The Pastor’s Words

Text: Mark 9:30-37
20 September 2009
Topic: Know Children, Know God

            In our gospel reading for today, Jesus said, “Whoever welcomes a child in my name, welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.” 

            Very simply, Jesus was saying that whenever we care for the children of this world, whenever we look out for the needs of the children of this world, whenever we welcome children – from wherever in the world, for whatever reason – we are caring for God Almighty who not only made all of us but sent Jesus to save us.

            I did some calculating this past week.  We have begun again our Sunday School, and I wanted to know, “How many children do we have in our congregation?”  And for that matter, “What is the average age of our congregation these days?”

            I discovered we have 247 youth ages 0 to 18, or about 27% of the congregation’s membership.  The average age of our membership is 39 years with 2/3 of our congregation being 50 years of age or younger.  This tells me that we are a fairly young congregation.

            However, when we compare the median age of our congregation with the rest of the world we discover that our congregation’s median age is 31.5 while the world’s median age according to United Nations figures is just 28 years of age.  So, even though we might think of our congregation as being fairly young, the rest of the world is even younger.

            Jesus said about the youth of this world, “Whenever you welcome a child in my name, you welcome the one who sent me, namely, you welcome God Almighty, the Creator of us all.”  And who among us would not want to welcome and greet the One who has brought us into being?

            With Sunday School having begun, teachers and students are busily engaged in the pursuit of learning more and more about the One who not only made us but sustains us.  But if we believe the words of Jesus in our gospel for today, then, when we, as teachers, share the Gospel stories with our youth, we are, in that same process, being touched by the very Presence of God Almighty.  And I believe it.

            When I am up here talking with the children during the children’s sermon, I feel truly blessed.  I’m often touched by the innocence and the genuineness of their responses.  There’s nothing phony and nothing is fake.  Lots of time it’s fun and it is certainly real. 

            Come to think about it, God’s not phony or fake either and God’s fun and is very real.  So maybe it’s really true, “Welcoming children is like welcoming God!”

            We had a very successful Vacation Bible School this summer around the theme of “Discovery Canyon.”  In that Bible School, we decided to begin collecting pennies to help build schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan.  We decided to do this through the wonderful agency called the Central Asia Institute, founded by Greg Mortenson, who wrote the book, Three Cups of Tea.

            Since the middle of July, we have been collecting pennies, and other coins, to help build schools and provide school supplies for children, especially girls, to receive an education. 

To our great surprise and delight, we collected $733.09!  At a salary of a dollar a day, that amount of money can pay a school teacher for three years!  If they decide to use this money to help one of the many girls only schools, they will help train them to begin believing they are valuable, they can learn a trade, they can become literate, they can help teach their mothers, and the communities in which they live how live in peace.  Education is subversive.  And we are part of it today!

            Another mission involving children of which we are a part is Bridge of Hope.  Since the inception of Bridge of Hope’s ministry to homeless women and their children almost 20 years ago right here in Coatesville, they have grown from a local group to a national group that has ministries in nine states, including 10 sites right here in Pennsylvania.  Good Shepherd has served as a mentor to three different families and continues to host once a month meetings for families and mentors.

            Jesus was very clear to his disciples about what kind of priorities they should have. The most important mission for the disciples then, and the most important mission of disciples now, is to welcome and care for the needs of the children of the world.  And, by God’s grace, we will continue to do exactly that.

            I want to close my sermon this morning by singing a song many of us learned in Sunday School years ago.  Listen carefully to the words as you sing it twice.  They are gospel words.  They are words Jesus would gladly sing with us.

            Jesus loves the little children,

                all the children of the world.

            Red and yellow, black and white,

                all are precious in his sight.

            Jesus loves the little children of the world.  AMEN

Text:  Mark 8-27-38
13 September 2009
Topic:  Undeterred Mission
 
Jesus came to this earth on a mission.  Like all births, his birth was no fluke.  He birth was no accident.  He came to this earth on a mission.  And he would NOT be deterred, he would not waver, he would not let any thing or any one get in the way of what he came to this earth to accomplish. 
Football season has begun.  Major league baseball is winding down, or, is it still up?  Will the   Phillies win it all again?  They lost last night. 
Sports has a way of capturing our attention and keeping our eyes on the ball, be it a football or a baseball, or a basketball, or a tire that fits on a NASCAR.  In fact, you’d have to say, in America anyway, sports takes up more of our leisure time and energy that we give to any other endeavor in life.  As a country, we are fixated.  We are absorbed by what goes on in the sports arenas of our lives.  And, we’re willing to pay a lot of money for it.  In a way, and for a whole lot of people, they will not be deterred, they will not waver, they will not let any thing, or any one, get in the way of their passion which is sports.
In Mark’s gospel, which begins with John the Baptist’s announcement that Jesus had arrived, and that Jesus would be baptizing people in the Holy Spirit, we get the very clear message, somebody really important had arrived on the scene of this earth.  We get the impression from Mark’s gospel that he didn’t want to waste anybody’s time talking in trivialities or using confusing metaphors.  Mark understood the mission of Jesus and wanted to get it out there, plain and simple.
So, in the first chapter of Mark, Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist.  He is sent into the desert for forty days, to be tested, and by verse 14, in the very first chapter of Mark’s gospel, Jesus has begun his ministry.  He calls his first disciples in verse 16 and he is already healing people in verse 21 of that same first chapter.  Mark’s gospel is written about a man/God with a mission.  As I said before, Jesus is portrayed in Mark’s gospel as one who would NOT be deterred, one would not waver, one would not let any thing or any one get in the way of what he came to this earth to accomplish. 
And exactly what was the mission of Jesus?  According to Mark’s first chapter, the 14^th verse, Jesus says, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”  (Mark 1:14  NRSV)  This was the mission of Jesus.  This would be the driving force, the single purpose of his life, the one and only thing he would dedicate his life to, namely, telling people that God’s kingdom was very near, and it is time for them to repent and believe.
When people are totally passionate about something, everyone around them knows it.  It’s all they talk about.  It’s what they spend their money on.  If you talk to their children or grandchildren, they can tell you what’s really important in their life.  Passion for anything has a way of influencing everything and every one around us.
Jesus’ passion was that people come closer to him, come closer to God his Father, and to be led by the Holy Spirit.  In that same first chapter of Mark’s gospel, Jesus goes out and finds people who will help him stay on task.  He talks first to Simon, whom he would later name Peter, and to Simon’s brother, Andrew.  These two would become Jesus’ first disciples, his first round picks, the rookies, who would play major league roles in their first year on the team.
Jesus thought he’d trained his disciples well.  They’d been through spring training, they’d gone through two-a-day workouts.  They’d done all the laps.  But somehow they didn’t get it. 
In today’s gospel reading, Jesus tells his disciples that he is on his way to Jerusalem to die.  He goes on to tell theme he will rise again, but, it’s obvious Peter didn’t hear that part.  He only heard Jesus say, “I’m going to die.”
Peter, who had come to believe that Jesus’ real mission on this earth was to restore the kingdoms of Israel and Judea to their former glory through political and military means, could not stomach the idea that their present and promising leader was going to die.  He simply couldn’t bring himself to accept what Jesus was saying.
So, like a good campaign manager in American politics would do, he took Jesus aside and told him, in no uncertain terms, Jesus had to stop talking about dying and instead keep talking up the cause what would ultimately give all of his followers the prestige and power that comes with being politically connected.
Peter misjudged Jesus.  Jesus would not be deterred.  Jesus would not waver, he would not let any thing or any one get in the way of what he came to this earth to accomplish.  His purpose was to proclaim, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”  (Mark 1:14  NRSV) 
And so Jesus, clearly angry, tells Peter, “Get behind me, Satan!  For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”  (Mark 8:33b  NRSV)
Jesus went on to tell all the others who witnessed Peter’s tongue lashing, “If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself.  You must take up your cross and follow me.  If you want to save your life, you will destroy it.  But if you give up your life for me and for the good news, you will save it.  What will you gain, if you own the whole world but destroy yourself?  What could you give to get back your soul?  Don’t be ashamed of me and my message among these unfaithful and sinful people!”  (Mark 8:34b-38b  CEV)
According to Mark, Jesus’ ministry began at baptism.  God said to Jesus at his baptism, “You my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”  (Mark 1:11  NRSV)
Our mission and ministry begins at baptism as well.  Hanna, baptized today, will go out from here marked with the cross of Christ on her forehead, a mark that will last for all eternity. 
Our mission and ministry, given to us in baptism, is no less than that of Jesus, to proclaim that the Kingdom of God is at hand, that it’s time to repent, that it’s time to believe the good news. 
On this Rally Day, a day of getting back into the routine of regular worship and Sunday School, let us reclaim the passion of mission and ministry that was bestowed upon us in our baptism.  Let us take up the Cross of Jesus and share it with any and all who will listen.  AMEN