January 21, 2018               Fishers of Men                                    

This morning, I’d like to start with the story of Jonah. We all learned in Sunday School the story of how Jonah was called by the LORD to go to the city of Nineveh. And how Jonah decided instead to catch a boat going the other way. We all know how God made a storm to come up over the sea, and the sailors threw Jonah overboard, and he was swallowed by a great fish. And we know how Jonah was coughed up on shore and was called again to go to Nineveh, and when he did, he walked through the city saying, "40 days and Nineveh shall be no more", and the people repented. And that’s pretty much the story of Nineveh we get in Sunday School, except for that last part about Jonah sulking that Nineveh was not destroyed.

What they don’t tell you in Sunday School, is that Nineveh was the capital city of Assyria, the greatest military power on earth in those days. And as part of their military policy, they didn’t just conquer people, they laid waste to the places they attacked, slaughtering even women and children. Indeed, in their conquering of Israel, their army slaughtered nearly 60,000 people. The Assyrian military, then gathered up it’s plunder and brought it back to Nineveh, where the people indulged in all kinds of pleasures, without a thought even for their own poor starving people.

I guess by now, you should be getting a picture of why Jonah tried to run away. Going to Nineveh for Jonah, would be like some foreign Muslim preacher coming to New York City today, and calling people to repent – he would be lucky to get through the city alive. Yes, Nineveh ranks right up there with Sodom, Gomorrah, Babylon, and Rome in the just plain filled with evil department, which is why Jonah pouted when God did not destroy them. But the bottom line is, they repented and God saved them.

I spent a good deal of time this weekend thinking about Nineveh as I watched the news about the government shut-down and the women’s marches this weekend. Our leaders don’t really seem to care about how much damage they do to the people of this country, as long as they get their own way, and pay off their donors(and that's both parties). And I think the women’s marches reveal that we have a great many problems with racism, sexism, and poverty that need to be named and addressed. I believe in these events, God is calling us to repent of that nationalism, prejudice and injustice that tears at the fabric of our nation. I believe there is a parallel here between Assyria and America, between the women’s march and Jonah’s call to repentence.  

You know, some people say that we no longer live in a Christian nation, and to that I say Bolognie – ham and swiss, liver and onions!  I believe that those children of the sixties and seventies who went to church with their parents know full well the God revealed in Jesus Christ. They may not attend church now, but they know, it’s part of their spiritual make-up. They see the world the way it is, and they know something is wrong, they hear the call to repentence and are ready to do so. I believe that’s what happened at Nineveh, the population knew something was not right, and so they turned, and God saved them! So where does that leave us?.....

This year is Year B in our lectionary, which means we should read a lot from the gospel of Mark. Mark’s gospel was written to the citizens of the Roman empire. Citizens who had begun to realize that there was something not quite right with Rome. Citizens who had been promised opportunity, justice, and equality, but had been denied these things. And so we have Mark’s gospel of Jesus Christ, which calls the Roman citizens to “follow me”. To them, Jesus is some foreign prophet, who knows more about God than the people of Rome, and they respond to that message, it takes a bit, but eventually Christianity overcomes the Roman Empire! I think that says something about the power of God, In history God overcomes Pharoah, Babylon, Assyria, Rome, that’s quite a record. So what does God offer us today!

Back in the “aughts”, about 2005, I read a book by my NT professor Steven Patterson, who wrote about the Son of God. One of the earlier chapters spoke about the first disciples, and what they saw in him. They saw someone who knew the God of the prophets, who could envision, communicate, and realize for them what it meant to live in God’s love, to live in faithfulness to one another. They saw someone who could overcome their human divisions, teach them to care for each other, and change their lives. When they heard Jesus call, they realized the world was not as it should be, and they dropped their nets, and followed him. 

Despite the harsh rule of Rome, they could live in peace and treat one another justly. Professor Patterson says, this was an Exodus from Egypt, without having to leave Egypt. It was freedom from Rome, while Rome was still in power, and for us today, it means finding God’s kingdom in our lives, no matter how our leaders mess up, and no matter what our problems are. It means proclaiming the kingdom of God and being "fishers of men", .. and women,... and all people.

“Follow me”, Jesus says, and in doing so, he invites us to be saved from the powers of sin and death, to find life in abundance in a world of scarcity, and to find life in this world and life everlasting.  And that’s the good news of Jesus Christ! 

January 14, 2018                       Come and See                                                                 

A number of years ago, I purchased a DVD from Adam Hamilton, entitled, “When Christians Get it Wrong”. The DVD contained a series of 8 minute sermons, on topics where Christianity has been corrupted by political opinions. Some of those topics include the use of religion to deny science, the use of religion in politics, the use of religion to denounce sinners and others, and etc. 

At the beginning of the DVD Adam Hamilton cites studies in which people under the age of 30 are increasingly turning away from the Christian Faith. In discussion groups with youth, these studies find that there is one word that dominates the discussion - Hypocrisy. It seems that 70 percent of youth use this word to describe Christianity, and hence they leave the church and seek God on their own, or even turn to other religions as a guide to finding God.

Now I realize that a good portion of this comes from the portrayal of religious people in politics, news media, and even in the portrayal of Christians on television and movies. But the tipping point for many youth who leave the church, is when they find these attitudes in their own churches. The Good News is, that these young seekers of truth want to know God. The not so good news is, they are seeking God on their own, apart from a community of faith, which can lead them to be easily misled, or worse, lead them to lose their faith. And that’s where we find our gospel lesson this morning.  

In the first chapter of John, following the prologue, we find the story of Jesus calling his first disciples. John the Baptist witnesses to Jesus saying, Behold the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. Immediately, his disciples leave John and follow Jesus. When they ask Jesus where he is staying, he tells them to come and see. And when they do, when they get to know him, they become so excited that they go out and invite others to come and see as well.

In our reading this morning, we hear the story of the calling of Nathaniel. Now Nathaniel is a skeptic, he has seen the corruption of the Jewish religion by the politics of the priest, and so he is untrusting of anyone who preaches religion. Nathaniel is one of those young people of his day, who hungers and thirsts for God, but does not know where to find God – that is until he meets Jesus!

In the reading, Jesus first acknowledges Nathaniel’s skepticism by saying he is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit, and secondly, he recognizes Nathaniel’s desire to find God, by saying he saw him under the fig tree. You see, in Judaism, the fig tree is an image of salvation, as the prophet Micah says, in that day, all will come to worship the Lord, and they will beat their swords into plowshares, and spears into pruning hooks, and all will sit under their own fig tree, and none shall be afraid, and the shall make war no more.

By saying he saw Nathaniel sitting under the fig tree, he is telling him that that day is about to come, and that Jesus message is about that day. That is why we get the immediate response to Jesus by Nathaniel that he is the King of Israel and the Son of God! According to Nathaniel, here is a teacher - who has it right!

Now in our world today, there are a lot of people out there who are looking for God on their own. A lot of people who have left their churches because of the hypocrisy they have experienced in them. They are looking for a church that will offer them this vision of the world’s salvation. One in which we can all live together as brothers and sisters in peace. One in which we meet the needs of those who suffer and are in want. One in which there is justice for not just us, but for the others among us. It is this gospel, which is the true message, and the straight path to reaching God, and the Nathaniels of this world will be drawn to it! 

And so, for those who are discouraged about inviting others to come to church, I encourage you to continue to invite them to come and see! And I encourage us all to continue to make Union Congregational the kind of place where people will see God's love in our affection for each other and the ministries of love that we provide. For then, we will find new family members for our church and new disciples of Jesus Christ. And that's the good news of Jesus Christ.

January 7, 2018         The Baptism of Jesus                                       

Once upon a time, there was a man who had a dream. A dream that he received a letter from the white house, inviting him for a visit, telling him to be dressed and outside his home on his birthday. On his birthday, a limosine pulled up, and he was wisked to the airport, and then to a helicopter pad, and soon he was standing on the White house lawn. He was then invited inside, and found himself in the oval office, and there to his surprise, there was a picture of himself and his family on the president’s desk.  The president came in, welcomed the man, and they sat and talked about their families and the country for a bit, mostly about what the president could do for families like his all over the country. About noon, a cart was wheeled in with some lunch, and the man got up to serve himself, but the president said, “no, no, I invited you, let me serve you lunch”, and so he did. And then the dream ended.

This week, when we celebrate the baptism of Jesus, someone actually spoke to me on the phone about baptizing their grandchildren! Yeah, stuff happens like that, and my suspicion is that God is directing this stuff that happens.  So I thought to myself, since I haven’t done a baptism yet, let’s talk about baptism in my sermon this Sunday. Part of the liturgy in the UCC Book of Worship, says that three things are going on during baptism. God claims us, we claim God and the Congregation claims us. That’s the short version. Here’s the longer version.

God claims us – You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. These are words from Mark that we hear at the baptism of Jesus. These are also the words that I use in baptism. Baptism is the moment when before a congregation of witnesses, God claims us as God’s own children. Imagine the most powerful person in all of the world, inviting you, welcoming you, caring about you, serving you. That is what is being expressed in baptism. The Creator and Ruler of heaven and earth is claiming you as their own, their acceptance and delight in you!

     We claim God –  this means that there is a fundamental and intentional change in our lives on our part. Remember years ago, when the “What would Jesus do?” movement was popular. That movement came straight out of baptism. We are called to be new people, to make the decisions of our lives based on God’s love for us, and expressed in God’s love for all. Now this is not easy stuff! Remember, after the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus at his baptism, the Holy Spirit drove him into the wilderness to face temptation. The president of Eden Seminary, when I was a student, Gene Wehrli told us, it’s when we make a commitment to Christ, that we are tempted by the world. For it is then that we see the ways of men and of the ways of God, and we are called to make a choice. Baptism is not the end of our journey, it isn’t an inclusion into some club, it is the beginning of our faith journey in life, and from that point on, with each act of faith, each decision made trusting in God, we live and grow in our faith, and in discovering God’s blessings in our lives.

The Congregation claims us – I love this part! I like to tell people that when we do a baptism, we are reminded of our own baptism. That we are called to claim this new person as God has claimed us! This is the presence of the Holy Spirit in Baptism, and why I believe baptisms should all be conducted before the full congregation on Sunday mornings. I know that there are sheep and goats in every congregation, but beware, sometimes the goats love you more than you know. I’ve seen congregation members care for each other in illness, the loss of a loved one, the loss of a job, the ending of a marriage, problems with children, and on and on. When you are baptized, you enter into a very special family of people who seek to live in God’s love with you and with each other. My own mother, after my father died, has a church family that cherishes her, and dotes on her. I don’t think young people quite get this, and I wish there was a way to share how wonderful this is – especially, since I have seen how wonderfully the people of Union Congregational care for each other! 

And so I hope that you will reflect upon what happens in Baptism, that you will experience God's love in God's claiming of you, that you will intentionally work at claiming God for your life, and that you will appreciate the loving community God has given to you, and seek to be a part of it. Because when you do, then you will grow in your Christian faith, and in experience of God's presence in your life. And that's the good news of Jesus Christ. 

December 31, 2017              God With Us                                                  

On Christmas Eve, 1863, the famous poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow sat at his desk, and had an inspiration to write a poem entitled Christmas bells. But although he was able to write the first stanza, he just didn’t know how to continue, and so he slipped the poem into a desk drawer with a number of his other unfinished works, thinking he would get to it in the new year.

The new year of 1864 was a difficult year for Henry, he never got back to the poem, because so many things happened. First of all his Henry and his wife were caught in a house fire that took her life, and left him crippled and scared. Later on in the year, Henry’s son, serving in the Union army was shot and killed as well. Henry fell into a deep depression, and wrote very little, even ceasing to write in his journal for the rest of the year.

When Christmas 1964 came, many of you can imagine how sad and lonely the holidays are without those you have loved and lost. Henry was no different, and on Christmas eve he found himself at his desk looking through his unfinished poems, there he found the Christmas Bells poem he had started the previous year, but now he had something to write about.

He spoke of his year long experience with darkness, despair, and loss, of a world that mocked the idea of God and God’s love for us, and perhaps how easy it is to give into the world. But on that night, as he heard the Christmas bells ring, he was reminded how in the past year of personal tragedy, it was his faith in God, and God’s presence in his life that had helped him to get through these trials and look forward with hope to the new year. And in his minds eye, he saw the world from darkness to light, and the hope of peace on earth and goodwill toward men.

At this time, I would like to share with you four verses from that song. 

I heard the bells on Christmas Day, their old familiar carols play and mild and sweet their songs repeat of peace on earth, good will to men 

And in despair, I hung my head, there is no peace on earth I said, for hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth good will to men. 

Then rang the bells more loud and deep, God is not dead nor doth he sleep, the wrong shall fail, the right prevail, with peace on earth, good will to men. 

Then ringing singing on its way, the world revolved from night to day, a voice, a chime, a chant sublime, of peace on earth, good will to men. 

This morning our gospel lesson speaks of Simeon and the Prophetess Anna, people who had endured much more in their day. They were faithful Jews living under Roman occupation, they saw the repression of their people, the crosses along the road upon which the rebellious were hung. They endured the corruption of their faith at the hands of priests seeking political power. They both prayed for God’s presence to be revealed among them, and for God to reveal his salvation to them before they died. And then, the baby Jesus came to be dedicated to the LORD, and in that moment, they had found what they were looking for.

God had been born among them, to know their trials and sufferings, and to share the news of God’s love for all. As Simeon notes, they knew his life would not be easy, nor would he conquer and rule as the kings of this world conquer and rule. But he would be one who could free the people from the dark powers of the world, and bring into our lives, the light of God’s salvation for all who believe in him.

I believe that that is what Henry Wadsworth Longfellow came to realize on that Christmas Eve in 1964 as he sat writing the lines to what has now become the Hymn, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” How despite his personal tragedy, God had come to be with us then, so that God could be with us now, and lead us from our darkness into the light.

As we celebrate the coming of the new year, many of us have had a year full of things to celebrate. Many of us have had illness, the loss of loved ones, or trials that have plagued us throughout the year. Still others in this new year will face tragedies and trials of their own. But I pray in this new year that we may have the faith of Simeon, Anna, and Henry, that we might realize that Christ was born to us that Christmas so long ago, so that Christ could be with us in our lives today, and forever. In that faith there is hope and joy, love and peace, and life everlasting. And that's the good news of Jesus Christ. 

YBXmseve 2017               Joseph’s Story                                                          

        "Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.' All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

"Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel', which means, 'God is with us'. When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had born a son; and he named him Jesus."               Matthew 1:18-26

     This morning I told you the story of Mary. Mary was not one of the favored one's of the world, but she was favored by God. Mary was a powerless one, who had no control over her life, no control over what would happen to her. Mary was probably 12-14 years of age when she was betrothed to Joseph. She probably worked as a servant girl to make money for her family. She was an ordinary, everyday girl, who lived under the rule of Rome. She knew poverty, injustice, and prejudice. But Mary made a choice, rather than give into despair at the circumstances of her life, she chose to trust in God's Word to her, to trust in God's love for her and live. 
     This evening, I want to tell you the story of Joseph. Joseph was a carpenter, perhaps 16 or 17, who had completed his apprenticeship and was ready to raise a family. I know this seems young today, but in those days, children had to grow up quicker, become adults sooner, and shoulder responsibilities younger. And so, Joseph reached an agreement with Mary's parents to marry her, and she was betrothed to him. 
     But then something happened, Mary was found to be with child, and Joseph had no idea what to think. She must have told him about the angel visiting her, and it being from God, but for any one this must have been just to much to believe.  Joseph probably felt betrayed, and began to consider how he might get out of his betrothal to Mary. 
    Now in those days, the law was clear, a woman caught in adultery was to be stoned. This also included betrothed women whose husbands would not acknowledge the child as theirs. But Joseph felt compassion for Mary. Our gospel story tell us that Joseph was a righteous man, as far as men can be righteous on their own, so he decided to divorce her quietly and leave her to raise the child on her own. This was not much of a favor, for there would be questions following the divorce, and a widow raising a child on her own, was not a good situation for mother or son.
       When I have preached on this passage in the past, I have mentioned the requirement of the law, and the righteousness of men, and then I have spoken of the righteousness of God. It was this righteousness that God awoke in Joseph with the visit of the angel. A righteousness born not of the world, but of compassion for mother and child. And it was this compassion in Joseph's life that let him to take Mary as his wife, and to care for her and the child. It was this divine compassion that allowed the Baby Jesus to be born into the world and created a safe space in which to grow.   
      Brothers and Sisters, Matthew's gospel tells the story of a great battle between the kingdoms of the world the kingdom of God. In this battle the kingdoms of the world hold all the material advantages. But the birth of Jesus changed that. Jesus contrasted the ways of the law and of men, with the righteousness of God. Jesus revealed to them the power of the Holy Spirit and faith to overcome their sufferings and to realize God's kingdom in their lives. For Matthew it is that divine spirit of compassion that empowers us to to live new lives and give life to one another. 
      Now anyone today, who reads the news or watches tv, can clearly see that this battle rages today. There is plenty of injustice, prejudice, violence, and poverty around, and sometimes it seems like the world is winning - but have faith. For Matthew tells us, that in that one act of God's compassion in Joseph's life, the world has been forever changed. Jesus has been born into the world, and in his life was victorious over the powers of this world. All we need to do is to believe in the righteousness of God in our lives. So this Christmas, and each an every day forward, discern the righteousness of the law, the righteousness of men, and the righteousness of God. Who knows, what one act of Godly compassion could do in your life, and in the lives of those around you. It might just change and save the world. And that's the good news of Jesus Christ.  

December 24, 2017 am              Mary’s Story                                                                      

         Saturday morning, I got up and enjoyed my morning newspaper online. Of course I went straight to the sports section and read what I wanted, then to the national page, and last of all to the food and entertainment section. This week I saw, that in St. Louis, the Order of the Veiled Prophet had selected the daughter of a local politician to be the woman of beauty and intelligence for the new year. As I read the story I was quite impressed, graduated from the top local private school, attended Brown University, and had a long list of community accomplishments. And I thought to myself, this young woman is one of the favored one’s of our society.  She had been blessed with all the good things in life, and made good use of them as well.  And that’s where I connected to our gospel lesson this morning.

         In our gospel lesson, the angel of the Lord, Gabriel comes and says to Mary, “Greetings, favored one!” Now, I don’t believe that Mary’s parents were well known politicians, or that she attended a private school, and she certainly didn’t go to Brown University. She was not 21 years of age, with a whole list of community service projects under her belt. Mary was a thirteen year old girl. She was not wealthy, in order to help the household, she worked as a servant girl. Those of you from the depression era will remember that. There is no mention of her beauty or intelligence, and she was not a citizen of the roman empire, which occupied and ruled her land. She would have been considered a foreigner, a third class citizen, no one of importance. She was certainly not favored by the world. But she was favored, by God.

         In first century Judea, she would have seen the poverty of her family and those around her, she would have seen the prejudice of the roman soldiers and ruling classes, she would have seen injustice and cruelty on a daily basis. As a young unmarried woman, she had absolutely no power whatsoever, no say in anything that happened to her. Even worse, she finds out she is going to have a child, and not by the man she is betrothed too! She is about to lose any power she might have had as a mother. And so I think, she has nowhere else to turn, no one else but God! And so, in humility and obedience, she placed her trust in God! And that is the real beauty of this story.

         Now I know that listening to the pastor at times can be a real bummer. I prattle on about injustice, prejudice, cruelty, and violence in the world, perhaps a bit like a broken record. As I do this, I do intentionally try to contrast the hopelessness of the world, with the hopefulness of world that comes from faith in God, and in God’s Son Jesus Christ. In my years, I have met many people who have been in the same position as Mary. People who are powerless to alter the forces of the world around them, but they do have a choice – they can despair and die, or they can believe and have life!  And that is the choice that Mary made!

         If you read the magnificat, you will see the choice she made. She chose to believe in a world where the hungry were fed, the prideful were pulled down from power, where there was justice for the powerless, where those in mourning were comforted, where God cared about the sparrows, the little one’s like herself. This is what the birth of Jesus Christ is all about, God didn’t come into the world to be one of the favored one’s, nor did he come into the world for just the favored ones. He came into the world for you, each one of you, to meet you in your sufferings, to show how much he cares, and how much he loves you. God came into the world to give you a choice, and God prays for you, that you will choose life!

         Now I know that many, look at the world around them and say it is totally beyond saving. But I look around and I see people of faith, standing against the powers of darkness in their lives, their families, and their communities. We cannot do what God does, but we can be a part of God’s work, simply in the living of faithful lives. We are not the favored ones of the world, but through faith we are the favored ones of God. God is called the Lord of Hosts for a reason, for it is the Host believing in God that has the power to overcome the darkness of the world! And if we all choose, like Mary, to place our trust in God, God will work through us, to bring his Son into our lives, and God’s kingdom into our world. And that is the Good News of Jesus Christ!