April 22, 2018          The Good Shepherd                                      

A few years ago I purchased a young adult bible study by Adam Hamilton entitled, “When Christians Get it Wrong”. In the study, there were eight different areas in which people’s political values had corrupted their Christian faith. In these eight studies, he provided examples of how some Christians misuse God’s name for their own profit. Claiming that their business or politics are more Christian than others. How some Christians use God’s name to condemn people of other nations or races. Claiming that only a certain type of people are good Christians. How some Christians use God’s name to justify not taking care of creation. Claiming that God gave us the earth for us to use up in any way we see fit, rather than to care for creation. How some Christian use God’s name to justify violence in society. Claiming that certain people, living in certain places, deserve what happens to them. How some Christians use God’s name to justify poverty. Claiming that those who are poor are lazy or sinful, and don’t deserve our help.

Rev. Hamilton says that it is this kind of corruption of Christianity that drives people, specifically younger people away from the church. He says that when churches adopt these attitudes, the church spends more and more of it’s time, not in mission and ministry, but in maintaining itself, and trying to keep itself quiet, peaceful, and in good order. Finally, he claims that the more churches live like this, the less of an impact they have on people’s lives, either those outside the church or within.

I remembered this young adult study this week because of our reading from the Acts of the Apostles this week. This morning Peter is on trial for healing a sick man in the name of Jesus Christ, whom the priests and leaders of Judaism had condemned as a blasphemer. Throughout Jesus ministry, we have seen the priests lack of power to drive out demons, heal the sick, or to change the lives of sinners. They have become that safe, quiet, orderly, kind of church, that no longer has the power to change people’s lives – and so when Peter comes preaching the name of Jesus, they have him arrested, hold a quick trial, and plan to run him out of the temple as fast as they can.

But of course, Peter testifies to the power of Christ, the power of the one willing to lay down his life, to be rejected by the corrupt priests, and in so doing, has become the one who can make a difference, and can change the world and people’s lives. For what Jesus has, that the priests and the temple lacks is love – not flowery words of love without action, but words of love that are backed up by acts of love, in which people are willing to lay down their lives for one another. This is the kind of love that we find in our reading from the epistle of John this morning.

18. Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. 19. And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him …. 21. Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; 22. and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him.

In short, if we have that same love that Christ Jesus had for us, and we are moved to love not just in words but in actions, God will give us what we ask for, for what we will ask for is God’s love to be made known in our lives.  

Which brings us to our good shepherd reading. I have often heard people speak about Jesus our good shepherd, and sometimes I have heard people say that the pastor should be our good shepherd for the congregation – which is indeed true, but this passage is about more than Jesus or the pastor, Jesus is setting an example for his disciples to be good shepherds. Yes, that’s right, Jesus calls each of you to be good shepherds!

And because you all have a heart, and have the example of our good shepherd Jesus Christ, you have the ability to be good shepherds to all you meet. You can listen to a friend who has a problem, you can help out at a food pantry, you can help out with a church dinner, you can visit the sick, take meals to shut-ins, pack food for the starving, collect cans for the good Samaritan fund, and on and on. But most of all, as followers of Jesus Christ we are looking for ways to lay down our lives, to suffer ourselves in love for one another. Now this suffering is not random or pointless, but has a specific purpose to show forth God's love in our lives. I believe that this is what Jesus meant when he says he chose to lay down his life, and to pick it up again. We are called to recognize and intentionally choose to lay down our life to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

On Saturday, the Sandwich/Somonauk Clergy held a peace vigil service. When it came my time to speak, one of the thoughts I shared, was that in this current time of darkness, where violence, prejudice, corruption, racism and sexism, seem to fill our daily news programs, that this is a time when the message of the gospel should shine out all the more brightly, and bring good news to those who live in fear. And so I encouraged those who attended, and I encourage you to share this gospel in your daily life and love of one another! 

April 8, 2018                   Be Believing                                                

         This morning our John’s gospel tells us a story of the disciples on that first Easter evening and week. And while we celebrate Easter with joyful worship services, that was the last thing the disciples were doing.

         The disciples had locked themselves behind closed doors. They were afraid, Jesus had been crucified, and they were afraid that the Jewish leaders, and the Roman authorities would hunt down his disciples next. And to make matters worse, the women of their group had come to them with strange stories of Jesus being gone from the tomb. For as of yet, they did not believe their statements about his being risen.

         Yes, rather than joyously celebrating his resurrection, his disciples, the earliest of the early church were locked in a room, fearing for their lives, the gospel message silent, and them going nowhere. And the Risen Christ comes to them on that first Easter evening and gives them four statements that get the early church going!

The first thing Jesus says to them, is “Peace be with you!” In the midst of this fearful gathering he tells them to have peace. He shows them his hands and his side, he shows them that it is truly him, and that he has risen from the dead. In doing this he shows them that death no longer has power over him, – and so they need not be paralyzed by fear, afraid of the Jews or the Romans, for through faith in the resurrected Christ, they no longer need to fear death.  

Have Peace in Christ, is the first of these four statements for the early church, and for our churches today. In a world filled with hostility, anxiousness, alienation, violence, war and greed. Through the peace that Jesus resurrection gives to us, we can go forth to minister in this world without fear, we are freed to go forth into this world and proclaim the gospel of God’s love, which overcomes all these worldly powers.

The second thing Jesus says is “As the father has sent me, I send you.” This is Jesus commission to the early church. Jesus now sends them into world, just as he was sent, to proclaim God’s love that seeks to save us from these powers of sin and death, and to call others to join them in seeking God’s kingdom in our lives together.  

In my grandmother’s Evangelical catechism, published in 1906, the answer to the first question about what is the purpose of those who follow Jesus Christ. The answer had two parts. Give glory to God, and win new followers to Christ. In later printings of the Catechism, winning new followers to Christ, has been left out. And I wonder if that wasn’t a mistake, because being sent is who we are as followers of Christ – and if we don’t realize this, than religion becomes all about our personal salvation, rather than the salvation of the world.

         The third statement Jesus makes is, “Receive the Holy Spirit”. Jesus then breathes upon them the breath of God. It is this spirit that fills them with strength to go forth into the world and proclaim the gospel message.

         As I think of this statement, I think about Moses before the burning bush, asking God how he can make a difference in the face of Pharoah, and God tells him, not to worry, for God will go with him. And that is what Jesus promises to the disciples and to all of us who follow him. That God will be with us, in the form of the Holy Spirit, to both protect us, and to give us the strength we need to do the things that Jesus did. And so, Jesus doesn’t just send us into the world, but promises his presence in the form of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus final statement to the disciples as this meeting is this, “If you forgive sins, they are forgiven, if you refuse to forgive they are retained.” In the gospel of John, proclaiming God’s forgiveness in Jesus Christ is the work of his disciples. Over and over, the disciples have seen Jesus forgive sins, to overcome, blindness and illness, to call sinners to repentance, and to restore people to community. They have seen how the Jewish legal system of refusing forgiveness has oppressed and separated the people. And now they are called to do this work. And so are we.

Our world today has the same legalists and moralists. We have state and federal governments who administer the law. The world does not practice forgiveness. Nations are unforgiving, and Families are unforgiving. It is only through God’s forgiveness, that oppression and division ends, that sin and death are overcome. And this is not just blanket forgiveness, but the announcement of God’s forgiveness in Jesus Christ, those who accept it are forgiven and lead new lives, those who do not accept it, for themselves or for others, condemn themselves.

         And so on this first Easter evening, and on the following Sunday, Jesus comes to a fearful and silent church, and gives them these instructions. Have Peace through Christ, You are sent into the world, You will receive the Holy Spirit, and do the work of forgiveness that heals and overcomes the powers of sin and death. With these instructions, the church went forth into the world, and spread around the globe. And we are called as followers of Jesus Christ, to heed these instructions as well, so that we may be filled with the Holy Spirit, and continue to spread the gospel to all the world. Amen. 

Easter Sunday 2018            They told No One?                                                                 

So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone for they were afraid.

                                                                                        Mark 16:8

Every Easter I try to take a fresh look at the Easter passages I preach on, and this year I chose this verse from Mark 16:8. This verse, was the original ending of the gospel of Mark. Mark begin his gospel with the Euangellion – greek for the announcement of God’s victory over the powers of sin and death in Jesus Christ. And then Mark concludes his gospel with saying that the women said nothing to anyone for they were afraid. Really?

To understand why Mark ends his gospel this way, one must look at the whole of his gospel, and recognize a recurring theme. In Mark’s gospel Jesus heals the sick, drives out demons, cleanses lepers, and works a variety of miracles, yet, after each of these occurances, Jesus tells those he has healed and his followers to tell no one what has happened. This is the famous, Messianic Secret of Mark, as described by scholars. Quite simply, Jesus doesn’t want people to follow him because he is a miracle worker, but to decide for themselves, from his preaching, if he is the Son of God.

Unfortunately, the gospel of Mark tells us that this secret cannot be hid, and many times those who are healed, forgiven, and cured go off and sing Jesus praises, and drawing to him greater and greater crowds. There is that wonderful passage from Jesus entrance to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, where the chief priests and leaders tell Jesus to silence his followers, and Jesus replies, If I told them to be silent, the stones themselves would cry out!”

Last night I watched again the “Ten Commandments”, where the Israelites cried out to God, and God heard their voice. The apostle Paul speaks about how Jesus cried out under the oppression of the corrupt Jewish leaders, Rome, and God heard his voice. Throughout history, when the people of this world have been enslaved and oppressed, they have cried out, and God has heard them. In our own nation, when the slaves cried out at the injustice of slavery, God heard them. In the 1890’s children were forced to labor in sweat shops, they cried out and God heard them. When women cried out against the injustice of not being allowed to vote God heard them, When African Americans were denied their civil rights, they cried out and God heard them. And today when our youth cry out for safety in their schools, God hears them.

The scientific view of God is that God is somewhere far above, pulling our strings, or guiding events, or just watching us go. But for those who have faith, God is in our midst, listening, speaking, and working on the side of goodness and justice and life. Yet in faith, we must be willing to receive this grace, by stepping up and speaking out, by acting with compassion for others, and seeking justice for all. And yes, this includes suffering ourselves, so that a better world may be realized for everyone.

The reason the gospel of Mark ends this way, with the women running from the tomb, terrified and amazed, and say nothing to anyone is that Mark is asking us to make a decision. Those who have read the gospel, and seen the miracles of Jesus and heard his preaching, are called to make a choice, will they keep silent out of fear, and the powers of sin and death to reign over us – of are we going to speak up and cry out, are we going to proclaim his resurrection – that God is not dead but alive in us, and ready to work with us to realize God’s kingdom of justice, righteous-ness and peace in our lives.

Every Easter, we are invited to make that choice for our lives, and for those who choose Christ as their Lord and Savior, they still face the same trials of life that all of us face, but they do not do it alone, for standing with them is the Risen Christ! And that’s our good news this Easter Sunday! 

Good Friday 18                          Seven Last Words                          

As I read through the service prepared for us this evening, I noticed that the conclusion of the service would be with the seven last words of Jesus from the cross, and so I thought I would give my thoughts on these seven last words.

Father forgive them, for they know not what they do. Forgiveness is one of the main themes of Jesus preaching. Forgiveness not only is freeing for the person forgiven, but for us as well. As long as we hold onto past slights and grudges, our need for retribution is a poison in our souls, and leads to all kind of punitive and vengeful actions that only increases our sufferings. Even at the cross as Jesus’ hands and feet are being nailed to the cross, he forgives the actions, as well as that of the crowd who cried for his crucifixion. He knows well, that forgiveness can only be offered, the question is, whether we are ready to accept that forgiveness and turn and lead new lives.

Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise. In this word from the cross, Jesus speaks to the second thief that is being crucified with him. The first, mocks and condemns him with the rest, but the second defends him, asking if the first is not afraid of God, for both stand under the same judgement, yet confessing that Jesus is without guilt. These to thieves offer an insight into human life, we are all guilty of sins, some small some great, but some of us are unwilling to acknowledge our guilt, thinking only of ourselves, while others recognize the difference between right and wrong, the difference between good and evil. The second thief can acknowledge his wrongdoing, and recognize the Christ who is innocent. And for this Jesus promises him a place in paradise.

Woman, here is your son, Here is you mother. What is it like for a mother to watch her son die upon the cross? Who can know? Yet in this moment, Jesus’ thoughts are for his mother, and so he offers to her a new son, John, the disciple whom Jesus loved. We remember Jesus asking, “Who are my brothers, and sisters, and mother,…. those who love God the father, and believe in him. In the same way, are we now given to one another, as we remember his death on the cross. We are now brothers, and sisters, and mothers, to one another, one family in Christ.

Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? My God, My God, why has though forsaken me? Some of you might recognize these as the opening words to Psalm 22. If you have read the Psalm, which I highly recommend, it is the cry of the suffering servant of God, who in facing his trials feels abandoned. Through the course of the Psalm, the psalmist remembers the saving acts of God in the past, and power of God in his life to redeem him from suffering and sin. At the conclusion of the Psalm is a powerful affirmation of the belief in God’s salvation of both the psalmist and of the world. This cry of despair is actually a statement of faith, and those of us who face such trials in our lives, who complain that God is not there, are challenged by this statement to find our faith in God to lead us through these trials to new and everlasting life.

I thirst, at this saying, there are some who run to get Jesus a drink, wine in a sponge, perhaps laced with something to ease his suffering. But if one has read enough of the old testament, one knows there is another meaning for thirst. The prophets speak continually about the thirst for justice and righteousness among God’s people. In the light of the injustice of the cross, Jesus in quoting the prophets, is appealing to his followers to thirst for justice and righteousness in their lives. To not allow ourselves to be blind to the ways in which the world, discriminates, divides, and disposes of those who do not play along. In our world today, I can think of no clearer case than that of our school children, who thirst, for safety in their classrooms. And that is not the only case in which we should thirst for justice and righteousness in our society.  

It is finished, In our world of winners and loser, this might seem like Jesus has given up, or given in to the powers of the world. But look at it this way, Jesus has run the race his Father has set for him, he has done the ministry called of him, he has endured the suffering he has been asked to face. In all of this he has been faithful, and now, he has completed his work successfully! It is finished, is not a cry of giving in, it is a cry of victory! He has done all that is necessary for our salvation, and for the salvation of the world.

And finally, from the gospel of Luke, Into thy hands I commend my spirit. Many of us who read the psalms, know that this phrase was included in our lectionary reading last Sunday. It is said that this phrase was part of a Hebrew child’s bedtime prayers, in which they commended themselves to God before bed. Many of you recall the children’s prayer – now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep, if I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. This prayer is based on this psalm. The childlike prayer of total trust in God to care for them, are last words Jesus speaks from the cross.  

Now I have read three different authors who have written on the seven last words of Jesus. And there may yet be other ways in you have heard and interpreted them for your lives. But in all of these words, I find a faith in God, that saw Jesus through his time of suffering and death, and I believe they will find you through your times of suffering to new and everlasting life. Amen.