Dec. 16, 2018         Twelve Days of Christmas                                

Usually, when there is a Sunday School Program, I skip the sermon, but on this Sunday, I thought we could have a little Christmas fun, and tell you the story of the song, 12 days of Christmas.

It is said, that back in the days when Catholics and Protestants were persecuted by the Church of England that they used this song as a kind of catechism of their faith. Such that for each part of the song, their children could memorize and recite part of their Christian tradition.

Now I realize that this story is probably not true, but it does provide a teaching tool, and as I said before, it’s kind fun. And it wouldn’t be the first time that Christianity took over a secular song or pagan celebration for this purpose. So what are the supposed meanings behind the lines of the song? Well,…..

Partridge in a pear tree – Christ on the Cross for our salvation.

2 Turtle Doves: Old and New Testaments

3 French Hens:  Faith, Hope, Charity the Theological virtues, Trinity

4 Calling Birds: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John

5 Golden Rings: the Pentateuch: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy

6 Geese a laying: the six days of creation

7. Swans a swimming: the seven sacraments of the church. Baptism, Communion, Confirmation, Reconciliation, Annointing, Marriage, Ordination.  

8. Maids a milking: the eight beatitudes

9 Ladies Dancing, the 9 fruits of the Holy Spirit  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, charity, and self-control.

10 Lords a Leaping: the ten commandments

11 Pipers Piping: the eleven faithful apostles: Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the younger, Simon the Zealot, Judas son of James. From luke 6

12 Drummers Drumming: the 12 faith statements that make up the Apostle’s Creed

       And so, the next time you sing that song, you might try to remember what each of the lines could represent, as a kind of catechism for yourself. 

Dec. 9, 2018                    Peace                                                 

On this Sunday our gospel lesson is about John the Baptist and his call to repentence. Now in the years I have preached on this passage, I have spoken about changing our lives, or refocusing them from our will to God’s will. But I think in the light of our Advent devotion, I think we could look at repentance as choosing to surrender to God’s will for our lives. And in doing so, the valleys and the mountains of our lives, can be leveled, and the crooked ways of our lives can be made straight, and we can find the peace in our lives that so often times is missing. 

And so, as I looked for things relating to the idea of surrender, I came across this hymn, written by Judson Van DeVenter. It's title is, "I Surrender All".

1. All to Jesus I surrender, All to Him I freely give: I will ever love and trust Him, In His presenced daily live. Ref.  I surrender all, I surrender all; All to Thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender all. 2. All to Jesus I surrender, Humbly at His feet I bow; Worldly pleasures all forsaken, Take me, Jesus, take me now. 3. All to Jesus I surrender, Make me, Savior, wholly Thine; Let me feel the Holy Spirit, Truly know that Thou art mine. 4. All to Jesus I surrender, Lord, I give myself to Thee; Fill me with They love and power, Let Thy blessing fall on me. 5. All to Jesus I surrender, Now I feel the sacred flame; Oh, the joy of full salvation! Glory, glory to His name! 

Van DeVenter said of the inspiration for the text, "that for  some time, I struggled between developing my talents in the field of art, and going into full time Evangelistic work. At last the pivotal hour of my life came and I surrendered all to Christ. A new day was ushered into my life. I became an evangelist and discovered down deep in my soul a talent hitherto unknown to me. God had hidden a song in my heart and touching a tender chord, He caused me to sing!

I also chose this story about Judson Van DeVenter because of our devotion this morning about Mary accepting the news that she would be the mother of Jesus. 

Last Christmas Eve, I talked about Mary, and the reasons she had to be afraid of what would happen to her. As I mentioned above, she could have been accused of adultery and stoned or driven out of her community, she could have lost her husband Joseph and been left to raise her baby alone, or she could have died in childbirth with no one to care for her. Mary had a choice to either surrender to these fears, or to surrender to the will of God. And in surrendering to the will of God she found peace. 

Now during the Christmas season, we can often find ourselves getting so caught up in the commercial rush of Christmas, the rush of meeting our desires, and the desires of others, the Christmas rush that makes us crazy, out of breathe and out of time, and out of money. That is why surrendering our lives to the will of God, can help us to step back from this Christmas rush and determine what is truly important in our lives, God’s love for us and for one another, and in that surrendering, we can find peace for our lives this Christmas. And that's the Good News of Jesus Christ! 

Dec. 2, 2018                      Hope                                                

    

A few weeks ago, on my way home from my daughter’s house in Elgin, my car was running out of gas, so I pulled into a small service station and filled up. It must not have been a very busy gas station, because when I went in, the attendant was reading a book, which they put down to ring up my purchase. As she did so, I took a look at what she was reading, the bible, and it was opened to the book of Daniel.

When she finished, I told her I had noticed she was reading from the book of Daniel. She said yes, it had been recommended to her by a church friend, who told her that it would help her to understand what was going on in the world today. So I asked her, what do you mean? And she told me that the world seemed to be falling apart, that every newspaper she read, or news program she saw, was all about poverty, or racism, or illness, or lying, or natural disasters, or some form of violence. It just seemed to her the world was coming to an end. "And it makes you afraid?", I asked, and she said, "yes….."

         "So where are you in the book?" I asked, and she answered, "the part about the coming of the son of man." Now at this point, I could have put on my biblical scholar hat, and told her that the part about the son of man comes after Nebuchanezzars dream of the broken idol which represents the nations of Egypt, Babylon, Assyria, Greece, and Rome, and how the son of man represents the establishment of a heavenly kingdom on earth, where there is no longer all that poverty, racism, illness, lying, disasters or violence. That the son of man was a symbol of promise of a world that is to come, that we as followers of God were called to look for, and even enact in our lives. But I didn’t want to be a know it all jerk.

         So I asked her, "how do you think it all ends?" And she went on to tell me that she thought that the son of man would come and make the world a better place, that his kingdom would get rid of all the divisions, and violence, and problems that the world had, but that first of all we had to go through all this, and through faith in him, that God would bring a new world into being.

         Now I have to tell you, two things. First, one of the greatest joys of being a minister, isn’t telling people what to believe and fixing their lives, it’s asking people about their faith, and finding in them a depth that people don’t always see, and sometimes allowing them to articulate their faith is the best thing I can do. And the second thing is that I have filled up at this little gas station in Sandwich, numerous times. And the attendant and I have had a number of conversations, about her living in her car, losing her trailer, her abusive husband who she is separated from, and etc. If there was someone who lived on hope and faith, it was indeed this woman.

         And that’s what this morning’s gospel lesson is all about. The early Christians lived in a world that they thought was falling apart. They were persecuted by the Jews and the Romans, the Jewish temple was destroyed, there were disasters and illness, and violence aplenty. And they were waiting, for Jesus to come back and save them. And as scary as all of this was to them, Luke’s gospel message to them this morning was a message of hope, that they would live through these times, and a new world would be born. And the message for us today, is that in these tumultuous times in which we live, that through our faith in the Son of Man, Jesus Christ, that we too will live through these times, and that a better world is coming!  

And that’s the good news of Jesus Christ!  

Nov. 25, 2018          To Which Truth Do You Belong?                          

         The story of the first thanksgiving begins in England in 1609. At that time King James decreed that only worship in the Church of England was allowed, and those who chose to worship otherwise, were reported to the authorities and thrown in jail.        

         So the Pilgrims, a people who wanted to worship in their own church and in their own way, prayed to God for guidance in the midst of these persecutions, and God gave them a vision of a new life in a new land. Of course this meant giving up their life, and lands, and friends in England, but they trusted in God, so the Pilgrims sailed to Holland to escape this persecution, and settled into life among the Dutch.

         But Holland was not England. After living among the dutch for a number of years, the pilgrims decided that their customs and festivals were to frivolous, permissive, and unhealthy for their children and families. So they prayed again to God, and God showed them a vision of life in New World. Of course this meant working to raise the funds to rent passage on a ship, which took 7 years, but they trusted in God, and so they set off for the new world.

         On September 6th, 1620, the Pilgrims set sail for the New World on a ship called the Mayflower. There were 44 pilgrims on board, and 66 others whom the pilgrims referred to as “strangers”. During the trip, a number of people fell ill, provisions ran low, and there were a number of disagreements among the passengers and crew. So the pilgrims prayed to God to guide them, and God opened their hearts to the “strangers”, and they worked out an agreement called the Mayflower Compact, which brought them together.

         The Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock in mid-November. They struggled to build shelters and find food that first winter. Many more died from starvation and cold. So they prayed again to God, to give them the strength to care for each other, and keep as many as they could alive until the spring. And in the spring, 50 of the original 110 who set out on the Mayflower survived the winter.     

         In March of that year, an Indian walked into the Plymouth settlement. At first the pilgrims were afraid, fearing that they might be attacked, but they prayed again to God, who gave them the peace to welcome and accept help from the Indians. By the fall, they learned to plant crops, build homes, and store up provisions for the winter.

         And in the fall, they gathered together with their new Indian friends to celebrate with a week long feast, and they gave thanks to God for bringing them through their trials and troubles to life in this new land!

         This morning, in our gospel lesson, Pilate ends his discussion with Jesus by asking, “What is Truth?”

         Pilate is a well educated man, who recognizes that there are many truths by which we live our lives, and which we use to make decisions in our lives.

         But he does not recognize that there is one truth above all, the truth of God’s love for us in Jesus Christ.

         The pilgrims recognized this truth and it can be seen in the story of their travels and the first thanksgiving.

         The pilgrims recognized that God calls us to worship God in freedom, not according to the whims of the state, or some religious hierarchy. The pilgrims recognized that we are called to live by faith, and that calls us to be responsible, faithful, and obedient to God’s will – not to live in frivolous, permissive or unhealthy ways. The pilgrims recognized that God calls us to care for each other as brothers and sisters, especially in times of hardship, not to be uncaring towards others, even if they believe differently than ourselves. And finally, they recognized that God calls us to welcome and to learn from those who are different from us, even those of other nations, who might have something to teach us about living, life, and love for others.

         The pilgrims believed in this truth that is above all, that guides us through our trials and troubles and leads us to peace with God and with one another, that we may give thanks and praise to God for God’s blessings in all our lives.

         Which leads us to ask ourselves, Which Truth Do We Live By?

Do we live by the truth of King James – or the Jewish leaders of Jesus day, who believe God calls us to judge and condemn those who do not worship as we do? – Or do we live by the truth of Jesus, which calls us to worship God freely giving him thanks and praise in our own voices.

Do we live by the truth of the Dutch – or Pilate, believing there is no truth, that we are free to do as we please, indulging ourselves in this life with no thought for the next. Or do we live by the truth of Jesus, who calls us to love God and one another, living faithfully towards one another, and preparing ourselves for the life to come.

Do we live by the truth of tribalism – that we should not care for those who do not believe as we do, that we should let them die rather than share the blessings God has given us – or do we live by the truth of Jesus, who calls us to love those we disagree with as brothers and sisters, and to care for one another in times of trouble.

Finally, Do we live by the truth of nations – that only in fear is there peace, that other nations have nothing to teach us, nothing of value they can share. Or do we live by the truth of Jesus, who shows us that all people are created in the image of God, a wondrous diversity in which we can know and learn of God’s love and life in all it’s forms and wonders.

I encourage all of you, to discover the Good News of God’s love for us in Jesus Christ, that you also may know this truth in your life and be moved this thanksgiving to offer God your thanks and praise in your love for God and for one another. Amen.

Nov. 18, 2018                     Remembering the Saints                      

Helen Wood – born January 22, 1935 and passed away on January 7, 2018. Sadly I have very few details of Helen’s life. In the times I saw her at Willowcrest, she had already slipped beyond the ability to communicate. She had devoted friends, who cared for her, visiting and feeding her daily at the nursing home. And then a few weeks after the memorial service for her husband James Woods, the family moved her to Michigan to be close to a family member there.

It is difficult to imagine that she did not share in her husband’s concern for others. I have been told, that she was very active in supporting his work at school, as well as driving the school bus. So it is that we mourn her passing, and give God thanks for the blessing that she was to those who knew her, and for the part she played in his life and in ours.

James “Jim” R. Kroening, age 66, passed away March 5, 2018. He was born March 21, 1951 to Carl and Ruth Kroening in Milwaukee, WI. Jim grew up in Lockport, IL. He retired from Caterpillar after 31 years. Jim’s family remembers him as an outgoing person, teaching his sons to fish, canoe, and camp. Taking them to concerts and sharing his passion for music, photography, car racing, and movies. He was someone that could talk to anyone, who was a good listener, held his own opinions, yet could disagree with others and still see them as persons.

Jim loved his church, enjoyed helping others and appreciated the opportunities the church provided for mission and ministry. He delivered Meals on Wheels, served on the Sharing Pantry board, participated in CROP walks, enjoyed going to Feed My Starving Children, served as a Trustee and Deacon, helped with the Ham Dinner, Pancake Breakfast, and 4^th Tuesday Feasts at church. Jim visited a number of people who suffered illness and cancer, and drove many of them to appointments and out to lunch.

Jim had a strong sense of God’s call for us to be involved in bringing God’s kingdom into the world, and the role that the church plays in that. And Jim told me that in the United Church of Christ, he found a home where the God revealed in Jesus Christ was proclaimed and present.

Pamela Sue Morton, age 55, of Sheridan, IL, passed away Saturday October 13, 2018 at her home. She was born June 16, 1963 in Sandwich, IL, to Wayne and Madeline Bagwill. She married John A Morton on April 24, 1981, at Union Congregational Church in Somonauk, IL, where she was a member and served on numerous committees throughout her life. Pam was always very involved in her church, singing in the choir, as a deacon, a moderator, a Sunday School, teacher, a youth leader, and more.

     Pam ran the Stage Coach Shop in Northville, she was a cooker and baker extraordinaire, making wedding cakes for others. She was happiest working in her garden, or on the back of a horse. Pamela’s life work was service to others, and she did so quietly and humbly.

       In Pastor Maney’s remarks at her service, he spoke of how most people knew Pam through their relationship with her. Daughter who chose to live near the family home, Sister caring and listen in full without judging, Wife patient and faithful towards her husband, mother, grandmother, dog and horse lover, teacher, church member, and caregiver.

        Rev. Maney also spoke of how each of those relationships was rooted in the love we know in Jesus Christ, and compared that love in Pam’s life as a magnificent gemstone that Pam polished throughout her life. Each facet, in good times or bad, radiating the beauty of life that can be seen in someone who loves one another, as Jesus loved us. Showing forth the glory of God in ordinary everyday actions, whether decorating a cake, or cleaning horse stalls.

      Elvira Evelyn Knight, age 94, of Sheridan, passed Saturday, October 27, 2018 at Pleasant View Luther Home in Ottawa, IL. Mrs. Knight was born March 26, 1924 in Battersea, England to Frederick and Violet (Teche) Robertson. She met Virgil J. Knight during World War 2 when he was stationed in Southport, England. Virgil and Elvira married August 10, 1947 in Serena. Virgil passed May 27, 1998. 

       She was an active member of the Serena United Methodist Church and had been a Matron of the Order of Eastern Star. She was active in the Sandwich Hospital Auxiliary for many years and as a volunteer in the hospital gift shop, and reception for the emergency room. For a time before she went to the Luther Home, she attended services at Union Congregational, became a member and made a number of friends. She participated actively in the Sunshine Band, and we are grateful for the time she spent with us.

      This week we celebrate Thanksgiving, a traditional time of celebrating the harvest of the field, giving thanks for God’s blessing of our work, and being prepared to face the winter months that lie ahead. On this Sunday, we celebrate not only these gifts, but all the gifts of those lives God has shared with us, and who we have lost in this past year.  These people showed a variety of ways in which God makes his love known among us through the power of the Holy Spirit in people’s lives. The people have made us who we are and will never be parted from us. And through our faith in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, they will be remembered and raised to life among us, even as they shall be raised to life in the kingdom of God that is to come! 

Nov 11,2018             Faith and Abundance                                     

Twenty years ago, the Illinois Conference had an associate minister for Evangelism and Stewardship named Bob Scheiler, and when he would come and preach at churches, he would ask the following questions.

Who has more energy, the couch potato who sits on their sofa, or the person who goes out an regularly exercizes? Who has more time, the person who sits and watches the minutes tick by, or the person who goes out and gets things done? Who has more knowledge, the student who crams the night before an exam, or the one who studies daily? Who has more money, the mizer who tries to hold on to every last penny, or the person who goes out an invests their money so they can make more? And his final question would be, who has more faith, someone who believes in God but does nothing about that belief, or someone who believes in God, and goes out and changes the world?

The simple point of these questions was to point out, life is found not in hoarding to ourselves all that we have, but in giving of ourselves, investing ourselves, spending ourselves, so that we might receive more than we give. Because, Bob Scheiler would say, the world tells us that there is never enough for all, that we must hold fast to everything we have, and that giving of ourselves leads to poverty and death. But God says, that through faith, there is enough for all, that we can give of ourselves, and that in giving of ourselves there is life!

The Bible has numerous stories of those who through faith gave of themselves and found life. This morning, widow of Nain, believing that she and her son will starve to death, agrees to feed the prophet Elijah, and miraculously, her food never runs out. We all know the story of Jesus telling his disciples to feed the five thousand, but all they have is five loaves and two fish, yet this is enough for all with twelve baskets left over. We all know the story of the servants given talents, those servants who invest their talents are welcomed into the kingdom of heaven, and the one servant who buries his gift, ends up in darkness. And our gospel lesson this morning, speaks of the widow, who puts in all that she has, trusting that God will take care of her, perhaps because through her faith, she knows that God has taken care of her many, many a time already.

How many of us, in our times of need, when all seems lost, when we stopped relying on ourselves alone, have found that God has provided us with family, friends, and opportunities a plenty to get going again. I myself like the saying, when the world closes a door, God opens a window. At least that’s how I like to think of it. And numerous times in my life, that’s how I have experienced it. Through faith, there is abundance and there is life! 

I’ve often told people the story of a parishioner in Smithton IL, who was laid off from his construction job. When I went by to see him, I expected him to be down, he had a mortgage, a year old truck with payments, a daughter in college, and two sons about to go to college. I thought he must be worried out of his mind how he would get through this. When I asked him about this, he said, “Pastor, this is not the first time I have been through this, God saw me through the last time, and God will see me through this time.” And sure enough, this 300 plus pound, rough, tough construction worker, found a way to go to auctions, and sell teacups and china on ebay, to make enough money till he got called back to work.

The Rev. Dr. Douglas Meeks, my systematics professor, wrote a book called God the Economist. In it, he writes about how through faith, we come to find that the world is filled with an abundance that never runs out, that through faith we are satisfied with all that we have been given, and through faith we are empowered to give freely of ourselves to the work of the church, to spread the gospel to all the world, and make the world a better place for all.

And that’s the Good news of Jesus Christ! 

Nov 4, 2018                       Love God                           

This morning Jesus is asked about the greatest commandment, and his answer is, ‘Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Now as I studied the text this week, I broke it down this way.

Hear O Israel, - Shema Israel, is an old testament form of address, calling the whole nation of Israel to attention. The word about to be spoken is to all, all twelve tribes of Israel, and all the people who are not Israelites living among them. When a prophet began his speech with Shema Israel, it was not a edict to the people it was a message for the people, all the people.   

The Lord our God, the Lord is one. While we often say to one another that we all worship the same God, this is not always true. Most often we worship the God who benefits, blesses our ways, our beliefs, and our families. When Jesus speaks these words, he is not speaking of the God of one particular God, but the God who is the God of all. The not just of the Benjaminites or Ephramites, or any other particular tribe, but the God of all tribes, not just the God of Israelites, but the God of foreigners and slaves in their midst, and not just the God of the righteous, but the God of the lost and the sinner as well. This is the God of all, who cares for for all, to whom all can call upon for justice, grace, and peace. In this God, all are one.

You shall love the Lord your God. – the gods, small g, of this world do not ask for your love, but for your fear and obedience. They threaten punishment and condemnation. These gods, again small g, never give of themselves, but are always asking for sacrifices. Only in Jesus Christ, do we see a God who gives of God’s self. Our devotion to this God should never come from fear and punishment, but a love for the God who loves us. A God whose commands to us are in our best interests, for they are in the best interests not just of one, but for all.   

With all your heart, strength, soul, and mind – As God loves us, we are called to love God, as God gave himself in Jesus Christ for us, we are called to give ourselves in love for God. Our hearts should be set on God’s love for all, our strength should be put to use to show this love for all, our soul’s should be tuned to this love in our lives, and our minds should be set on realizing God’s will in our lives. If we do not love God, as God has loved us, we fall short, our lives become separated from God, and subject to the powers of sin reign over us in the form of chaos, division, violence, suffering, and death.  

You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Loving God with all our heart, strength, soul, and mind, leads to a selflessness that leads to loving others. Only when we truly love God, are we emptied of the sinful motivations that rule our lives. Only then, are our eyes opened to the sufferings of others, and our part in them. Only then, does caring for others, turn from being a burden to a joy, and only then, will sin, suffering and death be overcome in all human life.

Interestingly enough, our reading of the greatest commandment, occurs on the Sunday before our national elections. For the last several weeks, we have seen god’s, small g, in the form of politicians, trying to make us afraid, threatening us with doom if we don’t vote for them, appealing to us to vote for our own interests over the interests of others, and telling half-truths and outright lies to us.

In the light of our meditation on the greatest commandment this morning, I hope that you will more clearly see the division, violence, suffering and sin, they are sowing in our nation. I hope that you will vote, not out of fear, but out of love, seeking not what is best for ourselves, but what is best for all. And I hope that you will more clearly consider, that only through our love for God and love for neighbor will we be able to free ourselves from the power of these false gods, and realize a nation in which all are one in the true God of Israel, the God we know in Jesus Christ.