the nation that conquered the northern kingdom of the Jews during the 700’s BC. The Babylonians conquered the southern kingdom in the 500’s BC. Persia actually set the Jews free from slavery in Babylon after defeating the Babylonians, but always loomed over the horizon as a potentially irresistible enemy, one so powerful that it brought the mighty Greek Empire to its knees. Today, Iran is considered the most dangerous threat to Israel, especially with its current nuclear aspirations.
But why would these representatives of Israel’s historical enemies be drawn to Bethlehem to honor a newborn Israeli king? Isaiah told us this was going to happen some 550 years before. Isaiah 60 says that the whole world will be drawn to this messianic king, who would be as a light for the nations to find their way to God and be introduced to God’s love and favor toward all people. To be honest, a lot of ancient Jews were offended by Isaiah’s words. They considered themselves to be a Chosen People, a favored people of God, to the exclusion of the Gentiles. But Isaiah said something quite different. Yes, he said, the Jews WERE God’s Chosen People; but their mission as the Chosen People was to be a light TO the Gentiles, to be servants OF the Gentiles—a theme that would resonate with Jesus, but was hard for many Jewish people to accept.
In coming to Bethlehem to honor Jesus, the magi fulfilled the prophecies of Isaiah. Isaiah even told what gifts the magi—these Gentiles—would bring. Matthew adds myrrh to the gifts of gold and frankincense, and here is why, I believe. The magi had come to honor God’s special king-to-be. As representatives of neighboring kingdoms, they brought gifts that would honor every facet of the future king’s life. Gold would be needed to finance the newborn king’s life so that he would not have to labor for a living, but could dedicate his life to serving his people. Frankincense was an expensive incense that the Godly king would use in worship to honor his heavenly Father, much as Catholics and others do yet today with the incense burners. Myrrh was a very strong smelling spice that was used to embalm the bodies of royal family members, one fitting only for a king. And so, in their 3 gifts to the Christ-child, the magi had covered every need of every occasion for the life cycle of this majestic king. These representatives of the Gentile world had been drawn to Jesus by God’s special star in the heavens. They recognized the presence of God and God’s good news of love and redemption, and they honored the Christ-child in worship and deep appreciation.
Irony of ironies! It was the Gentiles who recognized the Godliness of Jesus’ birth. Herod, the king of the Jews, FAILED to recognize God’s activity in Jesus’ birth. So, not only did Herod not see God’s activity, he tried to destroy God’s special gift as a threat to his own seat of power. It was the Gentiles who saw Jesus through spiritual eyes, not his own native royalty. O, the shepherds saw it; and the night-watchmen saw it; and the poorest and least powerful of the Jewish people saw it. Those most despised by the powerful, elitist, religious class saw it.
Do you see it? Do you see God’s activity in the birth of Jesus the Christ? Do you see how, in Jesus, God has drawn the whole world unto himself? Does this light of the nations shine in the dark corners of your heart, drawing you ever nearer to God’s kingdom of love and redemption?
To me, the birth of Jesus is the most momentous event of human history. It was the day that God declared, once and for all, that WE ARE LOVED. We are loved so much that God sent his only Son, that, being drawn to the light of his word, we might not perish but have the Light of Life. ALL people, Jew, Gentile; you, me—ALL people have received the full measure of God’s love and redemption. Jesus came and lived, and died, and was raised for ALL the world. And that is why the wise honor him still today.
As we begin a new calendar year together, may you be drawn ever nearer to the Light of God’s love and purpose. May this year be a journey for you to follow the Star of Bethlehem to the manger that you may discover for yourself the incredible measure of God’s love for you. And may Christ become the light of our life so that you may grow in relationship with him and that you may be filled with good hope and courage in the weeks and months ahead.
We may not be able to bring gold, frankincense, and myrrh to honor God’s special king. But we DO have something even more precious that we may give to him.
((Linda—can someone sing the song about not having these expensive gifts, but we can give him our hearts?))
THE GREATEST LITERARY PASSAGE OF ALL TIMES!
John Thomas
New Palestine UMC
December 24, 2009
Isaiah 9:1-7
Luke 2:1-20
You are about to hear the best sermon you’ve ever heard, the best sermon ever preached in the history of the entire world—even if I have to say so myself.
((I want to read the Luke passage here))
Amen!
((I am going to sit down briefly, then get back up))
What? The sermon? The best sermon of all history? You just heard it. What more needs to be said? I can’t improve upon Luke. Even if it is my humble and prejudiced opinion, Luke has given us the very most best sermon ever uttered by human pen or lips. I suppose that there may be some who would argue that the Easter story might edge this one out—and I’m glad that the Easter story is there, don’t get me wrong. And I won’t argue the point at all. Both stories are incredible, and may be found in the nonfiction section of the book store. But . . .
Without Christmas, there is no Easter. Without the incarnation of God’s love, there is no redeeming sacrifice. Without Mary and Joseph, and their remarkable sensitivity to God’s calling, there is no Good News. For me, there is no greater story than God coming to live among us as one of us, forsaking the glory of heaven to be one with us. And because God loved us so much as to come and be one with us, we now can be at one with God.
Unthinkable, unfathomable, immeasurable, unimaginable! No one can script a story any greater than this one. Neither Ovid, nor Socrates, nor St. Augustine, Shakesphere, nor Dante, nor Edgar Allen Poe, nor Alex Haley, nor Jane Eyre, nor Stephen King can come up with anything even remotely as grand as the Christmas story, as prolific as these authors may be or have been. And Luke told his story in 20 verses of one chapter! Sometimes, the biggest gifts come in the smallest of packages.
Not a bad allusion for Christmas, was it not—he biggest gifts coming in the smallest of packages. The biggest of all gifts, GOD, came to us wrapped in the swaddling cloths of an infant. The King of kings came to us as the most helpless and vulnerable state of a newborn baby. The Lord of lords came to us through the humblest of origins, born to a very young teenaged woman, delivered in a barn of a cave, and laid to rest in a feeding trough filled with the harvested grass of the fields. The Creator became the creature that He might make his soul flesh and blood, that we might experience God in our midst. Even better than Hallmark, God sent the very best that he possibly could—HE came to us.
They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, how much better is a visit than a written memo! Oh, we had plenty of memos; the prophets had described the nature of God hundreds of times across the centuries. Isaiah was one of the more prolific scribes of God’s love and intent: “For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” We had heard about God’s faithfulness, and God’s desire to be involved in living our lives with us. We knew that God was the sunshine on our shoulders by day, and the moon of our dark nights. We were told about God’s love being from everlasting to everlasting. But God went a mega step farther. HE VISITED US! HE LIVED AMONG US, AS ONE OF US! It doesn’t get any better than that.
Christmas not only is the greatest story ever told, it also represents the highest compliment that God could pay humanity. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us,” says John’s gospel. This destroys the myth that says the flesh is the enemy of God. For if the flesh were the enemy of God, how could God put it on?
I no longer use the phrase, “Well, I’m only human.” Folks, if flesh and humanity were good enough for God, who are we to question that! The Bible tells us that we are created in the image of God, and that is good. Sure, we don’t use our humanity for Godly purposes all the time. In fact, we use it for very UNgodly purposes on occasion. But that doesn’t mean that flesh and humanity runs counter to God. It means that we misuse and abuse what is supposed to be Godly. It is our rebellious nature that is ungodly, not our flesh. No indeed! Rather, Christmas tells us exactly the opposite. It tells us that God so loved us that he became one OF us. And God became one OF us in order that we might be AT one with God.
Humanity and God go hand in hand. Humanity and Godliness go hand in hand. God shows us what humanity is supposed to be like. He showed us the very purpose of our God-given lives. Even as God lived among us incarnated in our flesh, so too are we to flesh out Godliness in our skin. The purpose of life is servanthood, just as Jesus said that he had come to serve, and not to be served. The purpose of life is to live Godliness; and I want to suggest that Godliness does not necessarily mean living sin free so much as it means to live love. Our purpose is to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with our God. THAT is Godliness at its best: doing justice, loving kindly, and trusting God for all our needs. That is the life that Jesus lived among us—that is the life GOD lived among us. And that is the life for which we all were created to live.
God came to us that we might be with him—he with us, us with him. There never has been, nor will there ever be, a greater story than that. Short and sweet! And I would be a fool to try to improve upon the greatest story ever told. Let it speak for itself, and it will give you life!
WHAT IF GOD WERE TO SEND US A SIGN?
John Thomas
New Palestine UMC
December 13, 2009
((Linda, how about beginning with the chorus of the pop song, “Signs, signs, everywhere the signs, blocking my view, just breaking my mind; do this, don’t do that, can’t you read the signs?))
Ah, the signs!
There are signs everywhere. Do this. Don’t do that. Enter here, exit there. Push. Pull. No left turns, no right turns, no u-turns, yield, stop, go. There are signs for every matter under heaven.
Comedian Bill Engval has made a lucrative living making up jokes about signs with his “here’s your sign” routine. He issues signs for idiots to wear around their necks to warn others of their handicap. For instance, Bill was cooking hamburgers on his outdoor grill one day. A neighbor walked over and asked, “So, you cooking out?” Bill replied, “Nope, I’m just fogging for mosquitoes; here’s your sign.” Another time Bill had his car jack out getting ready to change out a flat tire. A neighbor happened by and said, “So, you got a flat?” Bill replied, “Nope, it’s just that the other 3 suddenly inflated, so I’m going to take this one off to see why it didn’t. Here’s your sign.”
One time, however, Bill fell into his own trap. Walking through a parking lot one day, Bill came along a fellow working feverishly with a coat hanger, trying to get his locked car door open. As Bill passed, he inquired of the frustrated driver, “Lock your keys in your car?” to which the man responded, “Nope, I just washed it, and now I’m trying to figure out how to hand it up to dry. Here’s your sign.”
I have a love-hate attitude toward signs, especially the billboards along interstate highways. I really dislike the way they get in the way of the scenery, and it seems that there are more and more of the obstructive obtrusions every day. And yet, we did manage to keep the kids occupied for a while traveling by playing the alphabet game from the letters on the billboards.
But sometimes signs can be very helpful. Signs like, HOT, or HAZZARDOUS, or TRESPASSERS WILL BE SHOT ON SIGHT can save us from embarrassment, harm, or even death. Or signs that point out good things are helpful, such as the ones that distinguish between men’s and ladies’ rooms, or ones that show which way our highway turns, or ones that point out which house the family reunion is happening in. Simply put, our lives would collapse into chaos without signs.
During the years that I was a church consultant, I would visit churches without the people knowing who I was, or that I was scoping out their church. I remember one church in Evansville that did not have much in the say of signs. We missed the parking lot because there was no sign indicating where it was. Then we tried 4 or 5 doors, all which were locked, before we found the one door that we could get in—it would have been nice to have some signs to direct us to the right one. Then when we got inside, there were no signs indicating where the sanctuary was, or where the bathrooms were, or where the coat rack was.
Later, when I met with some of the people, I relayed these experiences. One of the folks chimed in and said, “Well, we all know where the unlocked door is, and where the parking lot is, and where the bathrooms are. Why do we need signs?” That church is now closed, by the way. I wonder why? Oh yeah, Here’s your sign.
Yes, signs are a necessity of life—like it or not.
Speaking of signs, have you noticed, but every now and then, the comic strip page of the newspaper gets it right. Some of the authors are rather spiritual, and they let it show.
I remember a number of years ago such a comic strip. It was from the B.C. strip. You may recall the B.C. strip. It has to do with the comedic complexities of caveman life. This one comic strip showed one of the cavemen having a bad day, and we was left wondering if there really was a God. Exasperated, he looks heavenward and screams, “If you’re up there, give me a sign.” The next frame showed the caveman half buried in the sand by a big sign that read, “I’m up here.”
How often have we, too, asked for a sign that God is really up there, and really cares about what happens to us?
Well, I’ve noticed that God has started leaving signs. Have you seen them? They have been appearing on billboards all over the country. One of them says, “Why don’t you bring the kids and come over to my house next Sunday?” signed, God. Another one reads, “Have you realized lately that I love you?” signed, God. Another one reads, “Haven’t heard from you lately; just wondering if you are okay,” signed, God. And there are many others.
I wonder if God uses Mastercard or Visa to pay for those ads? Well, anyway, here is a thought about signs.
((movie clip))
How often have we wanted a sign from God? Yet, I wonder if we would see it when it occurs.
People have been asking for a sign from God ever since humans were capable of conceiving of a divine being.
Moses was seeking God’s purposes for his life, and he ended up talking to a burning bush in the desert. But even then, he tried all sort of excuses to get out of his calling.
The Hebrew people asked for signs while Moses led them to freedom, and God gave them manna to eat, and water from a rock to drink, and a pillar of smoke by day and of fire by night to lead them out of Egypt. And still they asked for more.
Jesus is said to have performed many signs before the people. Yet everywhere he went, the people asked for more in their disbelief. Honestly, it seems that the more signs God gives us, the more signs we require to prove that God really is there. But the signs are all around us if only we have eyes to see, and ears to hear, and hearts to comprehend God’s movements in our midst.
I’m reminded of the man who refused to leave his house one year when the floods came. Before long, the old river began to rise. A fellow came by in a 4-wheel drive Jeep and asked the homeowner if he wanted a ride out before the river got too high. “No thanks,” replied the old man, “I’ve prayed for the Lord’s deliverance, and he will provide.”
The river continued to rise until it began to climb over the front porch and enter the house. So the old man made his way up to the second floor. Before long, he heard a voice calling from outside. Upon looking, he saw a fellow in a small motorboat floating outside his bedroom window pleading with him to ride with him to safety. The old man opened the window and yelled back, “No thanks, I’ve prayed for the Lord’s deliverance, and he will provide.” So the man in the boat zoomed off toward dry land.
But the river continued to rise until the old man had to climb out on the roof of his house to escape the rising waters. Suddenly he heard a noise from above. It was a rescue helicopter, and someone on board called over a foghorn, “Climb up the rope ladder, and we’ll take you to safety.” But the old man, as determined as ever, replied, “No thanks, I’ve prayed for the Lord’s deliverance, and he will provide.”
Well, the waters continued to rise, and finally swept the old man off the house and to his demise. Finding himself at the Pearly Gate, the man was rather angry, and yelled at St. Peter, “Hey, I had faith in the Lord’s deliverance, but he let me down. What was that about?” Peter frowned and said, “What do you mean the Lord let you down? We sent you a 4-wheel drive Jeep, a motorboat, and a helicopter.”
The signs are all around us. But do we see them? How many do we need before we believe? How hard will we look for the signs that are all around us? How long will we seek before we give up looking?
Look all around you, there are signs everywhere. Whether it’s the beauty of a sunset, or the blessing of the life-giving rains, or the wag of a happy dog’s tail, or the miracle of birth, or a timely greeting card from a cherished friend, or the surprise of an unexpected but badly needed gift, or the glimmer of a full moon upon freshly fallen snow, or the sense of peace that we receive just prior to undergoing a frightening procedure—the signs of God’s presence and faithfulness are all around us. Just like the 4-wheel drive Jeep, the motorboat, and the helicopter, God sends blessings and signs through many means, all the time, if only we would take notice and believe.
Just maybe, rather than ask God to send us signs, perhaps we might pray for eyes to see, and ears to hear, and hearts to experience God’s presence. Then we will be able to notice and take heed without getting half buried in the sand by the signs we fail to heed.
I believe that God still speaks to us today, even as he did to the prophets of long ago, or to Joseph betrothed to Mary. But the difference between us and them is NOT that God doesn’t speak to us, but that they BELIEVED that God DID speak and so they could hear him. They BELIEVED in signs, and so they could see them in the everyday events of life. There was no doubt in their hearts that God was in their midst, in their lives, and so they were receptive to God’s activities. And that is why their lives were filled with power and peace; they KNEW God. They not only believed IN God, they BELIEVED GOD.
My prayer for you during this Advent season, as we prepare for the celebration of Christmas, is that you may not just see the signs of God’s love, but that you may BELIEVE GOD, and accept in your hearts the love that God has for you. THAT is what Christmas is all about: the birth of Christ’s salvation in our hearts. THAT is the greatest sign God has ever rendered to humankind. BELIEVE and see the very face of God . . . everywhere.
WHAT WOULD IT BE LIKE IF THE LORD WERE IN OUR MIDST?
John Thomas
New Palestine UMC
December 6, 2009
Isaiah 35:1-10.
Matthew 11:2-20.
Let’s see. How many of you have your lists already made out? Now, I’m not talking about shopping lists. There is a list that is even more important than our shopping list. It’s more important than our naughty or nice list. It’s even more important than our Christmas card list. What is this list, pray tell, you ask.
It’s the honey-do list. You know, “Honey, do this; Honey, do that.” Especially if you have company coming over during the holidays, then you know what kind of honey-do list I’m talking about.
What would be some of the things on our honey-do list? What would we need to do if we were to have company over?
Let’s see. Oh, food! We’ll need to be sure to have plenty of food and snacks on hand. So, we’ll have to determine how many meals we will be serving; how many breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. Then we’ll have to give some thought about what we will have at each of those meals. How many eggs will we need to get? Will we have sausage or bacon or ham? Will we have biscuits and gravy? How about the breads, or cereals, or coffee cake? And what ingredients will we need to purchase to make coffee cake?
And the lunches: should we have sandwiches? If so, what kinds of sandwiches—meats, breads, condiments, chips, drinks? Do we want sliced cheese, or cubed cheese, or cheese spreads, or cheese in a squirt can—oh, probably not in a squirt can; we all know what kids do with those.
And dinners: do we want turkey or ham, or chicken and dumplings, or beef and noodles? Now, what is it that Aunt Norma doesn’t like? I can never remember. Do we have dinner rolls, or biscuits, or sliced bread? And what kind of desserts shall we have: pumpkin, apple, peach, cherry; pie or cobbler? How about ice cream to go with the pie or cobbler?
And do we use the good china, or the everyday stuff? Or how about using paper plates so there won’t be as many dishes to wash? Maybe we’ll get some big disposal cups and put people’s names on them so we don’t accidentally pick up the wrong one—there are few things worse than picking up a cup of Pepsi and getting a mouthful of Dr. Pepper.
And who will sit where? Do we put weird Uncle Clifford with the kids so we don’t have to put up with his stupid comments?
Whew! And all this just for a few meals! But that’s just one item on the honey-do list.
Then there is the laundry to make sure everyone has clean linens. Then comes the dusting; everyone knows how nosy Uncle Clifford is, walking around wiping his finger over the doorposts to see if we have dusted everywhere. Then, we’ll have to dig out those family photos that everyone has come to expect us to display of themselves when they come over. Now where did we hide those? And we’ll have to get out the Christmas decorations to set the holiday spirit; but not too much so there will be room for all those pictures. And the carpets, we’ve got to get the carpets clean, especially where little Timmy spilled the eggnog last year, or else folks will think that we are slobs. And we’ll need to mop and coat the kitchen floor; and we’ll need to child proof the basement so there’s a place to abandon the little brats, and they won’t break too many things.
Then there are the gifts? What do you get people who already have everything? And how do we gift everyone so that no one feels cheated or devalued and yet not break the bank in the process? And what did we do with that running list we keep of what we got everyone in years past so that we don’t get the same people the same gifts?
O, how we just LOVE to have family over for the holidays!
What kinds of things would you have to do to get ready for Christmas company? What all would your honey-do list include?
I remember as a kid, I could tell when company was coming over. Mom would disappear into the kitchen to prepare the food. Dad would become moody and terse, having to do “women’s work” like dusting and waxing the floor. And I would have to turn off the TV, and pick up all of my toys, and put them away in my closet, which already was overstuffed from last year’s cleaning. And we literally would replace the usual photos on the wall with pictures various family members had sent us.
Speaking of pictures—well, let me preface this with the fact that I not only was an only child, I was an only grandchild on my mother’s side. Since my grandparents lived in Tennessee, we only got down there 3 or 4 times a year. Christmas was a time that we tried to get there every year. Upon arriving, my dad would tease me by looking for the pictures of me hanging on the walls or standing on the tables, and saying, “They must have known we were coming. I see they remembered to get your pictures out of storage.” No wonder I’m paranoid.
O the things we do for company. What all do you feel like you need to do if company were coming to your house?
The big one, the BIG arrival, I recall, during my childhood, was preparing for a visit from my grandparents’ preacher. Back in those days, about the only way a country preacher could ensure a good meal on Sundays was to make a call on his parishioners at just about dinner time. Many of my grandmother’s layer hens went into the ministry in those days. But, my, what a fuss went into getting ready for that! Along with all the normal preparations, we also had to put away my grandfather’s deck of card, which he used to play solitaire, lest the parson think we were gambling. Then we would hide the radio, lest the parson think we might be dancing. Then we would break out 2 or 3 Bibles and lay them around the house, making sure that they were free of accumulated dust. Then we would practice our finest manners, and make sure that we remembered not to burp out loud, and to say please and thank you. And we couldn’t talk about any of the funny stuff that we usually talked about at the table; and my father was reminded that we were not at the factory, so he would have to be selective about what words he used. And, by all means, do not make any mention of my grandmother watching her soap opera on TV—you know how secular and worldly those soap opera are (and that was back in the 1950’s and 60’s)!
What would it be like if YOUR pastor invited himself to YOUR home for Sunday dinner? What would you have to hide? What would you have to break out? How would your routine deviate from the norm?
But I have one better than that for you to consider? What would it be like if you knew the Lord himself were coming to your house for dinner? Or even more than that, what would it be like if the Lord were coming to LIVE with you for a while?
What preparations would you feel obligated to make? What dirty laundry would you have to clean? What pictures would you have to hide, or put up? What would you have to do differently, say differently live differently?
What would be some of the places that you might take him? Or what places would you stop visiting because he was with you? Would you be proud to introduce him to your neighbors, or would you try to conceal his presence? How would your church attendance change, or your giving to the church?
How about your interaction with your kids or your parents, or how about the way your drive your car, how would the everyday activities of our lives change if the Lord were to come and live with us for a while?
Let me ask it this way: WHY should our lives change at all if the Lord were to live with us? Oh, I’m sure that each and everyone of us (me included) would have a thing or two that we might try to improve if the Lord were to live with us for a while? None of us is perfect. BUT . . . should these things that we feel obligated to change BE in our lives in the first place? Should we not be living lives acceptable to the Lord already? Should not the answer to the question “what would we change” be . . . nothing?
You see, the truth of the matter is, today’s question is not a conditional question; not really. WHAT WOULD IT BE LIKE IF THE LORD WERE IN OUR MIDST? Do you get it? It is NOT a conditional question precisely because . . . the Lord IS in our midst, all the time. He is in our lives whether we know it or not, whether we are aware of his presence or not, whether we want him to be or not. And he is there because he WANTS to be. He WANTS to be with us, to be in a relationship with us. He WANTS to live our lives with us. And I want to suggest that we need not be worried so much about what we need to hide, or what we need to break out, or whatever things we might deem appropriate or inappropriate. The Lord simply wants to be in relationship with us—those other trimmings will take care of themselves as we grow in relationship with him. Jesus wants to be our brother, and us to be his brothers and sisters. He wants to laugh with us, cry with us, and for us to get to know him as well as he already knows us.
Who we are is good enough for the Lord. He loves us already. We don’t have to put up a false front, or live with any pretense. He already loves us, and wants us to come to know his love for us, and for us to place our trust in his love. My all time favorite hymn is “Just As I Am.” “Just as I am without one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me, and that thou biddest me come to thee, O Lamb of God I come, I come.”
Jesus loves us already. He doesn’t ask us to change anything to be presentable to him. He’ll take care of that for us. As we grow in trust and love for him, HE will make any changes that need to be made, from the inside out. He will heal our wounds, and mend our brokenness. He will filter out the darkness, and fill our hearts with the light of heaven. He will beat our swords into plowshears and our spears into pruning hooks. And our blindness will be turned into sight, and our lameness into faith, and our death into joyful living. That’s simply what happens when a heart is invaded with love divine.
Jesus said, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. Whoever hears my voice and lets me in, I will come in and live, and provide a feast for you.”
What difference would it make if we knew the Lord were coming to live with us? I can’t wait to see! He’s already there, and he’s already making a difference that is exciting to see!
BURNING THE MIDNIGHT OIL: WHY I HATE TO PREACH ABOUT MONEY
John Thomas
New Palestine UMC
November 22, 2009
Luke 12:41-44
How should I start this sermon on finances. Maybe a story. Oh yeah, there is the true story about an associate pastor whose responsibility was to come up with a catch slogan for their church’s finance campaign. What was it that he reported to their administrative board for approval? Oh yeah, “I upped my pledge; up yours.” Maybe that’s a little racy.
Gee, I hate this. Here it is Saturday morning, or more correctly, early Sunday morning, and I still have no idea what I’m going to say tomorrow. Linda’s already angry with me for not getting her anything for the sermon slides. And the finance committee is disappointed that I haven’t given them a definitive notion about what we’re going to do tomorrow, or later this morning, for our annual finance campaign. What in the world am I going to do?
I know! Only once in the last 28 years have I been sick on a Sunday morning to the point that I couldn’t preach. I can do this. I could call in sick. Charles Merlau said that he had a couple of sermons he could get together on short notice. Or Roger Holder is all excited about doing church work. Or Greg Wells did such a great job a couple of weeks ago. Or one of our other lay speakers . . . let’s see, Greg Brittain, Steve Mattison. Or maybe Linda could . . . I probably ought to leave that one alone.
But I could call somebody and pretend to be Vicki . . . “Hello, this is my wife, and I, uh, he is sick this morning and won’t be able to be at church.” Yeah, that would . . . end my career.
But I just can’t come up with anything to say. Finance Sunday seems like such a necessary evil. I realize that the church needs money to do its ministry. And so do the good people of the congregation. In fact they have really stepped up during this tough economic recession and kept us afloat. I just don’t want to push them too far, or make them feel guilty . . . well . . . no, that’s not my style. I just don’t know what to do.
(Yawn) I really don’t know what to do . . . Oh God . . . (short pause)
You rang? Hello, did you call? You talking to me, you talking to me?
Whoa! What . . . Who . . . I don’t see anyone, I must be hearing things, or dreaming.
Ahem! Heaven to JT. Heeeerrrre I am!
Okay, this isn’t cool! What’s going on here? Who’s here, and where are you?
It’s me!
Me who?
(Popeye-like) I am who I am, and that’ all that I am.
Oh a comedian. That’s just what I need right now; a hallucination of a comedian.
Oh, JT, I’m no hallucination, and I’m no comedian, though I do have a bit of a sense of humor. I made you, didn’t I?
O very funny. A comedian who thinks she is God.
Well, you know the old saying, you are what you think, and, yup, I think I AM . . . God, that is . . . because I AM.
I’m supposed to believe that you are God?
You can believe whatever you want to, that still doesn’t change who I AM.
Okay, let’s say, then, that you are God . . . I AM . . . okay, but why are you here, of all places?
You called for me, didn’t you?
Did I?
Yeah, just before you fell asleep at your desk. Let’s see, yes, I believe you did. In fact, I believe your exact words were, “I really don’t know what to do. Oh God.” Well, here I AM. What do you want?
What I want is some anti-psychotic pills.
What was that?
Uh, uh, nothing. What I really need is, well, what I really need is . . . Come on, old man, spit it out.
(pwuwee) Well, tomorrow is Stewardship Sunday at the church . . . I know that.
Yes, I’m sure you do. So what’s the problem?
The problem is I have no idea what to say, you know, to get people to give generously without prying into their private lives or making them feel guilty.
Guilty about what?
I don’t know, I just don’t like preaching about money. It turns people off.
Turns me off too.
Really!
Yeah, really boring, makes me yawn, and my mind begins to wander about . . . I wonder who is going to win today’s football game? I really can’t stand the Patriots . . . you know stuff like that.
But I feel like its something that I am obligated to do, you know, with the budget and all. I just feel like I need to say something.
So, why don’t you?
I don’t know what to say. I mean, people tend to think of their finances as their own private matter. And they don’t like to hear preachers talk about money. Some folks think that’s all we care about, and that we shouldn’t talk about money at church.
Then don’t. Don’t what? Talk about money.
Sounds good to me! But what am I supposed to do for the finance campaign Sunday if I don’t talk about money?
Talk about something important.
Are you saying that money isn’t important?
No. It IS important.
But Jesus talked about the evil of money.
No, he talked about the evil of the LOVE of money, you know, you can’t serve two masters, for your heart can be devoted to only one god at a time. And if your god is money, then you will become IT’S slave, and it will control YOU and your lives. I’d rather be the one who does that.
But didn’t Jesus condemn the rich man who made a big fuss so that everyone would see what a big sum he was giving to the synagogue.
First, Jesus isn’t in the condemning business. He and I are in the RECONCILING business. But that’s another sermon. The point of that story was NOT the wealth of the man giving the gift. Jesus did not say anything bad about the man giving from his wealth. But Jesus DID notice the poor widow who slipped in unnoticed and dropped her quarter into the offering. And he DID compliment her for her gift, not because of the amount of the gift, but because of the devotion and sincerity with which she gave it—that quarter represented her entire savings.
Why would she do that, if that’s all she possessed?
Because she trusted me.
Trusted you? What do you mean?
Precisely that. She trusted me. Each and every day, she trusted me to give her what she needed for that day. And because she trusted me so completely, she didn’t worry about tomorrow’s need. She knew in her heart that I would take care of her tomorrow as well. So, in her gratitude, she gave all that she could in hopes that her “daily bread” would help someone else get their daily bread. It was her joy to give her only quarter, and it was her way of demonstrating her deep trust and abiding faith in me.
I’m still not sure I get it.
YOU probably don’t. What’s that? Never mind, sleepy head. All I am saying is that I don’t particularly want you to preach about money . . . (Whew!) . . . “Money can’t buy me love,” the Beatles got that one right, didn’t they.
I suppose. But if I’m not supposed to preach about money, what am I supposed to preach about?
What do you think?
I don’t know, that’s precisely my point?
My, you always have been just a little on the slow side. I’m sorry, what? Never mind. Uh, let’s see . . . If you could preach on whatever you felt in your heart is the most important thing people need to know about me, what would it be?
Wow! THE most important thing folks should know about you? Yep. Hmmm, for me (yes), right now, (Yyyyeeeaaahh), hummm, (o come on), I guess it would be trusting you. (Hey maybe he WAS listening a moment ago) Yeah, that’s it. I really believe that the most important thing that we humans need to learn is that you really, really DO love us, and that we really, really CAN TRUST you. And as we really, really learn to live in that trust and grow in our understanding of your love and faithfulness, then we can place even more trust in you.
Not bad. Thank you. Then what? Then what what? What would that trust in me imply?
Oh, I see (about time. What? Never mind). As we come to realize just how much you really, really (yeah, I get that) love us, and come to know just how loveable you deem us, we really, uh, I mean, we truly can place our trust in you to give us exactly what we need. YES. Then, we will begin to understand that it is YOU who is in control, not us. Precisely. And perhaps we can begin to understand your economics I really don’t like economics. Yeah, me neither. That’s why I only took a couple of courses okay, okay, anyway . . .
Well, anyway, uh, let’s see, where was I? Oh yeah. When we begin to place our trust in you (that’s better), yeah, uh, we don’t have to feel like we have to be in control of everything, and we don’t have to be so anxious about tomorrow . . . Hey, that’s what Jesus said, isn’t it! Quick one, isn’t he! You know, when he talked about how you care for the birds of the field, and how they totally trust that you will provide for them, and how we need to . . . come to TRUST YOU so that our finances are our slaves rather than the other way around!
Yes, son, now you’re getting it.
So, what we give to you really isn’t about obligation or commitment or guilt.
No it isn’t. “Should’s and ought to’s have nothing to do with love and trust. And I am all about love and trust.
That’s so cool.
Yeah, it is. I’m simply wanting people to trust me and my love. I WILL NOT fail them. Never have, never will. I just want people to place their trust and love in me rather than in their wallets or whatever other earthly pursuit they nistakenly think will make them happy. There is nothing on earth or under heaven that can quench their heart’s hunger, or give them the deep, abiding peace they seek, except living in me, and me in them.
So, rather than being self-reliant, you want us to be you-reliant.
Of course. Life is all about relationships, relationship with me, and relationship with one another. Regardless of how much you have, or how little you have, until you have me, you have nothing. For I AM relationship. I AM love. I AM what the human soul craves. And once we have one another, nothing else really, really matters—now you’ve got me doing it.
Sorry. You’re forgiven.
But what does this have to do with Stewardship Sunday.
Everything! Stewardship is not about money, it is about trusting me. And giving to the church is not about obligation or guilt, or anything of the kind. It has to do with trusting me.
I see a pattern here.
Finally!
So, you’re not asking us to give until it hurts . . . (trust doesn’t hurt) . . . we should give until it feels good!
Good intentions, but . . . Kind of corny, eh? Yeah, but you’re getting the idea. Stewardship has to do with trusting me to take care of you, and to provide you with the resources to give what I want you to give, and still have enough for your daily bread. I want you to learn to live one day at a time, trusting in my goodness to provide. I love you, and will not let you fail. It won’t be easy all the time, but all the time I AM good, and I WILL provide.
Don’t worry, be happy.
Good grief. Sorry. You’re forgiven. Or better yet, you are loved. I love you, and I love everyone at the New Pal United Methodist Church. I love ALL of my children, and I want to take care of everyone of them, if they only will let me. Life is not supposed to be about worrying and fretting, and being afraid. Life is supposed to be about . . . Let me guess, love and trust. Right on! I love all of you more than you can possibly imagine—Jesus and the cross ought to drive the nail home, he-he.
Bad joke. Sorry. You’re forgiven. Thank you . . . now wait a minute as you were saying . . .
Oh yeah. As you grow in your trust of me and my love, you’ll learn that you don’t have to have such a tight grip on things of the world, and you’ll begin to see how the world’s resources are my gift to you so that you can accomplish my will on earth. And as you grow in your love for me and for one another, you will be better able to provide the resources needed to accomplish my will. For you will be learning to trust me to take care of you from my generosity, even as I am taking care of others through your generosity.
So we, you and us, are supposed in partnership.
Absolutely. I’ve been using the word relationship, but partnership is an outgrowth of a deepening relationship between me and you, between me and my children. And the joy and peace that comes from such a trusting and loving relationship is precisely what your heart craves.
Wow! This is great stuff.
So I don’t want you to talk about money, I want you to encourage the people to place their trust in me. I really, really AM trustworthy. It’s okay to trust me and to trust my love for you. And together, we can do great things.
Incredible! Wow, let me try to get this down.
And, uh, try to let it get IN. Let it get in to your heart and soul that you are loved by Love itself. For I AM . . . love.
GOD VS MAMMON: WHOSE MONEY IS IT ANYWAY?
John Thomas
New Palestine UMC
November 15, 2009
James 5:1-6.
Wow! Looks like James woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, doesn’t it! “Come now, you rich people, weep and wail for the miseries that are coming to you.” And what’s worse, he may very well be talking to us. Mercy! More about that in a monment.
But first, we have arrived at that time of year again, one of the most sacred and holy occasions of the entire year. It is that time when we consider what God is calling the church to be about and to take inventory of the resources that God has put in place to be utilized in his ministry. It is the holiest of times when we consider what possibly God wants done, and how that might get done.
((someone interrupts and brings down a package saying that it was just delivered special delivery))
package marked “New Palestine United Methodist Church”
note attached—“I have great and exciting plans for the New Palestine community. People will be touched, lives will be rejuvenated, families will be strengthened, hope will be restored, love will be lived, and souls will be saved. It will be the best of times. Inside this package is all that this church will need to accomplish all that I wish for this community, I promise. It is precious cargo, so please handle with care. But these contents are capable of working miracles in my name and transforming the community and the world. But beware, unleashing these contents may very well change the lives of every person in this church. God.”
Have you ever considered what an incredible privilege it is, what an unspeakable honor it is, to be called, to be allowed, to be wanted by God to accomplish God’s will in this community? And it’s true. We are wanted by God to bring about God’s wonderful plans for New Palestine and beyond. The Lord wants US to be his hands, his feet, his caring arms, his eyes, his heart. YOU, and ME! GOD . . . loves us and those whom we are called to serve THAT MUCH! GOD . . . CALLS . . . US . . . to accomplish his deeds and fulfill his will. There is no more honorable or greater calling on the face of the earth than this.
And yes, this sermon will end up talking about our financial support of God’s ministry, for it is one of the most sacred things that we can be about.
I was part of one of the most interesting conversations last Sunday. It was the last session of this season’s class on United Methodism. The last session I leave open to let the participants talk and ask questions about whatever they would like. One in the class asked why we United Methodists don’t talk much about tithing. Great question! I don’t talk much at all about tithing or giving to the church. So I had to put some thought into the question. And we had a great 15 minute conversation about church finances and how giving is an act of faith and gratitude, and how giving of our time in helping with activities at the church is at least as important a part of our giving to the church as our money. But as someone said last Sunday, you can’t run a church and accomplish God’s will without money.
But we United Methodists don’t talk about money in the church very often, and we get more than a little uneasy when the preacher brings up the subject. Why is that? Why are we shy about talking about the money it takes to perform God’s ministry?
Some churches talk about it frequently. In fact, some churches REQUIRE persons to tithe in order to be a member—no tithe, no membership. These churches are very up front about their financial needs, and expect their members to step up and deliver. In fact, there are some church that continue to take up the offering until they have met that week’s budget. In some of these churches, the people form a line and walk pass an offering plate, and the pastor watches who gives and how much each one gives. Then they sing a song while the counters total up the offering. If the weekly budget has yet to be met, they have another parade, again with the pastor watching. Then they sing another song while the counters count. And if there still isn’t enough money to meet the budget, the pastor begins to point to various members who, in his opinion, can do better than what they have given. And this goes on until they get the amount they need.
If we were to try this . . . I’d soon be out of a job, I suspect. United Methodists don’t like to talk about money. It is as if money and spirituality are opposites, mutually exclusive, diametrically opposed to each other. But nothing could be farther from the truth.
Jesus and some of his friends were at a festivity at which people were expected to bring their annual offering and donate it to the synagogue. And what a display it was. One at a time, people of the community would parade down the middle aisle, and with great pomp and circumstance, they would make quite a show of their generosity. And Jesus’ friends were quite impressed; indeed, some of the gifts were sizable.
But while the disciples’ eyes were fixed on the parade, Jesus watched a poor widow woman slip down a side aisle, out of sight of most of the onlookers. And while everyone had their backs turned toward her, watching the rich parade past, this poor widow slipped two copper coins into the offering plate, the equivalent of one cent. Jesus was so impressed by the woman’s gift that he pointed her out to his friends. Then he said that the rich were giving out of their abundance, but that this poor widow had given everything that she had. The rich were giving a nice sum, but only a small percentage of their worth. The woman had given, literally, every cent she possessed. And it was this poor widow woman who left the synagogue that day with Jesus’ favor.
Similarly, it has been my experience over 32 years of ministry, and observing churches of various denominations, that it is far more common for the lower income people to give a higher percentage of their income to the church than for members of more well-to-do congregations. It is not uncommon for people earning less than, say, $35,000/year to give as much as 20% to the church. But the percentage of giving from wealthier members is considerably less by and large.
For example, I served on a committee 20-25 years ago that looked into the giving of United Methodists. The results of that study indicated that United Methodists, on an average, give about 2% of their income to the church. 2%. Now, of course, there are some United Methodists who give much more than 2%; indeed, some United Methodists are tithers, and some go well beyond that even. But when you factor these generous givers into the equation, you can see that at least as many United Methodists have to be giving less than 2% in order to balance out the average.
This is in no way intended to be a political statement about the very popular and former two term president of the United States . . .okay . . . but I remember so clearly one year when President Regan filed his income taxes, he actually bragged about giving 1% of his income to charitable causes—1%. Now, with all the income that he earned, that 1% represented far more than I could ever afford to give, but bragging about 1%!?
The Bible sets a rather aggressive standard for giving toward ministry. The biblical standard is called a tithe—t-i-t-h-e—tithe. A tithe is the equivalent of 10%, and not just any 10%, but the first 10%. The ancient Hebrews referred to this as “first fruits” giving, which meant two things. 1—It meant that the 10% came off the top before any living expenses. If you earned $10,000 at the harvest, you gave $1,000 to the synagogue, then you received the rest for your personal needs. The 10% came first. 2—First fruits giving meant that you gave the best of your harvest, not the leftovers. If you raised apples, you have your tithe from your best apples. If you were a shepherd, you have from your best and most unblemished sheep. So, first fruits giving meant the first and best 10% went to God’s ministry.
Sounds harsh, doesn’t it? But what tithing did was to cause people to set priorities in their lives. And their first priority was God and God’s service. The rest of their needs and wants came from the 90% left over. 90%? Now that doesn’t sound as bad, does it? It might mean living more simply. It might mean driving Silverado rather than an Escalade. It might mean fishing from a 10 year old, beat up boat rather than from a fancy $50,000 bass boat. But, so . . . ? Who among us would not live better, perhaps, if we lived more simply? But the whole idea of tithing had to do with putting God first, and with learning to live, with thanksgiving, on the 90% left over.
Someone asked last Sunday if the 10% tithe was off net or gross. I don’t know. They didn’t have net and gross 3,000 years ago. Determining that is entirely between your conscience and God. But tithing is the Bible’s standard of what is fair and just in giving to God’s ministry.
As I said a moment ago, the study I was a part of found that United Methodists give on an average 2%. But what the study also determined was that IF United Methodists would give on an average just 5% to the church, we would have more money than we would know how to spend. 5%, half of a tithe, on the average.
To me, giving is one of the most sacred and holy activities in our lives. Jesus said that the resources at our disposal REALLY are not OURS. Jesus likened us to stewards who have been entrusted with GOD’S resources. Some have been entrusted with smaller portions; some have been entrusted with larger portions. But our money really isn’t OUR money. It is God’s money, God’s resources, which he has entrusted unto our care and management. And he wants us to invest them wisely according to his priorities and will.
Giving, then, to me, is an opportunity to exercise my faith in God’s ultimate goodness, and to give with gladness and gratitude in response to God’s faith in me, while believing that God will enable me to live fully and joyfully on what is left over. Giving provides me with an opportunity to learn how to live happily simply. It helps me to prioritize my life and to better see the world through the eyes of God. It causes me to understand what true happiness and fulfillment is all about, and how being a faithful steward in God’s behalf is where true happiness and fulfillment is found. Giving is an act of faith, believing God to supply us with what we really need so that I can be free to give God what HE really needs.
I don’t like to talk about money. I really don’t. I’m sweating in my boots up here right now. People don’t like to be told what to do with their money. I don’t. But then again, it’s not MY money; and if I confess to be a believer, then I ought to put my money where my mouth is.
So I am NOT going to talk about your money today. But I do intend to talk about spiritual matters, about spiritual maturity, about putting our faith in God’s ultimate goodness. And I intend to set the standard high PRECISELY BECAUSE I believe that God has high expectations for this church in terms of ministry and serving people and their needs. And I believe that God has high expectations and high faith in YOU—God loves you that much to trust you with all that God needs to accomplish his will.
So was James talking about you and me?
SWEET SUBMISSION
John Thomas
New Palestine UMC
November 1, 2009
James 4:7-10
((Bread’s Sweet Surrender))
Freedom. Freedom is one of the most cherished and desired commodities known to humanity. Everybody wants freedom. The only folks who DON’T want freedom are those who want to cling to power and keep everyone else oppressed and at their service. Oh, they want to be free, they just don’t want anyone else to be free. Dictators, despots, corrupt corporate executives, abusive husbands and fathers, racists, homophobes—these are the kinds of people who oppose freedom for fear of losing control of their own freedom.
But everybody, at some level, wants freedom.
My generation was known for its demanding for freedom. Not always with the best of intentions, and usually filled with unrealistic idealism and naivete, we grew our hair long, wore gaudy clothing, listened to loud music, and otherwise ran counter to the old fashion norms. I’m not sure what we were rebelling against, quite honestly; but we thought we needed more freedom to be and do what we wanted to be and do—as hopelessly misguided as some of our endeavors were.
Now, most of us have become so much like our parents that our own kids are rebelling and seeking their own freedom. Isn’t it amazing how history seems to repeat itself? Isn’t it remarkable how our minds have changed and our mores have settled back where we all began? Why is that?
Honestly, I think my generation finally lived long enough to determine that freedom is not the ultimate goal in life. Stay with me, now. I am not opposed to freedom in any way. I believe everyone deserves to be free from political and social oppression, and ought to have the right to self-determination. I am proud of those who have put, and continue to put, their lives on the line for the sake of freedom. But the older I become, the more I am convinced that in the final analysis, freedom, true and complete freedom, is impossible to attain.
In order to make my point clear, perhaps it should define the word freedom. My Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines freedom as, “the quality or state of being free.” Okay, so what does it mean to be free? Here is what the dictionary said, “Not controlled by others; independent; not restricted by conventional forms.” Essentially what I think we mean by freedom is that we don’t want anyone else telling us what we can or can’t do. We want to be free to make our own decisions, to determine our own destinies, to pursue our own goals.
There are freedoms from, and there are freedoms to. Freedoms from include freedom from oppression or tyranny, freedom from outside influences that would limit our choices, freedom from hierarchies and domineering. Freedoms to include freedom to pursue our own desires, freedom to go and do whatever we want to go and do, freedom to be our own bosses and determine our own way of life. And to my 1960’s ears, all of this sounds so wonderful and desirable—to be free from and free to. But, I’m telling you, we cannot ultimately be free.
As long as there are at least two humans on the face of the earth, there will never be complete freedom. Living in community necessarily puts limitations upon those within a community. Community requires do’s and don’ts in order to maintain order and peace. Community demands expectations from its participants, and mandates responsibilities. If just 2 people live in community, both of them cannot be the boss. And even if neither wants to be the boss, but desire to be free, respecting the other’s freedom puts limitations on mine, on what I can do or what I must do in order to make the other’s freedom possible.
It means that I can’t put limitations on the other person, which already has put limitations on me. Two or more of us cannot live together in total and unrestricted freedom. Freedom in community automatically puts restraints upon our relationships.
A group of us have been studying the book The Shack. There is a lengthy discussion about freedom in the book that sorts all this out very well. It says that God wants to live in community, in relationship with us. God loves us and created us for that very purpose, to live in community and relationship with us. And because of love, God gives us freedom—forced love is not true love—so God made us free to love or not to love. We are free to choose. But in making the choice to love or not to love, we put limitations upon ourselves and upon God. If we choose to love, that puts restrictions upon what we can or cannot do with our lives. In other words, if we choose to love, then we cannot hate. To choose to love eliminates hatred as an option; our choices have been limited; we are not completely free.
Likewise, if we choose not to love, that too puts limitations upon our lives. To not love limits how we can live in community with God and with one another, it puts us in competition with everyone else, and we limit God’s ability to relate to us in every matter of life. Choosing not to love is at least as restricting as choosing to love. Either way, however, our decision whether to love or not to love immediately reduces our freedom.
Even the rebels of my generation understood the fallacy of freedom. Janis Joplin had a mega-hit song which included the lyric, “Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose.” I think she may have been one of the first to realize that by striving for freedom she was limiting her options. Real and complete freedom can exist only if there were just one. And that isn’t going to happen.
The ancient story of the plight of the Hebrews is a classic case in point. For nearly 500 years, the Hebrews (the descendents of Abraham) had been enslaved in Egypt. For generations, they had no freedom and precious few rights, but lived for the purposes of Pharaoh. Eventually God raised up Moses to gain the Hebrew’s freedom, and they left the land of Egypt a free people at last. And they lived free and happy ever after. Right?
No! They had not been free hardly any time at all when they realized that they needed laws to maintain order. Moses became an arbitrator when trouble arose, as it always does when one person’s freedom interfered with another person’s freedom. Eventually the load became too great for Moses to handle and he had to appoint judges from among the people. Then came the 10 Commandments. Then came the tiresome book of Deuteronomy with its tens of thousands of laws. Freedom simply meant choosing which laws and authorities the people would be subject to.
This gets born out again when the Hebrews finally reached the Promised Land. Moses had turned the leadership over to the younger Joshua. Joshua was a godly man and a great leader. He also was most wise.
As he was about to lead the people into their new homeland, he sat everyone down and gave them a pep talk. Essentially, he gave the people a challenge regarding their freedom. You see, Joshua knew that there were competing religions with various gods and competing cultures. And he knew that these competing religions and cultures would be alluring. And he wanted his people to have freedom and to exercise their rights. But he also had a point to get across.
He talked about how the Lord had brought them out of slavery and had delivered them from various challenges as they roamed the barren wilderness of the Sinai. And he talked about how God had kept his promise to bring them to a place “flowing with milk and honey.” Then he gave them their freedom, or more correctly, he defined the real meaning of freedom. This is what he said, “Decide this day whom you will serve. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
Jesus understood the real definition of freedom when he challenged his followers to make a choice as to what priorities would dictate their lives. His precise words were, “No one can serve two masters, for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God AND (earthly pursuits).”
So while I don’t agree with Janis Joplin’s definition of freedom as nothing left to lose, I do believe that freedom ultimately is the freedom to choose which laws, or which obligations, or which relationships we will submit to.
James said, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into dejection. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” In other words, “Decide this day whom you will serve,” “for on one can serve two masters.”
We are created to live in community, and as such, complete freedom is an impossibility. But we do have the freedom to choose whom we shall serve, or to what values, ethics, and morality we shall abide by. We have the freedom to choose to love or not to love. We have the freedom to live in relationship with God or not. Be sure whichever choice we make, it comes with boundaries and limitations.
But let me encourage you to make the choice that Joshua made. For when you choose to submit yourselves to the Lord, it is then that you truly ARE SET FREE to live the lives for which you were created.
When I choose to honor my love for my wife, I put limitations upon my freedom precisely because of my love for my wife. And in our marriage vows I promised to forsake all others and to be devoted only to her. And I was glad to do that. That is the way of love. And because I embraced those limitations upon my freedom, I became free to experience a depth of love that otherwise is not possible. It was not my freedom that fulfilled my joy, but the limitations that my freedom demanded of me.
And likewise, you are free this day to choose whom you shall serve. That is your freedom. But be aware that whatever you choose for your life this day will place limitations upon you.
I truly hope that you will decide to serve the Lord rather than the pursuits of the world. I truly hope that you will choose to love rather than not to love. I truly hope that you will make the free choice to submit yourselves to God and Godliness, for that is the only way that you truly will be set free.
The Hebrews came to realize that freedom FROM slavery did NOT mean freedom TO DO whatever they wanted to do.
Nov 1 Sweet Submission
James 4:7-10 (no one can serve 2 masters
I'm givin' up myself to you but I didn't really lose at all
I gave the only love I've known and it never hurt me to fall
Now that it's done, so glad you won
I know our lives have only begun now
No more retreat, only my sweet surrender
DEVELOPING SPIRITUAL MATURITY: Yes It Can Be Done!
John Thomas
New Palestine UMC
October 25, 2990
James 3:13-18
Over the past several weeks, we have followed the letter of James from the Bible as he talked about spiritual maturity. He was writing to baby Christians, new converts, who were not well versed in matters of the soul or students of the ancient scriptures. In many ways, James’ audience was much like us. Some of his readers were more mature than others, perhaps, but they all were looking for a deeper understanding of what the Christian life is like, what it meant to be a follower of Jesus Christ. In other words, they wanted to know how to live out their faith faithfully. They wanted to grow, they wanted to become more mature in their faith and more Christ-like in their relationships with friends, family, and neighbors.
And we CAN grow. We can. It IS hard work. It does not occur in a vacuum. Spiritual growth is something that we must strive for; it is something that we must WANT in order for it to happen. WE must WORK for it. If we don’t desire it and strive for it, we don’t get it.
And yet, spiritual growth and maturity is a gift of God. The gifts of the Spirit are what lead to spiritual and emotional maturity. When we open our hearts to the cleansing presence of the Holy Spirit in an earnest desire to improve our spiritual lives, God comes and filters out the impurities in our souls, and replaces them with GOOD gifts. As James said, “Wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy.” Spiritual growth and maturity is a matter of filtering out the bad stuff in our hearts, and replacing it with good stuff from heaven.
Some of you were participants in the study of the book, The Shack. The book primarily deals with how people of faith deal with life’s tragedies. But it also has much to do with spiritual growth and maturity.
Mackenzie Phillips lost his little daughter to the hands of a serial child molester and killer. The unthinkable tragedy embittered Mack against God and his faith. He blamed both himself and God for his daughter’s horrible death—himself for not being there to protect her; God for not preventing this to happen to such a sweet and innocent child.
I understand how Mack could feel this way. The helplessness of such tragedies destroys our very core; it shakes the foundations of our faith and how we deal with the world and cope with bitter pain. These call everything that we have been taught and believe into question, and make us wonder what we have done to deserve such horrible punishment. That was how Mack felt, and that is how we feel when tragedy hits home. Some of you have been there, and you have had to rebuild your lives and your faith.
But Mack is drawn back to the cabin in the mountains where the killer apparently did his dastardly deed after receiving a letter from God requesting that he go there. And his encounter with God made Mack rethink and relearn his whole outlook on life and faith. The weekend at the shack was a time of filtering out Mack’s anger, pain, and guilt, and replacing such with love, forgiveness, mercy, and a fresh understanding of just who God is.
One of the passages of the book that really struck a chord with me has Mack talking to Jesus shortly after Mack’s return to the shack. Mack asks the question, “Now that I’m here, what am I supposed to do?” Jesus responded, “You’re not SUPPOSED to do ANYTHING. You’re free to do whatever you want.” Mack then says, “I suppose I ought to go back into the shack and talk to Papa (his wife’s name for God). Jesus replied, “Obligations won’t win you any points around here, Mack. Go because it is what you want to do.”
Spiritual maturity is first a matter of wanting to. Spiritual growth is the result of a genuine desire to grow closer to God. God does not, and will not, force himself upon us. He will not MAKE us do anything. That runs counter to the nature of God. Love means giving freedom, even when doing so may result in the one we love walking away from us. We are acutely aware that we cannot MAKE anyone love us; they have to want to first. And so it is with God. God cannot MAKE us love him, and WILL NOT MAKE us do anything that we don’t want to do—even when loving us so may result in us walking away from God and Godliness. But, if we really do want to grow closer to God, God is “o” so anxious to help that happen.
And maturation is NOT an easy process. In order to make room for maturity, we have to remove immaturity. And many of those immature things we cherish and have spent a lot of years and energy developing them. We LIKE to be the center of our universes. We LIKE things like fame, fortune, notoriety, achievement, success. We LIKE the affection and approval of others. We WANT to be # 1. And we all have our own unique understandings of what it means to be # 1, and we love all the things that go with success and notoriety. And without them, we are insecure and lost.
In other words, maturing spiritually is a difficult chore, and maybe even a painful chore. It may mean sacrificing many of the things that we value and the values that we treasure. But that may be precisely what we have to do to make room for the good gifts from above.
Jesus spoke to this when he said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves reassures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where you treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21)
We spend so much time and energy pursuing the things that deny us our spiritual maturity. If we would spend a similar amount of time and energy desiring and pursuing God’s spiritual gifts . . .
Jesus had an encounter with a successful young yuppie of town. He had been successful in his profession, and was a leading citizen and outstanding member of the local synagogue. He came to Jesus wanting to know if God was pleased with him for his life’s efforts. Jesus complimented the young man and then asked him if he really, really, wanted to please God. The young wealthy man said sure, he wanted to know. So Jesus told him to sell all of his possessions, give the proceeds to the poor, and them come and follow him. The story said that the young yuppie walked away sad, for he had many possessions.
Jesus was asking the young man exactly what Papa was asking Mack at the shack, and what God asks us on a daily basis: So just what is your heart’s treasure? What is it that you really, really want? Do you want the world’s approval? Or do you desire the things that neither moth nor rust can consume that come down from heaven? There simply is not room for both in our hearts. In order to mature spiritually, we WILL HAVE to make room. We cannot serve two masters, as Jesus noted. We cannot serve both the world’s values and the wholesome spiritual values.
Paul got in on the debate in the chapter we often call The Love Chapter (I Corinthians 13) when he wrote, “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways.”
He put away childish ways. In other words, he made room in his heart for ways that were more mature.
In Galatians Paul argued, “What the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh.” Then he goes on to list the “fruits of the flesh” as “fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealously, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these.” (Galatians 5:16-21)
In contrast to these things, then, Paul lists the “fruits of the spirit” as “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23) And these are exactly the qualities that James has been urging his readers to make room for in their hearts. Obviously there is not room in the same heart for love and jealously, or anger and kindness, or impurity and faithfulness, strife and gentleness, carousing and self-control. Rather, in order to accept the fruits of spiritual maturity, we must WANT to make room in our hearts; and to do that we may very well have to let God filter out the things that otherwise would get in the way.
And, friends, spiritual maturity is very much a process. It is a journey, as my generation might describe it. Or as John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, said, it is a moving on toward perfection. Spiritual maturity is not a one shot deal. We don’t just get zapped on day, and suddenly we have it. Rather, it is a process of maturation, a process of growing toward God and away from worldliness. And it requires hard work and intentionality. We have to WANT it, and want it MORE than we want what the world values. It takes PRACTICE to make perfect. And to reach higher levels of spiritual maturity, we MUST PRACTICE the gifts of God over the fruits of the flesh.
In order to become patient, we must practice patience. In order to become generous, we have to practice generosity. In order to become good at self-control, we have to practice self-control. In order to become loving, we have to practice love. In order to become mature in the things of God, we have to INCORPORATE them into our lifestyles, and LIVE BY THEM. Yes, it’s hard work; but it is “o” so worth the effort.
(I Peter 2:1-3)
“Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.”
(Galatians 3:13-18)
“Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, wiling to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hyprocrisy. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace.”
(John 13:35)
As Jesus said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
October 18th was al music Sunday with no sermon.
THE TONGUE BONE’S CONNECTED TO THE HEART BONE
John Thomas
New Palestine UMC
October 11, 2009
James 3:3-12
Some years ago, a fire broke out in a small community that quickly turned into a raging wildfire. Firefighting units were called in from all over the area to try to keep the fire from overtaking the town, but unless the source of the fire, a natural gas substation, were brought under control, it would be but a lost cause.
The fire was so hot that the responding firefighters were at a loss as to how to get near enough to the substation to try to put out the original fire. While the various fire officials tried to develop a game plan, a siren was heard approaching, coming down the highway from the hills to the west. A fire truck from a volunteer fire department from just over the hill appeared, heading toward the fire as fast as the old fire engine could rumble. It sped past the spectators; it zoomed through the police barricade and roared by the other fire units, still trying to get organized with a master plan. Finally, the old fire engine whined to a stop within a few yards of the gas substation, and began applying chemicals and water on the busted gas main. Within a few minutes the gushing gas fire was brought under control, and the other units quickly brought the rest of the fires under control.
A few weeks later, the community held a thanksgiving gala to express their appreciation to all the fire fighters who had helped to save their little town. The mayor thanked everyone, then gave a check to the chief of the volunteer fire department which had demonstrated such lack of fear as they courageously drove right into the middle of the fire and brought it all under control to come forward.
It was a small token of gratitude; after all, the little community had limited funds at its disposal. But the mayor proudly handed over a check for $500 to the chief and asked what the volunteer department might do with the money. The chief hesitated a moment, then, with a scowl on his face, replied, “Well, the first thing we are going to do is get the brakes on that darned fire engine fixed.”
You are familiar with the cute old song, “The foot bone’s connected to the shin bone; the shin bone’s connected to the thigh bone; the thigh bone’s connected to the hip bone . . .” and so on until you get to the head bone. Well, James, in today’s Bible reading, takes this song one step farther. Had James been familiar with this little ditty, I think he would have included the phrase, “The tongue bone’s connected to the heart bone.” And although neither the heart nor the tongue are made of bone, and although neither are directly connected physiologically, there is a direct correlation between what we harbor in our hearts and what comes out of our mouths.
The mouth is like a little child who can’t keep a secret. The mouth WILL betray us; it cannot keep the heart’s secrets. It WILL spill the beans. And truly, what comes out of the mouth does have its roots in the soils of our soul. The nature of our words does betray the nature of our hearts—for better or for worse—and so often for the worse.
James likens our tongues to wildfires and brackish wells, neither which serve the common good at all, but are dangerous to our welfare. You can’t survive wildfires, and you can’t drink water from salty wells.
Speaking of wildfires, have you been following the stories about the wildfires in California? Is that utterly amazing, or what! Thousands of acres of forests and grasslands have burned this year alone. Hundreds of homes have been lost to the raging infernos turning people’s lives into chaos. And sadly, several lives have been lost because of these out-of-control fires.
Once these fires get going, it is very difficult to get them under control and extinguished. The otherwise perfect weather in southern California makes fighting wildfires nearly impossible. Low humidity, warm temperatures, and little rain keep the grass and undergrowth of the forests tinder dry. Then, the dry Santa Anna winds acts as an accelerant and turns simple sparks into devastating fires.
Twice, Vicki and I have been to areas hit by wildfires, and the path these fires leave is down right scary—once at Yellowstone National Park, and the other near Lawton, Oklahoma. Everything in a fire’s way gets destroyed; everything—grass, trees, houses, cars, animal life, human life. A fire is no respecter of life or property.
But what’s more is that nearly every wildfire begins with a simple spark, a cigarette butt, the embers of a smoldering campfire, a lightning strike, the backfire of a car’s engine, or someone just playing with matches. Big fires begin as little fires, which begin as the smallest of sparks. Fires are proof that big problems grow from little origins.
And so it is with our tongues. One small phrase or word can destroy a lifetime of trust, and can permanently damage relationships. I really don’t need to say much about this. You know it’s true. You have had it done to you, most likely; and probably you have been the perpetrator, sometimes intentionally, sometimes unintentionally. But unfortunately our tongue bone is connected to our heart bone, and the tongue WILL eventually slip and betray the REAL stuff that smolders in our hearts, stuff that can even surprise US when we hear the words come tumbling out of our own mouths.
But once it is out, it’s out. We can try to take stuff back, we can try to minimize the damage, we can apologize all over ourselves. But the damage is already done.
(Story of girl, was notorious at badmouthing, old fence with hardwood posts, mother made girl put a nail into the post every time she said something bad, eventually girl got tired of driving nails and began to think before she uttered, mom suggested that girl could begin pulling nails out of the post every time she resisted the urge and when she said nice things, took a long time but eventually all nails out, mom showed her the scars left by nails, likened nail scars to words, girl learned her lesson)
I told you recently about my grandfather, who took forever to answer a question. When I asked him why, he said that if he first stopped and thought about the words he was going to use, he could say what he meant and thus never have to take any of his words back. And I think he was able to do that because he had a good heart and he wanted to say what was appropriate and helpful rather than hurtful and damaging. You can’t fix the nail holes in a fence post; you can’t stop a wildfire once it begins to rage; you can’t extract fresh water from brackish wells, in fact, you can’t use brackish water for anything.
Actually you can. On my first trip to Israel I learned that the Israeli have found a way to use small amounts of brackish water to fertilize certain crops. I don’t understand the process; but even without extracting the salt from brackish water, it can be used to nourish some plants. I don’t recommend trying it at home; these were trained professionals working under controlled conditions.
But for the most part, salt water is rather worthless unless you happen to be a squid, or some other salt water critter. For the rest of us, it is worthless at best, and even dangerous for our wellbeing. You can’t drink it. You can’t wash with it. You can’t give it to your animals. It kills plants and animals and humans. And James knew this 2,000 years ago because there were a lot of brackish wells, and precious few fresh water wells, in the holy lands in his day—and even to this day—because much of the holy lands are below sea level. James knew that you can’t extract fresh water from a brackish well, and was quite familiar with the destructive powers of brackish water.
Even today, there is a growing lack of clean drinking water all over the world. With the population of the world as large as it is, drinkable water is becoming a scarce resource. And while 70% of the world’s surface is water, about 90% of that water is salt water. As the old adage goes, “Water, water everywhere, and not a drop to drink.”
But there are new and emerging technologies that takes ocean water and desalinates it so that it can be used for potable purposes. Salt water CAN be turned into good water; but it has to go through a desalinization process first. It has to be converted.
And so it is with the heart and tongue. Pure words come from pure motives. Hurtful words come from impure motives. And just as it is nearly impossible to get fresh water from brackish wells, it is very difficult to get pure words from a brackish heart. Our words WILL betray us; they just will.
But thanks be to God, there IS a divine desalination process for our hearts. We refer to it as the Holy Spirit, the redeeming presence of God, who can come into our hearts and rid us of the saltiness of our souls and words.
Like the little girl in our story earlier, we too can learn to bridle our tongues. It may take time to get our hearts where we want them to be. But we can begin right now to withhold bad thoughts and to give voice to good thoughts—to put fewer nails into life’s fence post, and even begin to take some of them out. And we can do this as we allow the Holy Spirit to filter our hearts and minds, and to replace brackish thoughts and motives with pure ones like love, compassion, mercy, patience, empathy, understanding—of walking a mile in the moccasins of your neighbor, of practicing the Golden Rule. You remember the Golden Rule, don’t you? “Do unto others before they do unto you . . .” I mean, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
The Holy Spirit is a wonderful desalinator. God IS able to filter our hearts, and take out the pollution, and replace it with purer thoughts and motives. WE may not be able to repair all the damage that our words and actions have created, just like the nail holes in the fence post. BUT . . . God CAN repair our wounds and heal us of the things that cause us pain and drive our saltiness.
And it is a matter of letting God come into our lives and placing our hearts into his hands. Then, through prayer, Bible study, worship, service, and hard work, God CAN and WILL cleanse us and heal the wounds that give rise to salty language and behavior so that we CAN live lives of Godliness and speak words of love and encouragement.
It’s okay; you can trust God. Let the Holy Spirit come into your hearts and give you life.
THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS
John Thomas
New Palestine UMC
October 4, 2009
Luke 24:13-35.
Today happens to be one of the most precious days in the church’s yearly calendar. Do you know what day this is? Okay, so we’ve had it on the screen and it is printed on your bulletin. But in case you were distracted or missed getting a bulletin, today is what the church refers to as World Communion Sunday.
Honestly, World Communion Sunday is one of my favorite special Sundays of the year. On this special day, Christians all around the world from many various denominations celebrate our common heritage by serving communion in their churches. Sure, some churches serve communion every Sunday. Others, like ours, serve communion on a less frequent basis. But World Communion Sunday is the day when many Christian traditions agree to serve communion in a gesture of fraternalism and common bonds. This way, millions of us are taking communion together, just at different sites.
There are black Christians having communion with us today. There are Asian Christians having communion with us today. There are American Indian Christians celebrating communion with us today. There are Palestinian Christians, and African Christians, and Canadian Christians, and Latino Christians, and Polish Christians, and many other Christians of other ethnicities sharing in this world-wide communion service with us today.
And to me, it is such an honor to get to be a part of this special occasion. To think, Christians around the world WANT us to have communion with them this morning! We have the incredible privilege of breaking bread with some of the most special people on the face of the earth—people who put their very lives on the line every Sunday just to gather to worship—people who risk life and limb to speak up against oppression and political corruption—people who are executed just for having a Bible in their homes—people who really know what it means to share in the sufferings of Christ. And yet they deem US worthy to worship alongside them and receive communion with them this very morning.
I am almost overwhelmed by their grace and generosity. Truly I am humbled by their courage, and by their complete trust in God, and their Christ-inspired passion for justice.
World Communion Sunday—it gives us an opportunity to stand shoulder to shoulder with the most prolific saints on the face of the earth. And I have the unthinkable, and surely underserved, honor of serving you in their behalf.
So, what IS communion?
I turned to my very old and worn Merriam-Webster Dictionary and look up the word communion. Here is how it defined the term:
1—a sharing of something with others; 2—intimate fellowship or rapport; 3—a Christian sacrament in which bread and wine are partaken of as a commemoration of the death of Christ; 4—the act of receiving the sacrament; 5—a body of Christians having a common faith and discipline
(brief impromptu comments about each)
Communion is a sacrament, a specifically assigned activity that Jesus did himself and instructed his followers to do likewise. And as such, communion is a visible and tangible symbol of God’s saving activity in Jesus Christ. It is God’s gift to us to remind us of what he already has done for us in Jesus Christ. And it is God’s physical way of letting us know how much God loves us and that he claims us as his own. God WANTS us, and communion is God’s way of showing just how far He would go to MAKE us his own.
When Jesus led the first communion service with his friends, he did so on the last evening of his earthly life. And he served it with those he knew were fallible, just like us. In fact, he knew very well that everyone of those present would BETRAY AND DENY him that very evening. But his love prevailed, and he gave them a physical expression symbolizing his love for them, and thus for us.
(brief talk about the Passover and the communion elements)
The United Methodist Book of Discipline, in the section that records our doctrines and basic beliefs, says this about communion:
“We believe the Lord’s Supper is a representation of our redemption, a memorial of the sufferings and death of Christ, and a token of love and union which Christians have with Christ and with one another.” (UM BOOK OF DISCIPLINE, p.68)
Communion is God’s way of reminding us of his incredible love for us in a physical, tangible way; and it our way of displaying our acceptance of God’s love and celebrating God’s gift alongside others of God’s children. It is a physical manifestation, a representation, of love, mercy, and salvation.
(pastor who would take the communion elements that left over from communion, and walked the streets offering people communion—homeless people, prostitutes, drug dealers, police walking their beat, people out for their morning jog or power walk, people sitting on their front porches)
How awesome is that! God’s people, some of them the forgotten and undertrodden of God’s people, got to taste God’s love—and maybe for the first time they actually felt loved, lovable, and worth something to someone, to God.
THAT is what we are doing today. We get to share God’s gifts of bread and juice with the most beloved of God’s children, with those with whom Christ has a special affection.
And I want YOU to feel God’s presence in this serving of communion. I want YOU to know how much God loves you, and understand just how far God WENT to save you and prove his love for you. And I want YOU to believe and accept the great fact that communion stands for—YOU are loved and lovable; God deems you that way. And this bread and juice IS God’s way of telling you JUST THAT.
And of that I am completely and fully confident. Why? I KNOW God loves YOU; because I realize that God loves even me.
((I plan to use The Great Thanksgiving, pp 13-14 in the hymnal just to make the occasion a little more special (sacred) ))
SPIRITUAL GROWTH AND MATURITY: THE PRACTICE OF MERCY
John Thomas
New Palestine UMC
September 27, 2009
James 2, 1-4, 12-14
Song—Mercy, Mercy Me
Mercy.
Some of you may not know this, but I am tri-lingual. That’s right, I can speak 3 languages . . . fluently. I can. I can speak English, Hillbilly, and Factory Worker. I try to avoid the third one as much as possible—that doesn’t seem to go over very well at church for some reason. But if you ever need a word, or a colorful metaphor, well, never mind.
Actually, my mother’s family was quite adept at substituting acceptable words in the place of Factory Worker words. And the word mercy was one such substitute word. When something astonishing, or surprising, or tragic would happen, whereas some folks might say, Wow (in English), or Golly-gee-whillikers in Hillbilly, or (BLEEP) (in Factory Worker), my ancestors on my mother’s side would say . . . MERCY.
Mercy, that was the word they used when they really did not know what else to say. And until recently I just assumed that “mercy” was just a word, a fitting and publicly acceptable by-word. And, of course, we all know what happens when we assume . . . yes, we often are wrong. What? What did you think I was going to say? Not in church! Any way . . .
It was only recently that the wisdom and theology of the by-word “mercy” finally sank through my thick skull. I was watching the news just a month ago or so. Three men were fishing off the Texas coast in the Gulf of Mexico. They spent the night on the water, which I think would be a cool thing to do. But one of the men was awakened in the middle of the night by an odd sound, which turned out to be water overtaking their fishing boat. Quickly, he summoned his friends and grabbed a small container of drinking water, and into the Gulf the three men went.
For something like 6 or 8 days, these three men clung to their overturned boat, while baking in the sun and being stung by jellyfish. A couple of times, they saw rescue helicopters searching for them in the distance, but the search teams did not see them. Eventually, the search was called off. Finally, a man on a passing boat saw something irregular on the horizon in the water. Aware of the missing boat and men, he had his boat change course to chase the dot in the water. What hesaw was the partially sunk and overturned boat, and all three fishermen were rescued at long last.
They interviewed the fishermen on the news, and their story literally brought a tear to my eyes. These men, who were hopelessly lost, were found alive, and would return to their astonished loved-ones. And I heard my voice whisper, “Mercy!”
Then it hit me. Of course! Mercy! That is exactly what this was. It was an act of mercy. And then it occurred to me just how purposefully my ancestors used the word “mercy” when something bad happened. They were, in a very real sense, praying. They were praying for mercy. They weren’t just substituting a nice word for a bad word. They really meant what they were saying. They were responding to a difficult situation with the best wish they could hope for—mercy, God’s mercy—the one and only thing that, sometimes, can save us or sustain us.
In similar fashion, any time John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, encountered a tragic situation, or came across folks whom we might consider disadvantaged, or homeless, or desperate, Wesley was known to say, “But by the grace of God go I.” It was his way of identifying with the pain and suffering of others, rather than putting himself on a higher plain.
I can’t help but think that Marvin Gaye had this in mind when he recorded his hit song in the 60’s. He was writing about social injustice and his displeasure of sending innocent American soldiers into the slaughter fields of Southeast Asia for no apparent reason. And when he looked upon the tragedies of those difficult years his heart was torn and his soul cried out, “Mercy, mercy me.” Lord, have pity on us and grant us mercy.
Jesus was endeared to the concept, as well as to the word mercy. In the passage we sometimes call The Beatitudes, Jesus is quoted to say, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” In another place, he advised us to “be merciful, as your Father in heaven is merciful.”
Then there is his story about a sinner who went to a synagogue to be with God, but who, upon entering the back of the sanctuary, felt the presence of God and fell on his face, daring not to look up even toward heaven, and wept, and repeatedly appealed, “God, forgive me, for I am a sinner.”
Then Jesus said that the rabbi of the synagogue happened by at about this time to offer his sacrifice at the altar, and saw this obvious sinner carrying on as he was. The rabbi stepped over this poor sinner, made his way down the center aisle all the way down to the altar, and unlike the sinner, he raised his eyes toward heaven and prayed, “I thank thee, O God, that I am not like that sinner over there.” When Jesus finished the story he looked upon his listeners and said, “Which do you think left the synagogue that day justified in the eyes of God? Now, go and learn what this means: I desire mercy, not sacrifice.”
So, I went to my Greek dictionaries and did some study of the various usages of the word mercy in the New Testament. What I learned is that the word mercy carries a lot of different connotations which makes mercy a deep and broad term, rich in meaning and full of significance. It is a beautiful word, and it is no surprise that it held a special place in the heart and life of Jesus—just as it should hold a special place in our hearts and lives.
Mercy—among its nuances are: kindness, empathy, sympathetic, desiring goodness and justice . . . to the point that we can’t help but be helpful rather than being judgmental or arrogant; deeming the worth of the person rather than their lot in life. It means, basically, seeing people and things through the eyes and heart of God. It means asking ourselves, if we were to find ourselves in other people’s circumstances, how would we hope others would treat us, and then doing that very thing.
True religion, true faith, has very little to do with rules and rituals, commandments and sacrifices. It has nothing to do with bricks and mortar, or even theological biases. TRUE religion, TRUE faith has EVERYTHING to do with the heart—love, kindness, sympathy, empathy, genuine hospitality, forgiveness, hope, justice, mercy. It means to have a bleeding heart, to be moved to tears by the things that make God cry. TRUE faith is generous precisely because that is God’s way, and we are moved by the things that move God, and we love by the very love and heart of God.
Where to you see mercy in practice? when a mother kisses her daughter’s skinned knee? when a child rescues an abandoned kitten and nurses it back to health? when a man passes by a woman freezing in the rain at a bus stop and gives her the coat off his back, knowing he will never see the coat again? when a homeless man gives away a blanket to another homeless man because he already has one?
(story of prof. in Puerto Rico)
Basically, my professor was saying, but by the grace of God go I. Actually he was saying, prior to the grace of God I went.
What do you do when you see a beggar on the street corner? Do you cross over to the other side so you don’t have to deal with the dirty, stinky fellow? Do you rush past him, muttering under your breath, “Get up, you lazy bum, and get a life.” Do you think, “Sure I’d like to help. But I only have a $20. Maybe I can give him a dollar later after I’ve broken my $20.
(funny homeless guy in San Fransico)
How is this for a definition of mercy? “Mercy is unmerited favor from God himself to an erring people who can do nothing to earn it except to hold out their hands.”
I learned the definition of mercy from someone very dear to our Director of Worship and Music. It was her father, Rev. Glen Beck, during a sermon I heard him preach, define what it means to be a Christian as “one thirsty beggar helping another thirsty beggar where to get a drink of water.” But by the grace of God go I.
A mother was cleaning out the pockets of her 6 year old daughter’s winter coat, when she found a pair of mittens in both pockets. At first, Mom thought that maybe one pair was not warm enough to keep her daughter’s hands warm, so she asked her why there were 2 pairs of mittens in the coat. To Mom’s surprise, the little girl replied, “I’ve been doing this for along time, Mom. You see, some kids come to school without mittens and if I carry another pair, I can share with them and then their hands won’t get cold.”
(Poem, Chicken Soup for the Soul, #4, p.76)
DON’T PASS ME BY
He walked with eyes lowered, head to the ground.
When he saw me, he spoke, and I took in his sight.
He was scruffy and raggedy
in his eyes was no light.
He said, “Ma’am, I’m hungry.”
He was very polite.
I said to him softly, “No money have I,
but I’ll buy you some food with these food stamps of mine.”
We walked on in silence, this homeless old man,
and he said, “Give me your number—
I’ll pay you back when I can.”
I looked in his eyes, where hopelessness lay,
and I said, “Never mid. I don’t want you to pay.”
As we walked down the aisles of the grocery store,
like a child he picked something, then asked for some more.
I gladly told him to fill all his needs,
because in my lifetime, I’ve done some bad deeds.
I’ll never forget him, as he went on his way,
because he gave me something I can never repay.
He gave me a chance to give what I could,
a chance to show love to the misunderstood—
a chance to feed someone when no one else would—
a chance to be special, a chance to be good.
I’ll ever be grateful to the stranger in rags,
for showing me Love in a few grocery bags,
for letting me be the one who had more,
for letting me answer his knock at my door.
You see, I’m no angel, though I’ve wanted to be.
I’ve hurt many people by just being me,
and this man, this stranger, who did not pass me by,
set free for an instant an angel to fly.
I want to suggest that the activity of mercy is a sign of a higher walk of faith and maturity. It takes a mature person to be merciful rather than judgmental or cold-hearted. Merciful people understand but by the grace of God go they. And they understand that God’s mercy compels us to be merciful, that God’s love, which fills our hearts, compels us to love. And so they are merciful precisely because that is their heart; and it is their heart precisely because their heart is God’s heart.
Be merciful, for God is mercy.
SPIRITUAL GROWTH AND MATURITY: THE SOUNDS OF SILENCE
John Thomas
New Palestine UMC
September 6, 2009
James 1:19-22, 26-27.
One of the great thrills of the summer for Vicki and me came in the form of a gift from our middle son and his wife. They somehow had come into possession of two good seats for a concert by Art Garfunkel and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra.
Oh, how wonderful! He sang a mixture of new pieces, works of other artists, and, of course, a dozen of the hits that he and Paul Simon recorded in the days of Simon and Garfunkel. One of the great old tunes that struck a special chord with me was the song, “The Sounds of Silence.”
To me, silence is one of the sweetest sounds in all of creation. It is amazing just what all you can hear when it is silent. That almost is an oxymoron, I realize, but not really.
In this age of noise pollution, we seldom ever get to experience silence. Some folks have even become afraid of silence, for whatever reason. I suppose the noise keeps our minds occupied or distracted so that we won’t dwell on the stuff that otherwise might haunt us. Many of us have TV’s in just about every room of our houses, including our bedrooms; we do. And many of us have become so accustomed to cluttersome noise that we cannot go to sleep unless the TV is on. Maybe the noise helps us to avoid thinking about tomorrow’s responsibilities. Maybe the noise so overloads our minds that we fall asleep to escape the noise.
But silence truly is a gift, and it can tell us some wonderful things if we only will listen.
This is one of the things that I really enjoy about fishing. I LOVE to be on a lake early in the morning at just about sunrise. It is so quiet. You can listen and hear nature waking up from its nightly slumber. Deer will sometimes dare to step out of the forest to lap some water before beginning their daily forage. Squirrels chatter and leap from limb to limb in freedom’s wonder. The fish leap from the water in an apparent attempt to thank creation for another beautiful day. The birds begin to sing their songs of praise.
It truly is amazing what you can hear when silence speaks.
Even the Bible affirms the value of silence. In one passage, the Bible asks a series of rhetorical questions about how to hear God’s voice. It asks if it is God speaking in the peals of thunder, or the shuttering of an earthquake, or in the roar of a mighty flood. No, is the answer. Rather, the voice of God is heard in silence in the form of a still, small voice, one that we will miss if all we subject ourselves to is noise and clutter.
The sounds of silence, the voice of the Lord; it is amazing what you can hear in the midst of silence.
Silence also is a sign of maturity, when it comes to spiritual living.
I love the words of today’s scripture lesson. “You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness.”
My grandfather was a master of this discipline. And he had every right not to be. He had fought in some of the bloodiest campaigns in World War I, and had served as a guard at a prison with the old chain gangs. He had seen and done things that could embitter even the strongest of men. But he truly had become a master of his tongue, and was, indeed, slow to speak and slow to anger, almost to a fault.
Any time you would ask my grandfather a question, he would pause for the longest time before answering. And just when you thought he either had not heard the question or did not intend to answer, he would give you a perfectly clear and precise answer. I thought this rather odd, so I asked him one time, “Papaw, why do you take so long to answer questions?”
He paused, of course . . . And just as I was about to give up and go play, he said, “I like to take my time before I give answer. That way, I never have to take anything back.” Good answer! And wise words!
“Let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness. Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.”
I’ll admit, I have trouble with practicing my grandfather’s wisdom sometimes. Especially when someone is being threatening, or doing or saying things that I consider out of line, I have trouble biding my time and biting my tongue. And, you know, there are times when it is appropriate to confront people and to state very plainly what you have to say. But most of the time, it is best for us to listen and to try to understand, rather than jump to conclusions and speak only to make matters worse.
They even tried to teach us this in counseling classes in seminary. The effective counselor is one who listens, and speaks primarily to clarify and to confirm what the counselee is saying. A good counselor is one who is quick to listen and slow to speak, and who does not judge or become offended by what the counselee is saying. Nor do they try to fix the problem, but allow the counselee to express and reflect in such a way that he or she can find their own solution. Little did I realize that what my profs were trying to teach me was wholesome biblical wisdom relevant for everyday living.
“Let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness.”
I don’t remember much of the details of what my prof said in those classes, but there were two adages he spoke that have stuck with me all these years. 1—He said, “If you can’t help, don’t hurt,” again, wholesome biblical wisdom relevant for everyday living.
How often do we snap to conclusions, or let our mouths blubber out unthought words that are more harmful than if we had kept our mouths shut? Just because someone is angry toward us does not mean that they are wrong. And if they ARE wrong in some details, it will serve us well to hear folks out, rather than lay them out, and then compassionately address the misinformation. Raising our voice seldom accomplishes anything good.
We learned this raising our kids. If we raised our voices or yelled at the kids, they became defensive, and the whole episode would only escalate. But if we could gain control over ourselves, and approach them with diminishing volume, they would calm down and actually listen to us—most of the time.
Verbal attacks only put people on the defensive, and the disagreement only becomes inflated.
I was notorious, as a parent, for asking the “why” question. But the “why” question only made my oldest son defensive. (My encounter with Brian in the kitchen) By lowering my voice and asking factual questions, not only did I gain insight into my son’s thinking, he was willing to listen to and appreciate my reasoning, and we never had that problem again.
“Let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness. Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.”
It requires maturity to respond to harshness or anger with silence. But the sounds of silence are powerful when our silence is tempered with a loving and compassionate heart. This passage is not encouraging us to clam up and pout. That often is just as bad as blurting out hurtful stuff. Rather, what the passage is encouraging us to do is to SLOW DOWN. Be slow to speak. Be slow to anger. But James also is encouraging us to SPEED UP, to be QUICK to listen, and practice patience, kindness, compassion—the kind of response we would hope to receive if we had a bone to pick.
Be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger. In other words, be true to our physical being. Really! What do I mean by that—be true to our physical being? Take a look at yourselves in a mirror when you get home today, and let your body instruct you on how you are to relate to others. What you will discover is that you have 2 ears and only 1 mouth. What does that suggest about how we spend our time relating to others?
And it can be done. We CAN grow in our spiritual maturity, and gain control over our tongues and our attitudes. We can. And we do that by letting the Spirit of God to dwell in our hearts, and replace our rancor with peace and self-confidence.
I truly believe that we CAN grow spiritually and learn to tame the tongue, as James’ passage puts it. Rather than shoot first and talk later, we CAN learn to LISTEN first, then shoot later, I mean, shoot our mouths off later, I mean, talk after we learn what the issue is all about. How can we respond appropriately and helpfully until we learn what the issue is all about? And we can learn to ask questions to clarify things—not the “why” question or those that might illicit defensiveness—but factual questions and reflective questions that help both us and the other person become more clear about what is going on.
It is an act of maturity to learn how to put a sock in it. Mature people don’t feel the need to be defensive, but feel more of a need to listen to others and help them resolve any issues that might be at hand. Most of the time, people just need to vent, they just need to let things out, and don’t want us to solve anything. They just want us to listen. And even if there is an issue between them and us, it is much better to let others speak while we listen carefully—like I said earlier, just because someone is mad at us doesn’t mean they are wrong. By listening, we just might learn something that WE need to learn. And it is only AFTER we have heard someone out that we best will be able to respond.
Humbleness, compassion, an earnest desire to help and not hurt—these are the qualities that support a sensible silence. And we learn to be humble, compassionate, and desire to be helpful through the abiding word of God, which we learn through reading the Bible and incorporate its teachings into our hearts. But most of all, we become spiritually mature as we learn to TRUST GOD, and to trust God’s promises, such as he really, really does love us, and counts us worthy of his love. WE ARE OKAY IN GOD’S SIGHT; and as we learn to trust that most basic fact of life, we can become more self-confident, less defensive, and better able to bridle the tongue and to make listening a therapeutic instrument for ourselves and others.
FACING TEMPTATIONS: The Devil Made Me Do It
John Thomas
New Palestine UMC
August 30, 2009
James 1:2-5, 12-18
Flip Wilson was one of my favorite comedians of years past. He played the parts of several characters as a part of his act. One of my favorites was Geraldine.
Geraldine was a confident, swinging temptress, who wore a short skirt, blonde wig, and a pearl necklace. And she was always talking about her favorite place in her favorite nightclub—the booth, in the back, in corner, in the dark, ooh. She also defended some of her more risqué behavior with a familiar slogan that many people cling to when they fall short. Do you remember what her excuse always was?
“Da Devil made me do it, honey, ooh.”
Ours is a society of excuses when it comes to our moral shortcomings.
Family Circle cartoon—“Not Me”
Brian—Casper
I’m only human
A moment of weakness
A character flaw
The dog ate it
Someone must have stolen it
“It’s not my fault”
YES IT IS! WE, and only we are responsible for our words and actions. Oh, we do come up with persuasive, and not-so-persuasive excuses. But the truth is, WE ARE responsible for our own words and deeds.
I have a bumper sticker that I keep in my files that says, “Yes, Lord, I have sinned; but I have several good excuses.” But isn’t that just like our society today?
Our society is a blame society. People today are quick to point fingers at everything and everyone else but ourselves. “I’m only human; my upbringing was insufficient; everyone else is doing it; I had a moment of weakness; the devil made me do it”—we tend to play the blame game when we fall into temptation. Somewhere between my parents’ generation and today’s generation we lost the concept of taking responsibility for ourselves. If I do something wrong, I have no one else to blame but myself.
And yes, I do have some very handy excuses—my home life was very dysfunctional, my father set a terrible example of what it means to be a man, I am afraid of conflict, I want people to like me, I am naturally introverted, I am an Appalacian American, I have a Thomas temper, hillbillies are notoriously independent (stubborn), I am a child of the 60’s, I grew up in a small, closed-minded, racist community . . . oh, I could go on and on. But the truth is, it is NOT my parents’ fault when I sin; it is NOT my heritage’s fault when I sin; it is NOT my personality type’s fault when I sin. It is MY fault. I must assume and accept the responsibility and consequences of my own words and actions—even if I DO have several good excuses.
I once heard an argument between two young women. Mary was in tears and cried, “What you just said hurt me.” Betty replied angrily, “Oh yeah? Well, what you said to me yesterday hurt me,” as if that excused her irresponsible behavior today. Mary may well have been out of line yesterday, but that does not excuse Betty for her irresponsibility today.
You’ve heard it said, two wrongs do not make a right. It only makes two wrongs; and the second wrong only brings that person down to the level of the first offender. A wrong is a wrong is a wrong. A sin is a sin is a sin. And it is no one else’s fault when we sin or give in to temptation. It is no one’s fault but our own.
And assuming responsibility for ourselves, simply put, is a matter of maturity.
Remember what James said, “you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be MATURE and complete, lacking in (no positive spiritual matter). I truly believe that as we accept responsibility for ourselves, we become more mature, which means that we become better able to exercise self-control and self-discipline, and the less we will do or say the things that are hurtful and sinful. I believe accepting responsibility for ourselves makes us more determined to be more disciplined and more mature. And as we mature and become more self-disciplined, the stronger our endurance to withstand trials and temptations becomes.
Daily, hourly, by the minute, we have to make decisions about right and wrong, good and bad, righteousness and sin. Some of these decisions are subtle and seem harmless enough. Others are clearly matters of the Ten Commandments and might be considered big sins. But we are faced with trials and temptations all the time.
Do I have that second helping of ice cream or not? Do I have ice cream or not? Will I spend my money or this or that frill? Will I play a computer game or do my work? But I’d really like to call in sick today and go play a round of golf (minister—skipped church, angels decided to punish minister, got hole in one, “but who can he tell?”)
Will I return a look to the hotty sitting over there giving me the eye? Will I be able to keep my mouth shut when my betrayer shows up? Maybe I’ll take that under the table bribe in exchange for favoritism just this one time. I know I’m running late for dinner with my family, but the casino is just a couple of miles out of the way; I won’t be long. It that idiot cuts me off in traffic just one more time, I’ll . . .
Where does it stop? What will we allow ourselves to do, or risk getting away with. After all, we have several good excuses should we get caught, or if we fall to temptation. (I have a sign on my office door that says this very well, “How much sin can I get away with and still go to heaven?”)
Simply put, the more we give in to temptation, the easier it becomes to give in, and the easier it becomes to make excuses. And if we are undisciplined in the smallest of matters, what makes us think that we can deny ourselves the greater temptations? There are no good excuses for sin, no matter how small. And even the smallest of sins diminishes our character and our resolve. We become less disciplined and less mature.
But, we are only human, right? No. We are human, but we are responsible for ourselves. We are human, but that is no excuse for making the wrong decision or doing or saying the wrong thing. In fact, the Bible says that we have no excuse for falling to temptation.
Paul wrote, “No temptation has come upon you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the temptation will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.”
Darn it! There goes our every excuse! It says it right there, there are no temptations stronger than we are, and God supplies us a way out every time. I just wish God didn’t have such high of a faith in me sometimes. It’s HARD to resist temptations sometimes. IT IS! But Paul pretty well makes it clear that it is MY problem, MY fault, when I sin; that there ARE other options that I might consider, options that are more in line with God and Godliness.
NOTHING TEMPTS US . . . BUT OURSELVES. Oh, there are some REALLY tempting things out there. I know; I’m as human as anyone here. But let’s face it, folks, giving in to temptation requires US giving in to temptation. NOTHING is tempting unless WE want whatever it is—whether it is lust, or addictions, or gluttony, or revenge—temptation is only as strong as we make it to be. And the more we give in to temptation, the less strong becomes our will to resist it. It is OUR fault, no one elses.
That’s exactly what James told us. “No one, when tempted, should say, ‘I am being tempted by God (or I would add the devil or anyone else), for God canot be tempted by evil and he himself tempts on one. But one is tempted by one’s own desire, being lured and enticed by it. Then, when that desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and that sin, when it is fully grown, gives birth to death.” WE are responsible for our own sins. WE are responsible for our own weaknesses and the death our weaknesses bear.
BUT, as Paul said, with every temptation, God is there with us, and will give us a way out. He will give us alternatives. There always are alternatives, if we will look for them and give them a chance. Temptation is strong; but God is stronger, and has made US stronger than our temptations. And we CAN resist temptations. And as we do, our strength grows, our resolve strengthens, our endurance is enhanced, and our faith is fortified. We grow in maturity. We grow in faith. We grow closer to God and Godliness. We become the people that God created us to be.
I almost feel like I need to apologize to you this morning. I have written and rewritten this sermon several times. And each time it sounded like I was lecturing you. I really don’t want to do that. That is not my style. And I am as prone to sinning as anyone here. But what I am trying to do is to point out the importance of growing spiritually and of the benefits of working hard at pursuing Godliness. Sin hurts. It hurts the sinner and the one sinned against. Sin diminishes us as people and separates us from what is good and right. Sin weakens us and makes us even more vulnerable to temptation.
But there IS an alternative. There ALWAYS is, so says the Bible. And that alternative is to choose to do what is right and just and Godly, which, in turn, makes us stronger and more mature. And Godliness grows in a snowball effect just as temptation and sin do. The more you practice Godliness, the more natural Godliness becomes and the more victorious our lives become and the more Godly joy our lives take on.
Do you know how we came to be known as Methodists?
-John Wesley
--strict discipline in his life
--taught his students such discipline
--methodical = Methodists
Why? To give no room for the devil, uh, I mean, to give no room for temptations and to make room for discipline, self-control, and Godliness.
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