Welcome to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

The Reverend
Bruce MacLaughlin, Pastor
prbrucedml@rcn.com

2115 Washington Blvd.
Easton, PA 18042
Office: 610-258-0081

Home

Sunday School Registration

Stewardship Opportunities

From The Pastor, The Reverend Bruce MacLaughlin

Let me introduce you to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd where people connect with God and one another.

Some 2,000 years ago, God became one of us, to connect with us, and Jesus was born. Through Jesus’ death on the cross, God Is connected with our human pain and suffering. Through Jesus’ resurrection from the grave and ascension into heaven, God has connected us with God’s Joy and love that lasts forever.

Good Shepherd may look like a big church building but that’s only because it’s a church blessed by God with a big heart. There is ministry to the homeless, the hospitalized, the shut-ins, and many more. .

Good Shepherd may look like a big church building but that’s only a reflection of God’s generosity flowing through the members of Good Shepherd. Jesus gave his life so that we might live. Good Shepherd has a strong tradition of helping the needs of the Wilson and Easton communities.

Good Shepherd may look like a big church building but that’s only so it can provide a place for many different groups to meet and connect. Community groups (Girl Scouts, AA, and others) and congregational groups (Women of the ELCA, Choirs, and more) have, found Good Shepherd to be a good place to meet.

Good Shepherd is not about being a big building but being God’s people, responding to God’s love. Come and join us as God wraps us with love and fellowship through Christ Jesus. Come and learn of God’s joy and love. Come and share God’s blessings. Come, be comforted and connected to God and to others.

About Pastor Bruce:
The Rev. Bruce D. MacLaughlin was called as Pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in November, 1999. Before beginning his ministry at Good Shepherd, Pastor MacLaughlin served as pastor of Holy Trinity Memorial Lutheran Church, Catasauqua, Pa., The Lutheran Church of the Deaf in the Lehigh Valley, St. John’s Lutheran Church, Brandonville, Pa. and St. John’s Lutheran Church, Ringtown, Pa. Pastor MacLaughlin has also served as a member of NEPA Synod Council, Mutual Ministry Resource Person for the NEPA Synod, Registrar for Regional Youth Gathering, ELCA Region 7, Member and Chair of NEPA Synod Professional Leadership Committee, and a member of NEPA Synod Worship Committee.

Pastor Bruce's Sermons:

July 11, 2010 -Sixth Sunday after Pentecost

Deuteronomy 30:9-14
Moses calls the people who are about to enter the promised land to renew the covenant god made with their ancestors. Through this covenant God gives life and asks for obedience. God’s commandment is neither burdensome nor too far off, but dwells in the people’s own hearts.

Luke 10:25-37
Jesus is challenged to explain what is involved in obeying the greatest commandment. Jesus tells a parable rich in surprise: those expected to show pity display hard hearts while the lowly give and receive unexpected and lavish mercy.

Sermon
Last Sunday the Morning Call’s headline read “An Extraordinary Man – Steve
Zernhelt never turned down someone in need – and it cost him his life.

“Steve Zernhelt was a good father who drove three hours to fix his daughter’s vacuum cleaner. A good brother, he lent hand and hammer to remodel a sibling’s kitchen. A good husband, he traded the prospect of a military career for the woman he loved.

“Zernhelt never hesitated when someone needed help, but the Northampton man’s acts of kindness hadn’t amounted to anything extraordinary until 15 days ago, when he responded to the piercing screams of his neighbors.”

With stories like this who wants to be a Good Samaritan? “Jesus found Himself in trouble because He took the idea of mercy seriously. He traded with the idea that the necessity for compassion overrode the protocol considerations that were of paramount importance to the religious establishment of His time. For Jesus, mercy, compassion, always took priority over any human concept of respectability.” [“Cotton Patch Parables of Liberation” by Clarence Jordan & Bill Lane Doulos, p130]

Despite the risks of caring for others, my intent in today’s sermon is to encourage us to be compassionate. Before going further let’s take a moment to clear our minds and open our hearts to God’s Word for us today. Let us pray: “Loving You is risky business, God. Loving our neighbor requires boldness and an open, generous heart. Through these words and the meditation of our hearts, help us lay aside convenient excuses as well as reasons not to get involved. Help us keep fear in sensible perspective rather than control us. We pray this in Christ Jesus’ name who step through His fear to care for us. Amen” [“Lectionary Worship Aids, Series V, Cycle C” Dallas A. Brauninger, p137]

“Jesus' mini-story begins with a common situation. A certain person was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho. Nothing is said about the person's status, but trouble befalls him when he falls among thieves who leave him beaten, naked, and half-dead (v. 30). Thus he had literally been stripped of all status and could potentially be a threat to the cleanliness of others if he becomes completely dead. Hence it should not be surprising that when two religious figures (first a priest, then a Levite) whose vocation involves mediating purity in Israel come down the road (evidently returning from worship or service in the Temple in Jerusalem), they each see him and pass by on the other side (vv. 31-32).“In this way their practice indicates that their primary covenantal loyalty is to purity, and so they do not risk contamination from the naked (and potentially dead) person they encounter.

“Next comes a Samaritan who has no religious status within Israel. Samaritans were regarded as religious traitors and outcasts. In fact, the last time Samaritans were mentioned in Luke's story, they were portrayed as rejecting Jesus on his journey to Jerusalem (see 9:51-55).

“The Samaritan's first two actions of coming and seeing replicate those of the priest and Levite (cf. vv. 31, 32, 33), but his next action breaks the pattern and becomes the key to the whole text. He has compassion, he’s moved with pity. The reference to his compassion recalls prior references to God's compassionate mercy (1:78) and Jesus’ compassion ( 7:13) and foreshadows the compassion of the father in another parable ( 15:20).

“The word compassion, or moved with pity, is literally in the middle of the
parable (sixty-eight words had proceeded it and sixty-seven words will follow) and presents the stuff of covenantal practice.

“To put into practice a relationship with God, means, having compassion for others in the manner of God and Jesus. As presented in the story, this compassion includes risk to one's own self. These three people walk past a
crime scene in a high crime area. There is religious implication for someone becoming contaminated if he is dead. There is economic risk in the extravagant use of one's resources for the well-being of another with no thought of being repaid (vv. 34-35).

“Jesus has shifted the focus from who is worthy of one's love to what it means for one to act lovingly for another. This is brought home when he asks the lawyer not about the object of one's love but about the doer of love (v. 36). The lawyer is forced to conclude that the neighbor is the one who did mercy, to which Jesus responds, "Go and do likewise." [Richard P. Carlson, “NewProclamation.org, Year C, 2004: Easter through Pentecost]

Being in relationship with God through Christ Jesus we are to practice love, we are to do love. God’s love has no boundaries nor should ours. As God has been extravagant and selfless we too are to be extravagant and selfless in our love. This is a story about love that crosses boundaries and takes risks

Pr. Barry Mitchell shared that “the concept of ‘neighbor’ took on some new meaning for him over the past few months. Getting sick just weeks before the first mowing days of the season, he never gave a thought about is yard. But his three neighbors, without saying a word or even asking, just took it on themselves to take turns mowing his yard. One neighbor has even done the dreadful duty of cutting down the weeds in the swale twice this season.

“When Pr. Mitchell took the time to thank his neighbor Joel, one of his next door neighbors, Joel just shrugged as said, ‘you know how you always say to people, “let me know aht I can do to help?” he said, “well I just knew what I and Dennis and Dean were happy to do.” Pr. Mitchell shares, “My lawn and swale look better now than most of the 21 years we’ve lived in our home. Through their generosity I have some meaningful ideas of what ‘neighbor” is all about.

It was a perfect opportunity for Jesus to launch into a spirited discussion about neighbor and prejudice, peppered with lots of citations from the Torah, a style that would have delighted the Pharisees.

Jesus, however, decides to tell a story. The crowd gathers around as Jesus begins to spin the tale. “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho,” He begins and everyone who has ever taken that journey knows that a lone traveler on this downhill stretch was an easy mark for bandits and robbers. Sure enough, he winds up stripped, beaten and robbed and left by the side of the road as a vulture appetizer.

Along comes a priest, who follows the law rightly when he does not touch the bloodied and potentially dead man. The Levite’s excuse was even flimsier, though it may have been near to the time when he needed to serve in the temp and did not want to be defiled. These two, who would have had a special place in the heart of the lawyer, used the law to excuse themselves from helping a wounded man. The Pharisee no doubt begins to wonder if he, too, would find a way to allow the law to let him off the hook.

Then Jesus, saving the actual word “Samaritan” until the end of the sentence, whacks the lawyer over the head with a verbal 2 x 4, asserting that the guy who took pity and came to the robbed and wounded person’s aid was (gasp) a Samaritan. Sort of a modern day Palestinian, Moslem, terrorist, someone who did not trust the Israelites.

Jesus twists the knife, letting the Samaritan bind the wounds, put the injured man on his own animal and take him to the nearest Day’s Inn where a trusting hotel manager lets him sign a promissory note for the poor guys stay.

Jesus puts the lawyer on the spot in front of the whole crowd, “which of the three was a neighbor?”

“The one who showed him mercy,” replies the Pharisee.

Jesus goes in for the kill. “Go and do likewise.”

My guess is that not only was the lawyer reeling at this point but so was the crowd listening who were asking themselves whether or not they would have helped the man.

So what do we do when we hear screams or a commotion next door? Steve Zernhelt knew what to do. Are we willing to take the risk, in the name of Christ?

What does it mean to love as Christ loves us?

Amen

June 20, 2010 - Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

Isaiah 65:1-9
The prophet announces God’s impatience. The people’s self-absorption is idolatry, and images from pagan worship fill this reading. Like a vintner who crushes the grape to release the wine, God will use Israel’s exile to establish a new community of the faithful.

Galatians 3:23-29
For Paul, baptism is a powerful bond that unites popl not only with God but with other believers. Those who call themselves children of God experience a transformation that removes prejudices of race, social class, or gender in favor of true unity in Christ.

Luke 8:26-39
Jesus’ mission includes foreigners, and his authority extends to the casting out of demons. Some who witness Jesus’ work are seized with confusion and fear, but the man who was healed is commissioned to give testimony of God’s mercy and power.

Sermon
“Chains, shackles, ranting demons, the destruction of a large herd of swine, the manifest fear of the onlookers, the onlookers, rather than appreciating what Jesus had done, desire to be rid of this disturbing healer-exorcist: this is a strange healing story. This event in the life of Jesus, recorded also in Matthew and Mark’s gospels, seems to come from a film in the tradition of ‘The Exorcist.’”

“Jesus as healer rousted the demons and sacrificed a herd of unclean animals in the process.
“In doing this, Jesus instilled so much fear that the people beg Jesus to
leave the district.

“In the process, Jesus makes a convert, though he doesn’t allow the convert to follow him, rather sending the convert home to declare how much God had done. In giving the man a new life Jesus gives him a mission.

“This is a story about one sent by God, namely Jesus, who reaches out and breaks the chains that bind our lives. Jesus faces down demons and restores wholeness to broken lives.” [“Sundays and Seasons” p243]

Before taking a closer look at this story let is take a moment to focus our hearts and minds on God’s revelation for us today.

Let us pray: “O God, the Universe knows You are without equal and humbly bows before You. Through these words and the meditation of our hearts give us the courage and power to carry Your message of hope and love into the world, sharing it without fear. In Christ we pray. Amen” [“Lectionary Worship Aids, Series IV, Cycle C” James R. Wilson, p132]

The gospel reading tells us about how Jesus freed a man from a mob of demons who had infested his life.

Whether or not you think of demons as defined creatures with individual personalities doesn’t make any difference, so long as you are aware that they are real and determined to do us in. None of us are untouched by their influence. All of us have been colonized or infested by a legion of things which would keep us fearfully compliant with the corrupt powers that divide and feed off us. We are all influenced by the toxic systems which lure us into increasing greed, callousness and superficiality.

This is not the only time Jesus tangles with the relentless forces opposing God. There is the sea and the storm. There are the 7 demons rid from Mary Magdalene. There’s the woman who had bled for years. The lepers…the list goes on.

Jesus faces our demons head on while we often hide from them, preferring to keep them in the closet or under the rug than expose them to the light.

It’s written: “37Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear.” What were the people afraid of?

See, I would have thought the people were overwhelmed with joy that the man they knew was freed from the power that separated him from his family. I would have thought the people would have said, “Finally a cure. We have tried for years to help him. Jesus, can you help the other people we know?”

I mean, I would have thought they’d want Jesus to stick around and cure the other people in their community that were stricken with disease, handicaps, and other ailments. But no, these people want nothing to do with Jesus.

Why were they seized with great fear? Is it possible that the people were afraid of exposing the demons they had learned to live with? Were they afraid of facing their own demons? What does it mean to face our own demons?

In today’s reading Jesus faces a mass of demons who claim the name Legion. The name Legion can never be neutral for the Jews in the audience of this story. Legion is a unit of 3,000–6,000 men in the ancient Roman army. The emblem of the Tenth Legion was the boar. The Tenth Legion is responsible for destroying the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD.

Legion was a demon force the Jews knew all to well. What demons do we face? What evil spirits reside in us?

Isaiah, in the first reading, announces God’s impatience with the people’s self absorption. “a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, following their own devices;” We live in a culture bent on convincing us we are god, we don’t need anyone, we can do it ourselves. We can rationalize anything. An opposing view offends us. We don’t want to be bothered with the big picture, all that really matters is me.

We live in a culture that cultivates self-centeredness, which leads to narcissism and ends up in a destructive pathology. How do you feel when you don’t get your way? Advertisers know how you feel and so they play on it.

What addictions do we live with?
What values do we live with that cause harm to others?
Next week we will hear Paul’s words to the Galatians saying: “19Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, 20idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, 21envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these.” Are these the demons we live with that we don’t want Jesus to expose?

Back to my question, why were these people so afraid? Is it possible that they had learned how to live with the man possessed and they had learned how to keep him at a safe distance. Had they warned their children to stay away from him? Now what do they do?

Jesus had come along and changed everything. Would they have to find someone new to guard against? Is that why they are afraid of Jesus, because he changed their world?

I don’t think I will ever know why these people were afraid of Jesus. It will be left to our imagination and speculation.

Let’s go back to the man who no longer has to live with demons wracking chaos in his mind and life? What happens to him?

This story is about Jesus crossing boundaries, about Jesus’ mission to reveal God’s love for all. Here is a man, first full of demons, then saved, who responds as a disciple and becomes the first person to be commissioned by Jesus for missionary activity. He becomes a proclaimer of God’s love through Christ Jesus, an evangelist.

And his message? Christ is risen and has broken the demonic power of death, the power of fear, the power of greed. And when his victory begins to bear fruit in our lives and we are seen free of the demons…
When we are clothed in Christ and in our right minds…
The world around us will react exactly as the people of Gerasa did. People around us will say, “this is too weird, too dangerous. Get away from us, we don’t want anything to do with this.” But we will know that we have found the pathway to life in all its fullness just as the man in today’s story found. We will know that freed of our demons we are freed from the clutches of the world and are embraced by a loving God.

Amen

June12, 2010 - Third Sunday after Pentecost

2 Samuel 11:26-12:10, 13-15
King David has misused his royal power by taking advantage of his neighbor Bathsheba and is responsible for killing her husband, Uriah, by sending him into battle without proper support to defend him. God sends the prophet Nathan to confront the king with his guilt.

Luke 7:36-8:3
Our Gospel reading tells a story of two contrasting characters—Simon the Pharisee and an unnamed woman. Simon has invited Jesus to his home for dinner, a home well enough known in the community for the woman to find. Most likely, a large dining table graces the room, surrounded by couches for reclining guests, Jesus one of them. Standing behind Jesus in Simon's home is the second character in this story: an uninvited woman. Weeping, she bends down to bathe Jesus' feet with her tears, to dry them with her hair, and to anoint them. We never hear her speak, but her tears as well as her actions speak. They reveal a woman filled with grief who chooses a path of utmost humility born of deep yearning.

Sermon
“The concept of ‘judgment’ is almost universally viewed as negative today, though the term itself is neutral. The judgment of God, as even of a human being, can be either favorable or unfavorable. Judgment may result in condemnation, vindication, punishment, forgiveness, pardon, or reprieve. The judgment of God is said to establish justice, and in the Bible, this justice is obtained with a variety of verdicts.

“We have today two stories of judgment. The first reading presents a classic tale of God’s prophet delivering a harsh negative verdict to a powerful King David whose sin is ‘found out’ by God.

“The Gospel reading offers a contrast, with Jesus pronouncing forgiveness for the sinner and, ironically, speaking harsh, prophetic judgment against the self-righteous.” [Emphasis/May-June/1998/p43]

Before moving on, let’s stop and take a moment to focus our hearts and minds on God’s word for us today. Let us pray: Everlasting God, merciful and mighty, we come to worship You and give thanks for Your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. You have sent Jesus to us so that we might be saved. Through these words and the meditation of our hearts inspire our faith in Jesus, who gives us new life, and give us the power of the Holy Spirit to keep us living lives that are reflective of Your love God. In Jesus name we pray. Amen

First the background for the story about David. “2 It happened, late one afternoon, when David rose from his couch and was walking about on the roof of the king's house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; the woman was very beautiful. 3 David sent someone to inquire about the woman. It was reported, "This is Bathsheba daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite." 4 So David sent messengers to get her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she was purifying herself after her period.) Then she returned to her
house. 5 The woman conceived; and she sent and told David, "I am pregnant."
[2 Samuel 11:2-5]

That reminds me of a story of two elderly friends, Jack and Tom, met in the park every day to feed the pigeons, watch the squirrels and discuss world problems.

One day Jack didn't show up. Tom didn't think much about it and figured maybe he had a cold or something.

But after Jack hadn't shown up for a week or so, Tom got worried. Unfortunately he didn't know where Jack lived, so he was unable to find out what had happened to him. After a month passed, Tom figured he had seen the last of Jack, but one day, Tom approached the park and -- lo and behold there sat Jack !

Tom, excited and happy, said how glad he was to see him, then blurted out, "For crying out loud, what on earth happened to you?"

"I've been in jail," Jack said, with some embarrassment.

"Jail?" cried Tom. "What in the world for?"

"Well," Jack said, "you know Marilyn , that cute little blonde waitress at the coffee shop where we sometimes go?"

"Yeah," said Tom, "I remember her. What about her?"

"Well, one day she filed rape charges against me and, at 89 years old, I was so proud that when I got into court, I pleaded 'guilty'.

"And you were convicted of rape?", asked Tom, stunned.

Jack replied, "No, the judge gave me thirty days for perjury."

Well, let’s back to David and his sinful actions. “Nathan summarizes all of the grace that the Lord has poured out on David, vss 7-8, and points out that in total gratitude for the gifts of God to him, David has violated the basic commandments of the Lord found in the Ten Commandments. ‘You shall not covet. You shall not steal. You shall not kill. You shall not commit adultery.

“Because of David’s lust and wish to satisfy his immediate sexual desire, this King of Judah, the Lord’s anointed, David has broken every one of the 10 commandments.

“David repents of his sin and in mercy, God says that David will not die” but the consequences of his actions will be felt. [Emphasis/May-June/2001/p 57]

David serves as an example of the consequences of an “it’s all about me” attitude that is so much a part of our society today. An “it’s all about me” attitude eventual turns in on ourselves and devours us.

But no matter how sinful we are, God forgives us. Isn’t that, in part, what Jesus is about? To help us understand that we are loved and forgiven.

Look at Simon, in today’s gospel reading. He has an “it’s all about me” attitude. He thinks/believes he knows what is right and moral. He is so full of himself that he can’t see how the woman’s vulnerability opens her to the grace of God.

Could it be that the woman was apparently so full of love for Jesus because she was keenly aware of how much love Jesus gave her And that love would cover her multitude of sins? From loving much inappropriately, she grew to love Jesus much. The more we see clearly the extent of our waywardness and need for a Savior, the more we will appreciate Jesus and his love. Jesus’ love becomes so powerful when we give up our “it’s all about me” attitude.

Which reminds me of another story.

The cheerful little girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five. Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them, a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box.
"Oh mommy please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, please?"

Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned face.

"A dollar ninety-five. That's almost $2.00. If you really wa nt them, I'll think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy them for yourself. Your birthday's only a week away and you might get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma."

As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her penny bank and counted out 17 pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores and she went to the neighbor and asked Mrs. McJames if she could pick dandelions for ten cents. On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill and at last she had enough money to buy the necklace.

Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown up. She wore them everywhere, Sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed. The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. Mother said if they got wet, they might turn her neck green.

Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story. One night as he finished the story, he asked Jenny, "Do you love me?"

"Oh yes, daddy. You know that I love you."

"Then give me your pearls."

"Oh, daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess, the white horse from my collection, the one with the pink tail. Remember, daddy ? The one you gave me. She's my very favorite."

"That's okay, Honey, daddy loves you. Good night." And he brushed her cheek with a kiss.

About a week later, after the story time, Jenny's daddy asked again, "Do you love me?"

"Daddy, you know I love you."

"Then give me your pearls."

"Oh Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby doll. The brand new one I got for my birthday. She is beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that matches her sleeper."

"That's okay. Sleep well. God bless you, little one. Daddy loves you."

And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss.

A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed Indian style.

As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek. "What is it, Jenny? What's the matter?"

Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to her daddy. And when she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace. With a little quiver, she finally said, "Here, daddy; this is for you."

With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny's daddy reached out with one hand to take the dime store necklace, and with the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine pearls and gave them to Jenny.

He had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the dime-store stuff so he could give her the genuine treasure. So it is, with our Heavenly Father. He is waiting for u s to give up the cheap things in our lives so that he can give us beautiful treasures.

Isn't God good? Are you holding onto things that God wants You to let go of? Are you holding on to harmful or unnecessary partners, relationships, habits and activities that you have come so attached to that it seems impossible to let go?

Amen

June 6, 2010 - Second Sunday after Pentecost

1 Kings 17:17-24
Having offered hospitality to Elijah, a widow in Zarephath loses here son to an illness. Elijah prays and the son is restored to life and the mother acknowledges that Elijah is indeed a man of God.

Galatians 1:11-24
The apostle and church-planter Paul tells the story of his ministry given to him by Jesus Christ. In the midst of grave tension in the church in Galatia, Paul assures the congregation that his work is centered in the pure gospel of Jesus Christ, unlike the other teachers among them.

Luke 7:11-17
Jesus’ ministry bears witness to God’s coming reign, where the lowly are shown mercy and the dead are raised. Here, Jesus ministers to a widow by raising her only son to life.

Sermon
3 observations in our scripture readings for today. Paul, formerly Saul, until his conversion, traveled to many different countries, preaching the good news of God’s love and grace experienced through the life and death of Christ Jesus.

Though Paul was not born or did not live in Rome his Roman citizenship gave him certain privileges He traveled about like a migrant worker, looking for places he could sow the seed of the Gospel, proclaiming that God loves us unconditionally. I want to point out that where ever Paul went he was an outsider, upsetting the religious status quo. I imagine that there were religious leaders who lost their jobs, or lost offerings/revenue because of his message.Paul crossed borders in order to deliver a message of salvation. Not unlike people who cross our borders seeking salvation.

The verses leading up to our reading today from 1st Kings is the story of Elijah escaping Israel into the land of Sidon to the city of Zarephath. He is an outsider, an immigrant, who solicits a widow’s charity. He is brazen enough to ask for food that she doesn’t have. “She told him, ‘I swear, as surely as your God lives, I don't have so much as a biscuit. I have a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a bottle; you found me scratching together just enough firewood to make a last meal for my son and me. After we eat it, we'll die.’”

Then in our reading today, we hear how Elijah, a person who has crossed borders, fleeing the wrath of the leaders in Israel, prays and the widow’s son is restored to life. The mother acknowledges that Elijah, though he is from another country, he is indeed a man of God.

Finally, from the reading of Luke’s gospel we hear again how Jesus repeatedly concerns himself with people living on the edge – physically, socially, culturally, economically, and even ethnically. Luke leads us to focus on the loss of social and economic standing resulting from the death of the woman’s son. Because her son died, she is now unconnected to a male provider, left to a desperate existence, her future is bleak. Along comes Jesus who crosses all sorts of borders to change this woman’s life. By reaching out and touching the funeral bier he violated codes of purity. Jesus breaches the boundaries separating clean and unclean, the living and the dead and willingly breaks the laws. In this story, Jesus’ compassion lifts up those whom the world wants to cast off.

Based on these observations, today’s sermon is excerpts from Pastor Jim Doepken, pastor of Girdwood Chapel, a Methodist church in Girdwood, Alaska where our daughter lives. Excerpts from a sermon Dottie and I heard on May 16th. Before sharing Pr. Jim’s thoughts, let’s get our hearts and minds focused on God’s revelation for us today. Let’s pray:

You, O God, show us daily the breadth of your mercy and the depth of your kindness. Your compassion brings to us awareness of peace unknown from human sources. Your kindness turns us toward healing as nothing else can. Through these words preached touch our hearts and minds that we might learn of your will for our lives. In Christ Jesus name we pray. Amen.

The following is, as stated, Pr. Jim Doepken’s sermon preached May 16th, titled “Looking Biblically at Immigration”. While it was preached in four sections I have tried to condense it. Pr. Jim’s hope with this sermon was not to provide all of the answers or, really, take sides, but to help the congregation to think biblically about immigration rather than thinking politically or economically. That’s my intent in sharing his thoughts. He and I believe that the church is at its best when it looks at issues through the eyes of Scripture...ALL of Scripture. So, let’s start.

In the 12th chapter of the book of Genesis, there is a story told how Abram went down to Egypt to reside there as an alien because - where he was from, Israel, was experiencing a famine.

On May 15th CNN.com reported: “Jessica … took another step into the fight for her future. The undocumented student from Mexico whose case has become a lightning rod in the immigration debate had been released on $2,500 bond just a couple hours earlier. The 21-year-old student at Kennesaw State University in Georgia surrendered Friday morning to authorities in response to a warrant for her arrest issued Wednesday night by the Cobb County Sheriff's Office.”

In short, she’s been here illegally for 10 years. She’s going to school to get a degree. She has no ID. She got pulled over. She will be sent back to Mexico. But Immigration and Customs Enforcement will let her earn her degree next year.

Jessica is just the latest face in this immigration dilemma. Arizona enacted a tough immigration law recently and, while some celebrate it, others question whether anyone who looks Hispanic or even dark-skinned is in danger of getting “rounded up.” Attached to this issue is the reality that gang violence is spilling over our border. Primarily because of the unquenchable American appetite for drugs.

Just think of the economics of immigration. In Frankfort, Indiana, for example there was an influx of Latino immigrants. They had been migrant workers, in the fields. And then they bought houses and got other jobs. When they started to “settle” they were much more of a “threat.” The Hispanic United Methodist Church pastor said he frequently heard how his parishioners were taking the factory jobs away from blue-blooded American workers. He said they were only taking the jobs that the American workers wouldn’t take. And it’s not so simple to say that immigrants are taking low paying jobs away from Americans when the companies that hire them are under pressure to keep their costs down so they can have a cheaper product to sell because blue-blooded Americans want a deal and won’t pay the price for items that we’d need to pay if it was made by the workers we think should be working there.

It’s a worker problem. It’s an employer problem. It’s a consumer problem. And it’s complicated

It’s also complicated because there are very real and valid fears that are tied up in the issue of immigration. Violence and drugs. People being packed into cars and vans with the promise of a new life. Persons dying in the desert. Stresses on school systems and social services. These are all very real. But they are complicated.

It’s complicated politically. Voters with both major parties have ties to immigrant populations.

California is overwhelmingly Mexican and Central American. Florida Cuban and Puerto Rican. I wouldn’t be surprised if politicians who believe everyone should speak English are smart enough to put out Spanish ads for their campaigns. It makes sense.

And it’s complicated for Christians too. See, being an alien or an immigrant is part of our story. Just a bit ago, we read a passage from Genesis, with Abram and Sarai. The two of them fell on economic hard times because of a famine in their land and they went over to Egypt to reside there as aliens in the hopes of a better life. They lied to the authorities. They got government handouts: “sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male and female slaves, female donkeys, and camels.”
That’s part of our story.

It’s also complicated because, at least with the Latino immigrants, almost all of them are Christian — Catholic and Evangelical. I’m not saying that breaking the law doesn’t matter. Breaking the law is breaking the law. But, I am saying that it changes the dynamic of how we relate.

These are folks who turn to the church, not just for social services and food banks and clothes closets, but for Spiritual guidance and Holy Communion and Bible Studies. And they can give to the church as much as they get. Hispanics are changing the landscape of American Christianity, and in some places bringing to life churches that were thought to have closed their doors forever.

I know that emotions can run high here. And I want to tell you that I’m conflicted. I don’t have a magic solution for you. I don’t have easy answers. But, today I hope to look at the issue of immigration from a Biblical perspective. For, if the church is going to be part of the solution, we need to realize that our strength is when we play on our own “turf” – the Bible – and not economics or politics or fear or radio talk shows. We do a disservice when we enter into the war of bumper stickers, turning opposing viewpoints into caricatures, pretending like this is easy for anyone. It’s not. We’re dealing with people and lives and money and fear and compassion and faith and politics. It’s not easy.

The Old Testament or the Jewish scriptures have a lot of stories about this issue. Isaiah chapter 56 states: And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, . . . these will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer . . . for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples. (Isaiah 56: 7b)

Or Leviticus chapter 19 states: “When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.”

Deuteronomy chapter 24 states: “When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be left for the alien, the orphan, and the widow . . . When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, do not glean what is left; it shall be for the alien, the orphan, and the widow.”

Deuteronomy chapter 10 states: “For the LORD your God . . . loves the strangers, providing them food and clothing.”

And then from our New Testament and the book of Hebrews comes this quote: “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.”

Biblically speaking, since we are created in the image of God, it is hoped that we’ll look at people differently that we recognize all people, even immigrants and illegal immigranst, as being made in the image of God.

The Old Testament is filled with stories of people who relocated. Abram or Ruth, relocated because of hunger and economic unrest. Some, such as Joseph or Daniel, were forced into exile…Joseph sold into slavery and Daniel deported.

So, how would knowing this affect our view of undocumented immigrants?

From John’s gospel, chapter 4, we hear how Jesus “…came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well. It was about noon. A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, ‘Give me a drink’. (His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?’”

While Jesus never devoted a recorded sermon to the issue of immigration, we can be informed by what our Scriptures tell us about him.

We need to remember, of course, that he started out life as a refugee. That flight to Egypt after his birth was because of the Herod-led unrest and violence in his home country. Perhaps that should shape our discussions as we consider those who come to our own country trying to escape unrest and violence?

But, more, we can see how Jesus reacted to those who were Outsiders. Remember that in Matthew 25, with the sheep and the goats, eternal blessing and eternal judgment are based on how people have treated the Son of Man and the “least of these brothers of mine.”

In our own country we have always had issues of cultural identity and the growing presence of immigrants…from the Irish and Italians to the immigrants from China and Japan to the growing national concern over the presence of Hispanics.

In his actions, Jesus seems to put aside any negative feelings towards those of a different culture and welcomes those with different backgrounds. What then does it mean to believe in Christ?

When we make a call about our computer or a reservation or some other issue and we are connected to a person whose first language is not English. When we go to Dunkin Donuts or a Seven Eleven and can’t understand the person on the other side of the counter.

As followers of Jesus Christ, there are certain things we say are important matters of lifestyle. The Christian church is big on touting that our faith is a belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. But, more, it is a way of life. We believe that we should be honest in our dealings with others. We believe that fidelity in marriage is vitally important for keeping our marriages together. We believe that we should be good stewards of money. And we believe in “turning the other cheek”, although we have real trouble putting that one into practice. So, where does compassion towards the outside, the stranger, the alien, even the illegal alien fit in? How does that enter into our Christian “way of life”?

1st Peter, chapter 2: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you as aliens and exiles to abstain from the desires of the flesh that wage war against the soul. Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that, though they malign you as evildoers, they may see your honorable deeds and glorify God when he comes to judge.”

“I urge you as aliens and exiles,” says Peter. It is true that the history of the people of God is one of sojourning in the faith… It is also true that the history of the people of God is one of sojourning not only spiritually but literally as well.

I know that few, if any of us, are really on the “front lines” when it comes to immigration issues. We may read about it. We may hear stories from friends and family. We see and feel anger. We feel threatened. And I’m sure that almost all of us say things and use language that we really should never use.But, as Christians, the tenor of our conversation needs to change. The complexity of the issues needs to be realized. The underlying economic issues need to be addressed. We need comprehensive immigration reform that addresses our porous borders, issues of illegal activity with drugs and violence, and a clear path for citizenship for some of the folks who have been contributing members of our American society — although HOW that’s decided I’m not sure. And, through it all, we need to enter discussions about reform and laws carrying the testimony of Scripture. We need to understand what Scripture says and allow our views and statements to be influenced by God’s Word, not the word of politicians or talk show hosts.

Amen

May 23 , 2010 - Pentecost

Acts 2:1-21
Before Jesus ascended into heaven, he told his disciples they would be filled with the Holy Spirit. Now, surrounded by signs of fire, wind, and a variety of languages in their midst, the people were amazed and astonished at Jesus’ promise coming true.

Romans 8:14-17
Here Paul speaks about the mystery of baptism: through the Holy Spirit we are claimed, gathered, and welcomed into Christ’s body, the church. And we receive new names in our adoption: brother, sister, child of God.

John 14:8-17, 25-27
Through the disciples struggle with Jesus’ nature and identity, they receive
the promise that they too will be identified with God and God’s mission.
Though he must leave them now, Jesus promises the coming of the Advocate
whom God will send to comfort and enlighten them.

Sermon
A lot of this sermon was taken from Wayne Brouwer in Emphasis, May 23, 2010. A hunter came back to his camp late at night, clothes in shreds, hair full of brambles, skin cut and bruised. He was car¬rying a beautiful trophy: a magnificent leopard. As his partner looked the animal over, he said, “I don’t see a bullet hole. How did you bag this fellow?”

“Oh, I ran him to death,” said the hunter.

“What?” exclaimed his partner. “You can’t chase a leopard that fast!”

“Who said anything about chasing?” came the reply. “I was out in front !”Fear will do that do us, won’t it? Fear speeds up our reac¬tion time.It strengthens our muscles. It demands that we run from burning houses. Whenever our senses tell us we’re being challenged, our adrenal glands squirt some fear into our system, and our energy level increases. You’ve probably heard stories of mothers who lifted crashed automobiles to release a trapped child. Fear said, “Get that child out of there,” so they did.

The power of fear can hypnotize us, too. It can stand before us and cast a spell that keeps us from moving.

I’m not saying we shouldn’t have fears. God has given us the strength of fear to keep us from being destroyed. Fear is the alarm that goes off in our hearts whenever danger threatens. Fear can make us run faster and jump higher than we ever thought possible.

But what I want to share with you is that faith is more powerful than fear.

“Even youths,” said Isaiah, “grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:30-31). They know that the life of fear is so much poorer than the life of faith.

So, today’s sermon is about faith and fear. Before going further, let’s take a moment and pray that God’s revelation might be in these words I preach. Let us pray:

“Lord of all creation, we remember with thanksgiving that you sent your Holy Spirit to give power to the disciples who were waiting in Jerusalem for this promised gift.Today, we are a band of your disciples gathered here to worship you and this is our plea: that you will send your Holy Spirit upon us so that the power of the gospel may be renewed in our hearts and dispel fear. Through the gift of your Holy Spirit enable us to live and work together in true concord and with your spirit of love and respect for each other. In Jesus’ name we pray.” Amen
[“Lectionary Worship Aids, Cycle C, Series VI” H. Burnham Kirkland, p123, 124]

There’s a story about a woman struggling through the difficulties of the Great Depression.

Do you know what the Great Depression was? Can some tell us about the Great Depression?

October 24, 1929
Known as "Black Thursday," a record-breaking crash on the New York Stock Exchange begins several weeks of market panics. Many investors lose vast sums of money when the value of stocks plummets.

October 29, 1929
Known as "Black Tuesday," the value of stocks on the New York Stock Market continues its dramatic decline. The nation's economy steadily erodes into the Great Depression, the worst economic crisis in U.S. history. More than 3,600 banks suspend operations as the Depression deepens and thousands lose their jobs and incomes.
1931
A drought begins in the Eastern states during the summer and quickly spreads to the Midwest and Great Plains. The drought will continue throughout 10 years resulting in "dust bowl" conditions.
1932
Prices for farm produce hit bottom as farmer unrest rises. Dairy farmers pour their milk onto the road, protesting the low prices people want to pay. Back to the story… A woman went to the front desk of an insurance company in Minneapolis. In her hand she carried a worn and yellowed piece of paper, a life insurance policy issued many years before.

The woman asked whether she could stop making payments on the policy for a while, since she had run out of money. At first the desk clerk was a bit rude. After all, he got calls like this nearly every day during the Great Depression, and he didn’t want to be bothered with another one.

But then he took another look at the paper. It was a life insurance policy in a man’s name. And it was worth $300,000 — right in the middle of the depression.

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “This is a pretty valuable policy, ma’am,” he said finally. “Have you talked with your husband about it?”

“My husband!” she exclaimed. “He’s been dead for three years.”

There she was, a woman in poverty, a woman crushed by financial fears. And in her hand she held a piece of paper that could turn her life around.

Fear keeps us clutching at paper, tightfisted and anxious. But faith in God releases us to the power of the kingdom of God. Faith in God is greater than any fear that might grip us.

The words “Fear not” appears 365 times in scripture, one for every day of the year. That’s probably how often we need to hear God warn us about the mesmerizing power of fear and doubt: “Don’t be afraid. Only believe!”Certainly, on this Pentecost Sunday, “No Fear!” is the ruling command. Jesus’ disciples rise up with courage they had never before experienced as the Spirit’s fresh fires affirm them.

Jesus, even before the awful day of his crucifixion, promised that in the troubling of this world, that when life seems the worst it can get, one thing was certain — the Spirit of God will blaze a trail of clarity and security for those who are willing to walk in the footsteps of Jesus.

Jesus knew the hypnotic power of fear, the crippling power of anxiety. That is why he so often tells people not to be afraid. In fact, his command not to fear is recorded more than any other single teaching.

The gospels record almost two dozen instances in which Jesus challenged people to give up their fears and to try believing in God instead.

Jesus said it to Peter. He said it to the ruler of the synagogue when he was told that his little girl had died. He said it to the disciples as a group on a number of occasions. Again and again he said it: “Fear not. Don’t be afraid. Only believe.” Here, on the night before he dies, it is the echo of his words, and it will be the first thing he says again after his resurrection.

Of course, we cannot summon up courage on our own, or make it magically appear at the snap of a finger. That is why Jesus said one very important thing about faith — it is the gift and work of the Holy Spirit.

How do we overcome fear? With faith. How do we get faith? By being a Sun Catcher. For that is what we become with we Affirm our Baptism. We catch God’s son who dwells with and within us.
Amen

April 4, 2010 - The Resurrection of our Lord

How do we participate in the resurrection?

Isaiah 65:17-25
Through the prophet, God promises a new heaven and a new earth. Weeping will pass away, life will be abundant for God’s people, and the world – including the wild animals – will be at peace.

1 Corinthians 15:19-26
Paul describes the consequences of the resurrection, including the promise of new life in Christ to a world that has been in bondage to death. Paul celebrates the destruction of evil and the establishment of God’s victorious rule over all.

Luke 24:1-12
Evidently expecting to find Jesus’ corpse, some of his women followers go to the tomb with embalming spices. After a perplexing encounter with the empty tomb and angelic visitors, the women become the first to proclaim the amazing news of resurrection.

Sermon
Grace, mercy, and peace be with you from God who has raised Jesus from the dead and has set him before us as a sign of love for us and all creation – to this good news may these words give witness. Amen

What does this news mean? News that the women who had been following Jesus, upon going to where His crucified, dead, body had been laid - found the stone rolled away from the tomb and the body they had come to perfume was gone.

It was much later, after having gone to the tomb and seeing for himself that “34-36 Peter fairly exploded with this good news: "It's God's own truth, nothing could be plainer: God plays no favorites! It makes no difference who you are or where you're from — if you want God and are ready to do as God says, the door is open. The Message God sent to the children of Israel — that through Christ Jesus everything is being put together again — well, God's doing it everywhere, among everyone.

37-38 "You know the story of what happened in Judea.” Peter continues, “It began in Galilee after John preached a total life-change. Then Jesus arrived from Nazareth, anointed by God with the Holy Spirit, ready for action Jesus went through the country helping people and healing everyone who was beaten down by Evil. Jesus was able to do all this because God was with him.

39-43 "And we saw it, saw it all, everything Jesus did in the land of Israel and in Jerusalem where they killed him, hung him from a cross. But in three days God had him up, alive, and out where he could be seen. Not everyone saw him — he wasn't put on public display. … We were the ones, there to eat and drink with him after he came back from the dead. Jesus commissioned us to announce this in public, to bear solemn witness that Jesus is in fact the One whom God destined as Judge of the living and dead. But we're not alone in this. Our witness that he is the means to forgiveness of sins is backed up by the witness of all the prophets." [Acts 10:34-43 (“The Message”)]

It is simple, the resurrection means that God is at work making the world whole.

It’s true, we’ve seen it, that our creator God, whose all-inclusive love, allows everything, the freedom to be itself and yet, also brings all together into one whole. A world made whole, a world in which divides caused by sin go down and the barrier of death is crossed.

During the season of Lent we faced the reality of sin, evil, and the attraction of the world. We faced the power of the forces of darkness. We did not attempt to deny sin, pain, or suffering. There was no running away. We even recognized the part that we play.

During Lent and the disciplines of Lent we became aware of how we are caught up in a battle with the forces of evil, the dark powers of sin and the world. And today we hear the good news that through Christ Jesus, with all His many powers, that this battle can be fought and won.

As we gathered on Good Friday, to remember the moment of Jesus death, we saw the conflict between light and dark intensify. We left the darkened church as if death had won. We gather today to hear the news that death was not victorious. That the powers that lead us away from love of God and neighbor ad not won.

We watched from a distance as his body was laid in a tomb, a dark, cold, cave. The worldly pressures bearing down had done their worst. His body bowing down in a damp sealed vault with no apparent way out.

The news has come, coming out of the cold heart of the stone, coming out into the sunlight and the dazzle of grass and sky. Our hearts are lifted up, a surge of happiness. "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.”

And we are witnesses.
Every time we learn from Christ Jesus how to pray, we participate in the resurrection.
Every time we learn from Christ Jesus how to bear the cross, we participate in the resurrection.
Every time we learn from Christ Jesus to die, we participate in the resurrection.

We gather together today to learn from Jesus, our Savior, how to rise.

Christ is risen, he meets are eyes. Let the celebration continue. Alleluia.

Amen.

April , 2010 - Maundy Thursday

Exodus 12:1-14 Israel remembered its deliverance from slavery in Egypt by celebrating the festival of Passover. This festival featured the Passover lamb, whose blood was used as a sign to protect God’s people from the threat of death. The early church described the Lord’s supper using imagery from the Passover, especially in portraying Jesus as the lamb who delivers God’s people from sin and death.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26 In the bread and cup of the Lord’s supper, we experience intimate fellowship with Christ and with one another, because it involves his body given for us and the new covenant in his blood. Faithful participation in the meal is a living proclamation of Christ’s death until he comes in the future.

John 13:1-17, 31b-35 The story of the last supper in John’s gospel recalls a remarkable event not mentioned elsewhere: Jesus performs the duty of a slave, washing the feet of his disciples and urging them to do the same for one another.

Sermon
“With nightfall our Lenten observance comes to an end, and we gather with Christians around the world to celebrate the Three Days of Jesus' death and resurrection. At the heart of the Maundy Thursday liturgy is Jesus' commandment to love one another. As Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, we are called to follow his example as we humbly care for one another, especially the poor and the unloved. At the Lord's table we remember Jesus' sacrifice of his life, even as we are called to offer ourselves in love for the life of the world.” [“Sundays and Seasons, Year C 2010” p150]
Before exploring the commandment that Jesus gives us, let us take a moment to focus our hearts and minds on God’s revelation for us. Let us pray: “Lord, we know that when you partook of the Last Supper with your disciples you gave them and us a new commandment: that we should love one another and thus show the world that we follow you. We must confess, merciful Christ, that time after time we fail to love as you have taught us. We try, but at times it seems so hard. Through these words and the power of the Holy Spirit encourage and inspire us to faithfully live out this new commandment. In Your name we pray. Amen” [“Lectionary Worship Aids, Cycle C, Series VI” H. Burnham Kirkland, p91]

Why does Jesus have to tell us to Love? Isn’t love natural for us. When a child is conceived and born there is an abundance of love, unconditional love. A love that is not based on good works or law or self interest. And the child responds in kind.

When a group of professionals posed the question, "What does love mean?" to a group of children between the ages of 4 and 8, they got answers that were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined.
"Love is that first feeling you feel before all the bad stuff gets in the way."
"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love."
"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know that your name is safe in their mouth."
"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs."
"Love is when someone hurts you. And you get so mad but you don't yell at them because you know it would hurt their feelings."
"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired."
"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him to make sure the taste is OK."
"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen."
"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate."
"Love is hugging. Love is kissing. Love is saying no."
"When you tell someone something bad about yourself and you're scared they won't love you anymore. But then you get surprised because not only do they still love you, they love you even more."
"There are two kinds of love: Our love and God's love. But God makes both kinds of them."
"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well."
"My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night."
"Love is when mommy gives daddy the best piece of chicken."
"Love is when mommy sees daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford."
"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day."

"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones."

"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget."
[http://www.missico.com/personal/thoughts/what_does_love_mean.htm]

What happens to love? Why does love become conditional? Why does it become difficult for us to love? Why is it necessary for Jesus to say, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another.” [John 13:34a]

Bryan Adams, Canadian rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, and photographer, composed a song, “Why Do You Have To Be So Hard To Love”

“Was it some man that didn't treat you right
Left you reaching out for him in the middle of the night
Is there some heartache that you can't run out
That makes you so afraid to get close to anyone
You're so - easy to look at
You're so easy to hold
It's so easy to touch you - but so hard to let go
It's so easy to want you - that I can't get enough
Tell me why do ya have to be
Why do ya have to be so hard to love
Is it some hurt from long ago
That makes it so hard to let your feelings show
Is it the ghost of who you used to be
That makes you so afraid to bear your soul to me”

In the book “Crazy Talk – A Not-So-Stuffy Dictionary of Theological Terms” it states that Love is “not a thing that is blind but the act of actually seeing the needs of others and of putting their needs higher than yourself or your needs.

“You can’t love your car. Or your house. Or your rubber ducky. …if you “love” them, you’re really just loving what you have – thus, you are just being devoted to your own self, your own pleasure, and your own happiness. If you think you love your car, you need a whack upside the head and a serious re-evaluation of priorities.

“Love is not a sentiment or an emotion. It is not something you feel but action you take on behalf of others. And love certainly isn’t blind. Love stares the suffering and needs of the neighbor – and even of the enemy – hard in the face. And then does something about them.

“If you have a problem with this, you might have a problem with God. We are only able to love because God first loved us. God’s very nature is love, since God’s actions of creation, redemption, and sanctification are continuous acts of love. Seeing as the world doesn’t stop existing for people who are jerks, we can know that God’s love is unconditional.”

So, let’s not let sin and the world get in the way. Let us love just as God has loved us through Christ Jesus. And in our loving let those who sin and the world around us know that we follow Jesus.

Amen

March 14, 2010 - Fourth Sunday in Lent

Joshua 5:9-12
By celebrating the Passover and eating the produce of the promised land instead of the miraculous manna that had sustained them in the desert, the Israelites symbolically bring their forty years of wilderness wandering to an end at Gilgal.

2 Corinthians 5:16-21
One way to describe the gospel is the promise that in Christ everything is transformed into newness. All mistakes, all deliberate sins, all old history is reconciled with Christ’s resurrection. This is Paul’s strong message to the congregation in the city of Corinth.

Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
Jesus tells a parable about a son who ponders his father’s love only after he has spurned it. The grace he receives is beyond his hopes. That same grace is a crisis for an older brother who believed it was his obedience that earned his place in the father’s home.

Sermon
“Lent is a season of the church year set aside for introspection, reflection, repentance, and change. It is a time of steady examination of what we do and do not add up to. It’s a time for honesty and for thorough rethinking.

“Lent is a time when Christians expect to change their habits, change their minds, change their lives.

“Will you buy differently in the future than you have in the past? Lent is a time to consider it.
“Will you give differently in the future than you have in the past? Lent is the time to consider it.

“Lent is time to consider all these things, even if you finally decide to continue in the same patterns that you have already established.” [“Provoking the Gospel of Luke, A Storyteller’s Commentary…” Richard W. Swanson, p128]

Lent is a time to examine how our behavior reflects our theology. Today’s gospel reading helps us do this. So, before going any further let’s take a moment to focus our hearts and our minds on God’s revelation for us in these words. Let us pray: “Gracious God, you provide for our every need. We have been lured by the world to squander our blessings. Through these words and the meditation of our hearts, help us come to our senses. Help us see how you welcome us with open arms when we least deserve it. Inspire us to live lives of thanks and praise.” In Christ’s name we pray. Amen [“Lectionary Worship Aids, Cycle C, Series VI” H. Burnham Kirkland, p80]

Traditionally interpreted, the father, in Jesus’ parable, is a figure of God, whose very nature is love, forgiveness, and reconciliation. As we come to see ourselves in the younger son, the older son, and perhaps in both, might we realize that we are called to be like the father as well?

Let’s take a look at the parable, classically known as the parable of the “prodigal son.”

The term “prodigal” comes from the Latin word meaning “lavish” which carries the implication of being overly generous. Based on today’s gospel reading the traditional meaning of “prodigal” has been “a person who spends money in a recklessly extravagant way.”

But let’s stick to the meaning of “prodigal” without interpretation, the meaning “lavish” or generous. Who is lavish or generous in today’s scripture reading?

The younger son has certainly been lavish, generous, to the point of losing everything.
The father is lavish, generous, by giving the younger son his inheritance ahead of schedule. Then the father is lavish, generous, when welcoming the younger son home again.
The older son is lavish, generous, in his disapproval of his father’s generosity.

Let’s look at these three participants in Jesus’ paable a little closer.

The younger son.
“The world seduces us to claim false identities. The word says, ‘You are what other people say you are.
You are what you accomplish.
You are what you own.
“So, if we don’t do well in the eyes of the world, if we don’t have admirers, money, and success, it’s as if we don’t exist. This is the illusion that powers our world, and this illusion creates movies, and lot of art, and a lot of manipulation. It also divides the world into rich and poor. Jesus often speaks about it to his disciples.

“You and I are part of this world, we also are seduced to believe the illusion: we are what we do, we are what we have, we are what we control.

“The great conversion is to return from a self-indulgent life to a God’s image life. The God’s image life is the life from which we learn the courage to say, ‘I don’t have to ask permission form the world to live. I am not what other people say I am. I am not what I produce. I am not what I own. What I truly am is the chosen, beloved child of God.” [“From Fear to Love, Lenten Reflections on the Parable of the Prodigal Son” Henri J.M. Nouwen, p17-18]
“The Prodigal son’s return begins at the moment he realizes that he has lost everything but the most important thing. What finally allows him to return is his awareness of the one thing that remains. ‘I’m still the child of my father. I still belong to someone.’

“In our lives too, there are moments when we realize that, even if we may have done everything to destroy ourselves, we have never lost our true identity as beloved daughters or sons. That identity is never taken away. And that moment of realization is a very, very important moment.” [“From Fear to Love, Lenten Reflections on the Parable of the Prodigal Son” Henri J.M. Nouwen, p16]

(pause) The eldest son.
“The elder son in the parable did the objectively good thing and might have been praised for being the ‘good one’ because he dutifully stayed home to support his old father. But he ends up being just as lost spiritually as the younger brother who ran off and squandered his fortune.

“The elder son is lost in a very different way than his younger brother. The elder is not free in his relationship with the father because he is bound by
resentment.

“Resentment is probably one of the most pervasive evils or our time. It is something that is very real, very malicious, and very, very destructive.

“You and I are not free from it. Resentment is something that settles itself in our hearts and does a lot of damage.

“Resentment is precisely the pitfall of faithful, obedient, hardworking people who do the right thing. That’s why it is so important to talk about it.
“We may be good people, trying to live the right way on a particular life journey, perhaps even giving our lives for others. Objectively we may have reason to be praised. But each of us might examine how our lives and relationships are
wounded because of unresolved resentments buried in our hearts.” [“From Fear to Love, Lenten Reflections on the Parable of the Prodigal Son” Henri J.M. Nouwen, p12-13]

(pause) The father.
“When you look at the world from the heart of God we can see anew the enormous love that God has for us. We are God’s people.

“When you look at the world from the heart of God we can see the enormous
suffering of people who don’t know who they are.

“Looking from the heart of God inspires deep solidarity in us. We recognize and feel and sympathize; our hearts are filled with immense compassion. We suffer to see the suffering but are not shattered because we suffer in union with God and in the heart of God.

“This is an important mystery for us because the return to God, the return to the womb of Love, to the God of compassion, is a return to other sisters and brothers in the human family, especially the poorest and the weakest.” [“From Fear to Love, Lenten Reflections on the Parable of the Prodigal Son” Henri J.M. Nouwen, p10-11]

“This love of God for you and for me…embraces all the loves you have ever known: of your father, your mother, your brothers and sisters, your teachers, your lovers, your friends. They’re all present with you before God. But God’s love for you is even more than that; it transcends everything you know or
experience.
“When you make space for God and begin to listen to God’s loving voice, you suddenly start to realize perfect love. As you claim God’s awesome embrace, you can gradually let go of your fear.” What ever your fear might be.
“Every time you feel afraid again and you open yourself to hear God’s voice, you will be brought back to your true self and have greater freedom to love and be loved.” [“From Fear to Love, Lenten Reflections on the Parable of the Prodigal Son” Henri J.M. Nouwen, p11-12]

“I want you to know that we are the younger child, we are the older child, and we are called to become the parent who loves unconditionally.

“There is a younger child in us that needs conversion, and there is an older child in us that needs conversion. There is also a parent in us that needs to emerge so that we can welcome those who ‘return’ day after day.

“Somewhere at the end of it all God wants each of us to be present at the banquet. The banquet is not only because the youngest returned, it is for the oldest too, and for the parents – together.

“We are called to be united in the Creator of us all and to reflect the Creator of us all in all that we do. (pause) ‘Be perfect as your God is perfect. Be compassionate as your God is compassionate.’

“So, let us humbly claim the ‘younger child’ living within, and claim the ‘older child’ living within. And let us strive to receive the Love within that forgives those inner, straying children, and welcomes others home.” [“From Fear to Love, Lenten Reflections on the Parable of the Prodigal Son” Henri J.M. Nouwen, p13-14]

Amen

March 7, 2010 -Third Sunday in Lent
Isaiah 55:1-9
To those who have experienced long years in exile, the return to their homeland is a celebration of abundant life. God calls them into an everlasting covenant of love Those who return to the Lord will enjoy new life and forgiveness, because God’s ways are not our ways.

1 Corinthians 10:1-13
Paul uses images from Hebrew story and prophecy to speak the truth of Jesus Christ: He is our rock, our water, our food, and our drink Christ is the living sign of God’s faithfulness.

Luke 13:1-9
The Gospel reading for this Third Sunday of Lent contains two separate but related stories. Together, they paint a picture of impending destruction. A point to be made is that a response to disaster seems to be a change of mind-set, one more concerned with preparing for the in-breaking of the kingdom of God than with placing blame.

Sermon
Repenting of our past ways and following Jesus does not guarantee us safety from disaster, but it certainly opens the way to an abundance of life that is beyond what any disaster can destroy.

Before continuing let’s take a moment to focus our hearts and our minds on God’s revelation for us. Let us pray: In these forty days God, you lead us into the desert of repentance that in this pilgrimage of prayer we might learn to be your people once more. Through these words and the meditation of our hearts open our eyes to your presence in the world and free our hands to lead others to the Your radiant splendor of mercy. To you alone be dominion and glory, forever and ever. Amen.

At that time there were some people present who came to Jesus and told him about a devastating magnitude 8.8 earthquake that struck Chile, one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded, killing an estimated 802 people.

Jesus asked them, “Do you think that because these Chileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Chileans? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did.”

Suffering — whether our own or other people’s, and whether from natural causes or human atrocities — always makes it much harder to believe that God is good Or that God even exists. In the face of the obscenity of innocent suffering, we are plagued with doubts, fears and uncertainties. Too many questions come up, complex questions, questions we find hard to face and even harder to answer. All to often we turn to simple answers, take the easy way out.

People came to Jesus telling him about some Galileans killed by a government backed death squad, and about some Jerusalemites who were killed in the collapse of a building. And in the reports Jesus hears the witnesses groping for simple answers to the “Why” questions.
Perhaps this happened to punish them.
Perhaps they were evil people and God is purging the world of them.
You know how the argument goes. We’ve all heard it. AIDS is God’s punishment
on sexual immorality; famine occurs to those who are lazy; that sort of thing. We will even hear it in the face of terrorist attacks. The argument for example goes: every affluent westerner is living a comfortable lifestyle that is built on the oppression of the world’s poor, and we have long been forewarned of the inevitable violent explosion of anger from the poor.

The desire for a simple explanation doesn’t go away though, and it is still strangely seductive when we see someone who, by our judgment, is evil gets caught or killed.

The view that health, wealth and security are evidence of the blessing of God and that disaster is evidence of God’s punishment was even more prevalent in Jesus’ day than it is now. It was the major motivation offered to people to inspire repentance and faithfulness to God.
If you are good, you will be able to relax and enjoy the good life.If you sin, beware of falling rocks and men with swords.

But Jesus would have none of it. “Do you think that this disaster proves that they were worse sinners than anyone else? No. Not at all.”

But Jesus doesn’t turn around and say they were actually very good people, who didn’t deserve it. Instead he turns around and says, “And you’d better repent because you might actually deserve the consequences of your actions.”

Jesus seems to be saying that the injustice is not that those who died deserved it, but that others get let off, so make the most of the extra chance you’ve been given.

Jesus is making it very clear that our own safety is not evidence that we are being rewarded.
Jesus is saying, as he says so often when people seek reassurance that they’re better then someone else, “If you think that someone else is more evil than you, you just haven’t faced up to yourself yet.” In the immortal words of an unnamed comic: “You need to take a good hard look at yourself.”

Now don’t worry if you’re somewhat confused - this is quite a paradox. Jesus is telling us to take warning from these disasters, that we should allow them to make us look at how we are living and whether we are on the right path, but he is also saying that being on the right path is no guarantee of safety.

He’s not saying “Repent and you’ll be safe”, he’s saying “You’re not safe. And maybe that will give you cause to think about your life.”

So if repentance is no insurance policy, what’s it all about?

The reading we heard from Isaiah 55:1-9 gives us a much clearer picture. Isaiah calls us to leave our way of life and change our way of thinking A change of mind and a change of life.

But it is not just a case of giving something up. It means to turn from one thing and to something else. “Turn to the Lord our God,” says Isaiah, “he is merciful and quick to forgive.”

And then in case we missed the point Isaiah reminds us that God’s ways and thoughts are nothing like our ways and thoughts. Isaiah knows that God is merciful and quick to forgive.Isaiah calls us to hear and respond to the extravagant generosity of God’s offer. To hear God saying “Do you hunger, then come and eat Do you thirst, come
and drink. Come and enjoy the best of food and wine, of milk and honey. It will
cost you nothing. Come to me and you will have life. Life, overflowing, abundant, extravagant life. Come.”

There is still no neat insurance policy against sickness or disaster, but there is an offer of a way into life, into a depth of experience and fulfillment that sickness and disaster cannot take from you.

We’ve seen something of what this looks like. We’ve seen it in a man who was so free, so deeply at peace that they could drag him outside the city naked and bleeding and spit on, and hang him from steel spikes driven through his wrists into a wooden beam, and instead of cursing them in bitterness and terror, he prays to his God for mercy to be shown to them, for their opportunity to turn around and join him at the overflowing table of grace.

So I need to hear.
Are you at the end of your tether? Come and I will give you rest.
Are you drained, running on empty? Come, drink and I will replenish you.
Are you feeling trapped, stuck on a treadmill that goes faster and faster but never gets anywhere?

Come to me, listen to my words, and you will enjoy peace and freedom beyond anything you could imagine.

We are not offered an escape from the world of death squads, earthquakes, killer viruses or car crashes. But in the midst of this world we live in, the table of the Lord is set.
The place where we are nourished and strengthened for whatever we will have to face is set before us.
The place where the broken body of our Lord is placed into our hands, giving meaning and hope in every brokenness is offered to us.

The place where the cup of forgiveness is held high, so too is the promise that we will never be lost. That God is going before us and with us through it all.[A rewriting or editing of “Is repentance good insurance?” A sermon on Luke 13:1-9, Isaiah 55:1-9 & 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 by Nathan Nettleton, 14 March 2004 © LaughingBird.net]

Amen

February 28, 2010 -Second Sunday in Lent

Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18
In this reading we hear how God promises a childless and doubting Abram that he will have a son, that his descendants will be as numerous as the stars, and that the land of Canaan will be their inheritance. Abram’s trust in God is sealed with a covenant-making ceremony, a sing of God’s promise.

Philippians 3:17-4:1
In today’s reading we observe that although Paul’s devotion to Christ has caused him to be persecuted, he does not regret the course he has taken. Writing from prison, he expresses confidence in a glorious future and encourages other Christians to follow in his footsteps.

Luke 13:31-34
In this gospel reading we hear that neither Herod’s plotting nor Jerusalem’s resistance to maternal love will deter Jesus from his sacrificial mission.

Sermon
“The older we get, the more we come to recognize the interconnectedness of the past, the present, and the future.

“We see the pendulum of fashion trends swing back and reintroduce styles that we remember from 30 years ago. We see how human relationships -- whether between individuals, between groups, or between nations -- are sweetened or embittered by the accumulation of past events. And we recognize more and more within ourselves the profound and continuing influence of our childhood experiences on our adult responses and behaviors.
“At a personal level, you and I experience every day an assortment of common emotions -- worry, hope, dread, regret, nostalgia, anticipation, and such -- all of which bear witness to the enormous impact that past, present, and future have on one another.” [Emphasis/“God of the Ages”/Second Sunday in Lent]

As we reflect on the past, present and future we can’t help but worry about the dangers all around us. Past experience dictate what we do in the present because of our worries for the future. Consider that even though we live frantic, hectic, on-the-road lives, it is still true that the greatest number of injuries and accidents occur in the home. Similarly, most car accidents occur when we are within five miles of home. Statistically, based on past experience, 5 miles from home is the most dangerous trip we ever make.

“The three readings from scripture today bear witness to the relationship of past, present, and future, but with a twist. The twist is faith. The twist is a recognition that we cannot really calculate the equation of past, present, and future without factoring in the God who is Lord of both time and eternity.” [Emphasis/“God of the Ages”/Second Sunday in Lent]

Before continuing on let us focus our hearts and minds on what God would reveal to us today. Let us pray: O Lord, send your word into our midst. Let us, like Abram, receive your word honestly, despite our fears based on past experiences. Encourage us to respond to your word faithfully, despite our future worries. Through these words let your word dwell in us. In Christ Jesus we pray. Amen

“Abraham's past and present did not add up to the future that God had in mind. His past and present, so far as he could tell, added up to some slave from Damascus receiving all of his inheritance.
“But God had a future in store for Abram in which a whole nation of Abram's descendants would inherit and settle the land where Abram lived. God’s future had descendants, as many as Abraham could count, spreading out over the land as far as Abram could see. With God, Abram's future was far more than a simple extrapolation of his past and his present.

“Paul, meanwhile, urged the Philippian Christians to let their present be a kind of extrapolation of their future. Paul laid out for them an understanding of what the future held, on the one hand, for those who were "enemies of the cross of Christ" and, on the other hand, for those who were believers following his example. In the present, in a prison, Paul's approach did not look so good. But Paul looked to the future -- God's future -- and lived toward that.

“Jesus predicted that his work would be finished on "the third day." Between that prediction and that victory, however, came a lot of seeming troubles, setbacks, and defeats. And we, in the midst of troubles, are likely to lose grip on faith and hope about the future. But, like Abraham and Paul, we know a God who will indeed fulfill promise ...” [Emphasis/“God of the Ages”/Second Sunday in Lent]

If we base our present behavior on the past, where is faith? If we base our present behavior on our projected future, where is faith?

Without faith, the dangers and troubles we face in life, will capture us.

For Abram, in the reading from Genesis, the danger was having no heir. Abram had family problems, his wife Sara had not been able to conceive a child, there would be no one to pass on his wealth too. Who would care for the family and family property? Abram also had another problem; he had trouble in believing God’s Word.
The dangers Abram faced could only be met with faith. Abram’s unbelief shifts to faith in light of God’s promises and assurances. God “goes all out” to overcome Abram’s pessimism and doubt in order to bring him to faith and confidence. Faith in God has a significant role in dealing with the dangers we meet day by day.

Paul was concerned about the dangers faced by those who’s god was their belly, who’s minds were set on earthly things. This is a real danger for us, living in a materialistic world. We are tempted by things and enticed that if we can accumulate the right amount of the stuff (money, prestige, control, power, material security) we will be safe and secure. We all too often are led to believe that the measure of a good life is house, furnishings, cloths, and the automobile we drive.

Jesus, focused on the future, is sustained by trust in God. He did it when tempted in the wilderness; he does it again when facing the dangers of earthly rulers like Herod.

There’s a story... “When his advancing army stormed into a small town the general called his scouts before him. ‘Where are the citizens of this village?’ he demanded.

“’They have all fled in fear,’ the scouts replied.

“’Is there not one left to pay tribute to our victory?’ the general shouted.

“’No one but the priest. He remains in the temple.’

“Quickly the general marched to the temple, burst through the doors and demanded to see the priest. After a search, the priest was found reading quietly in his study. The general, angry that the cleric refused to greet him as conqueror, shouted, ‘Don’t you know that you are looking at one who can run you through without batting an eye?’
“’Don’t you know,’ the priest replied, ‘that you are looking at one who can be run through without batting an eye?’

“For a moment the general stared in disbelief at the priest. Then, slowly, a smile danced on his lips. He bowed low and left the temple.” [“Without Batting an Eye” from “Stories for the Journey” William R. White, p95]

The priest was sustained by faith, a trust in God’s future. Trusting in the Lord the priest is encouraged, in the present, to stand firm. For it is the Lord that lasts, not this earthly life, but God’s eternal world.

Based on past experiences or a predicted future, “Life is filled with dangers; how we deal with that ever-present and annoying fact shapes us and our homes. Dangers can call forth greatness from us, heroism as well as creativity, or it can breed self-pity, bitterness, and a host of other evils. Dangers, if nothing else does, test our faith and our love of God.” [“A Pilgrim’s Almanac” Edward Hays, p91]

If you daily live out the profound belief that God is with you, then when dangers rise up and demand attention, you can respond, not based on the past, present, or future, but with faith. It is faith that breeds grace, peace, and confidence.

Amen

February 21, 2010 - First Sunday in Lent

Deuteronomy 26:1-11
The annual harvest festival, called the feast of Weeks, provides the setting for this reading. This festival celebrates the first fruits of the produce of the land offered back to God in thanks. In today’s text, worshippers announce God’s gracious acts on behalf of Israel.

Romans 10:8b-13
In this reading from Paul’s letter to the Romans, Paul reminds the Christians at Rome of the foundation of their creed, namely, the confession of faith in the risen Christ as Lord.

Luke 4:1-13
After being filled with the Holy Spirit at his baptism, Jesus is led in the wilderness. Through his responses to the temptations of the devil Jesus defines what it means to be called “the Son of God.”

Sermon
Let grace, mercy, and peace be with us in truth and love from God the Creator and from Jesus Christ, Son of the Creator, and from the Holy Spirit that weaves revelation in and around our lives. Amen

Most of these words I share with you today are borrowed from “Provoking the Gospel of Luke, A storytellers Commentary, Year C” by Richard W. Swanson.

Each year the first Sunday in Lent is about the temptations of Jesus in the wilderness. Swanson suggests that this scene is about testing and offers a unique way of viewing this. Swanson writes: “I know enough about electricity and wiring to be glad that it is hard to pass the licensure exam to become an electrician. I have thought enough about the dangers of working with natural gas lines to be extremely glad that plumbers must be licensed before they can work with such things in my home. …nurses talk about the struggle of preparing for their board exams; the pre-med types spend years preparing to take their MCATs.

“Testing has huge ritual significance in our lives. Years of preparation, years of study and practice come down to a period of intensely focused testing. The ritual of testing prepares the candidate for the realities of life, career, and service.” Today’s gospel reading, the story of Jesus in the wilderness “tells the story of Jesus sitting for his electrician’s exam. These are his comprehensive examinations.” They “prepare him for the realities of the task before him.”

Swanson recommends that to understand what’s happening with Jesus in the wilderness we need to look back to the beginning of the 3rd chapter of Genesis, “1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, … ‘Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'? … 6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked;…”

Swanson then suggests a radically different idea, an idea that we need to approach with an open mind so we might grow. The idea he suggests is that “The first thing to get clear about in these two stories” Genesis 3 and Luke 4 “is that there is no devil in either one.
“That’s easy to see in the case of Genesis, since the word is never used. It’s a serpent, not a devil. But there is no devil in Luke either.

“Yes, I know,” comments Swanson, “that Luke 4 calls the character ‘the devil,’ but Luke doesn’t mean anything like what contemporary Americans usually imagine when we think of ‘the devil.’ Luke did not imagine pitchforks, horns, pointy tails, or the red long-johns that we see in cartoon devils.” The concept of devil has changed over the years. “That’s important to” understand. “What’s even more important is the recognition that Luke would not have thought of ‘the devil’ as the evil force opposed to God, the other side in the cosmic war, at least (again) not the way contemporary Americans seem to imagine this character.”

We need to look beyond the term ‘devil’ and look at what the character does in the story. What is ‘the devil’s’ function?

“The name ‘satan’ is actually a job title. Satan is sometimes compared to the district attorney in contemporary American life. In that role Satan investigates and accuses; Satan looks for things that are less legal than they should be. This comparison works pretty well,” continues Swanson, “but I like another comparison better. Maybe it’s because my grandfather was a carpenter, but ‘Satan’ has always seemed more like the cosmic ‘building inspector’ to me. Satan is the person appointed by God to inspect the structure of creation and of human lives. If there is shoddy construction, it is Satan’s job to point it out.

“Carpenters are supposed to build things according to the Unified Building Code, and the building inspector is appointed to make sure that they do.“That allows … us … to have a degree of certainty that our roof will not suddenly fall in. Inspectors make sure that there is no creative electrical work in a house and that the plumbing actually drains the way it is supposed to.”

Let’s apply this idea first to Genesis 3. “The new creation is tested, and a flaw is found. Human beings want to be ‘like God’, and will do almost anything to achieve this goal. When Jews read the story of Adam and Eve…, they see a description of the predicament in which all mortal life is caught. Human beings have two inclinations: one good and one bad. The good inclination makes us likely to follow orders, behave ourselves, and cooperate. The bad inclination makes us likely to make our own rules, push the envelope, and compete. The genius of the Jewish understanding of this story and of the two inclinations is that Jews recognize that human beings need both inclinations in order to live. We need to cooperate and compete. We need to clean our rooms and reach for the stars, and no real human accomplishment, from walking on the moon to running a successful business, would be possible without the productive tension between these two inclinations.

“In Genesis, the serpent’s testing reveals that human beings have some problems bringing their two inclinations into balance. Eve will push the envelope too far when she reaches for the stars. Adam will eat anything and never have a second thought. This is something all humans need to keep in mind.

“Now notice what the (devil or inspector) sets in front of Jesus in the desert. The first thing is food. Jesus, as a descendant of Adam, is given the chance to eat without a second thought.
“Jesus refuses, choosing instead to continue his disciplined fast. So far, so good. Jesus has demonstrated that, unlike Adam, he has some control over his appetites: he is not a drooling, burping brute. No great accomplishment, but a good place to start. The harder tests are still coming.

“Now Jesus is given the test that Eve was given. It is a harder test, but, given the task set before him, it is necessary. Jesus is given the chance to reach for the stars, and he is given the chance, not once, but twice. The (inspector) offers him authority over all the kingdoms of the world. It does not matter whether the (inspector) has it in (the inspectors) power to deliver on this offer. It only matters whether or not Jesus will take the bait. Can Jesus control his inclination to over-reach, over-compete? Jesus refuses, and refuses on the grounds that God is God and no one else need pretend to apply for the job. This is a great refusal. His Jewish grandmother would have been proud.

“Next Jesus is given a chance to set himself free from the laws of nature. ‘Set gravity aside,’ says the (inspector), ‘and really reach for the stars. Living without limits. God has no limits, and since you are God’s son, you should have no limit’s either.’ Jesus again refuses, and does so on the basis of Jewish oral tradition. ‘It is said,’ says Jesus (like the rabbis and his grandmother have said), ‘you shall not test the Lord your God.’

“Now the (inspector) departs until an opportune time. It’s only Luke’s gospel that includes this little note, but it’s an important note. It means that the inspection is not finished yet. The task is too large for just one spot check.”

Here’s my conclusion, based on Swanson’s unique perspective. As we are tested we will see our need for God in our lives. That we can’t, as much as we try, rely on ourselves alone. Test after test reveals that we can’t do life on our own, we need help from outside of ourselves, we need God.

The season of Lent is a time set aside in the church year for us to focus, to be tested, so that we will understand what Jesus does on the cross. That the more we understand our limits the more amazing the resurrection and it’s promise.

Amen

February 17 , 2010 - Ash Wednesday

Joel 2:1-2, 12-17
Because of the coming Day of the Lord, the prophet Joel calls the people to a community lament. The repentant community reminds God of his gracious character and asks God to spare the people, lest the nations doubt God's power to save.

2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10
The ministry of the gospel endures many challenges and hardships. Through this ministry, God's reconciling activity in the death of Christ reaches into the depths of our lives to bring us into a right relationship with God. In this way, God accepts us into the reality of divine salvation.

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus commends almsgiving, prayer, and fasting, but emphasizes that spiritual devotion must not be done for show.
Sermon
“Prayer is not a device like a remote control to make things happen. Instead, it's a tool to relinquish control to the awesome purposes of God.

[INTERACTIVE IDEA: Bring as many remote control devices as you can and lay them like surgical instruments on a cloth on a small table in front of the
audience.]

Have you heard the "dumb men" jokes? For example: What do men consider housecleaning? Lifting their feet so you can vacuum under them.“Or this: How do you get a man to do situps? Put the remote control between his toes. Okay, enough. Let's stay with the remote control for a minute.
“Fact is, we're not relating to our appliances the way we used to. When was the last time you dialed a phone? What ... five, 10 years ago? Everything is touch-tone now, and most kids think that dial phones went out with the dinosaurs.

“When was the last time you typed a letter? And do you recall your final trip to turn on the television? That is, an actual walk to the TV set to turn the switch by hand? Okay, maybe the battery on your remote went dead the other day, and you HAD to switch to manual control. No doubt that walk to the set seemed like a headache and a hassle!

“These days we have a remote control for everything: TVs, VCRs, CD players, camcorders, cable boxes, stereos, satellite dishes, model airplanes ... even gas fireplaces! Tired of having to move your body to your player piano in order to change music or lower the volume? No problem! Now you can operate your piano by remote from up to 100 feet away, including going through walls (www.pianocommand.com. Available: July 9, 1999).

“Maybe you have a problem that you can't keep track of your controllers. Well, if your remote has become remote, don't despair! A young girl named Natalie has invented a "Remote Control Finder." Facing the problem of never being able to find her channel-flipper, she taped a sound button to her remote, and also taped a button to her TV. That way, when the remote is lost, she presses the TV button, and the remote beeps. It's a kind of remote control remote control!,

“Silliness aside, we have clearly come into an era of remote control relationships with our electronic appliances. We like to push a button from across a room, factory or field, and get an instant and immensely pleasing result.

“Remote technology allows us to gain complete control, and we love it. But this craziness for controllers raises a troubling issue of whether we have come to expect remote control spirituality as well. Can we program God? Can we use prayer as a remote control device to get the "channels" and "programs" we want? Have we grown too accustomed to the idea of being in control?

“Sometimes it seems we have. And this is not a convenience issue -- it's a big problem.

“ Prayer is not a way to get what we want to happen, like the remote control that comes with the television set. Prayer is not about getting control; it is about giving up control.

“Prayer is a way to put ourselves in harmony with God and his creation.

“We set ourselves up for disappointment when we expect God to change the world according to our vision. Rather than God changing us.

“Prayer is an opportunity to experience humility and to recognize grace, to see ourselves as human and to see God something beyond who we are, something good and gracious.

Rachel Remen writes: "Once, when I was lying on an operating table waiting for anesthesia, one of my surgeons took my hand and asked if I would join him and his operating team in a prayer. Startled, I nodded. He gathered the team around the operating table for a moment of silence, after which he quietly said, 'May we be helped to do here whatever is most right.'" That's a simple but powerful petition. Remen felt her fears about the surgical outcome slip away after that prayer, and she went under anesthesia holding on to those few words with the deepest sense of peace. She knew that in that high-tech operating room -- one probably full of remote controls -- she was in touch with a power that greater than her, walking beside her. Those simple words helped her to embrace life, to find a peaceful home in any outcome, and to remember that there may be reasons beyond reason itself.

“We wander in the wilderness when we expect God to change our medical diagnosis, our career path, our teenager's behavior, our church's membership, our dating prospects or our political leadership.

“We find the path of promise, however, when we finally allow God to change US ... when we drop the remote and say, "Here I am, Lord. Show me the way."

“The time has come to consider the poor -- those that the Lord has always cherished and that he promises to deliver in the day of trouble. The time has come to depend more fully on God, and to connect our lives to this source of life. The time has come to see illness not as a punishment for sin, but as a chance to rely even more fully on God, and to see how suffering can serve as a path to new life. The time has come to live with integrity, actively loving both Lord and neighbor, and to lean ever more heavily on the One who is always at work to bring good out of evil.

“When we talk with God and open ourselves to God’s will, we become different. We become people who trust God more fully, and love our neighbors more intensely. We become believers who get up close to the poor, the needy and the outcast -- our brothers and sisters most in need of our intercession.
“When we pray as God wants us to, we become creatures who are finally open to the channels of divine love and purpose, and able to see God's hand at work in all of life.

“This isn't remote control at all. It's the best possible way to have a relationship with the One who watches over all creation, with endless love and grace. [From Homileticsonline.com/2-20-2000]

As we begin our Lenten journey I invite you to pray with me everyday at 2115, that’s 9:15 every night. I invite you to pray with me everyday at 2115 for Good Shepherd, that we might be God’s presence in our community. Pray for family members, that God would help them, embrace them, comfort them. Then pray for your neighbor both where you live and where you work.

Join with me so that together we might pray everyday at 2115. Stop what ever you are doing and pray. Let’s try this until Easter Sunday and see what happens. Pray that Good Shepherd be guided by God’s will. Pray that people you know who are being distracted from a relationship with God might be led here to Good Shepherd where they can connect with God.

What ever you want to pray for let’s just do it together everyday at 2115. I’m going to set my phone alarm for 9:15pm and stop whatever I am doing and pray. Will you join me?

Amen

February 14 , 2010 - Transfiguration of our Lord

February 7 , 2010 - Fifth Sunday after Epiphany

Isaiah 6:1-13
Through a vision in the temple, the eight-century prophet Isaiah is called by God to announce judgment against Israel. Like other prophets, Isaiah is initially hesitant because of his awareness of his sine and his shortcomings, but when the Lord calls, Isaiah responds, “Here am I; send me!”

1 Corinthians 1:1-11
Paul delivers in a nutshell the story of the gospel that was given to him. In the lineage of the Christian faith, we have received the good news of God’s love from generations of believers before us, and we continue to tell this story to the world.

Luke 5:1-11
Jesus’ teaching of God’s word has begun to draw great crowds. For Simon, James, and John, Jesus’ teaching inspires hospitality, then obedience, and then risk. After Jesus’ creative power is revealed, fear and amazement leads these three fisherman to leave everything behind in order to become apostles.

Sermon
During this season of Epiphany we have been hearing stories about Jesus calling disciples and about people following Jesus. Like last week’s OT reading from Jeremiah, where we heard about God calling Jeremiah to be a prophet, today we heard about God calling Isaiah to be a prophet. In the gospel reading where heard about 3 fisherman following Jesus. So, this Epiphany theme continues, what does it mean to follow Jesus?
Before exploring this, let’s take a moment to open our hearts and minds to God’s revelation. Let us pray: Lord, we come away from our busy weekday lives to give you thanks and praise for the way you have blessed our lives. We thank you, also, for the vision of your kingdom, and pray that each of us may hear your call to be a part of witnessing the day when your will is done on earth as it is in heaven. In the name of the one who sheds light into our darkness, Christ Jesus, we pray. Amen

Following Jesus involves “action, adventure and a willingness to explore new territory, whether we’re Boy Scouts or disciples of Christ.

It was August, 1964. I was 1 month away from turning 15. “The sun had just risen when we began our trek up Baldy Mountain. At 12,441 feet, Baldy is the highest peak in the Philmont Scout Reservation, a high-adventure backpacking camp run by the Boy Scouts of America in New Mexico. We were told that from the summit of Baldy, we could enjoy a spectacular view of the mountains, forests and lakes of northern New Mexico.

“ But the summit was still a dream when our crew of eight Scouts and one adult started out, hiking through a dense pine forest in the early-morning light. Reaching a gorgeous, gurgling mountain stream, we took a turn and headed down a wide and comfortable trail for about a mile. Turned out to be the wrong trail. Realizing our mistake, we turned around and hiked back.

“This detour added an extra two miles to our trip, and you might think we would be discouraged by it. But the extra distance had a surprising benefit.

“One Scout who had been struggling at the start of the hike gained confidence throughout the detour, and when the group got back on track, he felt strong enough to hike to the summit. His success required venturing out, beyond his comfort zone. And so does ours.

The Boy Scouts of America have been challenging young men to push their limits for a century now. In fact, tomorrow — February 8, 2010 — is the 100th anniversary of the incorporation of the organization.

“Two-thirds of all astronauts, and 11 of the 12 men to walk on the moon were Boy Scouts. Nine of the 100 members of the United States Senate are Eagle Scouts. Eagle Scouts were disproportionately represented among Hurricane Katrina’s volunteer relief workers. Both adventurer Steve Fossett and moviemaker Steven Spielberg were Boy Scouts — although Spielberg has resigned from Scouting’s advisory board because of its zero tolerance of homosexuals. Spielberg made a nine-minute film at age 12 to earn his Boy Scout photography badge. Eight billion dollars later, it seems that movie-making has worked out pretty well for him.

“The great appeal of Scouting is that it challenges young men to explore a wide range of outdoor activities and educational programs, and to make surprising discoveries about themselves and the world around them. They find that the comfort of staying home is really no match for the amazing things that happen when they venture out.

“Venturing out. We, as followers of Christ Jesus, are called to venture out into deep water, not to stay in shallow water .

“In today’s gospel reading Jesus is standing by the lake of Gennesaret, also known as the Sea of Galilee or Tiberius, and the crowd is pressing in on him to hear the word of God. At the shore of the lake, he sees two boats — empty because the fishermen had left them to wash their nets. Jesus gets into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asks him to push the boat away from the shore. There Jesus keeps a safe distance from the smothering press of the crowd and is able to teach them (vv. 1-3).

“When Jesus finishes his speech, he decides to extend his lesson with a dramatic illustration. He challenges Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch” (v. 4).

“Put out into the deep water, says Jesus. Jesus doesn’t say, “Hey, it’s shallow over here, try this.” He’s saying that the real possibilities exist where life gets deep and risky. He invites us to venture out, take a chance, be active and adventurous. Jesus wants Simon to act like a Boy Scout.

“Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing, laments Simon. He sounds like he wants to stay close to shore, safe and comfortable because his time on the water hasn’t yielded any fish. But Simon isn’t going to be stubborn about this. “Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets,” he offers. And he does (v. 5).

“The result? Simon and his fellow fishermen catch so many fish that their nets are beginning to break. They call for their partners in the other boat to come and help, and they end up filling both boats to the point that they’re beginning to sink (vv. 6-7).

“It’s an unexpected, amazing and overwhelmingly abundant catch. All because they were willing to follow Jesus’ words and scout the deep water.

“That’s the challenge for us today: to venture beyond our comfort zones and put out into the deep water in lives of Christian discipleship. Too often we stay close to shore, safe and comfortable, when Jesus is calling us to be active, adventurous and willing to explore new territory. That’s where the fish are. That’s where the growth happens. That’s where we can make surprising discoveries about ourselves and the world around us.

“ Just ask any Boy Scout. We scout the deep water when we venture out to share the Christian faith with our neighbors. Jesus says, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people” (v. 10), and this challenges us to reach out to our friends and neighbors with the gospel message.

“ But how can we do this? In her book Unbinding the Gospel, which 8 of us studied before Christmas, Martha Grace Reese says that “our most important discovery is that a vivid relationship with God lies at the heart of real evangelism.”

Evangelism is really just sharing our relationship with God with others. To share our faith you have to ask yourself, “Has being a Christian made any difference in my life?” If so, then you’re going to want to share this reality with other people.

“Quite simply, evangelism, sharing your faith with others, is grounded in the realization that your life is better because of your relationship with God, and this is a relationship that can benefit others as well. “

Reese says evangelism is all about relationships. Not high-pressure conversion programs, not knocking on doors and handing out tracks, but relationships. We need to reflect on our relationship with God, and then find natural and sincere ways to share that relationship with others.

“We scout the deep water when we embark on short-term mission trips to repair damage done by hurricanes, when we commit ourselves to tutoring low-income children who are struggling in school, when we create alternative worship services to reach the unchurched of our community. All of these require an active and adventurous spirit, plus a willingness to explore new territory.

“The important thing is to venture out, beyond our comfort zone.

“ Meanwhile, back at the ranch … back to the Philmont Scout Reservation. After we reached the summit of Baldy Mountain and enjoyed the magnificent vista, we headed down the other side. The trail was clear above the tree line, but once we entered the woods the path was lost. Throughout the dense forest was a mixture of lush vegetation and decaying logs and plants. The forest floor was thick and spongy, full of rich soil and natural mulch. It became clear that the life of that forest was rooted in death — in a fertile mixture of growth and decay.

“The same is true for us. We don’t achieve the abundant life that Christ desires for us by playing it safe. No, if we’re going to experience growth in Christian faith and understanding, we have to venture out and take some chances. As Jesus says to his followers a little later in Luke, “Those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it” ( 9:24). “That’s the message of the forest floor. Life comes from death — from allowing our comfort and control to die just a little bit, as we follow Jesus in faith. And we all know what comes after death, don’t we? Resurrection.

“We eventually made it out the other side, not by following a path but by having faith in our navigational techniques. We hiked through the deep vegetation until we came to a clearing, and then we rediscovered our path.

“ Each of us is challenged to take similar chances as we follow Jesus along the path of life each day. We’ll have our setbacks and disappointments, and we’ll certainly lose our way at certain points in the journey.

“But we’ll make amazing discoveries as well, if we venture out into the deep water. There we will find abundant gifts because we’ve respond obediently to Jesus’ words. ” [Homiletics/February/2010/p46-48 (Gave me the words to share my story of Philmont.)]

Through the waters of baptism Jesus has laid claim to our life. As we encounter Jesus in our life through our church, through friends and family members, through moments of grace and joy, our story with Christ Jesus grows. This good news is your gift to share with those people you love, your friends, and maybe even a stranger or two along the way. As you share your story of Jesus acting in your life, you are fishing for people, just like those ordinary and exceptional first disciples.

Amen