Feb. 24, 2019                      The Golden Rule

A number of years ago, there was a musical called “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” It was a wonderful production that told the story of Joseph from the book of Genesis, through a variety of musical and dance scenes. It was a great show and very popular. I think Donny Osmond played Joseph in the movie. In the next to last scene, we find our reading from Genesis this morning. Joseph, seeing that his brothers have learned to overcome their selfishness, by offering themselves for their brother Benjamin, Joseph reveals himself and Joseph forgives them. Now I suppose, that that is a solid moral interpretation of the story, but there is just one problem with that, it lacks God.

Many of you know the story of Joseph, how he had dreams of ruling over them, how his father gave him a multicolored coat, how they took him, threw him in a pit, sold him to traders, and told his father he was dead. How Joseph was a slave Potiphar’s house, and rose to be his overseer, till Potiphar’s wife accused him of being forward, and he was thrown in jail. How in jail, he interpreted dreams for his fellow inmates, and eventually for Pharoah, which earned him the position of grand vizier, second only to Pharoah himself.

It is at this point that Joseph’s brothers show up on the scene, Joseph plants a cup in his brother Benjamin’s sack, and then has him arrested and held till the other brothers bring their father back with them. When they are told this, the brothers throw themselves before Joseph, and Joseph reveals himself to them. And the major difference between Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, is that in the movie, Joseph acts with compassion and forgiveness because his brothers have met his criteria for selflessness. But in the Bible, Joseph acts with compassion and forgiveness because of God.

Do not be afraid, Joseph says, God sent me to preserve life…. God send me to preserve a remnant, God sent me here… not you. You see, this moment is the high point of the book of Genesis. Genesis begins with the creation story, then the fall of humankind, then the rise of vengeance, violence, and fear, till the flood. Then we follow the patriarchs as they seek to overcome these sins in their lives and families, and finally we have the story of Joseph, who rises above it all. Joseph acts with compassion and forgiveness towards his brothers not because they have proven themselves to him, but because that is God’s plan. To preserve life, to preserve a remnant. Joseph is the reversal of all that has gone wrong with humanity, he sees the world and acts in the world not according to his fears, but according to how he might fufill God’s plan for him.

Now in our gospel lesson this morning we find the golden rule. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Many people know this from Sunday School, and I even think I saw this on a school bulletin board when I was a kid. And I think that most of us came to interpret this as be nice to others who are nice to you, or worse stick it to others who stick it to you. That interpretation comes from the pain and hurt that people have experienced in their life, and so they live in fear, and lash out, doing to others only as they do unto us.

But that is forgetting the rest of our gospel lesson this morning. Jesus goes on to say in effect if your love only to those who love you, what does that accomplish? Love your enemies, do good not evil, lend to those in need, expecting nothing in return, do not return violence with violence, pray for those who have abused you, those who hate you. Now those who do not believe, interpret this as Jesus asking us to be doormats, but there is nothing here about not protecting yourself from abuse or violence, just not responding to it with abuse and violence.  

What Jesus is doing is asking us to rise above humanities fallen state of fear, vengeance, and violence. Jesus is calling for us to recognize this fallen state in the actions of those around us, and break that endless cycle, by acting according to God’s plan – compassion, forgiveness, mercy. Remember, God’s plan is not to condemn the world, but to save it, and that is why Joseph forgives his brothers, why we are called to forgive and seek to be reconciled to those who have done wrong to us, for this is God’s plan for our salvation and the salvation of the World. And that’s the Good News of Jesus Christ.  

Feb 17, 2019               Blessings and Woes                                

Before we begin this morning to look at Luke’s version of the beatitudes, I would like to note a few things about the Gospel of Luke that are important background information for understanding them.  

First, The most important thing is that Luke is the Gospel for the poor. Luke reveals a kingdom of God in which the roles of the greedy and poor are reversed. You might have noticed that I didn’t say rich, because being rich in itself is not evil. However, more often than not, the way in which people become rich in wealth involves greed, and a desire to accumulate more than is necessary for living.

For instance, businesses that hire illegal workers when they have legal workers who want the jobs or save money by bypassing safety regulations. Or pharmaceutical companies that increase the price of insulin pens 10 fold because that’s what the market allows. Or internet companies that are fraudulent, or that sell items for 4 times their cost on other sites, hoping you won’t shop around.

The Jesus of the gospel of Luke tells us, that when the kingdom of God comes into being among us, if we believe in Jesus Christ, and live according to his will, then the majority of poverty, which is caused by greed, will be no more.

Second, I mentioned a few weeks ago, that Jesus reading of Isaiah in the Synagogue was essentially Jesus announcing the Jubilee year. Now we don’t know if Israel ever had a Jubilee year, but it’s in the law. At the end of 40 years, everything resets. Think of playing monopoly, at the end of the game, when one person has all the money, then the board is wiped clean, all debts forgiven, everyone goes back to their family homestead that they lost, or had taken from them, and everyone starts with a fresh slate. 

Now I realize this isn’t capitalism, nor is it socialism, or any other ecomonic theory. The purpose of the Jubilee year was to offset the original sin of human greed that has been present in all human societies since the beginning of time, hence the reason Luke focuses on this message throughout his Gospel. Not as an economic theory, but as a way of living.

Third, Luke’s gospel is not given on a mount, it’s given on a plain. It does not come down from above, but is announced in the valley, amidst the people. Think of it this way, Luke’s gospel is a grass roots movement, proclaimed to the people, resonating among them, and when they live it, it is meant to change people’s lives and the world in which we live.

Fourth, Luke’s gospel is not a spiritualization of Jesus message, while Matthew talks about the poor in spirit, Luke talks about the poor. Matthew talks about those who hunger for righteousness, Luke talks about those who are hungry. Matthew talks about seeing God, Luke talks about those who weep and those who laugh. In some ways, Luke’s Gospel is the “just the facts” version of the Gospel.

So where does all this get us. Well, it’s clear to me, that Luke’s Jesus is telling the people what will happen if they enact the jubilee year in the living of their lives. The poor will be restored to their homes in the kingdom of God – as in ancient Israel. Those who are hungry will be fed, those who cry now will again laugh and rejoice. Those who spoke of the Jubilee year and were persecuted by the greedy and wealthy for suggesting such a thing, will be revered.

And those who were greedy will lose what they have, those who had all they wanted will go without, those who laughed at the troubles of the poor will cry, and those who people spoke well of for the sake of wealth, will now be spoken of shamefully.

So where does that get us. First I want to emphasize the message of hope for so many of us who are struggling with our own debt, our own hunger, our own grief and sufferings in life. Jesus announces that through faith in him, that he will help us to overcome these. Second, I want to emphasize the message of judgement that will befall those who are greedy. That a life filled with the pursuit of wealth, indulgence, and entertainment, will ultimately lead to a reversal of fortune. Third, I would emphasize the grassroots nature of Jesus sermon on the plain, this is a call for us to live a new life in our relationships with one another, to practice forgiveness, compassion, and care for one another, to change our lives now, and Jesus promises will change the world to come. is something that no politician, political party, or government can do, on through the faith of those who believe in Jesus Christ can bring this about.

And that is what happened two thousand years ago, small Christian communities, caring for the poor, the widowed, the orphan, feeding the hungry, and helping those in need. This movement eventually took over the Roman Empire, and it has time and time again throughout history, helped those suffering from poverty and oppression to find freedom in their lives.

And that’s the good news of Jesus Christ! Amen.

Feb 10, 2019                 Discipleship                                  

This past week, one of the sermons I read, spoke about the confession of faith of one of the most beloved members of his church, which took place at  a revival many years earlier. Now for those who don’t know, a revival is a series of worship services spread out over a four days to a week, where people gather to worship and praise God. The goal of these services is for people to give themselves to Jesus Christ.

Well, the man in the story had family and friends who encouraged him to give his life to Christ, and so he showed up the first night, and he brought a gift of 5 brand new shirts, still in their plastic with him, hoping that it would secure the acceptance of his confession. When he came forward, he offered the shirts to the pastor, but was told, that they weren’t enough.

The second night the man brought the 5 shirts back along with 4 blankets, and offered them to the pastor. Again he was told, that it wasn’t enough. The third night the man brought the 5 shirts, 4 blankets, and offered 3 horses that he had brought with him, and were tied up outside. Again, the pastor told him, it wasn’t enough. Finally, on the last night, the man showed up without any gifts, and when he went up front, he said to the pastor, if nothing I have is good enough for God, the only thing I have left to offer is myself. And the pastor replied, that is all that God requires. And the man made his confession of Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, and was welcomed into the church.  

This morning, we have three stories about people who offered their lives to God. Isaiah serving in the temple, recognizes that the priesthood in which he serves has gone astray. They may carry out all the right rituals, but they do not love God, and do not serve God. The disciples are fishermen, who may believe in God, like any ordinary person on the street, but they have not yet given themselves over to God as the Lord and Savior of their lives. And the last story is about the apostle Paul, who in fact believed he was serving God, by enforcing the Jewish law, but came to realize, that his motivation for making sure people followed the law didn’t come from a love of God, but out of his own sense of moral righteousness, and his own desire for power over others. And to add to these three stories, I would add my own story.

As a seminary student, I came to seminary believing I had a call, and also because being a minister was a long standing family tradition. In my first year, I remember that I kept my grades up but really hadn’t committed myself to the ministry. At the end of the year, at my oral examination, I remember being asked a simple question by one of the professors. “Do you love God?” Now I grew up in the bible belt, and knew there were plenty of people going around bragging about how they loved God, so I didn’t want to be like that, so I gave this answer. “I guess I both love God and hate God,….. I love God because God is all that is beautiful, and powerful and wonderful in this world, …… and I guess I hate God, because God is all that I am not. To which the professor replied, “Well, I guess you have a choice to make, to devote yourself to loving God, or loving yourself.” From that time on, I gave myself to God.

Now I realize that not everyone who gives themselves to God becomes a pastor. Some are teachers, nurses, doctors, housewives, garbage collectors, lawyers, insurance agents, and on and on. Some of these have a greater love and faith than any pastor. They are people who chose to love God, more than they loved themselves, and they showed this love in their compassion, concern, and patience with others, in their worship and work in the church. Many of them have become beloved members of their churches, like the man in our opening story, or maybe just good friends, looking out for one another.  And almost all of them have found ways to make a real difference in the world through their work on behalf of the church of Jesus Christ. This is the step, that each of the people in our scripture lessons this morning took, turning away from self love, to a love for God that made their lives new.

Finally, in our newsletter this month, I told the story of Billy Graham, telling Wheaton College they could keep his tennis trophy, because in the light of God’s love for him, it had very little value to him. As almost everyone knows Billy Graham is considered one of the greatest Evangelists of our time, calling hundred of thousands, if not more, to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. And those hundreds of thousands all have remarkably similar stories, how in accepting Jesus Christ, they were freed from the powers of sin and death, from greed, from drug abuse, from abusive relationships, from their desire for power over others. By choosing to love God more than they loved themselves, all the things of this world, all the self-serving rules they once lived by, no longer held power over them, and they were freed to live life anew. And so can you, through your accepting Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior of your life. And that’s the good news of Jesus Christ! Amen!

Feb 3, 2019               Wonderful Words of Life                                

This morning, I would like to reflect upon the message of our children’s story, the little red hen, for a moment. The purpose of the story of course, it to help children connect the value of work and of the fruits they provide for those who work. And when I look at the gospel lesson this morning, I think maybe that’s what part of Jesus sermon to his hometown congregation is about, it’s about having a faith that engages us in God’s work, through which God’s kingdom might come into being among us. That would be the Good News part of the message, but somehow that’s not the message the people of Jesus hometown heard. Let me explain.

Last week, we read the passage where Jesus gets up and reads that wonderful passage from Isaiah, about preaching good news to the poor, releasing the captives, letting the oppressed go free, opening the eyes of the blind, and proclaiming the “Year of the Lord’s favor”. Which all sounds great to us! For Luke this is the central message of his gospel, and Jesus has done remarkable things in towns where he has preached this message.

People have responded by forgiving one another’s sins, and debts! People have banded together to feed the hungry, and care for those who are sick. People have opened their eyes to the suffering and oppressed among them, and shown them compassion and mercy. They have believed in the gospel message and turned that faith in the works of God!

But not so in Jesus hometown.

I can imagine them saying, “what wonderful words he speaks…., he has such high ideals, ……what a naïve young man,…… isn’t this the carpenter’s son, why should we listen to him?.... and … let him work those miracles here, and then we will believe in him.” I can also imagine that Jesus heard these comments, and that’s what that “Doubtless, you will quote to me this proverb, Physician heal thyself..”  means, he knows they are saying – you first Jesus, then maybe we will go along for the ride” So in the face of this lack of faith, Jesus tells them about Elijah and Elisha, and how in times of trouble, the only people of faith they could find, was a foreign widow, and a Syrian army officer.

This would be like a preacher today, telling a congregation, that compared to them, the only people that have faith are some woman in the dreaded caravan, or some soldier in the Taliban. I don’t suppose a preacher today would last long in a church with that message. And Jesus didn’t last long either, they grabbed him and rushed him to a cliff to throw him off. But somehow, in their confusion and rush to judgement, they misplace him, and he simply passes out of their midst.

So, back to the story about the little red hen. The little red hen, like Jesus, calls the dog, the cat, the pig, and the goat, to do the work to harvest, grind, and bake, so that we might share the bread. And Jesus calls us to have the faith to do the work God calls us to do, so that we may also share the bread, the bread of life. But it’s not easy.

I often talk about Bob Scheiler, the former minister of Evangelism for the Illinois Conference, who said once in an Evangelism sermon, that if we want a wonderful worship service, we have to show up, if we want a strong choir, we have to volunteer, if we want our church to function smoothly, we have to volunteer to lead it, and to follow those who lead, if we want a financially healthy church, we need to be healthy givers, and support it’s fundraising activities. If we want new members, we have to be on the lookout for strangers, for people in trouble, for people we can help and invite them to come and join us. If we believe in Jesus Christ, we have to do the hard work of the church, otherwise, like Capernum, there will be no miracles here, and we won’t get to share in the bread of life, Jesus Christ.

But the good news is, we can be like all those other communities that Jesus worked miracles in and were transformed by his preaching and ministry among them. Which comes through a willingness to put our faith into action with love. Then we can all share in the bread of life Jesus Christ. 

Jan 27, 2019                 The Power of God's Word

This past week, our nation celebrated Martin Luther King day. Now for many, this day has become just another day off, but on Monday I decided to re-read MLK’s “I have a dream speech”, something I hadn’t done since seminary, some thirty years ago. And as I thought about our gospel lesson this morning, I thought I might share a part of that speech with you this morning.

“I say to you today, my friends, though, 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, live out the true meaning of it’s creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.’

I have a dream that one day the red hills of Georgia sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

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 that one day in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with it’s governor having his lips dripping with words like interposition and nullification, one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and girls, will be able to join hands with little white boys and girls as sisters and brothers.”

Now the real power and beauty of this speech is that it put into words, a vision of what the world could be, of what was possible, that America could shrug off the chains of racism, and become a place where people dwell together in peace, and where there was opportunity for all. And in simply holding up that vision, for people to hope for, believe in, and live towards, half the battle for civil rights was won. And even today, when we still find racism in our nation, we still have this mighty Word from Dr. King, to help us face it and overcome it in our lives. Which brings us to our gospel lesson this morning.

This morning, Jesus goes to the synagogue in his hometown, and when he was given the scriptures, he found this passage in Isaiah and read,

  “The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor.”

 And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed upon him. Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

Now at the time of Jesus reading of this passage, Israel was a state under Roman rule. Eighty percent of it’s people were poor, meaning they lived day to day, and if they didn’t catch fish, or find some work, they and their families went hungry. If a family had debts, a family member could be held captive until the bill was paid, or they could be forced into working without pay until the debt was payed off.

And so, what Jesus does in this moment is to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor! For those who don’t know what this means, the year of the LORD’s favor in the Old Testament, was called the Jubilee year, where all debts were forgiven, and all returned home to their own homes, and there was peace and joy throughout the nation of Israel. And so, very much like Martin Luther King’s speech, Jesus proclaims a vision of what could be for all, and in so doing, begins his ministry that will free the people of his day from Roman captivity, and the oppression of the Jewish leadership.

And so, what does this have to do with our lives today? Well today, we live in a time that has it’s problems with racism and sexism. We live in a time that has problems with partisanship, classism, and poverty. But as long as we focus on the problems, and the sufferings they cause, we are chasing out tails. What we need today, is a Word, a Word about a world in which we are shown a vision of what the world could be, a Word of hope for those who sit in darkness and suffering, a Word of faith that there is a better world and a better life for all of us. The Good News is, that that Word has come to us in Jesus Christ. And that through faith in Him, we can realize that better world, will be fulfilled in our presence. And that’s the Good News of Jesus Christ!  

Jan 20, 2019                        Wine of God’s Forgiveness                         

         It had not been the greatest of weddings, and now, the reception wasn’t going all that well either. The bride was off in the bathroom, and the groom was over by the bar with his buddies, not sure what to do. And the families of the couple, had changed most of the name cards on the tables, so that they could all sit with their own family. The dance floor served as neutral territory between them.

         It had all started months earlier, when the couple announced their engagement to one another, their parents seemed to be happy for them, but they seemed so young, and from two very different backgrounds. Over the next few months, the parents met each other, and for whatever reason, took a disliking to one another. Since this was the first marriage for both families, there were a lot of demands made on the couple, about which church should provide the ceremony, which venue should host the reception, who should be bridesmaids and groomsman, and so on down the list.

         The rehearsal didn’t go all that well, one of the bridesmaids kept questioning the priest about the order of the service. The parents hardly said a word to each other, and a third of the wedding party, didn’t get their until the rehearsal was just about over. But, somehow the wedding went off without a hitch the next day, but there was a definite chill in the air, and when the bride and groom got to the reception, well, things weren’t much better.

         It was at this point, that the father of the bride got up, went to the bar and got a bottle of champagne and two glasses. He walked across the dance floor to the father of the groom and asked it they could have a drink together. They both sat down and began to talk, and as they talked, they both realized they loved their kids, and if this marriage was going to work, they had to lay aside the slights and hurts and differences between them, and become one family. By the time they finished the bottle, they were telling stories and family histories to one another, and the mothers of the bride and groom were sharing pictures.

         No, it wasn’t the greatest wedding ever, but the reception ended up going quite well.

         Now I have never had a wedding completely like this, I kind of borrowed bits and pieces from about a dozen of my more troubled weddings. But at a couple of them, I did see the fathers of the bride and groom, or the mothers of the bride and groom, or at least, members of the family, realize that they had to make an effort to get along, and be a family, for the sake of their kids. And part of that effort, was to practice forgiveness, and seek reconciliation.

         There are a lot of things to focus on in our gospel lesson this morning, but one of the main themes in the passage is about the forgiveness of sins. Those six jars that are mentioned in the passage are jars of purification, for the washing away of sin, in preparation for the meal. It is from these jars that the wine comes, to wash away the sins of those gathered for the celebration so that they may enter into a new relationship, a new family through the work of Jesus Christ. Finally, Jesus speaks to his mother about this not being the moment of his glory. That glory of course being when his body is broken in love for us on the cross, and his blood is poured out for our forgiveness.

         Now as I mentioned in our confession of sin this morning, the world considers forgiveness to be some form of weakness. And so we are called by the world to be unforgiving, to never give in, and in doing so, we continue to create trouble for ourselves and divisions all around us. Without forgiveness, sin in our lives grows and grows into an unending cycle of chaos, and violence. So it is fitting, that in his first miracle, in the gospel of John, Jesus goes straight to the heart of the problem, our inability to forgive one another, and shares with those at the Wedding of Cana, the wine of God’s forgiveness, that can make all things new, and gather us all together as a part of God’s family.

         And through faith in Jesus Christ, He can do all that for you in your life as well. And that’s the Good News of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Jan 13, 2019                   Come, Holy Spirit                               

In his book, Craddock Stories, celebrated preacher Fred Craddock tells of an evening when he and his wife were eating dinner in a little restaurant in the Smokey Mountains. A strange and elderly man came over to their table and introduced himself, and said he had a story to share. 
My mother was not married, and the shame the community directed towards her was also directed towards me. Whenever I went to town with my mother, I could see people staring at us, making guesses about who my daddy was. At school, I ate lunch alone. In my early teens, I began attending church, but always left before someone would ask me what a boy like me was doing in church. One day, before I could leave, I felt a hand on my shoulder, it was the minister. He looked closely at my face and I knew that he also was trying to guess who my father was, "Well, boy, you are a child of..., boy, you are a child of God. Yes, I see a striking resemblance." Then he swatted me on the bottom and said, 'Now go claim your inheritance.' I left the church that day a different person, in fact is was the beginning of my life. 
Dr. Craddock recalls that after the elderly man left, he asked the waitress if she knew who the man was, and she answered, "that was Ben Cooper, he served two terms as the governor of Tennessee."
Every year, on the first Sunday after Epiphany, we celebrate the baptism of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Last year, on this Sunday, I spoke about how three things are going on in Baptism: 1. God claims us 2. God's congregation claims us. 3. We claim God. This year, I would like to focus on that last one, claiming God and what that means for our lives. 
 To claim God means that there is a fundamental and intentional change in our lives on our part. Our lives are no longer our own, but they are to be lived for God and God’s purposes, trusting and believing that what God wants for us, is the best life of all.

Claiming God calls us to discern the difference between the ways of men, and the ways of God. The ways of men are fearful and self-serving, while the ways of God are faithful and are concerned for the best interests of others as well as ourselves.

Claiming God calls us to choose God’s ways for the living of our lives, making decisions in our lives that are based not just on God’s love for us, but on God’s love for all. When we make decisions based only on what is in our best interests, we are open to sin entering our lives, but when we make decisions based on what is best for all, there is salvation.   

Claiming God means accepting God’s forgiveness that wipes away the past, and leads us to live anew. How many of us have gone astray in our lives, how many of us look back to our past and allow those mistakes or the mistakes of others define us. Claiming God washes away those sins, takes away our excuses, or the blaming of others, and calls us to accept responsibility for our lives – and live looking not toward the past but the future.
And finally, claiming God calls us to act in ways that express our faith and God’s presence in our lives. Faith without works is a dead faith. Claiming God is not an intellectual enterprise, it means that we practice God’s love in our lives, and part of that practice means being a part of a community and fellowship that gathers to worship God. For in the very act of worshiping God, we are proclaiming the gospel to the world