2017 Statements of Faith Sermon

This “2017 Statements of Faith Sermon” was professed at Sunnyside Presbyterian Church on May 21, 2017 by five confirmation students using excerpts from their own individually written statements.

—————————————

John 14:15-21

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. 17 This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.

18 “I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. 19 In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.”

—————————————

Taylor: This past year we had five our eighth graders enroll in confirmation. Confirmation is a time where our young people come together in lasting fellowship to learn more about the Presbyterian tradition and build a confidence in their own beliefs. It is also a time for our eighth graders to decide for themselves if they would like to join the church as a full member. Our passage today from the Gospel of John has Jesus promising the disciples that the Spirit of Truth will abide with them for all of eternity. It is that same Spirit – the Holy Spirit – that allows any of us to profess our beliefs.

Today we get the joy of seeing the Spirit at work as we hear our young people profess their faith before us. As part of confirmation, each of our eighth graders had to write a statement of faith. Through excerpts from each of their statements, you are about to hear one collaborative, cohesive, confirmation declaration of faith.

Please pray with me:

Good and gracious God. You are the Spirit of Truth. Allow that Spirit to enter into our hearts and minds today as we hear our young people profess their faith. Allow us to consider where you are at work, both here in our Church and in the World. Use this as an time for illumination. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.

—————————————

Connor: “I believe in the Kingdom Come” --U2

Taylor: What do you believe about the Trinity?

Connor: I believe the Trinity symbolizes God. The Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, shows that God is everywhere and behind everything. God is the Father of everything, the ultimate Creator. God is the Son, Jesus, to show he is with the people of Israel. And God is the Holy Spirit, being in the essence of everything.

Josh: God is the creator of the Universe, the Redeemer of the Universe, and the Sustainer of the Universe.

Michael: I believe in Love, Lover, Beloved.

Taylor: What do you believe about God?

Michael: I believe God loves us all. I believe that God created the Universe with love. I believe in love. Love is a universal thing.

Josh: I believe that God forgives all. God is many different things.  God is the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit.  

Gage: The Trinity is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  Christians define God in that way because we believe that he is above all and created each and every one of us for a specific reason.  He created everything we know on our planet, and others around us to serve a purpose.

Taylor: What do you believe about Jesus?

Hannah: I believe that Jesus Christ is God’s son. This is most important to me because Jesus Christ is the teacher. Jesus is the Messiah. He leads the people of Jerusalem towards hope and a stronger belief, and he is still leading people to this day. This is what truly matters, and that is why believing that Jesus Christ is God’s son is most important to me. Jesus is the son of Mary. He sacrificed himself for us teaching us to believe in the Holy Spirit. He died on the cross to protect our Christian beliefs and was resurrected three days later proving he was the son of God and our savior. Jesus lived a faithful and guiding life with a mission to spread the word of God. Jesus taught others to love their neighbor as they love themselves. To me Jesus’s resurrection is a symbol of hope because it provides proof of God’s presence and his power to bring life from death.

Gage: Jesus is the son of God and was sent to earth so many years ago through his Virgin Mother Mary to continue spreading the word of God.  What it means to me to say that Jesus was “Christ the Messiah” is that he was the son of God, and God’s form on earth.  He wanted to keep the world on a path away from total chaos by preaching and telling the people God’s word.  He proved to many others who questioned he was the Messiah, that he was Christ the Savior by rising from Crucifixion after three days.  This is in the book of John and the true meaning behind Easter.  This is where Resurrection came from and happens when a person returns to life after death.

Taylor: What do you believe about the Holy Spirit?

Josh: I believe the Holy Spirit is God.  We know that the Holy Spirit is present by overseeing all of our lives.  The Holy Spirit helps us in our daily lives. The Holy Spirit is the one who answers our prayers.

Connor: I believe the Holy Spirit is everywhere. The Holy Spirit is the essence of God walking with us everyday, watching and guarding us. The Holy Spirit guides us in everything we do, working within us. He helps us to make the right, Christian decisions, such as helping everyone in our own Christian community.

Taylor: What do you believe about the Bible?

Michael: I believe that the Bible is lessons from God’s people who have had visions, encounters, or stories. I believe that the stories in the Bible have been passed down through time and through many hands. Sometimes these hands write what they want to write, giving the diversity of the Bible to fit the certain religions. That is why I believe we should not worship the Bible, but use it as a guide, a teacher. The stories are lessons. When we read scripture, we do not let it sit in our heads. We analyze it. That is where in my belief the word of God comes out. Through the impact, it makes in our life, not the stories themselves. The stories are the causes and what we do after reading them are the effects. What really matters is what to do in life when given the stories.

Taylor: What is your favorite Bible passage?

Connor: Mark 12:31 – “The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Michael: 1 Corinthians 13:13 – “And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.”

Gage: Romans 5:3-5 – “And not only that, but we also must boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.”

Josh: Isaiah 40:31 – “But those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”

Hannah: Genesis chapters 6-9: The story of Noah and the covenant God made with the world.

Taylor: What do you believe about mission and outreach?

Connor: I believe mission and outreach is an act to become closer to God. We go on mission trips to become closer to God by helping others in various tasks. Some of my favorite deeds to perform is to help a stranger or someone I know with something. The Bible says we should love our neighbor as we love ourselves. This includes others of all races, religion, rich or poor, it doesn't matter. We shall love others as we love ourselves, another form of how the Holy Spirit is working in us.

Hannah: Mission and outreach to me is giving of oneself to help others in need. I believe mission work is important to help those in need and to restore our faith and trust in our spiritual development. Some of my favorite ways to help others is to be a mentor to those younger than me at school and help them with their school work and social growth. I like to use me leadership skills in my team sports. I strive to be an example of confidence, drive, and competitiveness in hopes that together we may succeed. Finally, when people I love are sad I like to use my sense of humor and positive mental outlook on life to help them feel better.

Michael: I believe in work. Nothing comes without work. Reaching with hand and pulling somebody up with work is a way of respect. Even if they are disrespectful. Working with love and respect will overcome hatred.

Taylor: Why do we live in a Christian community?

Gage: We live in a Christian community because we like to be around people who have the same faith, and people we feel safe around.  The commitment we make when we join is a promise to believe in God and follow the rules of living as a Christian to the best of our ability.  What this means in terms of your support, prayers, attendance, and pledge is that you are supported by the Christians around you, you pray to God and speak to him, you attend Church every Sunday possible, and you pledge to believe in God forever.

Hannah: We live in a Christian community to support each other in one faith. I believe in my Christian faith and have chosen to be a part of the Sunnyside community. I pledge to support our community by setting a good Christian example for those that are younger than me and follow the guidance of those who are older and wiser. As a member of the Sunnyside community I will attend as I am able and live my daily life in the spirit of Christianity.

Taylor: What do you believe about the Sacraments?

Josh: The sacraments of the Presbyterian Church USA are Baptism and Communion, or the Lord’s Supper.  Baptism is the acceptance of a baby into a church and the sign of a new way of life.  I believe Communion is the practice God the Son, Jesus, taught us many years ago.  The wine represents Jesus’ blood shed for us, and the bread represents Jesus’ body broken for us. 

Connor: The sacraments are honoring our religion and God’s gifts. Baptism and Communion represent the two things Jesus gave up for us: Life and well-being. The Lord’s Supper was the promise that Jesus would drink and eat with us, his followers, in Heaven. Baptism is the introduction into God’s family and everlasting love and kindness.

Gage: The Sacraments are the signs of the Power of Christ in the church.  In the Presbyterian tradition, there are two Sacraments.  The Lord’s Supper, or the Communion and Baptism.  Baptism is when a person, typically a newborn child is blessed into Christianity.  The Lords Supper is one of the last things that Jesus did before he was crucified.  It was when he fed disciples the bread and wine, telling them, “the body and blood of Christ is with you.”  He assures them that he will always be present within them, and that they must help to continue the spread of God’s word.

Taylor: What do you believe about sin?

Hannah: Sin to me is when one acts against the will of God. I believe we sin because we are human and no one is perfect. Everyone sins. There is evil in the world because all people sin. God provides forgiveness for sin which allows us to find hope through our faith and fight against evil. I believe that bad things do sometimes happen to good people.

Michael: I believe that sin is a wall between me and God. Nothing can make God not love me. God is always with me for it is the Holy Spirit that is there with me. To get past my wall I must reach out to God because God’s hand is already there.

Josh: I believe that sin is something we do that goes against the teachings of Christ.  Sometimes we sin because at the time we didn’t realize it was a sin.  We can say to others who are going through a hard time that we hope they feel better and that God is with them.  When I lost family members to death God helped me through it by reminding me that they were ascending to Heaven.

Taylor: What do you believe about the Resurrection?

Connor: I believe we are sent to heaven when we die. We are here on Earth to do good, and sometimes sin blocks us from our faith. But God’s grace saves us. The Resurrection gives me hope for the future because this is what happened to Jesus when he was crucified. He was rejoined with His Father. This story shows me that we will join the ranks of Heaven with God and Jesus.

Hannah: I believe that when we die our spirit goes to heaven. Resurrection is the concept of coming back to life after death. I do believe that Jesus was resurrected and came to speak with Mary. I also believe that after we die, and after our spirit goes to heaven, our spirit is resurrected as something new. I believe that what we do in our daily lives matter to what we become after resurrection.

Gage: When we die, we ascend to Heaven.  The Easter story gives us hope for the future because when we die, we will stay in Heaven under God’s protection for Eternity.  Jesus was resurrected and ascended to our Father for this reason.

Taylor: Why do you want to be confirmed?

Hannah: Today I would like to be confirmed into the Sunnyside community. I believe that the Sunnyside community will be a source of support, wisdom and encouragement as I continue to grow spiritually. It is important to me to be confirmed as it will remind me to reflect upon my faith and Christianity every day of my life. 

Josh: I would like to be confirmed so that I can become a full member of the church and help others more.  This process is an important step to becoming an independent adult and member of Sunnyside Presbyterian Church.  Yes, God is calling to me by giving me the opportunity to be confirmed into the Church so that I can be a better Christian, and be closer to God.

Gage: I would like to be confirmed.  I know that this is where I belong, and it means that I am one step further into the Christian Faith. I can bring to Sunnyside the gift of music, a supportive “ear” for someone to talk to, and the perspective of a member of the youth.

Michael: I believe my energy and commitment will benefit the church. I can be loving, caring, and faithful to others which will brighten their lives. I would love to work on teaching others which I think would further grow my faith in church. I have talked to my parents and said that I would love to be a deacon someday. I sing in the choir, I play in the band, and I can be a liturgist. All in all I hope to work hard and improve my faith by becoming a member of Sunnyside.

Connor: I want to be confirmed to grow closer to God and to help our community and fellow youth become closer to God. This rite of passage helps me understand I am pledging my faith to God, in addition to joining the church.

—————————————

Living as Sheep

“Living as Sheep” was preached at Sunnyside Presbyterian Church on May 7, 2017. Inspirations for this sermon include Scripture, commentaries, children’s songs, and current ecumenical events.

—————————————

John 10:1-10

10 “Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

7 So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

—————————————

Living as sheep… Christ our Shepherd calls us to live as sheep… but how do we do that?

I want us all to quickly flip to Psalm 23 in our Pew Bibles. It’s found on page 501 in the Old Testament. Once you find it, bookmark it your bulletin or with your check to the youth mission trip (see what I did there?). We’ll return to that passage later in the sermon and read it as a prayer.

As you find Psalm 23, I want to sing you this song that I think explains how we can live as sheep. Mind you, it’s a children’s song but still the lyrics ring true. It goes, “I just want to be a sheep: Baa, Baa, Baa, Baa. I just want to be a sheep: Baa, Baa, Baa, Baa. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. I just want to be a sheep: Baa, Baa, Baa, Baa.”

Never imagined me up here singing, did you?

The verses continue with lyrics such as “I don’t want to be a Pharisee… because they’re not fair you see” and “I don’t want to be a Sadducee…. Because they’re so sad you see.” And my personal favorite, “I don’t want to be a goat… nope, nope, nope, nope.”

Don’t you wish everything was an easy as a children’s song? But it’s not, is it? We can’t just say we are sheep and therefore we are. No, in our own stubbornness and discontentment and even more so, our exclusivity, we hold ourselves back.

And truth be told, do any of us really want to live as sheep anyway? I mean, Christ calls us to live as sheep which should make us want to, but let’s be realistic for a moment. Sheep are fearful animals—not open to change, in need of protection, and in search of a leader. And if we understand what that is saying, it brings us to the question. Do we really want to be scared, timid, weak, lost followers? Because our answer should be “Yes.” But I have to admit, that’s a tough one.

On top of all that, the passage found in John has Jesus telling us he is the gate. Twice, he says, “I am the gate.” And to be honest, we all have our own definitions of gates. We see them as walls and we see them as barriers; built to keep things out. We see gates as a means to be guarded and therefore exclusive. But we know the Gospel. We know that’s not what Jesus meant what he said he is the gate. We cannot be an exclusive church; we are not called to be an exclusive people.

This past July, our Methodist brothers and sisters called and elected their first openly gay Bishop Karen Oliveto, to serve their Western Jurisdiction. This would be similar to a Moderator of our Presbytery but on a larger scale, covering multiples states. However, roughly a week ago, in the midst of Easter season and celebrating the resurrection of our risen Lord, the Methodist Court Law in a 6-3 decision ruled that Bishop Oliveto was in violation of church law.

The Rev. Dr. Karen Oliveto who has faithfully served the Methodist Church since 1983 – that’s 34 years – and who has been with her same partner – her wife – for seventeen years is up for suspension as Bishop and possibly removal from her position because she has the courage to live as an openly gay woman. Her call to serve God and the people of God is up for debate because people have created a wall of exclusivity to keep her and others like her out of the church. What kind of message does that send?

Now I’m sure many of you know that LBGTQ ordination passed in our denomination – The Presbyterian Church (USA) – back in 2011. But when this was allowed—when this means of access was opened for additional people to serve the call of God—churches responded by leaving the denomination and joining different exclusive branches. This has left us divided.

And this is not the first time this has happened either. When we as the PCUSA allowed the ordination of women back in 1956—when we first opened a channel to be more inclusive and to welcome more people in—churches responded by leaving the denomination. And human-made gates were built. And over time, the gates we as humankind built have become taller and tighter; more guarded, more exclusive.

But my friends, those are not the gates Jesus intended. That’s not the gate that Jesus is. And unfortunately, the PCUSA denomination is not free from these false gates. And neither is Sunnyside.

I believe that Sunnyside has been trying to be a more inclusive community full of hospitality and warmth. I believe that Sunnysiders try to be… well, as our name suggests… Sunny. This has definitely been apparent since I started in my position back in September. But I think all of us still get to a point as we enter the unknown—as we make changes and start to feel uncomfortable—when we meet someone who don’t understand—we shut down and we hide back behind our walls and we build our gates back up… tighter and taller.

We can’t deny this. When we think about politics and what our fellow Sunnysiders believe; we build our gates. When we listen to controversial topics that we may disagree with; we build our gates. When we navigate our relationships with the other Presbyterian churches in the area and explore ways to best support them as our brothers and sisters in Christ; we build our gates.

But that’s why Christ makes it clear in John 10 that we are not the gate nor the gatekeeper nor the shepherd. We are the sheep; Christ is the gate. Unlike our own self-made gates which keep others out, Christ the gate is a means for us as sheep to go out and find pasture. Yes, Christ promises that as the gate he will be a guard and protector from thieves and bandits and wolves – from those who mean to kill and destroy life abundant – that’s a promise.

But more important, twice in John 10, first in verse 3 and then again in verse 9, Christ tells us the reason he is the gate and the reason we are called to be sheep is so that we have a channel to be led out into the world and find others who are also called to live as sheep. Listen again, verse 3: “The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” And verse 9: “I am the gate. Whoever enters by will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.”

See, the purpose of the gate is not to keep others out. Not people we disagree with; not people we don’t understand. Not women; not the LGBTQ community. No, the purpose of Christ the gate is to be able to go through Christ and find others and show them the same Gospel love that has been already be extended to us. Listen to what Jesus says in verse 16: “I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.”

Our role as sheep is to listen to the one voice that calls to us each by name. And when we go out to find pasture—when we go out to find community, there is this understanding that it can be uncomfortable and scary and at times tough. Because life abundant doesn’t mean life so perfect. Life abundant is taking the bad with the good with the promise of eternal life, hand-in-hand with sheep of all over, of every time and place. Sheep who may be our friends. Sheep who may be our enemies. Sheep who be similar to us and sheep who may be different. We are called to be one flock; one people under one God.

I challenge us all this week and in the weeks to come to be open to where God is leading us out and where can find pasture. As we do this, as we allow ourselves to be sheep, I want us to remember the prayer found in Psalm 23. Please open your Bibles from earlier and join me in prayer; read along with me:

“1 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters;

3 he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.

4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.”

I love that. Our voices coming together in prayer. That’s the one flock Jesus intended. But what if that flock grew and more people joined. Especially people who have been excluded from the church. It would be like a beautiful, harmonious melody to Christ’s ears.

My friends, we are called to live as sheep. We have shepherd that guides us. A shepherd whose roles as gate and gatekeeper is not meant to keep others out but as a means for us to go out. Listen to the one voice that calls to you. Be open to what it is saying and the open pasture it calls us all to find. That is life abundant.

Thanks be to God! Amen.

—————————————