The Pastor’s Words

Texts: Ephesians 1:3-14 & John 1:1-18
28 December 2008   
Topic: Count your blessings!
                                                                                   
Another year has passed.  It is almost 2009.  It is time to look back, count our blessings, turn around, and make plans for the future.
            When I was a child we used to sing a song in Sunday School that had the following refrain, “Count your blessings, name them one by one.  Count your blessings, see what God hath done. Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.”
            This is sage advice for all of us to follow – especially if we feel that life is cheating us.
            From our second lesson today, St. Paul wrote to the Christians at Ephesus, “Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for [all] the spiritual blessings that Christ has brought us from heaven.”  (Ephesians 1:3 CEV)
            And from our gospel lesson today, we read these words from St. John, “Because of all that the Son is, we have been given one blessing after another.”  (John 1:16 CEV)
            Both St. Paul and St. John remind us that blessings come from God, that God’s grace is mediated to us in the form of spiritual blessings, and they never stop coming.
            If we are counting blessings, we should start with the fact that we can express our Christian faith openly and safely.  I read in the newspaper last week that some Christians in Iraq felt safe enough this year to gather in their church for Christmas Eve services.  It’s been several years since they have felt safe enough to do so, but, thanks to the peace that is starting to hold in that nation, Christians actually assembled, lit candles, received communion and celebrated Christ’s birth in much the same way as us, except that they continued to do so with one eye looking over their shoulder.
Tomorrow, Joanne and I will be going on a trip to Europe to meet with Christians in the Czech Republic.  You are all aware of our synod’s connection with Tanzania, but our synod also has a companion relationship with Christians in a Lutheran church in the Czech Republic. 
It wasn’t all that long ago that Christians in that part of the world were severely punished if they chose to express their Christian faith openly.  Twenty years ago, the Czech Republic was still part of the Soviet Union, an anti-religious and constitutionally godless state, that made life really difficult for anyone who even tried to gather for worship.          
Now, twenty years after the Soviet boot has left them, Christians in the Czech Republic are once again free to worship, however, and whenever, they please.  And you can be sure, they are counting their blessings.   I look forward to telling you stories once we return.
So, at the end of 2008, count your blessings that we are able to gather this morning.
            Count your blessings by looking at your family.  Give thanks for mothers and fathers, for brothers and sisters.  Give thanks for your spouse and children.  Give thanks for your nieces and nephews and for your friends.
            Now, you may think you don’t have a family.  But look around.  We can be your family.  One of the blessings of being part of the church is that we can be family with and for one another.  We can even get into fights and arguments with you if that will help you feel like part of the family!  No one should feel left out.  Because, in church, we are family.
            You heard me tell the story of Daniel Alderman this past week at the Christmas Eve service.  Daniel, who is recovering nicely from a very scary episode with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, is counting his blessings today.  He knows that his life was spared and he’s grateful.  Today, he is giving thanks to God for all who have been treating him medically and praying for him spiritually.
Six years ago, I had prostate cancer.  Six years ago, I was fortunate to have surgery which removed it.  Today, I am cancer free.  And today, I get to baptize our fourth grandchild.  I thank God for all of this.
            Prayer helps us count our blessings.  There isn’t a person here this morning who has not been disappointed with something in their life.  And without seeking to diminish the reality of that disappointment, a way to deal with disappointment in life is to focus on the blessings we already have.  I seek to do this through prayer.
            Each day I give thanks for the good things in my life and then pray for the things for which prayer, concern and action is needed.  Counting blessings through prayer helps us appreciate what we have, while at the same time allowing us to acknowledge and work on those things we still need.
            As individuals, it is a good thing to count our blessings.  But as a congregation, it is also a good thing to count our blessings. 
In this congregation, we have people of faith who pray and care for one another.  We have strong leaders and inspired teachers.  We have fine musicians and talented singers and instrumentalists.  We have a beautiful building and a marvelous new addition. 
Earlier this fall, it appeared that our congregation would end this year with a $24,000 deficit.  But, thanks be to God, through the generosity of individuals who have given more than $15,000 over and above their regular giving in the last two months, and a bequest from the estate of Clyde and Dot Weller, we are going to end the year exactly even. 
            So, having counted our blessings, let us look forward to the future and see what God might have in store for us in 2009.  It is my prayer that each of us will seek to know, to live and to share God’s Word.  In 2009, it is my prayer that every member of this congregation find some mission and ministry in which to involve themselves.  It is my prayer in 2009 that we may grow closer to God and thereby grow closer to one another.
            You and I are blessed.  Now, we need to seek ways of becoming a blessing to others.  As baptized Christians, this is our calling.
            May we find in the Word made flesh the source and the strength of our spiritual being. May Christ truly be the light your life and of mine.  And may we continue to count our blessings and truly see what God hath done.   AMEN

Christmas Eve 2008
Text:  Luke 2:1-20
Topic:  It’s Personal!
 
There’s a reason it’s called Christmas.  It’s CHRIST’S mass we are celebrating tonight.  
There’s a reason Christmas is celebrated in December of each year, when there is more darkness than light on any given day.  Long ago, early Christians, in an attempt to create a foothold in the plethora of religions that existed in the fourth Century, decided to usurp the pagan Festival of Lights which centered around the winter solstice, and replace it with a gospel message that Jesus Christ is the Light of the world!
There’s a reason we are called Christians and not “churchians.”  It’s because we worship Christ, and not the church.  Sometimes we are called Lutherans, or Methodists, or Mennonites, or Catholics, or Episcopalians, or Baptists, or a member of a non-denominational church.  But if we truly believe in the message of Christ, we are Christians first, and one of those other labels second.
There’s a reason we have a huge crucifix hanging above our altar – even at Christmas when we are remembering his birth and not so much his death.  It’s because even though we are celebrating the birth of a baby, and singing “Away in A Manger,” and really and truly being touched by the Incarnation of God, Immanuel, God with us, that baby grew up and died a horrible death for you and me. 
That baby became the sacrificial lamb for you and me.  That baby took all our sins upon himself and declared us forgiven, not just for today, but for all eternity.  That baby who was given the name “Jesus” became “Jesus the Christ” by virtue of his anointment from God to be the Savior of the world.
And so, it’s CHRISTmas, and not “JESUSmass.”  The message is that CHRIST was born to save.
Daniel Alderman is a college student.  He’s the only grandson of Ted and Anna Marie Alderman who are members here. Daniel studies hard at school and gets good grades.  He plays lacrosse and so, athletically, he is in really good shape. 
Earlier this month Daniel left campus to go to his parent’s home a few miles away, and while there collapsed onto the floor.  By the grace of God, his mother happened to be home at that very moment, called 911, and the paramedics, again by the grace of God, were able to keep him alive by use of one of those balloon pumps, and got him to the hospital.
It was determined that he was suffering from a very aggressive form of non-Hodgkins lymphoma.  A mass had developed in his chest that enveloped his heart and lungs and was choking off his airway.  Because the mass was so intertwined with his vital organs, surgery was ruled out.  However, doctors and nurses, by the grace of God, were able to begin immediate drug therapy and within a few days, the large mass had shrunk to a manageable and treatable size. 
By the grace of God, Daniel is going to survive this.  He may not have realized before this ordeal the power and presence of God in his life, but he does now.  His grandparents told me this week that he’s been absolutely amazed that total strangers have been praying for him.  And he sends his thanks to all of us who have interceded on his behalf. 
He is grateful to his mother for being at home that day and calling 911.  He is grateful to the paramedics who saved him.  He is grateful to the doctors and nurses who treated him.  And he is determined to get back to his life once again. 
His story is nothing short of a miracle.  And my guess is, as a result, he is a changed person.  His story has been told by his grandparents, by his friends, by total strangers, and now to you.
When the shepherds were tending their flocks the night of Jesus’ birth, little did they know they would become part of a miracle story as well, a story that would be told millions of times over the course of literally thousands of years.
The angel that came to the shepherds that night said, “For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”  (Luke 2:11 KJV)
God made it personal.  God made certain the news of the birth of Jesus, God’s only Son, would be heard and made known to individuals.  “Unto YOU is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior.”  “Unto YOU is born the one who will teach you all you need to know about life and salvation.  Unto YOU is born the One who will give you everything you will ever need in this life.  Unto YOU I will give grace sufficient for the day.” 
In the case of Daniel, God provided all the necessary components for a successful outcome.  His mother was home and called 911.  The paramedics and doctors provided the correct treatments.  And the prayers of the people kept everyone believing that hope would not be denied.
The shepherds went to Bethlehem that night and saw personally, for themselves, the wondrous gift of God for all humanity.  They were so impressed they left the manger and told any and all who would listen, “Hey, God has sent a Savior to us.  We saw him.  And he’s come to save me and you, and you, and you as well.” 
The scripture says, they went home “glorifying and praising God for all the things they had seen and heard.”  (Luke 2:20  KJV)  It was a story they just couldn’t keep to themselves, it was that personal.
I haven’t heard Daniel tell his story, but, I’ve heard his grandparents tell his story.  And they tell it personally.  They tell it because it’s from their heart, and they’ll keep telling it, just like the shepherds told the story about Jesus so very long ago. 
When we are touched personally by the Christ in Christmas we can’t help but tell others.  When we personally realize we cannot live without the grace of God, or live without the communion of saints that surround us, we can’t help but tell others.
Christ came to save us.  Christmas is for shepherds, and Daniel, and you and me, and for literally everyone one in this world.  That’s the wonderful and good news for tonight.  Let’s go out and tell someone.  Because like Daniel’s, it’s a story worth telling. 
Merry Christmas!  AMEN

Text:  Luke 1:26-38
21 Dec 2008
Topic:  Changed Plans, Changed Lives 
 
Last weekend a young couple got married in our church.  They were not members here but are friends of the Humenicks and asked to use our church building for their ceremony.  We were happy to oblige. 
People like using our church building because its big, it’s accessible, and we’re pretty friendly around here.  They pay us an adequate sum of money, but mostly, we are happy to be part of people getting married in church and beginning their lives united in prayer.
According to our gospel reading for today, Mary and Joseph were engaged to be married.  Just like today, young couples back then got engaged, set the date for their wedding, made plans for what they’d do after they got married, and no doubt figured they’d live normal lives like anybody else.
Scripture tells us Joseph and Mary were from Nazareth.  Joseph was a carpenter and probably thought he’d make a living by making furniture, selling it to his neighbors and to people on the street.  Mary would probably have children, stay at home taking care of them while Joseph was at the shop.  It all seemed like a sensible plan.
And then, an angel came. 
The angel, described in today’s gospel reading, came to Mary and told her she was pregnant.  Upon hearing this news, the text says “she was confused by the angel’s words and wondered what they meant.”  (Luke 1:29 CEV)  That was probably an understatement.   Another translation says she was “perplexed” by this news.  And yet another translation says she was “deeply troubled.”  We get the picture.  She was really bothered.  For this would have a huge affect on the plans she and Joseph had been making.
And so the angel tried to comfort her by saying, “Don’t be afraid because God is pleased with you.  You will have a son and his name will be Jesus.  He will be great and will be called the Son of God Most High.  The Lord God will make him king.”  (Luke 1:30-31 CEV)
You might think this would have comforted Mary, but it didn’t.  She protested even more.  She said, “How can this be when I’m not even married yet?”  (Luke 1:34 CEV)  She knew how this thing worked.  She and Joseph were only engaged.  They no doubt had plans of having children, but not now.
That’s when the angel tried even harder to convince Mary of this wonderful opportunity to become part of God’s plan.  The angel spoke to her about how the Holy Spirit would come upon her and how the child to be born would be no ordinary child.  This child would become known as the Son of God.
Furthermore, God’s plan included having her cousin, Elizabeth, also become pregnant, at an old age, when everybody thought she could never have any children, and that child would become the messenger called John the Baptist.
Mary listened.  She really, really listened. 
And then the angel said, “Nothing is impossible for God.” 
Hearing the angel say, “Nothing is impossible for God,” got Mary thinking – and believing.  This pronouncement by the angel got Mary to finally say, “Okay.  My plans have obviously changed.  I will be the Lord’s servant.  I will accept what you have said.  Let it happen as you have said.”  (Luke 1:39 CEV)
Every one of us in this room has had plans go awry.  Every one of us in this room has spent time, and money, putting together plans that, for one reason or another, never materialized.  And, like Mary, when we have begun to see our plans go out the window, we have become confused, perplexed and deeply troubled.  
It’s not easy having personal plans get changed.  Mary and Joseph’s plans for setting up housekeeping in Nazareth took a 90 degree turn.   I am certain you could tell a story from your life in which your plans took a 90 degree turn as well.   Disease, divorce, age, accidents, unruly and unpredictable children, the loss of a job, an economic depression – these are just some of the things that have caused your life and mine to take a 90 degree turn.
Well, here’s the good news for today.  And it’s for any and all who are able to hear it.  It’s what convinced Mary.  The good news for today is, “Nothing is impossible for God.”  (Luke 1:37 CEV)  Another translation (NRSV) says it this way, “With God, nothing will be impossible.”
Because Mary was able to believe what the angel had told her, she had peace.  She accepted the change in her life’s plans with grace.  She gave up worrying about her life and put her life’s plans into the hands of God.   She believed what the angel said to her that “Nothing is impossible for God.” 
And with that, she could trust and believe that whatever happened to her, or to her son, all would be okay – that whatever happened in her life would be something she could deal with.  Mary believed that with God, nothing is impossible.
Now, let’s be clear.  To believe and trust in the words, “Nothing is impossible for God,” does not mean that everything we want, or even need in this life, is going to be given to us. 
What it means is that WITH GOD as our guide, WITH GOD as our hope, WITH GOD as our strength, WITH GOD as our rock, we can face any and every change in plans that come our way. 
With everything that comes at us in life, with everything that can, and does, go wrong in life, with everything that causes our lives to take a 90 degree turn, it’s very easy to get stuck on a worrisome path and forget there is a God who truly loves us and watches over us, from day to day, from year to year, from cradle to grave. 
The GOOD NEWS,  the REALLY and TRULY GOOD NEWS is that nothing is impossible for God.  The message that convinced Mary was that, “With God, nothing is impossible.”  Her and Joseph’s plans were changed but now, she could not only accept this, she could embrace it. 
There’s a lot of stress in getting ready for Christmas.  There’s a lot of stress in life generally.  Plans are always being changed and re-arranged for us.  Contrary to our wishes, we are not in control.
And so, listen to some really good news today: With God, nothing is impossible.  Mary believed it and it changed her life.  It can change our life as well.  AMEN
 

Text:  John 1:6-8, 19-28
14 December 2008
Topic:  WE are not the Light!  HE is!
 
“God sent a man named John, who came to tell about the Light and to lead all people to have faith.  John wasn’t that Light.  He came only to tell about the light.”  (John 1:6-8 CEV)
Somebody should tell this to the governor of Illinois.  Rob Blagojevich is also NOT the light either, even if he thinks he is.  He’s not even fit to be governor and should be removed from office.  People who are overly impressed with themselves, people who don’t have any humility, like this governor, are always confusing what they truly are with who they want to be.  Governor Blagojevich is just a governor with limited power and a defined constitutional job description.  Selling a senatorial seat to the highest bidder is not one of his jobs.
In contrast, John the Baptist knew his place as it related to Jesus.  John, a cousin of Jesus, didn’t count on his close family connection with Jesus to give him any special consideration.  He didn’t look for any kind of special recognition.  He didn’t open up a store and sell JOHN THE BAPTIST t-shirts.  He didn’t hold out for a “finder’s fee” to announce the coming of the Messiah.  
He knew he wasn’t the Light.  He knew what his job was and he did it.  When the people around him asked, “Are you the Messiah?” he said, “No, I am not the Messiah.  I am only someone shouting in the desert, ‘Get the road ready for the Lord.’”  (John 1:20, 23 CEV)  His job was to let people know the Messiah was on his way, and then he got out of the way.
Expectations are running high these days in Washington, D.C.  As President-elect Barack Obama gets closer and closer to his start-up date of January 20^th, people in the news media are continuing to feed on the fact that he is a relative newcomer to the national scene, that he made lots of references to change in his campaign, and that he faces huge challenges related to the economy, health care, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. 
People are wondering if all this “change” is really going to happen.  And, like the Pharisees in our gospel reading today, some wondering if Mr. Obama thinks he’s the Messiah.
Well, we know that’s not true because there’s only one Messiah and we know the Messiah to be Jesus, born of Mary.  And, if Mr. Obama begins to act like a Messiah, it’s our job to let him know he’s not.  Like any political servant, he has a job description with very defined constitutional boundaries and the people of these United States will make sure he lives and serves within them just like we have done with all the other presidents.
The Messiah to which John the Baptist was pointing was Jesus.  The Messiah in whom Mr. Obama believes and whom we adore is Jesus – Jesus, born of Mary and the Holy Spirit – the One who is greater than all of us, the One who has transcended the centuries since his birth and continues to touch our lives with his.  John the Baptist deflected the attention away from himself and onto Jesus.
Today, there is an ASP luncheon.  Appalachia Service Project is a wonderful ministry conducted by congregations of every denomination throughout the United States.  Methodists, Baptists, Lutherans, Roman Catholics, Episcopalians, and many others learn how to repair homes and go to Appalachia where they make homes that are warmer, safer and drier, while at the same time transforming lives.
Good Shepherd is a participant in the ministry of ASP.  We are putting together at least one team of members who will be going to Appalachia this summer who will once again help families in need.  They will not be going down there to tell people about our congregation in Coatesville.  Rather, they will going down there to serve those who are in need.
Last week, Peter White picked up all the food we have been collecting over the last few weeks and took it down to the Salvation Army.  Jim Monteith and Peter filled the entire bed of his pick-up truck with stuffing mix, canned goods, and other non-perishable items.  These gifts of food are going to help a whole host of people have a better Christmas dinner.
I asked Peter if we met our quota for stuffing mix and he said, “More than enough!” 
Now, I noticed that when Peter and Jim loaded all that food into the truck they didn’t hang a little tag on each item saying it was given to the Salvation Army from Good Shepherd.  I also noticed that none of the items brought into the church had any of your names written on them.  You gave, and we have given, simply because we feel called to do so.  And we gladly do it without any thanks or accolades given.
This year, at a time when the economy is clearly not what any of us would like it to be, more people from our congregation have given more for those in need than at any other time in my memory.  People are seeing needs and are responding as they are able.  And no one is asking for their names to be put into the bulletin.
We have learned from John the Baptist that ministry is best when we are not looking for special recognition.  We have learned from John the Baptist that our role as Christians is not to draw attention to ourselves but to point to Jesus, to give God the glory in every small and large thing we do for others. 
As our gospel for today said, “God sent a man named John, who came to tell about the Light and to lead all people to have faith.  John wasn’t that Light.  He came only to tell about the light.”
There is only one Messiah and he is Jesus.  John the Baptist knew this.  We know this.  And we are happy to direct people’s attention away from the tinsel and the clatter at the mall that passes for Christmas, and redirect their attention to Jesus, to the One born of Mary, to the Christchild, to the Savior of us all.  For we know, it’s not about us, but all about him.  
Shepherds saw the Light and came to worship Jesus.  Wise men saw the Light and came to worship Jesus.  We have seen the Light and we are here to worship Jesus.  May this always be our focus.  May this always be the reason we are here.  AMEN
 
 

Text:  Mark 1:1-8
7 Dec 2008
Topic:  Bending Low    

John the Baptist said this about his cousin, Jesus, “Someone more powerful [than I] is going to come [after me.]  And I am not good enough even to stoop down and untie his sandals.  I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”  (Mark 1:7-8  CEV)

John the Baptist was so humble about his role with regard to the advent of Jesus into this world that he said, “I’m just a simple guy who isn’t even worthy to untie this man’s shoes.  I’m not afraid of him, and I certainly want to be around him, but, I know my place.  He’s not my ‘buddy,’ and he’s not my ‘best friend.’  He’s God’s Son and I can’t even imagine myself on the same plain as him.  Not that he’s above me, it’s just that I know I’m not in his league.”

In seminary I read a book by a German theologian, Wolfhart Pannenberg, entitled, Jesus, God and Man.  The basic theme of the book was to highlight the duality of the person of Jesus.  Jesus was both God and man.  Jesus was both divine and human.  Jesus was not of this world, and yet he was born into it.  Jesus transcended time and space, and yet he was born at a specific time, in a specific place. 

No wonder John the Baptist was so gripped by the advent of Jesus that he couldn’t even conceive of being in the same baptismal pool as Jesus.  He was simply overwhelmed that the God of creation, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of Moses and the prophets had come to earth in the form of a human being and would be coming to him for baptism.  The thoughts were simply more than he could fathom.

This past week, those of us who looked up in the early evening sky were treated to a rare glimpse of extraterrestrial circumstance.  Last Sunday night the planets Jupiter and Venus appeared in the early evening sky right beneath the moon in the southwestern sky.  Then, throughout the week, those same two planets slowly began to move away from each other, prompting a blogger on the internet to write, “It was like two celestial ships passing in the night.”

With so many things to do and so many places to be, and so much “light pollution,” not many people take the time to look up at the evening sky.  How very sad. 

For me, looking up at the stars helps me remember my place in the universe.  Looking up at the stars keeps me grounded in my finite place here on earth.  Imagining how far away those stars really are, and knowing the light I am seeing coming from those stars began literally billions of years ago, tells me that the God in whom we believe not only initiated the creation of the entire universe but continues to sustain it as well. 

John the Baptist was in awe of Jesus in the same way as those who look at celestial ships that pass in the night.  There is no way we can begin to understand the immensity of the universe, or the vastness of God, or the miracle of God’s Son being born to a virgin named Mary.  We can’t begin to comprehend all of what this means. 

However, what we CAN do is – make straight a road for God to come and enter our lives.  What we CAN do is – clear the paths of our hearts for the Holy Spirit to enter in.  What we CAN do is – fill in the valleys of our collective ignorance and together seek God’s wisdom and direction for our lives.  What we CAN do is – level with God, confess our sins, and seek the forgiveness of sins of which John the Baptist spoke.

John the Baptist said at the end of today’s gospel reading, “I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”  (Mark 1:8)

We don’t talk much about being baptized with the Holy Spirit in the Lutheran church, but because John spoke about it, we should try to learn more about what it means to have the Holy Spirit in our lives.

In John’s gospel, Jesus said this about the Holy Spirit, shortly before his own death, “The Holy Spirit will come and help you, because the Father will send the Spirit to take my place.  The Spirit will teach you everything and will remind you of what I said while I was with you.  I give you peace, the kind of peace that only I can give.  It isn’t like the peace that this world can give.  So, don’t be worried or afraid.”  (John 14:26-27 CEV)

We teach in the Lutheran church that the Holy Spirit comes to us in baptism.  This means we can rely on the Holy Spirit for guidance, help, and peace.  We need not worry nor be afraid because the God of the universe has sent the Spirit to show us the way.

We are 18 days away from Christmas.  We are 18 days away from once again celebrating the birth of the Savior of this world.  John the Baptist was sent to prepare the way of Messiah’s entry into this part of the universe. 

John the Baptist was sent to help us comprehend the extraterrestrial circumstance of God’s incarnation.  John showed up in the desert of people’s lives and said, “Hope is on the way.  God’s Son is here.  The Holy Spirit will come and guide you.  Turn back to God, be baptized, and your sins will be forgiven.  What seems to be so very far off, like the stars in the sky, is as close as the advent of God’s Son.  So, repent and believe.”

The incarnation is real.  Celestial ships do pass in the night.  And God’s Son is coming once again to bring hope and peace to your life and mine.   AMEN