The Pastor’s Words

“The Holy Spirit Gives Wisdom and Strength, Power and Clarity”
May 31, 2009
A sermon by Pr. John Carlson on Pentecost 2009 
 
My father grew up in a Lutheran Church in Axtell, Nebraska where all the surnames were Swedish.  It was a congregation of Olsons and Nelsons, Carlsons and Petersons, Palmquists and Soderstroms. 
The congregation in Quakertown where I served before coming to Coatesville was primarily made up of Pennsylvania Dutch.  They had surnames like Barndt and Beck, Follweiler and Heckler, Miller and Scheetz. 
Today, you and I are part of a congregation that is made up of people whose ancestors have come from a whole bunch of countries, not just one.  We have names in our congregation like Althouse and Bertoni, Fofanna and Kusnierczyk, Murray and Smith, Varga and White.
We have members who can trace their ethnic heritage not only to Northern Europe, but to the British Isles, to Western Europe, to Eastern Europe, to Southern Europe, and more recently from the Far East, and from Africa as well.   A whole host of nations are represented among the members at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Coatesville, Pennsylvania.            We are a congregation of ethnic diversity.
As you know, the Reformation of the Church began almost 500 years ago in Germany with one very loud but isolated voice.  Martin Luther, a Roman Catholic priest, studied and prayed, wrote and preached.
His message was eventually heard in Scandinavian countries, in Slovakia, in England, in all other parts of Europe, and eventually in every corner of the world, but initially, his was a lonely voice, a frightened voice, a voice without certainty.  This was true of the first disciples as well. 
Peter and all the other disciples were totally frightened by the events surrounding the trial and cruel death of Jesus.  They were even more terrified by the fact of his resurrection.  They simply had no idea what to make of all they had seen and heard – until Pentecost.
God knew what was going to happen when His Son would be taken from the disciples.  That’s why God decided, even before Jesus left this earth, He would send the Holy Spirit to comfort and to guide those whom Jesus had gathered to be his followers.
In our first lesson for today, we have the description of what took place at Pentecost.  Pentecost was a Jewish festival that celebrated the harvest of wheat.  It was a day on which the Children of Israel were to gather and celebrate the goodness of their God, to celebrate the harvest they had just been given.  They were to invite the poor among them.  They were to invite Levites and foreigners, orphans and widows.  In short, they were to invite anyone and everyone who had been somehow disenfranchised from the society of their day.  (Deuteronomy 16:9-11)
It was now fifty days after the resurrection of Jesus and Jews had gathered from every country of the world to celebrate Pentecost, to give thanks to God for the harvest that had been given to them.  And since the first followers of Jesus were all Jews, they, too, had gathered for a celebration of the harvest that had been given to them.
While they were gathering with their families and friends, along with the poor and the despised, suddenly, from out of nowhere, they heard the sound of a mighty wind. Tongues of fire came to rest upon the followers of Jesus.  And the disciples began to speak in the languages of people from far off places.
We can only guess what kinds of emotions were being felt by those who were speaking in strange languages they’d never spoken before.  What we DO KNOW is that those who were not given this miraculous ability to speak a language not their own presumed these followers of Jesus to be drunk.  What else could explain could explain this crazy behavior? 
And then Peter stood up.  Finally Peter stood up.  Peter, the guy who was so cowardly in the courtyard at Pilate’s house, stood up and spoke, not in some kind of weak and uncertain voice, but in a loud and clear voice. 
From the Holy Spirit, Peter had been given power and strength, and wisdom and words, to explain what was going on.  He reminded everyone of the words of Joel from their Hebrew scripture in which God had said,
 
“When the last days come, I will give my Spirit to everyone. 
Your sons and daughters will prophesy.  
Your young men will see visions, and your old men will have dreams. 
In those days I will give my Spirit to my servants,
[to] both men and women, and they will prophesy. 
I will work miracles in the sky above and wonders on the earth below.”
(Acts 2:17-18 CEV)
 
Peter had been transformed.  Peter was no longer afraid.  He was now strong and wise, powerful and clear.  He had been filled with the Holy Spirit and was being guided by the Holy Spirit.  From that day on, he became the leader Jesus had chosen him to be when he was still with them.  
And from that day on, people of every land, of every tribe and every language, was given opportunity to believe and come to faith.  No longer was it necessary to be a Jew.  Anyone on earth – anyone – could hear and believe the Good News about Jesus.
Martin Luther, filled with the Holy Spirit, became strong and wise, powerful and clear.  He found himself able to speak the truth and to live the truth.  Because of Pentecost, and because of Martin Luther, the Church was changed.
Pentecost is about transformation.  It’s about reformation.  It’s about letting God’s Spirit move us to think and do and be ways we’ve never been before.  Pentecost is about being open to change.
At the end of today’s worship, the new members of our congregation, people who have come from a whole lot of different places, people who have been touched by the Spirit of God in new and powerful ways, will be declaring their intent to live faithfully, to serve God in their daily lives, and to join the transformation and reformation of this world, and of the Church.
Let us all pray that God’s Spirit will descend upon them, and upon each of us, so that along with Peter, we will become strong and wise in our witness to the faith, that we, too, will become powerful and clear in our efforts to bring justice to the world, and that we, too, will be ready for the great and wonderful day of the Lord’s appearing.
May the Spirit of God teach us everything we need to know.  May the Spirit of God remind us of everything Jesus said while he was among us.  May the Spirit of God give us God’s peace, not a worldly peace, but the kind of peace that only God can give.   And may this Godly peace which comes from the Holy Spirit keep us from worry and fear.  (paraphrase of John 14:26-27 CEV)
May we rest in the power and comfort of the Holy Spirit.  AMEN

Text:  Acts 1:15-17, 21-26
24 May 2009
Topic:  Called Up to Ministry
 
Every year in baseball’s spring training a young and upcoming star is born.  The only problem is that coaches don’t always recognize who that star is.  Incredibly, the Phillies had a rookie in their training camp this spring who led the spring team in home runs but never made it out of camp into the big leagues, until, yesterday.
John Mayberry, Jr. hit eight home runs in spring training and, with his 6 foot 6 inch frame and 230 pounds, is likely to hit quite a few more. 
Well, yesterday, on his very first day in the big leagues, John Mayberry, rookie, the son of John Mayberry, Sr. who hit 255 career home runs himself, John, the younger, hit his very first home run yesterday in the Yankees’ new stadium.  It was a three run shot into the left field seats that should have won the game if it hadn’t been for another blown save by Brad Lidge.  The 25 year old rookie can hold his head high.
Rookies are special people.  In the minor leagues, they spend a lot of time honing their skills as baseball players, riding lots of buses, eating bad food, and waiting for the day when they will be called up to fill a roster spot and hopefully contribute, like John Mayberry did yesterday.  There are lots of rookies who never make it to the big leagues.  But when they do, it’s a pretty big deal.
Matthias, in our first reading for today, was a rookie.  You know the story.  Jesus had picked 12 disciples to carry on his mission once he was gone from this world.  But, one of them, Judas Iscariot by name, betrayed Jesus, became troubled with himself for his terrible deed, and killed himself.  That left only 11 others to carry on the work Jesus had begun.
So, Peter, the leader of the disciples after Jesus death, after the resurrection, looked out on a huge crowd of followers of Jesus, stated, “We need someone else to help us tell others that Jesus has been raised from the dead.  We need someone else who has been with us from the very beginning.  We need someone who has been with us from the time Jesus was baptized until the day he was taken to heaven.”  (Acts 1:21-22  CEV paraphrased)
In truth, the name of Matthias is never again mentioned in the Bible, except for this brief reference in the book of Acts.  We know nothing of him prior to this point and nothing afterward.  At best, we can assume from Peter’s criteria for selecting a replacement for Judas, that Matthias had been a believer and a follower, from the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry, and this is why he was selected.  In baseball terms, he was a player, laboring in the minor leagues for a very long time, until finally, he was called up.
The other man mentioned in the first reading was Joseph Barsabbas, also known as Justus.  He’d been a follower from the very beginning as well, but, Matthias won the lottery.  The apostles didn’t want to be the ones to ultimately decide, so they “cast lots.” Casting lots to make an important decision was a widely used custom in the Near East.  This way, they could say God made the final selection and not them.
Throughout the Gospels, Matthias and Justus were somewhere in the background.  When Jesus was preaching and teaching, Matthias and Justus were somewhere in the audience, soaking up the information, readying themselves for the day when they would be called upon to serve.  When the original 12 disciples were meeting with Jesus, Matthias and Justus were meeting with other disciples.  They weren’t in the big leagues yet, but, they were making certain they would be prepared if and when they would be called up.
What does any of this have to do with us?  Well, a lot, frankly.  We, too, are laboring, working out, reading our Bibles, praying, worshiping, honing our skills, and preparing for the day when we are called into active duty, into active ministry. 
There are plenty others who have gone before us, and who surround us, who are already actively engaged in mission and ministry and we are prayerfully waiting for the day when we will be asked, or when we will volunteer, to give something of ourselves for the sake of the kingdom.
While I never served in the military, I am aware of the long hours that military people put in to be prepared for the day when they are called into active duty.  There are drills, there are classes, there are training exercises and a host of other activities that only you, in the military, would know about, all of it designed to make a soldier ready for the day and the hour for his or her deployment.
As Christians, our days of preparation begin with baptism, at the font, getting soaked with the Word of God.  Jacob Kuhn will begin his Christian training today.  He doesn’t realize or even understand the importance of this event, but his parents and godparents will tell him.  His grandparents and great grandparents will tell him.  And his Sunday School teachers will tell him, and his confirmation teachers will tell him.  His pastor will tell him, and one day, Jacob Kuhn, and all the others who have been baptized in this place over the last month, will come to realize their calling to serve.  And when they are called, they will say yes, because they have been preparing for that very day.
Matthias, a rookie, joined the other 11 disciples and tradition has it he died a martyr’s death.  He wasn’t one of the original disciples, he was chosen later…….. chosen later, like you and me.  
Like you and me, Matthias and Justus were minor leaguers working and waiting for the day when we will be called up.  We might not hit a home run in our first game like John Mayberry did, but we can serve anyway.  While we wait, there are lots of ministries you and I can be involved in, big ones and little ones.  We just need to get ready and stay ready.  Because one day, the call to bigger and broader ministry will come – yes, to you, and you, and you, and me.  Be ready.   AMEN
 
 

Text:  John 10:11-18
3 May 2009
Topic:  The Model Shepherd
           
In theatre, the person who stands in the shadows of the lead actor, learning the lead actor’s lines and carefully observing each and every move he or she makes is called an understudy.  An understudy gets ready for the day when they will be called upon to take the lead.
In the factory, the person who is hired to learn a particular job that is a specialized task is called an apprentice.  An apprentice watches and learns, preparing for the day when he or she will do the special task for which they have been training.
In school, those who watch and learn from established teachers preparing for the day when they, too, will have full responsibility in a classroom are called student interns, or student teachers.
Whether an understudy, an apprentice, or an intern, each of these people follows the lead of someone else who has modeled for them what they are to do in their particular field of endeavor.
Today’s gospel reading refers to Jesus as a shepherd, the Good Shepherd.  But according to Dr. Raymond Brown, noted biblical scholar on the book of John, the Greek word, kalos, used as the adjective for shepherd, which is most commonly translated as good, as in Good Shepherd, actually means beautiful, in the sense of ideal or model of perfection.
It is his opinion, that a more accurate translation for “good shepherd,” would be “model shepherd,” as in “I am the model shepherd.   The model shepherd gives up his life for his sheep.”
Can you imagine the name of our congregation being the Lutheran Church of the Model Shepherd.  It just wouldn’t  have the special ring or beauty of Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd!
But beauty wasn’t on the mind of Jesus when he told this parable to his disciples that day.  Jesus was, in fact, laying down some principles, a model, if you will, for how you and I, as his followers, should watch and learn how to do the tasks of ministry he has set before us.
As his understudies, his apprentices, his student interns, we have some lessons to learn about shepherding.  That’s why he gave us the parable story of the model shepherd.  So, what exactly are these lessons to be learned?  What model is the Good Shepherd giving us to follow?
First, we need to read scripture to watch and learn what the model shepherd did and did not do.  In today’s gospel reading, when trouble struck, when there was a problem, a huge problem, in this case a wolf coming after the sheep, the model shepherd didn’t flee, he didn’t run away.  He stayed and found a way to save his sheep.
For the oldest members of this congregation, for those of you who, 40 years ago, went through the very huge and trying circumstances of the merger of two congregations, and then, 8 years later, and again 16 years later, encountered the disintegration of two different sets of pastoral leadership, and still stayed here, you are the ones who truly understand today’s gospel.  When Jesus modeled for us the need to stay the course, even in very difficult circumstances, you stayed.  Raise your hand if you have been here 40 years or more.  Congratulations!
Secondly, the gospel says the model shepherd knew his sheep, he knew each and every one of their names.  He said, “I am the model shepherd.  I know my sheep, and they know me.”  And so, if we are watching and learning, like we are supposed to be doing, we will take time to get to know the names of our fellow members.   Turn right now and introduce yourself to your neighbor.  If you already know everyone around you, get up and find someone you don’t know, find out their name.  And after church see if you can’t get to know them better.
Thirdly, the model shepherd laid down his life for his sheep.  Now, I don’t expect we will ever be called upon to lay down our life for someone else in the congregation, or anywhere else, though it is happening right now as American soldiers are putting their lives on the line for freedom and new life for Iraqi and Afghan people. 
You and I won’t be asked to give up our lives, but we may be asked to do something outside of our comfort zone.  You and I may be asked to be a companion of faith for someone who is new to the faith, or new to this congregation.  You and I may be asked to be a visiting shepherd, to reach out to people who have very limited access to the outside world.  You and I may become a trained Stephen Minister and actually give of ourselves to someone else in a deep and meaningful way.  These are just a few ways that we may be called upon to lay aside our own “stuff” for the sake of someone else.
Fourth, the model shepherd does all this, remains with the flock even when there is trouble, gets to know every one of his sheep, gives of himself for the sake of others, does yet one more thing – he invites others into the flock.  The model shepherd is constantly trying to expand his reach into the world, constantly concerned with evangelism, constantly extending the hand of fellowship to any and all who are seeking it.
You and I are understudies, apprentices, interns.  Our job as fledgling, student shepherds, is to follow the model given to us by the Good Shepherd himself.  We are to be engaged in ministry, hang in when it gets tough, get to know the other people with whom we are ministering, be willing to give up some of our own stuff for the sake of the entire group, and go out from here today and invite others to join us.  The model shepherd, the Good Shepherd, gave us today’s parable for these very reasons.  AMEN