Reconciliation and Relationship

Matthew 5: 21-37

For almost 15 years now I have been able to successfully dodge this piece of scripture that we will hear in a minute.  I could have actually dodged it today by simply not using it but I’ve committed to following the lectionary; sticking with it even when I would rather do otherwise.  It’s kind of like starting a book that you find completely dull and oh so very tedious but you stick with it, you give it the old college try. 

The Revised Common Lectionary has some great passages for reflections, many of which we learned and loved as kids.  But sometimes the lectionary has us look at passages that are unpleasant or hard to understand and this is a hidden beauty.  It’s a hidden beauty because sometimes it leads you places where you’d rather not go, you know those creepy corridors that put you on edge?  But you keep with it because you just don’t know what you’ll find in those frightening places.  Often you find grace.

Another reason to not to skip this passage is that the lectionary readings are followed by other Christians around the world, Catholics, Episcopalians, Methodists so we are all reflecting on the same passage on any given Sunday.  That gives me some comfort to know that other preachers and congregants will wrestle today seeking understanding.  I had a text frenzy on Friday night with two of my closet and dearest colleagues in ministry, one in West Falmouth and the other in Vermont reflecting on this passage and sharing our thoughts and unique interpretations.  They each will get up on Sunday morning and faithfully preach the Gospel as God and their hearts have moved them.  We nurture one another in seeking God’s path and God’s truth.

Year A of the three year lectionary is devoted to the Gospel of Matthew so that is where we will find ourselves for most of this liturgical year.  Matthew writes for the early church and the issues that plagued it.

So, after that long and apologetic beginning, are your seatbelts fastened?  Here we go!  Hear the word of the Lord from the Gospel of Matthew.

“You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’; and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire. So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell.

“It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

“Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.’ But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’ or ‘No, No’; anything more than this comes from the evil one.

So there, I said it.  These words are not easy to hear nor are the easy to read aloud to you this morning.  Surprisingly, we find this passage in the beloved Sermon on the Mount right after the scripture read last week about salt, light and Jesus saying he has come to fulfill the law, not abolish it.  You see the Sermon on the Mount has some beautiful parts to it like the Beatitudes and lilies of the field but really the Sermon on the Mount that Jesus preaches is a counter cultural message to the pervading culture of first century Palestine.

Jesus reinterprets the law; he addresses some of the more contentious issues of his day and with quite the hyperbole.  I mean how are we to live without our appendages?[i]  In essence he is saying, no, I’m not contradicting Torah, but I AM challenging the interpretations of law.  I’m going beyond the law and making it relevant to peoples lives today. He sets the bar higher than what was expected and acceptable in his day. 

What were contentious issues in his day were murder and anger, adultery, divorce and the taking of oaths.   These issues were dividing the early community of Jesus’ followers.  Now we could do a full contextual study on each of the four issues Jesus dares to bring up.  But that would be a bit dry and tedious for most.  Let’s just say that in each of the four scenarios Jesus calls for a new way of viewing and being in relationship. There were many more strict ramifications for breaking any of these laws than there are today.  Behind these prohibitions lies restoration.  Jesus looks at broken relationships within the realm of God and the awesome possibilities for healing.

When briefly looked at, in the words of Steve Godfrey from Church in the World, “Our real problem is not ultimately murder, but the anger that lies at its core.  Our real problem he says is not ultimately adultery but the lust in our hearts.  Our real problem he says is not when to allow divorce, but the brokenness of relationships.” 

Or in the words of another scholar: ‘Underneath the prohibition of murder is respect for another.  Underneath adultery is how we organize our biological selves.  Underneath divorce lies human hard-heartedness. Underneath swearing Jesus expects full commitment to every utterance, ‘say what you mean and mean what you say.’[ii]

Jesus challenges us to see our preconceived notions of the law in a much different way, a way that recognizes and celebrates the value of each man and each woman and each child.  He envisions ways of healthy, living, vibrant relationships that are not broken or shattered.   And that takes some work.

Heaven knows there’s plenty brokenness in this world, especially now.  Broken trust, broken confidence, broken hearts, broken systems.  Our first tendency when something is broken is to toss it out.  My computer crashed, time to get a new one.  This old set of broken and mismatched dishes are unsightly, give them to Goodwill and get new ones.  Right?  So we just want to get rid of the unsightly, the shattered or cracked. Why keep brokenness around when we can get a new computer or and new set of dishes?  That’s the easy way out.  Where is the growth?  Where is the healing?  But Jesus sets the bar higher.

I am reminded of crafters on Pinterest who make beautiful jewelry out of broken glass and pottery shards.  Nothing is wasted, nothing is beyond the eye and heart of an artist who creates beauty out of bedlam. Restoration can happen if you are open to the newness that Christ brings.

Relationships might be broken right now but its no reason to toss them out. Our country and congress might be broken right now but it’s no time to give up on it.  Remembering that each human being on this planet is a beloved child of God we seek beauty and restoration in brokenness.

What Jesus is saying in these teachings is that there can be beauty and blessing in brokenness when you are attuned to the realm of God, which resides within our hearts.  Remember that Christ’s body was broken for us and in that brokenness we are healed. 

There is blessing in brokenness because we know that God draws near to those who are broken, whose lives seem beyond repair, God is right there creating anew.  When people and systems are broken new life can be released, remember ‘We are the clay, you are the potter, we are the work of your hands.’[iii]  God fashions us for goodness.  Brokenness can bring a new and greater capacity to and for love.

And of course, brokenness can bring about fruitfulness.  Remember the little boy with only five loaves of bread.  Once broken those loaves of bread brought abundance and fed 5,000 people that day on the side of the mount.  Life given.  Life restored.    

That Jesus!  Always reinterpreting law so that the broken can become whole, so that our lives and our relationships may experience reconciliation and restoration in ways that goes way beyond our human capacity for understanding. 

Thanks be to God!

Amen.

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[i] Either Feasting on the Word, Weekly Seeds, or Steve Godfry.

[ii] Feasting on the Word, Edwin Chr. Van Driel.

[ii] Isaiah 64:8

Pastoral Prayer

Gracious God, Sweet Jesus, help us to bring back the sweetness into this world that has been carved with cruelty and destruction. Help us to mend the wounds we have inflicted on others and ourselves. Call us with compassion to see others as Your children, as our kindred, and that all have the possibility of repentance, redemption, forgiveness and healing, for nothing is impossible for you Lord Jesus, help us to mend the broken hearted even as we are broken ourselves.  We are hurt, we are angry, and we are tired. Help us to find Your goodness in others and in the world, and help us to make the world sweet again as you so created it.

We pray for the indigent, the homeless, those who are starving and the oppressed; set free from those bonds which keep them from living fully and we pray for those also who hold them down.  Let justice in this world prevail so that the work of all people who lived and died in the name of freedom and equality may be carried on.  Oh Lord, hear our prayer.

We pray for those people, known and unknown who are sick in body, mind or spirit, for those live with mental illness, with cancer, with the uncertainty of knowing ‘just what’s wrong’, for the addicted and recovering, and for those who lives will not be long upon this earth.  Grant your healing and restoration upon them, give them peace and strength for their journey’s ahead.  Lord, hear our prayer.

We pray for our country and our leaders, for all who are in a position of authority over others; grant to them integrity, morality and ethical decision making, clear sight and vision for a future filled with hope and freedom for all.  Lord, hear our prayer.

We lift up the women and men who serve in the armed forces so that we can remain free.   Kristin, Michael _________________________________________________________________    Give to them strength and stamina for what we have called them to do, keep them from harm’s way.  Send peace to this world O Lord because we could really use it.  O Lord, hear our prayer.

For our children and for the world’s children we give you thanks.  May they grow into their fullest potential imbued with your spirit with a thirst for justice and peace.

Lord, hear our prayers and grant to us healing in the process.

 Amen.

[iii] Isaiah 64:8

The Light that Shines

Matthew 5: 13-20

When it came to this week’s lectionary reading, out of the two metaphors that Jesus uses, salt and light, I was drawn to light and I was reminded of Claude Monet’s work as an impressionist.  I know, connect the dots.  The Impressionists were a group of painters towards the end of the 19^th century who went ‘rogue’ if you will from the classical style of painting.  Monet’s work and that of the other impressionists like Cezanne, Degas, Pissarro, Renoir among other painters painted suggestions of object using tonal values to delineate form.  Very simply they paint light and dark.

You can see it in Monet’s paintings, Waterlilies, his Gardens, they all rely on light to convey their message.  It is said that “the impressionist does not analyze form but only receives the light reflected from that form onto the retina of his eye and seeks to reproduce the effect of that light rather than the form of the object reflecting it.”[i]  Light is of utmost importance to the Impressionist’s eye.

Light illuminates.  Light shines.  Light keeps us from getting lost in vagueness and void.  It gives definition to that which is formless.  The Impressionists knew that and that’s how they saw the world.  Jesus also uses light as a way of discipleship, he knows that light will illuminate the world with his teachings and love.

“You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.” You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Today’s scripture reading is part of the Sermon on the Mount and falls directly after the Beatitudes in the Gospel of Matthew. He’s got a large captive audience and really wants them to understand the nature of discipleship.

What we have to remember is that Jesus’ audience was quite different than Matthew’s audience and certainly different than our setting today.  The Gospel of Matthew is not an eye witness account, he was writing for a congregation that was in a time of theological and social tension following the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE.  He was writing years after Jesus’ death and resurrection.    There was conflict within the Jewish community on what the future of Judaism would be.  And also Matthew believed that they were living right before the apocalypse which adds another layer of urgency to his message.  So it was a dark time for them. 

Jesus was preaching to Israel and Israel had been called by God to be a light to the nations as it says in the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, “I will give you as a light to the nations that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”(Isaiah 49: 6) Jesus knew his Hebrew Bible scripture and kept true to the call of God upon Israel.  Don’t forget he was the fulfillment of God’s law and love.

So Jesus’ sermon had quite a divergent view from the other religious leaders in an already heated political and religious debate over the fate of Israel whose land by now had been occupied by the Roman Empire.  The land was no longer in the hands of the Jews but in the hands of the ‘goyim’, the non-Jews.  So there were divisions among them on how to address the questions of faith and observance that would come up as a result of the occupation and of course there were questions about their identity.  Who are we?  What does God want us to do?  Who does God want us to be?  What are we supposed to do now? 

The Pharisees understood Torah in one-way and Jesus understood it in another.  That’s why there is always tension between Jesus and the Pharisees in Matthew.  The Pharisees were working with an outdated political and cultural model and were striving to maintain the status quo. Jesus saw the law in a different way, he was saying that God is doing a new thing, and that he, Jesus is the fulfillment of the ‘new thing’. 

Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount as encouragement for the people to be Israel, just to be themselves, to be true to whom God had called them to be through their covenantal relationship; and to be open to the new ways in which God was calling them.  You know God continues to call us into the future for where there are needs in this world that is where God calls us as disciples.  And as the world changes so does the nature of our discipleship call changes.

So Jesus uses two metaphors to engage the people in discipleship, salt and light.  Both of these elements enhance things around them.  Salt brings out distinctive flavors in food, it elicits good taste, for who doesn’t like a little salt on their potato chips or on a cob of corn?  But salt does no such thing if it has lost its taste, food will be bland.  So we are to be salt, enhancing life for others around us, making life just a bit more palatable for everyone.  We are called to bring out the best in the world – that’s what being a disciple of Jesus is all about, following his ways, lifting up and brining out the best in all people.

Same thing with light.  As disciples of Jesus and his gospel of compassion, shining the light is our role as a gathered community.  We are to be the vessels by which the light of God can shine through.  We are the light that Monet endeavored to paint that gives form to something that is unrecognizable, that brings life to something that has ceased living. 

We are the harbingers of God’s light, we are the ‘light on the hill’.  We are the pin dot of light in a darkened room.  We are the ones that shine light into the deepest darkest places whether those places like it or not, or want it.  Our light is to expose injustice, discrimination, hatred and violence that lurk in dark crevices.  And that’s exactly what the Gospel is about, and how we are supposed to spread it around. And after the exposures comes love.

If we were to hang out with Jesus long enough we find that is exactly what he does, that is exactly who he is preaching to on the side of that mountain.  The poor, the oppressed and the imprisoned.  He shines light on the woman caught in adultery only to expose the hypocrisy of those in authority around him.  He shines a light on the rich urging them to invite the poor to their banquets.  His light shines bold and strong beckoning us to do the same as his disciples.

Luke chapter four Jesus says, "THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED.  As disciples that is our mandate too.  I dare to say we have our work cut out for us.

The question for us is, will we be that light that shines so that others may live freely without hurt or pain or suffering?   Or will we cower with fear enough to extinguish that light so that no one will be freed?

In the words of Maryanne Williamson, quoted by Nelson Mandela in his 1994 Inaugural speech, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.  Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure…We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.  It’s not just in some of us; it’s in all of us.  And when we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.  As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Shining our light, illuminating the darkness and giving it form. 

And that’s what we are about, all in the name of Jesus Christ.

Amen.

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[i] Canaday, John.  The Nature of Impressionism in Mainstreams of Modern Art, 1959. p. 182.

Where Two or Three are Gathered

And Jesus said,

“Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” Matthew 18:20

This line, ‘for where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them’ is used often to justify that even in the smallest of gatherings where two or three people are present and agree prayerfully, Jesus is there.  And so it is, that he is present within each one of us, when a couple of us are together or amidst a great throng of believers.

Looked at and understood in the larger Biblical context we see it a bit differently; Jesus says this to show us how to reprove one another of sins that have been committed against each other, or simply put - church discipline.  In fact there are several places in the New Testament that show the struggle of the earliest believers in Christ who wished to gather in his name.  Gathering in Christ’s name to be a church is wonderful and purposeful and difficult because let’s face it, humans aren’t perfect.

What we do know is that God wants us to gather.  So where two or three are gathered, where 22 or 23 are gathered, where 622 or 623 are gathered Christ is present.  But I submit to you that even though he is present that does not mean that it will be a utopia of happy Christian campers.  So where 2 or 3 are gathered they need a little church governance or a way to organize themselves and get the business of ministry accomplished. 

Today we will look at church governance through the eyes of scripture.  Why, you ask, do we have to do this?  Why do we have to change? 

Well sometimes we simply outgrow our jeans.  They no longer suite us or they fit the way they used to.  Times change, the demands of life change.  A friend and colleague of mine tells the story of when his now 34 year old was little he was asked by the teacher in school what does your dad do for a living?  His naïve and innocent reply was, ‘he goes to meetings’.  To his little eyes and heart all he knew was that his daddy was at a church meeting most of the time.  Yeah, where 2 or 3 are gathered you can be sure the will be a committee meeting. 

That tells you something about the nature of the institution of church.  It can become cumbersome when it no longer fits into the lifestyle that we crave and so a modification needs to happen.  If you look back through the church records we have dating back to 1805 we certainly do not govern ourselves the way our brothers and sisters in faith did back then.  And can I have an ‘Amen’ for that?  

You see the more rules and regs there are there is less reliance on the Spirit.  And we need that spirit among us working and churning our hearts.  God wants us to use the spiritual gifts that we have been given. 

Ephesians, the fourth chapter tells us that we have been given spiritual gifts for three main reasons.  1) to equip the saints that is to be more Christ like in our encounters with others, 2) for the work of ministry that is to prepare us to carry out the tasks that this body has discerned that is part of our mission, 3) to build up the body of Christ, that is so we can get stronger in witness and word for Christ.

At the 211 Annual Meeting today after church we will begin a journey into a new way of organizing ourselves to accomplish our mission which says, “We are a spiritual, caring community committed as a fellowship of faithful people to a still-speaking God”.  One of the ways in which we have discerned thus far to do this is by creating a new Leadership Council that comprises four areas of ministry that pretty much sums up how we will achieve our mission.  Worship, Faith in Action, Faith Formation, and Resources. 

Very simply put how we worship our God, how we are active participants helping others in this world, how we feed and grow our faith and how we take care of the gifts and resources that we have received.  That’s all, no mystery.  While they seem to be separate entities they unite us in our effort and call to follow the ways of Jesus Christ.  They all have one overarching goal that is to be a spiritual, caring community committed to a still speaking God.

After the meeting today we will begin this new journey together.  So I want to talk a bit more about each Ministry Team using scripture and song to ground us in this new endeavor.

Worship Ministry Team

Psalm 100

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.

Worship the Lord with gladness;

come into his presence with singing.

Know that the Lord is God.

It is he that made us, and we are his;

we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,

and his courts with praise.

Give thanks to him, bless his name.

For the Lord is good;

his steadfast love endures forever,

and his faithfulness to all generations.

I think it is safe to say that almost, without fail barring snowstorms or hurricanes, that we have been most faithful to God in this area.  For 211 we have gathered on Sunday mornings and at other times to give thanks to God for our blessings and to offer our inner most selves in worshipful ways.  Worship is a gift and a blessing and it is essential to our spiritual life.  Liturgy is the work of the people.

But worship just doesn’t happen like that.  Bryan and I don’t phone each other up on a Saturday night and say, hey what do you want to do tomorrow.  No.  It takes prayerful and intentional planning and it takes a whole lot of people to help that happen.  Singers, ushers, deacons, worship leaders, congregants we all are a part of our worship to God.  The Worship Ministry Action Team is the spiritual arm of the church and they are the ones that enable this type of ministry to happen. 

Whether it’s deacons or  music that feeds the soul or inreach to our own through Angel Food Express we are allowing one another to experience the love of God through our actions.  I am sure that you have many gifts that might be used in some way as a pop-up ministry that would fall under the Worship Ministry Team.

I am grateful to ______________ for answering the call to be the Worship Team Leader.

PH 4 All People that on Earth Do Dwell

Faith in Action Ministry Team

Matthew 22: 34-40

When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

According to Jesus the first and second greatest commandments are love God with all your heart, soul and mind, and, love your neighbor as yourself.   Strong and simple commands, love God, love neighbor.  What’s really great about this is how we choose to love God and neighbor is up to us.  God let’s us figure it out.  So how we love our neighbor is the work of Faith in Action. 

We have this faith, we have this belief in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.  If we are to follow him then we are to help others, to work towards a society that lifts up and values everyone.  When we work to that end we are putting our faith into action.  It’s no longer words but it’s our actions that really matter in the kingdom.  OCC working in tandem with Columbus House, Habitat, Abraham’s Tent and so many other agencies to effect good is a way in which we fulfill Christ’s call.  He was always for the underserved, the outcast and the victims of an unjust first century society.  Societal ills have not gone away.  This is what Faith in Action is about.

So too, Open and Affirming is another way in which we can be an inclusive community helping others find a place at Christ’s expansive table.  ONA is specifically designed to let the LGBTQ community know that we are a safe and accepting house of God for them to come into.  But going through this process is so much more.  It says that we are a loving congregation who yearns to share the Gospel with everyone.  Because of that we are willing to have discussions and study scripture to discover what it means to be a body of Christ as diverse as we are created in the image of God.

Ministering to all through outreach; sharing and caring.  Might you have an idea for a pop-up ministry that fits into the life of the Faith in Action Ministry Team?

I am grateful to ______________ for accepting the call to be Faith in Action Team Leader.

NCH  539  Won’t You Be My Servant

Faith Formation Ministry Team

2 Timothy 3: 14-17

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.

All that we do here is grounded in scripture…whether you know it or not.  It may not come to mind immediately but if Christ is not at the core of our values, our ethic, or actions then we are not a church.  And we learn about Christ through scripture in Bible or book study, in discussion about Biblical and theological matters.  That’s head work. But it’s really not enough.  Reading a cookbook doesn’t make you a good cook.  Perusing a manual on a camera does not make you a good photographer.

What does make you a good cook or a good photographer is practice and action. It is the confluence of head and heart.  It is an engaged process of learning and practice that is infused in all aspects of the congregation.  It honors the diversity of spiritual and religious needs because there is not one approach.  Our faith in the Lord is informed but what we do, hear and learn and hopefully then we are transformed for greater spiritual living.

The work of the Holy Spirit in a person is a life long process, we are life long learners who have new challenges that we must adapt to.  How I thought about God when I was a kid is drastically different than how I think about God now.  My faith in God is formed by my life experiences and my connection with my churches throughout the years.

Formed in the likeness of Christ, that’s what we strive to be.  Through the years OCC has offered thoughtful education for young ones and elders and everyone in between.  It used to be known as Christian Education. But as I said before that implies book learning only and Faith formation is much more. It is wholistic finding a balance between head and heart. 

Our youth ministries, church school and adult education strive to engage our head and heart in fruitful ways.  Our library gives us the resources to begin the journey.

Do you have something that you can contribute to the Faith Formation Ministry Team?  A pop up ministry can be anything from a one time book discussion to a spiritual, intentional walk in the woods.

I am grateful to ___________ for accepting the call to be Faith Formation Team Leader.

NCH  313  Like a Tree beside the Waters

Resources for Ministry Team

1 Corinthians 3: 10-15

According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it. Each builder must choose with care how to build on it. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— the work of each builder will become visible, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each has done. If what has been built on the foundation survives, the builder will receive a reward. If the work is burned up, the builder will suffer loss; the builder will be saved, but only as through fire.

Would we be a church with not a penny in our pocket and a roof over our head?  Absolutley!  That’s because a church is a gathering or a body of baptized Christians who believe in Jesus as the head.  We could be a church in someone’s home, in a hall, or on the green without a building.  But how incredibly blessed we are to be able to worship in this sacred space and have a few extra dollars in our coffers to carry out the ministry of Jesus Christ. 

We give great thanks to all of the saints who have gone before us.  Their faith in Christ and with Christ as their foundation has given us this sanctuary and this ministry here in Orange.  And so we are called upon to give an account not only in their name but to God of how we administer everything we have been given.  WE all need to be accountants of our faith and ministries here in Orange.

Did you ever wonder how the chandelier glass hurricanes get cleaned? What about steeple repair, office equipment repair, tuning instruments, fiscal management?  Blessed with so much we need to be good – no great stewards of what God has entrusted to us.  I’m sure there is some little pop up ministry that you can think of and help out with to make this sacred space spin! Take ‘the guys’ for instance. They pop up every Tuesday and trouble shoot – changing the marquee, cleaning refrigerators, all is ministry when offered to the glory of God. 

I am grateful to __________ for accepting the call to be Resources Team Leader.

We have four teams that encompass the breadth of Christ’s ministry. I pray that you will be inspired to be a part of these vital areas of ministry.  Whatever your gift or skill might be and you see a ministry need that could utilize your gifts, speak to me or any of the team leaders.  Pop up ministries are always encouraged! 

May Christ, the cornerstone of the church, our faith and of our lives, guide us into our future will dignity and grace. 

Amen.

NCH 400   Christ is Made the Sure Foundation

What are You Looking For?

John 1: 29-42

We are in the season of Epiphany and we count and number the Sundays after Epiphany until the Transfiguration of Jesus, which then ushers in Lent.  Now the Sundays after Epiphany can vary because Easter, based on the lunar calendar is different every year…so that can push Ash Wednesday (the beginning of Lent) early in February or as late as March which is where we are this year.  Useful information for Bible geeks if you could follow along…and it’s for free!  No charge!  So the texts we read are ordered by what season we are in.

These Sundays after Epiphany aren’t just ‘filler in’ Sundays, they have a purpose. On Christmas we came seeking a baby, the incarnation – God made flesh here on earth.  But a baby in a lowly manger really isn’t enough to support our theological claims for the incarnation[i] says Pastor David Lose.  We need more than that.  We need Jesus revealed to the magi as the King of the Jews, through the star, we need Jesus to walk into the waters of the Jordan River for baptism and the clouds part revealing him as God’s beloved son.  We continually need that revelation that this baby that we came looking for on Christmas Eve is indeed the Messiah, the anointed one who will change the course of human history.   We need to hear it from Jesus himself as he asks a very important questions of us.  

Hear now this account in the Gospel of John…………. 

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.” And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.”

The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed). He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).

Shortly after, in fact the very next day John had baptized Jesus, he sees Jesus coming towards him, it was a small world back then.  To everyone around, friends, acquaintances and passersby, John announces, “Here is the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!”  Now THAT’S some grand introduction.  Can you imagine meeting Jesus in that way? The Agnus Dei?  The Lamb of God?  John really ups the anty for Jesus.  He takes Jesus humanity and adds a healthy dollop of divinity to it and then announces it to all.  Jesus can take away the sins of all the world!

Somehow I don’t think that is how Jesus would have introduced himself yet John announces that Jesus is the source of all redemption, the Lamb of God.  I think what adds to John’s grand revelation is that he had experienced an epiphany just the day before when the heavens opened with a dove and a voice, he says, “I heard God’s voice proclaim love for his son.”  It was a profound, life altering experience for him.  He just had to testify to all.

The next day John was with two of his own disciples and again he started up when he saw Jesus, “Look, here is the Lamb of God.”  His witnessing never stops!  But then again, when something remarkable happens to us, something that is transformational, don’t you just want to tell the world several times as a matter of fact?  Don’t you just want to tell the story over and over again?  I remember when I had my first child and all my husband and I could do was to tell the story of his birth like it was the grandest thing that had ever happened.  We told it over and over again.

What John saw compelled him to share it with anyone and everyone repeatedly.  He says, “I myself have seen and have testified that this, this man right before us is the Son of God.” 

Well, John’s two disciples decided to check this claim out for themselves. Prudent investigating! Have you ever just become a believer in something because someone, who is especially displaying zealous (unique) behavior just tells you to?  Probably not.  You’d want to check it out for yourself, go to the source of this news.  So they went up to Jesus, the source.  They flat out leave John and follow Jesus.  Kind of makes me wonder how John felt about that but it must have been a pretty powerful moment for them to leave.   

So Jesus asked them, “What are you looking for?”.  Well they probably had no clue of what they were looking for, so instead they asked him where he lived.  I guess they were confused!  So Jesus gives them a wonderful invitation, “Come and See”, and they went, they followed Jesus. 

Let’s stop here to dwell on Jesus’ question.  ‘What are you looking for?’ That’s a really good question to ask of ourselves, you who cross our threshold each and every week and those of you who have entered for the very first time. What are you looking for?  We can understand that question in so many other ways, What do you hope to find?  What is it that you are seeking?  What do you need?  What do you long for, hope for?[ii]  Or, more profoundly, what is it that you need most in your life at this moment in time? 

I would feel so blessed, so taken care of if I walked into a church or anywhere for that matter and was asked that question.  What is it that you need most in your life at this moment in time?  And the follow up questions, how can I help you achieve what you need? 

Many of us would be able to answer that question right away.  Some peace, some quiet, some companionship, some ‘me’ time, some freedom, some healing, a new pair of shoes.  You see we all have needs of all kinds from the most basic to the esoteric. 

But there are others who may not exactly know how to answer that question, all they know is that they are seeking something and they have come to this place, this church in search of it.   They have come to a place where Christ is revealed each week in hopes of finding a glimmer of hope in whatever their needs might be.  What if we asked each person who enters this house of God, “What is it that you need most in your life at this moment in time?”  “How can we be of help to you?”  Wouldn’t that change things up a bit?

That’s what Jesus asks the disciples, ‘What are you looking for?  What do you need?”   This is an invitation from Christ that we can ask anything of him, we can come in search of what we need most and rather than being turned away we are invited to state what we need of him. Right now, I think we need a lot of him. We need his vision, his ethic and his unwavering conviction  to honor all individuals.

These last few days have been quite profound in our nation.  On Thursday Donald Trump took the oath of the highest office of our nation.  For some it was a wonderful day, those who have pinned their hopes and dreams on a new and different sort of leadership and future.

For others it was quite the opposite.  For them the inauguration ushered in a time of uncertainty for established policies that create equitable and peace filled living for all people.  And again, just yesterday, we saw the unique time we are in played out in the peaceful women’s marches around the world!  AROUND THE WORLD!  This new leadership for some people does not honor or respect diversity or the dignity of each American or human being.  It does not uphold the values that Jesus espoused in his lifetime, which is to champion the disempowered, the widow, and the children, those whose voices have traditionally been quieted by the dominant forces, to love all people, our neighbors as ourselves.  There is a lot of need right now no matter how you look at it.

So as a church that follows Jesus, that endeavors to emulate his ethic and values the question, ‘What are you looking for?’ is poignant.  Each person who walks through our doors is needing something, you can be sure of that.  By asking this question it is the beginning of opening our hearts and minds to the convictions of Jesus in this time of ambiguity, and the ways in which we can help one another.

What are you looking for single mother of three who works two jobs to make ends meet?

What are you looking for refugee who has come from so far away for a better life in a free place?

What are you looking transgendered person who seeks sanctuary from an injuring world?

What are you looking for brother who needs meds and can’t afford them?

What are you looking for victim of hatred, or of oppression?

What are you looking for dear one who has been harmed by the system or the church?

What is it you need?  What do you long for, hope for?  What do you most need?

How can we help you?

Christ’s follow up to ‘What are you looking for, where do you live or rather what values ground you is ‘Come and See’.  Come and see means to follow him to the mountaintops and also into the deep dark valleys of humanity and open your eyes to the suffering and sadness, the inequality and hatred that surrounds us.  To see the pain in another persons face and to sit with that pain; to help them hold that pain for as long as needed.  To see injustice and to work for justice, to witness a different way of living that can happen, is what Jesus is showing us.

It is well to remember this month that the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. did just that.  He followed Jesus and loved deeply his Lord and because of that, he saw that he must do all he could to end the terrorism perpetrated upon black men and women.  He’s remembered for making good speeches and that he marched, and that’s ok, but really it is about what he did for African Americans first and foremost.  He followed the invitation of Jesus to come and see the possibilities to effect change.  He knew what he needed to do and so he was moved to active love, just love, non-violent resistance.  That is what Jesus is all about. That is what we need to be about, making a difference in peoples lives, asking the question, ‘What are you looking for?’

This is our time.  This is the time of the church to follow in Jesus ways and to see all of the infinite possibilities for our lives and those around us.  We each have been given the ability to effect change in some way, let us not waste what we have been given but accept this gracious invitation of love.     

Amen.

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[i] Toole, David. Feasting on the Word, Year A Vol. 1.

[ii] From…in the Meantime.  www.Davidlose.net, Epiphany 2 A.