The Pastor’s Words

Text:  Matthew 16:21-28
31 August 2008   
Topic:  A Much Larger Mission
 
Well, the political race for president is in full swing.   The candidates and their running mates have been selected and the campaign has boiled down to the final four of Obama/Biden and McCain/Palin.  I know, it has felt like an eternity since this whole thing began.  But take heart, there are only nine weeks left and then we get to vote.  The end is in sight!
Every political candidate has their advisors.  Senator Obama and Senator McCain have surrounded themselves with people whom they know and trust and count on to give them timely advice.  When I hear these guys talk, I always wonder how they know so much, how they have such current information, and how they can keep tabs on all the comings and goings of their campaigns.  Well, it’s because they have hired advisors to constantly feed them information so that when a certain question is put to them, they can give a ready answer or a quick response.         
We don’t often think of Jesus as a political figure but, in truth, he was.  He regularly interacted with, and drew the ire of, the political and religious establishment of his day.  And as a leader, he surrounded himself with advisors.  Well, he called them disciples.  Either way, he surrounded himself with people who would not only listen to his story but would be his closest confidants, and who would be expected to carry his message to all the other constituents.
In last week’s gospel, Jesus had a closed door meeting with his advisors, probably on a beach, like Evan said, and asked them, “How do you think this campaign is going?  Who do people out there say I am?”  Jesus wanted to know.  He needed to hear from those closest to him what others were saying about him out in the precincts.
And then, because Simon gave him a strong affirmation, Jesus said, “Good for you Simon.  You’re going to be promoted.  You’re now going to be known as Peter, the Rock, the one who is going to help me build my kingdom here on earth.”  From this, we can easily see that Peter would begin seeing himself as a close advisor of Jesus.
So, in today’s gospel reading, when Jesus starts talking about what’s going to happen to him when he gets to the capital city, Jerusalem, the place where all the politicians and religious leaders regularly held their hearings and established their laws, Peter, decides to weigh in. 
Jesus began to tell his disciples that he was going to suffer terribly and die, and on the third day rise again.  Taking his new found role as a chief advisor of Jesus, Peter took Jesus aside and told him “Hey, what are you doing?  What you’re saying isn’t going to go over very well among the folks listening to you out there.  They need to hear a more positive message.  So, you might need to put a little spin on this whole suffering thing and then maybe they’ll buy it.”
In response, Jesus essentially told Peter to go to the place where Satan dwells.  Jesus had a whole different idea than what Peter was thinking and basically said, “I’m going to keep saying what I’ve been saying.  And for all the rest of you, I suggest you might think about what kind of cross you’re going to be dying for, or on.”    I guess we could say, Peter flunked his first test as an advisor. 
In the most recent issue of The Lutheran magazine, the official magazine of our Evangelical Lutheran Church in American, there is an article about Martin Luther’s doctrine of “two kingdoms.”  Luther believed, and we know it to be true for ourselves, that, as Christians, we are living in two kingdoms:  First, we live in the earthly kingdom of creation, natural and civic life, where we operate primarily by reason and the law, AND, secondly, we live in the heavenly kingdom of redemption, of spiritual and eternal life, where we operate primarily by faith and love.
In response to Peter, Jesus crashed these two kingdoms together.  He was saying that in order for his mission to be accomplished, in order for his message to be heard and proclaimed, it would require the heavenly kingdom to not only enter the earthly kingdom, but would require the earthly kingdom to be totally transformed.  And by extension, he was saying that everyone who dared to be one of his followers, would be expected to be transformed as well. 
This was not what Peter expected to hear.  Nor is it what we want to hear when we come to church either.  Honestly, don’t we come here on a Sunday morning simply wanting to be affirmed, to hear God say, “You’re doing well, keep it up?” 
Or, we come here to be quiet for a while, to recharge our spiritual batteries, so we can go back to work after the holiday.
We don’t come here to be castigated or put down.  We don’t come here to be told, “You’ve got it all wrong.”  And yet, that’s what happened to Peter in today’s gospel.  Jesus berated his top advisor and told him he’d gotten it all wrong.  And sadly, if we’re listening, he’s probably telling us the same thing.
For you see, Jesus has a much larger mission than what Peter was envisioning.  Jesus knew that his battle here on earth was a life and death struggle with the principalities and powers of this world.  Jesus knew there were, and are, serious adversaries of God’s agenda in this world.  And Jesus knew it would take transformed cross-carrying disciples to make any kind of inroad in this battle between good and evil.
What Jesus was saying to Peter that day, and to you and me today, is that, as members of the Christian Church on earth, we are to be leaders, we are to bring heavenly values to earthly issues, we are to be actively engaged in the fight for justice and truth in this world, we are not to let the powers of darkness prevail over good.
This morning, we welcome another member into the heavenly kingdom, in and through the rite of Holy Baptism.  Today, Dylan Michael Werner, will be given the sign of the cross on his forehead, the first step in getting him to realize and understand his calling to take up his cross and follow Jesus.
Also this morning, we will lay to rest in our congregation’s columbarium, Irene Helen Smith Dumbauld.  She, who was also baptized and took up her cross and followed Jesus on this earth, will now be welcomed into the kingdom of heaven.  She, who fought the good fight and loved her Lord, has been transported into the communion of saints.
Our job, as baptized Christians on this earth, is to live faithfully in the world, but not of it.  Our job, as baptized Christians on this earth, is to make our spiritual beliefs matter in daily life.  Our job, as baptized Christians on this earth, is to exercise justice and promote peace.  Our job, as baptized Christians on this earth, is to elect people who will carry out what we believe to be God’s righteous and good will here on earth.
So, pray.  Pray about this upcoming election.  Listen to the Spirit.  Listen to God’s promptings.  Be careful not to judge quickly or without due deliberation.  God has put us here on earth for a very important mission.  Pray about whom you think will best lead us in that mission.  
Poor Peter.  He thought he had it right when he advised Jesus that day.  Ultimately, he got it right.  But it took the resurrection for him to finally see God’s plan and when that happened, he went out and preached the Good News to all who would listen.
For you and me, the resurrection is behind us.  For you and me, we can see that God wants light and truth and justice to prevail.  Now, we have to work to make it happen.    AMEN

Text:   Matthew 15:10-28
17 August 2008   
Topic:  Persistence in Prayer
 
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!  Amen
 
Turn with me to the front of your red hymnal, the Evangelical Lutheran Worship (©2006 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Augsburg Fortress, Publishers) book, we have been using now for almost two years.  First, I want you to see what makes up the basic structure of our worship each and every week.  Turn to pages 91, 92 and 93 in the front of your hymnal.  There, you will find what is called our “Pattern for Worship.”
It says:   In the principal service of Christian worship, the Holy Spirit gathers people around the means of grace – the saving Word of God and the sacraments.  From the table of communion where Jesus Christ comes with forgiveness, life and salvation, God sends us out to share the good news and to care for those in need.
It continues:  The basic pattern of this service – gathering, word, meal, sending – is a structure that allows for freedom and flexibility in the ways worship may be shaped locally, while focusing on what the church holds in common.  The whole people of God are joined by the same gifts of grace, for the sake of the same mission of the gospel, into the life of the one triune God.
Last week, at a meeting of the worship committee of our congregation, they discussed this basic pattern for worship and what it means for this congregation.  They embrace this basic presumption about worship, namely, that we should continue following the basic pattern of worship by gathering in this place, by hearing the word preached and sung, by eating the meal of Christ and being sent back into the world for the purpose of sharing the Good News of Christ and helping all who are in any kind of need.
If you look now at pages 92 and 93 of your red hymnal, you will see how each of the four elements of worship are detailed.  And, if you have your bulletin tucked into the back cover of your hymnal, you can compare how we have structured our worship according to the plan shown. 
But look more closely at pages 92 and 93.  There you will see that some of what’s written is in bold type and other parts not.  As the fine print says at the bottom of page 92, the bold type indicates those parts of the service that are central elements to the liturgy.  In other words, we can do worship by simply doing those parts that are in bold type. 
Take a pen or pencil and mark on your bulletin – not in the hymnal! – those portions that are essential, and then, note those that are not. 
What we do in each of these sections of our worship – in our gathering, in our reflecting on the Word of God, in our sharing the Meal, and in our sending – is a matter of congregational choice and selection.  Last week, the worship committee talked about what differences we could make to our present worship style and still remain faithful to the basic structure of Lutheran worship.
One part that is essential to our worship is prayer.  You will see it noted by the Prayer of the Day, the Prayers of Intercession, the Great Thanksgiving (which is a prayer), the Lord’s Prayer, and the final Blessing which is also a prayer.  We gather to pray.  In the intercessions, we pray with and for one another.  We pray for God’s blessing in the meal.  And we pray for God’s blessing as we venture forth from this place.
Now, turn to page 45 in the front of your hymnal.  There you will find in red type, Sunday, August 14-20, Time after Pentecost – Lectionary 20.  That’s today.  We are in the Time after Pentecost, on a Sunday between August 14 and August 20, and the scripture lessons we read today are those assigned for this Sunday, Lectionary 20.  Next week is Lectionary 21 and so forth.
Note also, there are three different sets of lessons appointed for each of these Sundays:  A, B, and C.  We are currently in year A and today’s lessons are those listed on the top of page 45.  Next year is year B and the following year is C. 
Finally, notice the prayers that appear for each set of lessons.  Today’s prayer, for Lectionary 20, year A, was:  God of all peoples, your arms reach out to embrace all those who call upon you.  Teach us as disciples of your Son to love the world with compassion and constancy, that your name may be known throughout the earth, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.  Amen.
These PRAYERS OF THE DAY were first penned some thousand years ago.  Over the millennia, they have been changed slightly to reflect the contemporary situations we find ourselves living in, but, prayer is prayer, and no matter the situation or context, our basic pleas toward God have remained the same, for literally centuries and millennia.
Today’s Prayer of the Day reflects the Gospel reading in that Jesus responds to the prayer – actually it was a screaming cry – of the woman whose daughter was gravely ill.  A Canaanite woman, a non-Jew, an outsider to the faith, someone who wouldn’t normally show up in a church, came to Jesus with an urgent plea to come and heal her daughter. 
The Prayer of the Day for Lectionary 20 begins with the words, God of all peoples, your arms reach out to embrace all those who call upon you.  And in the end, that’s exactly what Jesus did.  Even though this woman was a Gentile, not one of the Chosen Ones of Israel, Jesus saw her as one of “God’s peoples” and reached out his arms out to help her.  The Prayer of the Day for each Sunday is written to anticipate and explicate the Gospel for the day, that’s why it is one of the essential parts of the service.
The woman in today’s gospel would fully understand our form of worship because the essence of our gathering each week is prayer.  We begin with prayer, we pray several different times in the middle of the service, and we end with prayer.  You could say, “Prayer is our worship.” 
As you can see in the gospel reading, the Canaanite woman persisted in prayer.  Her persistent prayer was her worship.  And for this, she was granted her request.  Jesus said, “Dear woman, you really do have a lot of faith.  And [for this] you will be given what you want.”  (Matthew 15:28 CEV)  Her daughter was healed and, not so incidentally, Jesus demonstrated to the entire world, that God’s grace and mercy was now being extended to “all God’s peoples,” and no longer for a select few. 
The Good News for you and me today is that we are one of “God’s people,” that our prayers are heard, that God’s grace extends to Jew and Gentile alike, to young and old alike, to rich and poor alike, to everyone who has faith.
In our worship, the Holy Spirit calls us together as the people of God.  God speaks to us in scripture readings, preaching and song.  God then feeds us with the presence of Jesus Christ, blesses us and sends us in mission to the world.
After her encounter with Jesus that day, what do you suppose the woman in our gospel reading did?  The text doesn’t tell us, but it is probably safe to assume, she went home and told everyone she knew about the saving grace of God – a grace that extended to even her.   At the end of today’s service, I wonder what you will do.   AMEN

Text:  Matthew 14:13-21
3 August 2008
Topic:  What are people looking for today?
 
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!  Amen.
Vacation Bible School this past week was a wonderful experience.  The banners decorating the church this morning served as backdrops.  But, to really get a feel for the week, you should have seen the children as they came for Bible School each night.   Each night, they came eagerly.  Each night, they came with anticipation.  Each night, they came expecting to have fun and to learn something new.  And from all that I observed, they didn’t go home disappointed.
I don’t know what the difference was this year, but there was a difference.  The music wasn’t significantly different than other years.  It was contemporary.  Like other years, it was very well led.  The curriculum was fun, like other years.  The leaders and the teachers were pretty much the same as other years.  So, what was the difference?
I’m going to venture a guess.  And it relates to today’s gospel reading.  But before I do that, I’m going to refer to a psychological theory first published in 1943 by Abraham Maslow.  The theory to which I am referring is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. 
Picture in your mind a pyramid.  It’s a three dimensional triangle.  The strongest most important stones must be on the bottom, for they are the foundation on which the entire pyramid stands.  It then rises to a pinnacle which becomes the highest point of the pyramid and is often the place where our eyes become fixed.
Maslow wanted to create a visual aid to demonstrate what he believed are the most important needs in a person’s life and rank them in order of importance.  At the bottom of the pyramid are bodily needs.  People have to breathe and eat and sleep.  That’s foundational for all of us.
Second up from the bottom are security needs.  If our bodily needs are being met, then we want to survive, to have a job, and know there’s a place for us to sleep.  Up from that need are social needs, needs that are filled by friends, by a close family and intimacy with others.
Closer to the top of the pyramid are the needs of self-esteem and self-actualization, which is where people who feel secure in the foundation of their most basic needs can now explore their deeper needs, the need to know who they are as a person, and the need to express themselves creatively while at the same time taking on responsibilities beyond themselves.  That’s Maslow’s theory of hierarchy of needs.
Now to the gospel.  In our gospel reading for today, in a very short time, Jesus had become a very popular, if not controversial, figure in his world.  After hearing that his cousin, John the Baptist, had been beheaded for his brashness, Jesus wanted to get away by himself and have a little time for himself, to ponder perhaps what ultimately lay ahead for him.
 To get away from all the crowds, He took a boat across Lake Galilee.  But when he got out of the boat, he discovered that a huge crowd had followed him. 
If this had happened to us, we’d been upset.  But not with Jesus.  Despite Jesus’ need to get away by himself, the text says, “He felt sorry for them and healed everyone who was sick.”  (Matthew 14:14b CEV)  Even though he was tired and needed some down time, he fed them, miraculously.  Jesus understood that people’s basic needs must be met first before they can listen to anything related to their spiritual well being.
It’s like Maslow demonstrated, people’s physical and security needs have to be addressed first in order for them to relate to the higher needs in life.
Last week, at Bible School, we began each night with a meal, a simple meal, but a meal.  Kids liked it.  Parents liked it.  Teachers liked it.  It gave us a chance to start relating on the most common, fundamental need all of us have:  to eat, in a safe environment, and to begin relating socially. 
A comment is often made about church people, and especially about Lutherans:  “They can never meet unless there is coffee and something to eat.”  Now, Lutherans from different parts of the country might quibble about what drink should be poured and what foods should be served, but in every Lutheran congregation of which I’ve ever been a part, food and drink were always available, at every meeting.
Not a bad idea, if we are following the example of Jesus.  Basic needs have to be met before we can talk about ideas and concepts and plans for mission.
Once the children got to their classes last week, after they had been nourished at the tables set in the fellowship hall, or had eaten their fill at home, they knuckled down to the task of learning how to share, how to give, how to grow, how to love, and how to praise the God in whom we believe.
One measure of how well they learned their lessons about sharing and giving, they collected over $400 to be given to the Lutheran Disaster Relief Fund of the ELCA.  This money will be used by the church to help people in Iowa and other states in the Midwest recover from the floods that devastated them earlier this year.  The money won’t be used just to help Lutherans, it will be used in any community with needs, and there are many.
Last week, in attendance at our Bible School, there were an equal number of members and non-members alike.  The large number of non-members tells me there is a yearning for the Good News of Jesus Christ.  Most of the non-members identified themselves as having a “home congregation.”  But in talking with each of them, several of them were having doubts about their current place of worship.  Apparently, their spiritual needs aren’t being met where they are currently worshiping and they are looking around.  Using the language of the hierarchy of needs, they are looking for something to fill a void they are currently experiencing.
So why was Vacation Bible School so great last week?  Because the Holy Spirit gathered a bunch of people looking for the basics in life, some food, some social contact, and a spiritual something they know is out there, but not fully realized in their life right now.
Our mission as a congregation is to know, to live and to share God’s Word.  Who knew that to achieve that mission, it begins with food?
So, if you can bake cookies – good cookies – let me know.  Write me a note on one of those little yellow sheets of paper found in your pew rack, and put it in the offering plate.  We’re going to start delivering homemade cookies to the homes of visitors in the fall.  And that means we will need people to deliver them.  If you’d be willing to deliver cookies to visitors who have come to worship with us, put that on a yellow note.  To do mission work, we have to start at the bottom of the pyramid.  AMEN