Sept 30, 2018              Renew the Church                                         

               

One of my favorite stories about the power of prayer comes from a shut-in who I visited at my first church in Peru. He worked at Westclox, as a metal stamper, but he was also the go to guy whenever there was a problem on the line, or a new piece of metal needed to be invented for one of the clocks.

Whenever there was a problem the management would come to him, explain their problem, and then he would tell them to give him an hour to think about it. Then they would come back in an hour and he would have an answer for them.

One day, one of his coworkers noticed that when he was given a problem, he didn’t sit at his desk and work on it, instead he went down to the yard outside and would pace up and down, before coming back in. when his coworker asked him what he was doing, the man replied, he was praying – and that by praying, God would remove the clutter of his mind so that he could find a solution to the problem.

In my visits with this gentleman, I discovered that this was a regular routine for him, prayer in his daily life cleared away the clutter of his life, so that in his relationships with others, in his service to his church, in all that he did, he believed that God guided him and helped him to realize God’s purpose for his life. And I must say, he was one of the most joyful, thankful, happy, and peaceful people I have ever met

          This morning, James concludes his epistle by encouraging his church to pray. For James, prayer is the foundation not only of our personal lives, but also the foundation of a church’s spiritual life, and health. And so, in our reading this morning, James lists speaks of 4 types of prayer, and hints at the role of these types of prayers in the building up of the church.

The first prayer that James encourages is the prayer of intercession. “Are there any among you suffering – they should pray.  James recognizes that a great deal of our human suffering arises from the absence of God’s presence in our lives.

Prayers of intercession are an invitation for God to be present in our lives, to examine our lives, to guide our decisions, and to lead us back to God’s will and way for us when we have gone astray.  In those instances where human suffering is not our fault, prayers of intercession are an invitation for God to comfort us in our times of trial, and give us strength to face the evils and hardships of the world which oppress us, and to speak out against injustice in the world that creates human suffering. 

The second prayer that James encourages is the prayer of praise. “Are there any who are cheerful – they should sing songs of praise.” James as the leader of a Jewish Christian church, recognizes that songs are a form of prayer, and a very powerful one.

Prayers of praise remind us that God is our maker and the ruler of creation, who has a plan for the world and for our lives. Prayers of praise can remind us of the blessings that God has given to us, so that our lives can become focused on giving thanks. Prayers of praise can help us realize that we are not alone, that God loves us, and that God directs us to share this love with all the world.

The third prayer that James encourages is the prayer of healing for the sick. “Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church to pray over them, and anoint them with oil in the name of the LORD.”

In our modern day world, illness is treated in much the same way that it was treated in Jesus day, with isolation from others. Prayers of healing, encourage us to remember those who are ill, to check in on them, to comfort and encourage them to health. In the days before medicine, gathering the elders to pray, visit and anoint with oil was often the closest thing to seeing a doctor, for the elders had often seen many illnesses and knew what treatments they had seen work for others. Finally, even modern day medicine recognize the power of the spirit, and the power of prayer to assist in healing of patients.

The fourth prayer that James encourages is the prayer of confession – “therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you might be healed.” 

It is not surprising that prayers of healing the sick and prayers of confession and forgiveness are intertwined in this morning’s passage. Confession of sins, and forgiving one another, is a large part of maintaining the health of a congregation. Not only do we need to be able to forgive others, but we also need to be able to recognize our own need for forgiveness, less we become arrogant and sin against one another in our pridefulness.

Finally, as I noted in my story about the gentleman from Westclox, prayer can also help a church to focus on it’s purpose and mission in the life of it’s community. For James, this mission was to call those who wandered from the truth of God’s love for them in Jesus Christ, so that they might be saved from the kinds of suffering, sin, and death that afflict humanity.

Churches, like people, can become filled with all kinds of clutter, all kinds of competing interests, quarrels over money, and all kinds of pridefullness. When this clutter fills a church’s life, it forgets it’s purpose, and becomes aimless in it’s ministry. The good news is, that through prayer, churches can clear the clutter from their lives, and be renewed. The can focus again on God’s love for us in Jesus Christ, a love for us that was meant to be shared so that those who wander from the truth of God’s love, may be saved from suffering, death, and a multitude of sins.

And that’s the Good News of Jesus Christ. 

Sept 23, 2018                    Wisdom                                                

         For the last several weeks we have had readings from the book of proverbs in our lectionary texts. As I have noted before, Proverbs is a book of wisdom and speaks about how wisdom, the wisdom of God is found in human life. But Proverbs is not the only book that speaks about God’s wisdom, in the book of Psalms, there are a number of Psalms that speak of God’s wisdom, and how that wisdom is found, which brings us to our Psalm for this morning, Psalm 1.

1 Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of scoffers

The first thing you might notice about the opening verse of psalm 1 is the promise of happiness. Since the Hebrew dictionary only has 1100 words in it, the Hebrew word for happy, is also the word for blessed, and to describe a straight life – one in tune with God.

The second thing you might notice is that the opening verse describes how this happiness is not found. First of all it is not found in following the advice of the wicked – “live for yourself, live for today, life is all about you!” That is the advice of the wicked, and when we do this, we make each other enemies, and pile up problems for ourselves. Second, happiness is not found standing in the way of sinners – this is a blunt way of saying those who deny God’s existence and God’s salvation – mainly as a justification for their living for themselves alone. And finally, happiness is not found sitting in the seat of scoffers, who believe there is no meaning or purpose in life, and so they ridicule those who believe, and seek to realize God’s purpose for their lives. The sitting part of this describes leisure, and the lack of productivity in a scoffers life.

So now onto what kind of life produces happiness.   

2 But their delight (the happy/blessed) is in the law of the Lord, on his law they meditate day and night.

Happiness is to be found in the Law of the Lord. Now many take this to mean the ten commandments, or the hundreds of God’s laws written in Exodus, or Leviticus, which are indeed a part of God’s law and seeks to guide us to live in tune with God. But the Hebrew Word for law is Torah, and that includes all the stories and teachings of the bible. Every law has it’s situation, it’s context, and it’s story. God’s torah, speaks about life lived in healthy relationships with one another, in loving our neighbor as ourselves, and in some stories, what befalls those who do not. 

         Now meditating upon God’s law, is not a simple matter of book study. Yes, to meditate upon God’s law, means we should read it, regularly, but meditating upon it means keeping it in mind, consulting it when we make decisions, allowing God’s Torah to guide our lives. It means acting intentionally in our lives according to God’s Torah.

         So what does God promise to those who do this?

3 They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in their season, and their leaves do not wither, In all that they do, they prosper.

The promise to those who meditate upon God’s law is that their lives will be solid like trees, not easily uprooted by the winds of the world. That they will be connected to the wellsprings of life that will feed and sustain them. That they will be productive in life, not wasting their time in vain pursuits or idleness. And, that they will age gracefully, having become strong in God’s spirit to face the pass of years. This is the fruit of a life lived according to God’s purpose and meaning.

And for those who do not choose this path in life….?

4. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.5. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;

Those who do not choose this path are not solid, but are like chaff. They are blown this way and that, they are consumed by the fires that test our lives. They waste themselves on things that do not last, and in so doing, have nothing to fall back on when times are tough. Those are the judgements, those difficult times in life, in which those who live for themselves and for the moment fall and fail, and great as is their misery and weeping in those times. And finally, the greatest tragedy of all, is that they have cut themselves off from others. From those who would care for them and help them in their time of need. They have rejected the congregation of the righteous, they have removed themselves from the congregation who looks after others, who cares for those in need, they have scoffed at and turned away from those who would have helped them and so in the end there is no help for them.

And so, we are given a choice…. 

6. for the LORD watches over the ways of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

         The final verse of Psalm 1 is a statement of faith! A statement that there is justice in the world, that righteousness shall overcome wickedness, that loving our neighbor as ourselves, shall work out better for us than loving ourselves over our neighbors. That meditating upon God’s Word and being a part of God’s congregation will make a difference in our lives, one that leads to a strong and abundant life, rather than one that leads to a life that is empty, and left upon the scrap heap.

        

         In our Gospel lesson this morning, once again Jesus speaks about his death, his suffering himself for us, his giving up his life for our salvation. And all his disciples can think about, is which of them is the greatest. And so, Jesus tries to tell them again, to stop thinking of themselves alone, to live as servants of one another, servants of even the least, servants of even children. In doing so, he is asking them to make that same faith choice, that the Psalmist calls us to make. For in making that choice, we are choosing God!

And that is the Good News of Jesus Christ. Amen.  

Sept 16, 2018                  Dots and Stars                                       

This week as I read our texts on wisdom and harnessing our tongues, I was reminded of the story of Punchinello, written by Max Lucado. 

Punchinello was a Wemmick, and Wemmicks were little wooden people carved by a wood carver named Eli, whose workshop sat on a hill overlooking their village. Now the wemmicks came in all shapes and sizes and they all had jobs, and families, and friends, very much like we all do. But the wemmicks had one thing we don’t have. Each Wemmick carried with them a box of with dots and stars, and they spent all day putting dots and stars on each other

For those Wemmicks who did well at their jobs, who kept their paint looking fresh and new, other Wemmicks would stick bright gold stars on them. For those Wemmicks who weren’t as successful, who looked scuffed or chipped, the other Wemmicks would stick dull gray dots on them. Now Punchinello was one of those unsuccessful Wemmicks, try as he might, he just wasn’t very good at anything, and of course, everywhere he went, and everytime he tried his best, the other Wemmicks, would stick dull gray dots on him. And so, Punchinello, spent most of his time, home alone, or if he did go out, he would hang out with other Wemmicks with lots of grey dots.

But one day, Punchinello met a Wemmick who had no stars or dots, and her name was Lucia. And the reason she had not stars or dots on her, wasn’t because other Wemmicks hadn’t tried to put them on her, but because for some reason, they just wouldn’t stick to her. So Punchinello asked Lucia, why the dots and stars would not stick, and Lucia told him, it was because she went each day to visit Eli the woodcarver. And she encourage Punchinello to go see Eli himself.

Now at first Punchinello was afraid to go see Eli, what if Eli didn’t like him, and put more dots on him, but in time, Punchinello decided that he wasn’t any better off letting the other Wemmicks put dots on him, so he went. As Punchinello, entered Eli’s workship, he got scared again and was about to leave, but then he heard a strong warm voice, “Punchinello! How good it is to see you!” Punchinello, turned to see Eli, and asked, “Really, you know my name?” “Of course I do”, said Eli, “I made you.” Eli looked closely at Punchinello, “I see you have gotten some grey dots” Eli said. And Punchinello said, “I’m sorry, I tried so hard, but ….” “That’s OK Punichello,” Eli said, “I don’t care what the other Wemmicks think, who are they to be giving out dots and stars, it only matters what I think, and Punchinello, I think your pretty special! 

“But why,” asked Punchinello, “I can’t run fast, or sing or dance or do anything well.” “That doesn’t matter to me,” Eli said, “Your special because I made you, and your mine! And when you truly come to believe that, then the dots and the stars will no longer stick to you.” “But why” asked Punchinello. “Because the stars and dots only stick to those who think they matter, and if you believe in my love for you, they won’t matter any more.” Eli said. And then he added, “Punchinello, you come see me every day, and let me remind you that you are special to me because you mine, and someday, the dots and stars won’t stick to you either.”

As Punchinello, let Eli’s shop, he wondered it if was really true, If Eli really thought he was special, and Punchinello said to himself, “I think he really means it” And at that moment Punchinello heard a pop, and one of the grey dots fell to the ground.

This morning in our epistle lesson, James talks about the unbridled tongue, a restless evil, that poisons our lives. With our tongues we give out gold stars and grey dots to one another. Even worse is when we believe what others say and take it to heart and allow it to poison our lives. And from our scripture lessons, and from the story of Punchinello, I have two thoughts about this.

First, that we are called as Christians to bridle our tongues, to find ways to correct and encourage one another with words of kindness and concern, to leave behind the attacks and name calling we see in the worst of others, or that we have experienced ourselves, and get on with living and loving one another. And we are called to find ways for us to love those who are struggling and encourage them in a path that overcomes the powers of sin in their lives.

And the second thought is, that we are called to come to know our Creator, who loves us because he made us, and we are his. We are called to gather with him, in worship weekly and in daily prayer, to remember his great love for us in Jesus Christ, and to grow in our belief in God’s love for each and every one of us. And this is important, the farther we are from God, the more what others think will take hold of us, but the closer we are to God, the less what others think will hold power over us. For through our faith, the grey dots, and the poison in our souls from these harsh words in our lives, will fall from our souls, and we will truly become children of God, at peace in ourselves, and at one with each other and our Creator. And that’s the good news of Jesus Christ!

September 9, 2018     Justice and Mercy For All                                  
       Several years ago, when I was a camp counselor, I had an experience that really challenged me to think about how I treated others. At the time, I was a high school senior, and saw the world from a rather self-centered point of view. 
       It happened one of the first weeks of camp, when I was a counselor for a group of 7th and 8th graders. In that group were some high energy, attention seeking kids, and the other counselor for the group and I found ourselves drawn to them. So at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the same group of kids would scramble to sit at our table. Now this went on for the first 3 days of camp, when the camp director pulled the two of us aside, and pointed out the favoritism that we were showing to one part of the group. 
        He made it clear to us that we were a Christian Church Camp, and that as the leaders of the group we were called to model a world where everyone is included and everyone is valued as part of the community. Which brings us to our epistle lesson this morning. 

         In our reading from James, James writes, "Brothers and sisters, do you with your acts of favoritism, really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ?" He then goes on to question his church on how they treat rich and poor. Do they treat the rich with special consideration, offering to them the best seats, and treating them with honor, while telling the poor to sit on the floor? James then tells them that when they do this they transgress against the commandment of God, and to remember that they are called to love their neighbor as themselves - which I believe means, we are to treat all people, not just the rich, as we would want to be treated, with honor, dignity, and respect. 
         Now, I think that most of us know this, but in the midst of our lives, just like when I was a teenager, we can be so focused on ourselves that we forget what we are doing, and how we treat people differently. We do this because the world has always operated under a patronage system, where people rely upon the rich to offer them work and jobs and wages. And the world also tells us to look down on those who are poor, who don't get along, who are characterized as lazy, strange, dirty, or sinners. 
          In contrast to this, we as Christians are called to model the behavior of Christ, who suffered himself to show compassion to the poor, the sick, the troubled, the outcast, and the unclean. Our Christian Churches are called to be places of welcome and fellowship, a space where rich and poor are not considerations, and all are treated as brothers and sisters in Christ. In these actions, we show forth the glory of Christ, that stands in direct contrast to the way of the world. In our discipleship, we offer hope to those in need, and a vision of a better world, in which all people are valued as children of God. One in which there is Justice and Mercy for all. And that's the good news of Jesus Christ! 

September 2, 2018            Righteousness                               

This week, our nation mourned the passing of Senator John McCain. In past few days, he was celebrated as a man of honor, justice, and peace. Past presidents and other commentators noted how he could disagree with others, without questioning their patriotism, how he worked with people of opposing parties to do what was best for America, and how he championed the cause of those unjustly oppressed by the powers that be.

John McCain himself would say that he was no saint, that there were many choices he made that he regretted and that he would change, and that when he was remembered, that people would think of him as someone who loved his country, and was a public servant. And one of the phrases that John uttered, that many remembered, when John disagreed with a legislation that he felt was inadequate, he would say that “America” was better than this. John had a vision for this country, and that vision came from his own sense of courage and patriotism and faithfulness, that came from a lifetime of living these ideals.  

Earlier this week, as I met with the local ministers to read through the texts, I focused on a thread of verses in our lectionary, that I believed spoke about the same thing.

From Deuteronomy this verse, “For what other great nation has a god so near to it as the LORD our God is whenever we call to him?  And what other great nation has statutes and ordinances as just as this entire law that I am setting before you today?”

The author of Deuteronomy’s intention was to unite the values of God’s justice and compassion, with what it meant to be a great nation. And it is a people who recognize the power of this spirit, and practice it themselves – as our epistle lesson notes – “being not just hearers, but doers”, who pass it on to their children and children’s children, that makes for a great and longstanding nation.

And from the gospel, “there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile.”  For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.

Jesus speaks these words in the midst of an argument with the Pharisees about what it means to be clean and therefore righteous. The rules of cleanliness are a means to exclude and to look down upon all who do not practice the jewish religion, especially those who are foreigners and the poor.  The parallel in America today to this, is the way people judge each other as clean or unclean, by their political party, their wealth, their status, their culture, religion, or from what nation their ancestors came.

Jesus rejects the use of God’s law as a means to exclude or oppress others, and pointedly tells the people, that it is the spirit in which they live which makes them clean or unclean. And I would add, it is that Spirit in which we live, that makes us citizens not just of this nation, but of the greatest nation of all, the kingdom of heaven.

         And that’s the good news of Jesus Christ.  

August 19, 2018           Wisdom and Foolishness                                         

As I noted in the introduction to our reading from the book of proverbs this morning, we are introduced to two women. I like to call them Lady Wisdom, and Madam Foolishness.

Lady Wisdom is the wisdom of God, and through Lady Wisdom, God built the creation, the house in which we all live. That house, the creation, rests on 7 pillars, a number that represents the wholeness and completeness of God’s design. Lady Wisdom is present in every bit of that creation, and is there to instruct us in God’s will and purpose, and to nourish us with God’s design for our lives and future.

Lady Wisdom does not rest. Lady Wisdom daily prepares a feast. She slaughters the animals, she gathers the vegetables, she cooks, she cleans, she puts out the fine china, lights the candles, puts flowers on the table, and she mixes the wine. And when the feast is prepared, she sends out her servants to call people to the feast – You that are simple turn in here! Her invitation is to the lost and the confused, those frustrated by the world and it’s vain pursuits, to them she offers purpose and meaning, good health and clarity of thought.

To those who come to Lady Wisdom’s table, the food is simple and good, it is satisfying and does not weigh down one’s stomach. The wine is light and delightful, it does not dull one’s senses, but heightens one’s appreciation of life and living. One might compare the feast of Lady Wisdom, to Communion, for in that feast, one comes to see the Goodness of God, and all that God has given to us. 

In contrast to Lady Wisdom, there is Madame Foolishness. Madame Foolishness thinks she knows a great deal, is ready to share her opinions with everyone, and insist that she is right about everything. Madame Foolishness thinks a great deal of her looks, and dresses herself up with the thought of using seduction to get what she what she wants.

Madam Foolishness is never busy. She sits at the front door of a house she did not build, she likes to be seen about town, and sit in the high places so that people can praise her. Her house is disorganized, and she can’t keep servants, because she drives away those whom she calls to serve her. She produces very little, and all that she has comes from what she has stolen from others.  Do you know any people like this?  

Ironically, Madam Foolishness extends roughly the same invitation to all, “You who are simple, turn in here.” But her invitation to those lost in the world is entirely different. It is not an invitation to purpose and meaning, but to self-indulgence and gluttony. She promises that her stolen food is sweeter than the real thing, but it is overly rich and ultimately unsatisfying, it weighs down the stomach, dulls the mind and sickens the soul.  As time goes by, the feast of Madame Foolishness, darkens one’s eyes toward living, and steals away the will to live.

This morning, the Apostle Paul tells the Ephesians, “Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil.”  Brothers and Sisters, I tell you, the days are always evil, and always good! While we might tell ourselves, “that years ago things were better”, even if they were, there were always the voices of Lady Wisdom and Madame Foolishness calling to us. And in every generation, we are called to conduct ourselves either according to God’s Wisdom, or in debauchery – wild living. For in the first case, God’s Wisdom, there is life, and in the second case, debauchery, there is death.

Now I know, that simply by being here this Sunday, that all of you have heard the call of Lady Wisdom. But I also know, that all of us, to some degree struggle with the choice of who to follow. And so I encourage you to examine your lives and discern in which areas of your life you choose to listen to the call of Madame Foolishness. And then make the decision, to run ….. run for you life, back to Lady Wisdom, so that your life might be saved.

Which brings us to our gospel lesson this morning. The Jewish leaders who scoffed at Jesus talking about eating his flesh and drinking his blood were devotees of Madame Foolishness. With these words, Jesus was calling us, not to cannibalism, but to the feast of Lady Wisdom. He was calling us to that table, where the bread of life was served. And all who believe in him, all who live in his Spirit, take the wisdom of God into themselves, and have life in this world, and life everlasting. And that’s the Good News of Jesus Christ.    

August 5, 2018                         Bread of Heaven                            

It seems the news is daily filled with talk about Russian interference in our elections. Although most of what I hear is talk, I have heard very little about the nuts and bolts of how they are supposed to be doing this and why? Which is why I found an article on this subject this week that was very interesting.

 The article focused on 3 million tweets that have been collected over the past 2 years that have been identified as coming from computers at the internet research agency in Russia. Now the article breaks these tweets down into a number categories, but the two that stand out, are called left troll and right troll. Troll being the term for someone who posts something inflammatory on the internet to start an argument.

The left trolls post statements that seek to divide and anger voters on the left. E-mail posts about dissatisfaction with the left, the hopelessness of voting, radical and false statements about black lives matter, impeachment, and the me too movement are meant to start arguments on the left. The right trolls post statements meant to fire up and anger those on the right. Most of these statements are focused on immigration, the border wall, fake news, and attacking the integrity of the justice department.

Now most of you will say, that you don’t follow twitter so you may not be effected by any of this. However, many of you use email, and facebook, and the internet, and guess what – all of these have been compromised as well, through ad’s comments, posts, chain emails, news items, and etc. And even further, some of the less scrupulous news agencies, repeat these news stories, because they are more interested in ratings, than they are in the source of these articles.

So, if you are wondering what all this Russian interference in our elections stuff is all about, it’s all about making dividing, distracting, confusing, and making people in America angry at each other, so that we don’t know what to believe, or how to choose the people who will serve the best interests of our nation. That’s what it’s all about!

So what does this have to do with our scriptures this morning? Our first story talks about the grumbling and complaining Israelites in the wilderness, who basically say they would rather return to slavery in Egypt rather than be free in the wilderness. And I kind of get that, .. being free is tough stuff, it often means being responsible for what one thinks and says and does. Being a slave on the other hand is easy, as a slave, whatever you do or whatever is done to you is someone else’s fault. In the end, God provides bread and quails, so that the people end their grumbling, are fed and have the chance to become united.

Our gospel lesson this morning, continues on from the story of the feeding of the five thousand. As I mentioned last week, this miracle story is meant to show us the contrast between the worldly message of scarcity and the divine message of abundance. This week, the crowds follow him, not simply because he fed them physically, but because he fed them spiritually, the gospel message gives them hope, and so they follow him. Hope for peace, hope for freedom, hope for unity.

And finally, Paul has this to say, to the Ephesians who are a diverse congregation suffering attacks from the surrounding community that threaten to divide them.

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one LORD, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

I hope you can see where I am going with this. Our nation is under attack from people who would seek to divide, distract, and have us destroy ourselves. As long as we continue to act as partisans, and by partisan, I mean people who love their party more than their nation, they will continue to succeed. But as Christians, we are called to God above nation, nation above party, and people above politics. We are called to reject division and seek unity in our lives together, for as Christians, we believe that all are children of God, potential brothers and sisters in Christ.

We do this, because hope and truth are our bread of heaven. The hope and truth revealed to us through faith in Jesus Christ. And each act of faith in our lives, each time we reject division and seek unity, each time we act in love toward our fellow humankind, each time we suffer one another in love, we do so seeking the kingdom of God to become present in human life. That’s where the rubber meets the road, in our daily Christian lives. And in doing so, we are fed spiritually with the bread of heaven, Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.