The Pastor’s Words

Text:  Jeremiah 20:7-13 & Matthew 10:24-39
22 June 2008
Topic:  Tough Choices Ahead
 
Sometimes it’s really tough to write a sermon, especially when the gospel text is a text that most of us would have a hard time understanding, much less making sense in our daily lives.  The gospel reading for today is just such a text for me today.
            This is the week after Father’s Day and in the gospel reading for today Jesus says, “I have come to set a man against his father!”  This is hardly the message you thought you’d hear the week after Father’s Day. 
            Not that we come to worship to hear all sweetness and harmony, but it IS difficult to hear Jesus whom we believe to be PRO-family say, “Don’t think I came to bring peace to the earth!  I came to bring trouble, not peace.  I came to turn sons against their fathers, daughters against their mothers, and daughters-in-law against their mothers-in-law.”  (Matthew 10:34-35 CEV)
            What did he mean by all this?  To explain, let me use an analogy.
            As you know, I follow the sports world fairly closely.  In that world, I have observed that good coaches have one thing in common:  Good coaches are great motivators. 
            Coaches of teams that win are coaches that know how to talk to their players and get the very best out of each and every one of them.  There are coaches who simply supervise, and then there are coaches who truly instill the desire for winning in each of their players.  It is this last group, those who instill a desire for winning, who ultimately get the most out of their players, and most often take home the trophies.
            My analogy is to compare Jesus to a coach.  Last week in the gospel reading, Jesus picked his team, a motley crew of 12 men from every walk of life, a team of players whom he then expected to preach and teach and heal as he had been doing, and thereby extend the Kingdom of Heaven to all the people of this earth.
            That was last week’s gospel.  This week, Jesus gives them his pep talk.  He says, “ Don’t think that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came to bring trouble, not peace.    In fact, your worst enemies will be in your own family.  If you love your father or mother or even your sons and daughters more than me, you are not fit to be my disciples.  And unless you are willing to take up your cross and come with me, you are not fit to be my disciples.  If you try to save your life, you will lose it. But if you give it up for me, you will surely find it.” (Matthew 10:34,36-39, CEV)
            Phew!  That was his pep talk?!?  It hardly sounds like the motivation speech you and I might want to hear if we were going to sign on to be disciples of Jesus.  But that’s the point here.  Jesus did not want to sugar coat his message.  He did not want to pretend that being a follower of his would be some kind of “walk in the park.”  He told the plain truth about discipleship and explained the harsh realities of what it might mean to follow his teachings.
            Of course there is Old Testament precedent for this from our first lesson.  The prophet Jeremiah, a righteous follower of God, complained to God that people laughed at him, made fun of him and generally tried to destroy him.  He was a follower and spokesperson for God and he wanted out of his job.  In fact, he hated his job so much he wished he’d never been born.
            The bottom line for Jesus is that he wanted totally committed players on his team.  He didn’t want people who somehow waffled or wavered in their allegiance.  He wanted a “24-7″ type of dedication, a 24 hour a day, 7 days a week kind of commitment.
            Now, you and I understand this kind of commitment because we have grown up in the Church and we know what Jesus has done for us.   He died for us;  he forgives us; he gives us encouragement in this life; and he gives us a hope in the life to come.          
            But for those who were hearing him for the first time, they didn’t understand the radical change that was being required of them and Jesus simply wanted to make it very plain and very simple.  To become a follower of Jesus was to going to require a change in their life forever.
            So, where does that leave you and me?  What would we have said to Jesus if he had talked to us the way he did the disciples?  Would we still be suiting up and wearing the pinstripes of the  Christian faith, or, would be opt for a less strenuous, a less demanding assignment with a minor league faith, or opt for no faith at all?
            Thank God, most of us have never had to fight our family when we have chosen to come and worship.  And thank God most of us have never had to make the choice between loving God and loving our family.  For most of our families have actually encouraged us to worship and love God. 
But don’t be surprised if some day, you are forced to make a choice between what you know to be right and what you know to be wrong and that the decision you make will have consequences that will not be pleasant.
            Jesus wanted a strong and vibrant team working with him.  He wanted a team that knew what the future might hold.  And He still does.  He wants men and women who know the potential hardships that accompany faithful witness.  He wants men and women willing to stand their ground and remain true to the teachings of Jesus, no matter what.
            Finally, we need to also remember the following words of Jesus from our gospel for today, he said, “Don’t be afraid.”  God cares for the sparrows of the air and will certainly care for you and me as well.   So, in our faithful witness, let’s not be afraid to speak and act boldly on behalf of what God has called us to do.  For He is with us and watches over us.   AMEN
 

Text:  Matthew 9:35-10:9
15 June 2008
Topic:  Tim Russert – Reaching the Confused
 
I am so torn today about what I should be saying in my sermon today.  On the one hand, I really want to talk about the incredibly large harvest of people who live in our surrounding community and how Jesus is calling us to reach out to each and every one of these people who have recently moved into our neighborhoods.
On the other hand, I really want to talk about Tim Russert, the NBC newsman who has been the moderator of NBC’s Meet the Press for the past 16 years and died suddenly on Friday of a heart attack.  He was just 58 years old.  By all accounts, he was the best newsman on Television today.  But more than being a terrific newsman, he was the son of Big Russ and the father of Luke.  On this Father’s Day, those are the qualities he’d want to us treasure more than his expertise at bringing clarity to the politics our day. 
Today, I am constrained to speak about what Jesus calls each of us to do, and yet also to pay tribute to Tim Russert.  In the process, I pray I will not do disservice to either one.
Jesus was concerned about all whom he met, and all the people whom he had not yet met.  As he traveled from town to town, from village to village, he became increasingly concerned about those who didn’t have a clear vision for life.  He was also concerned there wasn’t anyone ready and willing to show them.  It is said that Jesus when he looked upon the crowds whom he was meeting, he saw them as “confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”  Further, it is said that “…he felt sorry for them.”  (Matthew 9:36  CEV)
Tim Russert was similarly concerned.  Tim was not Jesus, but he, too, looked out on the masses of this nation and saw that we, too, are at times very confused and helpless when it comes to understanding  the politics of our day and that sometimes we, as citizens, act as if we are sheep without a shepherd. 
He considered it his job to bring clarity to the politics of our day by asking hard questions of those shepherds responsible for our nation’s well being.  As the son of a man who collected garbage for a living in Buffalo, New York, Tim Russert knew that the common citizens of America, the regular folks like you and me, needed someone to ask the obvious questions, the tough questions, that would help us see and hear what was the path for us to follow.
In his day, Jesus could clearly see there were more people to reach than his time on this earth would allow.  That’s why he selected followers to go out, two by two, to help people find meaning and purpose in this life and the promise of life eternal.  
As sheep will wander aimlessly when they do not have a shepherd to lead them, Jesus sent disciples out among the people of that day to give them the leadership and the vision they needed. For people will often live day to day and sometimes never see the larger picture.  People will often live without any purpose other than going to work, paying the bills, and mowing the grass. 
Jesus envisioned a world in which people would reach out to one another with care and comfort.  He envisioned a world in which his followers would actively confront the demons of this world, a world in which his disciples, people like you and me, would seek to bring justice and peace to those who have neither.  Jesus wanted the people of this earth to see and live in the big picture of life.
Similarly, Tim Russert  wanted each of us to see and participate in a bigger picture as well.
The big picture for Tim Russert was rooted in family and faith.  In his lifetime, he wrote two books, the first about his own father and the second about the fathers of many others.  It was Tim Russert’s belief that fathers matter, that faith matters, that family can be, and must be, central to our lives.
In all the tributes of his life that have aired over these last few days, each of them has referred to his devotion to his father.  In addition, commentators have spoken about his Catholic faith.  And all of them marvel at his love and devotion to his wife and son.  By all accounts, Tim Russert was an all around good guy, rooted in the faith, loved his father, was devoted to his family deeply, and did his job the only way he was raised to do everything in life, namely, thoroughly, fairly, and with passion.
I can only imagine what it would be like if Jesus were sitting in one of the pews here this morning.  He would look around and see the folks who are here, nod his head approvingly, and then notice the empty seats. 
His thoughts might even wander out beyond the confines of this room, to the neighborhoods that surround this church, and wonder how many of those who are at home this morning, watching Meet the Press and other Sunday morning news shows, will ever be invited to come and hear the Gospel preached.  He might remember his words to his original disciples when he said, “There’s a large crop [of people] in the fields, but only a few workers [to bring them in.]”  (Matthew 9:37  CEV)
And then, he might look around this room again and wonder how many of the people sitting here this morning are going to go home and invite their neighbors to church next Sunday.  He might wonder how this world will ever be any different if there aren’t people – disciples – who care enough to share what’s in their heart with others.
Those who knew Tim Russert personally were touched by his faith.  From what I’ve read and from what I’ve heard about him, he wasn’t a “Bible thumper,” or a “legalistic accuser,” he was simply a man who believed in God’s goodness, who believed in the grace of God, and who believed in the call God had placed upon him to be faithful in all that he said and did in this life.  And somehow, people ended up knowing that a big piece of what made him tick came from his Christian faith.
That’s all Jesus is asking any of us to do.  He doesn’t expect us to become something we are not.  He simply expects us to be fair, faithful, fatherly – in the best sense of that word – and to put our family first.  That way, sheep will find direction, and none of them will get lost.
In baptism, God claims us as His own.  That baptismal claim becomes a call, a call to service and a call to reach out to others.  And once called, we are then sent, sent into the world, where there a lots of confused and helpless people who need direction, who need hope, and who need a savior.
Tim Russert did his part.  For the sake of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God, we must do ours as well.   AMEN

Text:  Matthew 9:9-13
8 June 2008
Topic:  Showing Mercy
 
In today’s gospel reading, Jesus showed the meaning of mercy by eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners.  Not only that, he demonstrated for Matthew, and any others who were looking on, what he expects of all who follow him. 
Jesus expects his disciples, you and me, and all the baptized, including Luke and Beckett when they grow up and learn for themselves, Jesus expects us to extend love and mercy to any and all who are outcast and living on the fringe of society. 
When Jesus spoke his words in the gospel for today, it didn’t seem to be an option for those who were listening then, nor is it an option for us.  Showing mercy seems to be a requirement of all who call Jesus, Lord.
Today, we are celebrating the graduation of several of our members.  This year, we have 17 high school graduates, 6 college graduates and one who received their master’s degree this spring.  No doubt the high school graduates have made plans for this summer and fall.  Some of them may already have jobs they are planning to take, others are going to college or on to other schooling.  Some of the college graduates have lifetime jobs they are beginning, others are still looking, and still others are going on for more schooling, like the one who received her master’s degree.
Whatever job or station in life we choose, Jesus demonstrated in today’s gospel, the absolute imperative to extend mercy to those who have been rejected or somehow excluded in our world.   No matter what diploma or degree we achieve in this life, Jesus puts before us the command to “…be merciful to others.”
By eating with the hated tax collectors and other sinners, Jesus demonstrated what he expects of all who follow him.  He explained his actions by saying, “I didn’t come to invite good people to be my followers.  I came to invite sinners.”  (Matthew 9:13 CEV)  And from this, we learn that our eyes and our ears must be always open to those who are somehow on the outside looking in.
Our school system is very goal oriented.  We don’t send our kids to school just to go to get them out of the house – though that might be the intent of some parents.  Mostly, we teach our kids how to read and write and speak so that one day they can go out into the world, get a job, and make a contribution to society.  This is the goal: go to school, get a job, give something back to society.
Jesus would certainly support this way of thinking.  He’d just want to add, “When you get out there, in your job, out in the world, show a little mercy to those around you.  Show them a side of you that lets them see you are follower of Jesus.”
Four weeks ago, on Pentecost, we celebrated the Affirmation of Vocation of the Baptized in the World.  For most of us this was something entirely new.  We know what baptism is.  We’ve seen it happen today, and many times before.  But what does it mean for baptized people to affirm their vocation?   Besides, what’s a vocation anyway?  And what were we affirming?
The root word for vocation is voice.  Vocation, in the religious sense of the word, can best be defined as “what God’s voice is calling us to do.”
It all begins for us in baptism where God claims us.  God said to Luke and to Beckett today, “You are mine!  You are a Child of God.  And I will love you and walk with you forever.”
And then, as Jesus demonstrated in our gospel for today, this claim of God transitions into a calling, a calling for each of us who has been baptized.  Your calling is different from mine and mine is different from yours. 
But each of us, in baptism, has been claimed by God and called to a vocation in the world to do and to be whatever God has called us to do and to be.  Our calling from God is our vocation.  And, once we have our vocation, we are sent into the world to make that vocation come to fruition and completion. 
To affirm one’s vocation is to declare, “I know what God is calling me to do and be, and I want to say to the whole world, ‘Yes, God, I accept this work you have given me to do, and, by your grace, I intend to do it.’”
In the baptismal rite at the beginning of the service, we asked the parents and sponsors, “Do you renounce devil and all the forces that defy God.  It’s the same question we asked those who were confirmed last week.  In preparation for their confirmation, I asked the students last week what it means to “renounce the devil and all the forces that defy God.” They said, “It means to walk away from anything and anybody that is doing something that God doesn’t like.”
I then asked them, “And what is it that you see in your school, or in your life, that you walk away from and want nothing to do with.”  Each of them, in their own way, said, “I walk away from bullies.  Bullies don’t represent God’s goodness and I want nothing to do with them.” 
I congratulated them on their answers and said to them that by walking away from the bullying around them, they were doing the will of God.  I suggested that they were listening to the “voice of God within them,” and for those moments they were exercising their vocation. 
But, today, in light of the gospel reading, in addition to “walking away from the bullies,” there’s something Jesus wants us to add to our vocation.  He wants us to add a measure of mercy.  He wants us to go out of our way to show love and care for those who are being bullied.  He wants us to go out of our way to extend kindness and understanding to those whom everyone else ignores.   He wants us to open our eyes and our ears to those whom society has said aren’t worthy.  He wants us to see all God’s children for who they are, namely, God’s children!
We go through school and we end up with a diploma or a degree.  Upon graduation we expect to find a job and begin the pursuit of our dreams.  Jesus would say to us, when we pack our bags and go off to that place where we hope to finally do what we feel we’ve been trained to do, listen to God, discover your vocation, find out what God is calling you to do, and then, pack along some MERCY.  Pack along some compassion.  Pack along some tolerance.  Pack along some empathy.  Pack along some consideration for others. 
In our Christian lives, wherever we may go, Jesus bids us to pack along the love of Christ who calls us to a vocation of love and care of those whom no one else cares about.  That’s what Jesus did.  That’s what he calls us to do as well.   AMEN

Text:  Matthew 7:21-29
1 June 2008
Topic:  Rock Solid Faith
           
            (For those reading this on our church’s website, today is Confirmation Sunday and also the day on which we are commissioning Stephen Ministers.)
Today, we will witness the affirmation of faith of eight of our young people.  They will confirm their faith in Christ and the Church and pledge themselves to follow a journey lead by the Spirit of God.
In addition we will participate in the commissioning of nine of our members who have been trained as Stephen Ministers.  These nine people will bring comfort, care, a listening ear, and the healing of the Holy Spirit to all whom they meet.
For these young people to progress on their journey, and for those who will be serving as Stephen Ministers among us, they will need a sure foundation of faith.  To this end, for the confirmation students, we have provided Sunday School and two years of specially designed classes.  And for the Stephen Ministers, we have given them fifty hours of specialized training. 
All of this training and all of these classes have been designed to give these people of various ages a rock solid foundation on which to stand, and a firm base from which they can go out into the world to serve as Christ calls them.
In our gospel for today, Jesus uses a story to tell what’s needed to be a faithful servant and a faithful witness in the world.  He described a storm that came upon two houses, one built on a rock and the other built on sand.  The house built on the rock withstood the storm.  The one built on sand disappeared.
We will need to have a faith that is like a house built on solid rock, rather than a house built on sand.  A faith house built on rock will be able to withstand the storms that come our way.  But faith houses built on sand will simply wash away.
What are the “rock solid” building blocks on which we can rely for our faith?
(Invite the confirmands to come to the baptismal font.)
I want to illustrate for today’s confirmands, and for all of us, the “rock solid” building blocks of our faith.  It begins right here, at baptism.  Dip you finger in the water.  It’s not very solid, is it?  But, listen to what God promised you years ago, and for several of you, at this very font.
In the waters of baptism, you were promised God would love you forever, and ever – no matter what!  In the waters of baptism you were forgiven your sins and told that God was prepared to forgive you for the rest of your life.  In the waters of baptism, God promised to be with you as long as you live on this earth.  And, God promised you a permanent place in God’s kingdom.  You were assured of a home – a home that transcends this place.  That’s what baptism gives you.  This is the first foundation block of our faith.  Touch your forehead with the water.  Remind yourself of God’s everlasting love for you.
(Invite the confirmands to the pulpit.)
Secondly, we have been given the Word of God.  We will be giving you a new Bible today – a thick, heavy Bible, one that I hope you will read in its entirety some day.  I don’t expect you’ll read it this year, or even next year.  But someday, I hope you will sit down and begin to read it.
God’s Word has been given to you through Sunday School classes, through Vacation Bible School classes, through Bear Creek Camp experiences, through your parents and grandparents, through teachers and friends, and through reading the Bible. 
God’s Word is the second foundation block of faith.  It’s not just a book, but it’s God the Father, it’s God the Son, and it’s God the Holy Spirit.  We’ve come to know this God through stories.  We’ve come to know our God through others who know him.  We’ve come to know God through our own revelations.   And we’ve come to know the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit through our reading of the Bible.
Our faith has been enriched and enlivened by the preaching of God’s Word – from preachers like me and Pastor Seyler, from preachers whom you have heard in other churches and even on T.V.  Our faith has been enriched and enlivened by the Holy Spirit who has come to us through family and friends, through meditation and prayer, and yes, even from the candlelight prayer at the end of confirmation classes.
(Invite the confirmands to the altar.)
This altar represents Christ’s sacrifice for us.  The crucifix above this altar reminds us of the cruel and terrible death Jesus suffered – all for us.  The final building block I want to talk about today is the power and strength that comes to us from the meal we share at this table.
No one can live without food.  No one can get through this life alone.  We cannot live without the community of faith that surrounds us and supports us.  Look out on these people.  They are your family and friends.  They are part of the building blocks of faith that are going to help you when times get tough. 
In the meal we call Holy Communion, Jesus comes to each of us and once again assures us that we are not only forgiven, but called into a community of faith that will stay with us, no matter what!
The building blocks of faith that will help us build a “rock solid” faith house are threefold:  Baptism, God’s Word, and Communion.  And what’s really interesting about these three is that they are all gifts from God.  None of them are blocks we’ve made or manufactured.  God gives us the solid rocks on which to build our faith.  God gives us all the faith blocks we’ll ever need. 
And so, when storms strike, when tornadoes threaten, when our faith fizzles, and our hope disappears, we would do well to come back and immerse ourselves in the gifts of God, the gifts of Holy Baptism, The Word of God, and Holy Communion.  A faith built on these cannot and will not fail.  
AMEN