Fight the Good Fight

     This sermon was preached on November 2, 2014 at Lawrence Road Presbyterian Church. It was part of a sermon series covering the book of Ruth. This passage is roughly found in the middle Ruth. Instead of just using this passage as its own text, I used the entire book of Ruth with a focus on the turning point of the story; this is also know as the “ah-ha!” moment. The sermon includes a summary of what has happened in the story so far as well as hints to what comes next. The point was to connect Ruth’s story as she “fights the good fight” to our own story as we do the same. “Fight the Good Fight” is an implicit reference to 1 Timothy 6:12.

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Ruth 3:1-7

1 Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, I need to seek some security for you, so that it may be well with you. 2 Now here is our kinsman Boaz, with whose young women you have been working. See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. 3 Now wash and anoint yourself, and put on your best clothes and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 When he lies down, observe the place where he lies; then, go and uncover his feet and lie down; and he will tell you what to do.” 5 She said to her, “All that you tell me I will do.”

6 So she went down to the threshing floor and did just as her mother-in-law had instructed her. 7 When Boaz had eaten and drunk, and he was in a contented mood, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. Then she came stealthily and uncovered his feet, and lay down.

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  In high school, I was a part of band. Since I went to a small school in rural Colorado, the band was the marching, the concert, and my personal favorite, pep band. In pep band, at least once a week, we attended a home basketball or football game where we got to play the fun, upbeat songs I’m sure all we by heart now. “Louie, Louie” “On Wisconsin” – I’m sure you’re starting to remember. My high school even played “Eye of the Tiger” as one of ours. It’s those fun songs that inspire a friendly competition not only in the players of the game but also in the people in the crowd. It created an atmosphere of positive rivalry It was the music played by the pep band that create such a buzz of intensity of the room. It’s no wonder that the songs we played are called Fight Songs. These songs drive us to be something greater – to do something greater. This is what I call fighting the good fight. And today, we see it in the book of Ruth.

 We are now officially halfway through our sermon series on the book of Ruth. We have read about the three central characters. First, we have Naomi – the bitter mother-in-law who believes she has lost everything in life. Second, there is Boaz – the kind and well-off man who is a relative of Naomi’s and therefore, a kinsman to Ruth. And third, our main character and our focus, Ruth. Together we have been following this young Moabite’s story as she adapts to her new life in a foreign land. And what we have heard so far, this of life of her has not been kind or easy for Ruth. In fact, it has been everything but kind or easy. We have experienced her hardships with her; we have felt her struggles. But despite all this, Ruth has endured. Ruth has strived to make her life better for both herself and Naomi. This entire time, Ruth has been – what we can refer to as – fighting the good fight.

Naomi has seen that Boaz has already taking a liking to Ruth. This was seen when Boaz gave Ruth lunch while she was gleaning in the fields. She rejoiced when  Boaz show Ruth kindness; she asked the Lord to bless him. Because of this, Naomi saw how she could turn this into an advantage. She comes up with a plan to give herself and Ruth a home and a sense of security – to ensure they will no longer live in poverty and desperation. Ruth must offer herself to Boaz and if all goes well, Ruth (and Naomi) will have a better future. Sounds like a good plan… right? 

Now up to this point, Ruth has been endearingly stubborn. Naomi tells Ruth to go back home to her own people. Ruth said, “No, I will go where you go.” Naomi tells Ruth to call her Mara for she is bitter. Ruth said, “No, I will you call you Naomi.”  When Ruth was harassed in the fields by the workers, she continued to glean, ignoring the calls around her. Time after time, Ruth has refused to listen to her mother-in-law or the men around her. But here, in today’s passage, when Naomi tells Ruth to wash up, to put on perfume and her nicest clothes, and to go to Boaz and then wait for his instruction, she listens. Ruth responds, “I will do what you say.” I wonder if in this moment if Naomi threw up in her arms in exasperation and says, “Finally! Finally you listen to me!” 

This moment makes you question Ruth. Why – for the first time – did she graciously agree to her mother-in-laws request? Has she given up hope? Has she become submissive? Is she tired of fighting the good fight? Or does Ruth have her own plan? Is something moving Ruth to a different agenda? Is this still the good fight?

They say every good story as an “Ah-Ha!” moment. A good story starts slowly with problems or issues in the text. And then when everything is at its worst, things slowly begin to get better until we arrive at the good news at the end. That transition from the bad to the good is the “Ah-Ha” moment. It’s that moment in the story where something unexpected happens – when everything begins to turn around. If Ruth’s story has an “Ah-Ha” moment, this is it. This moment – this plan devised by Naomi – will hopefully solve their troubles. This is where things will start to get better. And if that means this is the “Ah-Ha” moment, which it most definitely is, then Ruth has not given up. Ruth will listen to Naomi, but she above all, she will be directed by God. She will act with Godly conduct. Even now and more than ever, Ruth is fighting the good fight.

I’ve said this phrase a few times now. “Fight the Good Fight.” But what does it mean? Well, this phrase is rooted in Scripture. Paul says it in the books of Timothy. He wrote that he has fought the good fight of faith. He wrote this to show us – humankind – that even when our faith is at our greatest, we will face many struggles in life. We will have battles to conquer. It is in these moments that we must fight the good fight. Ruth has. Paul has. They have fought the good fight. They have fought it for themselves, they have fought it for others, and above all, they have fought it for God. This is the good fight.

What we see in the book of Ruth and what I’m sure all of have experienced: Life is not easy. Life was not meant to be easy. God never designed it to be that way. We are supposed to have our ups-and-downs. We are supposed to have bad times along with the good times. We will face times when nothing seems to go right; when the whole world seems to be against us. We will lose the things we love most. We will often feel defeated. But when we experience these hardships and challenges, God does not want us to give up. God wants us to persevere and to push forward. To live and learn. To become something greater than ourselves. God is there for every step of the journey. Walking with us hand-in-hand. Carrying us when we need it. God wants us to fight the good fight. We were made to fight the good fight.

If the world is still plagued by racism, classism, or sexism, we must fight for it to end. 

If we feel some have been silenced by oppression, we fight for their right to have a voice and to be heard.

If you feel you a broken down by depression or anxiety, you fight and you fight long and hard to be happy. 

If you feel like you have more to live for in life, then you fight for it. 

And when you fight this fight - to make sure that this is the good fight - you must pray. Pray to God and ask for guidance. Ask for companionship and direction. Let God's hands be the ones that move you. This is it. You have been given a life worth fighting for. So go out, fight the good fight, and do so in the name of our lord and savior, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

[untitled 1.]

This sermonette was preached at Lawrence Road Presbyterian Church on December 14, 2014. It was part of the church’s annual “Preach-athon.” In addition to my own, two other preachers also gave a message. As this was directed to be a shorter message, I wanted to try something new and experiment with its interpretation and delivery. The end result was a one-sided conversation with John the Baptist. It was delivered in the style of a dramatic monologue. This was intended to be a performance. The message is better understood if heard rather than read. 

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John 1:6-8, 19-28 (NRSV)

⁶ There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. ⁸ He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.

¹⁹ This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” ²⁰ He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, “I am not the Messiah.” ²¹ And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.” ²² Then they said to him, “Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” ²³ He said,

“I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness,
‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’”

as the prophet Isaiah said.

²⁴ Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. ²⁵ They asked him, “Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?”²⁶ John answered them, “I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, ²⁷ the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.” ²⁸ This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.

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Gather round, my friends, gather round!

Let us go down to the river to where John the Baptist speaks.

Let us go listen to his testimony, let us listen to his lies!

Gather round, gather round!

John! John the Baptist! We are here! We are here to listen! Tell us what good news you have for us today!

Who are we? You ask. We are the sons and daughters of Abraham. We are God’s chosen people. 

But who are you, John? Who are you?

Are you the Messiah? Are you the prophet or Elijah? 

Who are you?!

You’re the voice of the one calling out in the wilderness? Ha! Such a tiny voice for such great news!

Tell us. What does this voice of yours have to say?

Make straight the way of the Lord?

Oh John, We know the words of the Prophet Isaiah. But what are you trying to tell us?

We’re asking you to say something we haven’t heard yet for we have been in the dark for so long.

You say that you testify for this light? But you’re not the light itself? Then who is this light? And what will this bring us? Oh John. How confused you must be. You make no sense. Stop this, John. You’re embarrassing yourself. You have brought nothing to us. And now, we’re leaving. But John, one last question before we go, if you say you’re not the messiah, why do you insist on baptizing our brothers and sisters? It’s a wasted effort, and you are giving them a false sense of hope. Please, we ask you to stop this. We know you are trying to help, but this water isn’t enough. The very depths of our souls long for something else. There is a dryness that no water can quench. We are thirsty for something greater. We are desperate for a light in this darkness. And you’re not it. Day in and day out, we pray that we might be filled, but there’s still this emptiness within us. So John, if you’re not this light, why are we still waiting?

You see, we have been waiting for so long, that there’s this pressure building up inside of us. It’s becoming painful as we yearn for something greater. I don’t think we can hold on to this false hope anymore. We’re going to have to let it go unless you tell us something different. So we ask you one last time, why are we still waiting?  

Because another one is coming after you? A man who is the very light of God – God’s one and only son? Because this light will baptize us with the Holy Spirit? Because he will give us almighty salvation and everlasting love? Because he is coming to save us? This cannot be! John, if what you say is true, we need to await his arrival! This is great news! Beautiful and wonderful news! John, you say you are not worthy to untie the sandals on his feet! Then we are not even worthy to be in his presence! John! We finally understand! You have been preparing us for his arrival! You are not the messiah or the prophet or Elijah, but you are a man sent from God. You are the witness to the light! Baptize us with water so that we will be baptized by God’s grace!

Friends, hear and believe the good news! Rejoice! Rejoice! For a savior is coming to us! A savior that will bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners!  This savior will be a light shining in the darkness! Let us all be a witness to this light! Let us share this good news with others! Our strength has been restored; our patience has been renewed! We are here, right now in this moment, gathered round so that we might act as witnesses to the gospel! Rejoice my friends for God has looked down upon us in favor! God has called us to do something greater! The pressure is fading! The darkness is lifting! We have been filled with hope!

Friends, can you believe this?! Our Lord is coming to us. We need to be ready and waiting! And we need to prepare for his arrival! And we will do so in humble patience! Have hope, my friends, we have been saved! The day our savior comes is a day filled with glory! Rejoice! Rejoice! 

John! Thank you for your testimony. Thank you for calling us down to the waters for we have received your message. Now it’s our turn to testify. From the highest of mountains to the lowest of valleys, we will proclaim the gospel!

The Word has been made flesh! The light shines in the darkness! Rejoice! A savior is coming to us! Amen!

Hold On

The following is a sermon I wrote for a fictitious funeral. It was preached in my Introduction to Preaching course at Princeton Theological Seminary. The assignment was to use a Psalm of our choice in the context of a specific scenario. I used Psalm 31 for the following scenario: “Graveside services will be held for Katy Swank, a thirty year old mother of two who committed suicide this past Sunday. While Katy’s name has been on the church roll since childhood, she had not attended service at the local church for the past twenty years. Her children have been active participants in the church’s youth ministry program and had recently been baptized. She leaves to mourn her passing a devoted husband, a mother and father, and two children ages eight and ten.”

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We gather in grief and sorrow to mourn the loss of Katy Swank. I didn’t know Katy that well personally. We've only had a few interactions here and there throughout the past couple of months. Usually it was a wave or a nod when she came to pick up her kids after children’s choir on Wednesday evenings. And although these interactions were small and few and although I never really got to know Katy, when her parents asked me to preach at her funeral today, I knew I could tell Katy’s story through the lives of others. Because although I didn’t know Katy, I do know the people that loved her most, the people that now hold on to her spirit. 

I met Katy’s parents, Dave and Linda, about two years ago. Both were freshly into retirement and had just moved back to Princeton to be closer to Katy and her family. This had been Dave and Linda’s home church until they moved, along with Katy, to Florida in 1996. Upon our first meeting, they told me they had a lot of memories in this church. This was the church was Katy and her siblings were baptized in was baptized in; this was the church Katy’s little brother Tom was baptized in, and this is the church was Tom’s funeral was held when he passed away at the age of eight. It was this last reason that Katy left the church – it was a memory to painful to hold onto. And although Katy had left the church, Dave and Linda said they were to be back in this congregation.  

A few months after, I met Katy’s two children, Carleigh and Sam. Dave and Linda decided it was time to take the two the church. I remember my first encounter with them. Both of them were holding onto grandpa and grandma. Carleigh had this wide-eyed look of wonder and curiosity while Sam hid behind them. The weeks went by and soon Carleigh and Sam were a part of our Sunday School classes as well as our Children’s Choir. They always seem to just love it here. Soon this holding on turned into Careligh and Sam dragging grandpa and grandma everywhere through the church.

Well, it came as no surprise when Linda approached me about baptizing the two. They had become such an active part of our youth ministry, and so I told Linda that we could look into this after having a conversation with Carleigh and Sam’s parents. Unfortunately, Katy was busy, but her husband agreed to meet. And that’s when I met Andrew. And so the five of us sat down Dave, Linda, Andrew, Carleigh, and Sam, and discussed what it meant for the latter two to be baptized and how it meant that would be sealing their Christian identity that God has always been holding onto. And after getting Carleigh and Sam’s permission as they are now eight and ten, just a few short weeks ago, we baptized the two in front of our congregation. Katy was unable to attend, but she sent me a card that read, “Thank you. Peace, Katy.

So like I said, I didn’t know Katy, but I do know that she is at peace knowing that her family is here right now in this moment. I know that this was something she was holding onto. This is your home. And now, in your time of grief, this is your refuge. God is your refuge. This is where God has called you to be, even if right now we are here in grief and sorrow.

In our Psalm today, we have a voice crying out in lament:

“Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress.

My eye wastes away from grief, my soul and body also.

For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing.

My strength fails away because of my misery, and my bones waste away.

I have passed out of mind like one who is dead; I have become like a broken vessel.”

There is a grief so overwhelming the body feels like its wasting away. There is a life filled with sorrow and pain. There is great distress that strength seems to be failing. There is brokenness. And so you so you ask yourself these questions. Am I feeling something similar to this Psalm? Am I able to put myself into this Psalm as a part of God’s story? And if this is God’s story, where’s the redemption or salvation – where’s the grace or the love? How can I be comforted?

Find comfort in God. In the abundance of goodness that is our God. In the steadfast love and in the rewards of faithfulness. In an eternal presence and in a unbreakable defense. That is our God. We can find comfort in God’s loving hands.

Because in this Psalm – this very same Psalm of lament – we have that same voice crying out something much greater:

In you, O Lord, I seek refuge;

    do not let me ever be put to shame;

    in your righteousness deliver me.

Incline your ear to me;

    rescue me speedily.

Be a rock of refuge for me,

    a strong fortress to save me.

You are indeed my rock and my fortress;

    for your name’s sake lead me and guide me,

take me out of the net that is hidden for me,

    for you are my refuge.

Into your hand I commit my spirit;

    you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.

But I trust in you, O Lord;

    I say, “You are my God.”

You see in the Psalm, we can feel the grief of the writer. We can feel the pain and the anguish. We can see the writer desperately calling out for God. Because despite all of this grief, pain, and anguish, the writer knows that our God is greater than that. That our God is stronger and more reliable than all of that! We see the writer shout out, “You are my Rock! You are my fortress! You are my God!”Because that is exactly what our God is. Our God just is. Our God is our rock. God is our fortress. God is our redeemer, our savior, our defense, our hiding place, our shelter. Our God is our God. Our God is.

We have a God that can do anything – a God that can choose to be anything. And the choice that was made was God chose to be our loving God. A God whose hand is reaching out to each of us to grab on tight. A hand that that also holds the spirit of Jesus because in Luke 23:46, Jesus said with his final breaths before he died on the cross, “Father into your hands I commend my spirit.” The same phrase that we have heard in this Psalm: Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.” Because God has promised each of us new and eternal life. We need to live for God because one day we will die and go to God. God’s hands are already there – hands that are surrounded by the grace given through the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ  – waiting for us to grab on, reaching out to us so they we may hold on

Katy was a daughter, a wife, and a mother. There is terrible grief in her loss. There is terrible pain and affliction. And now, more than ever, we need to hold on to something. We need to hold on to each other. We need to hold on the church. And above all else, we need to hold on to God. God’s loving hands are right there waiting for you to grab them. Hold on and hold on tight. “Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who wait in the Lord.”

This Isn't Peace

Matthew 10:24-39

“A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master; it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household!

So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven.

Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.

     For I have come to set a man against his father,

     and a daughter against her mother,

     and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;

     and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household.

Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it."

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I want everyone to close their eyes. (If you’re reading this, read these first few parts slowly. Really think about what I’m asking you.)  I want you to imagine a place that gives you peace. Go ahead, close your eyes, relax; find that peaceful bliss. Find that place where nothing can go wrong. You are away from your troubles. Your worries are gone; your fears no longer consume you. There’s no yelling, no arguing, and no fighting. You’re not in a hurry and you finally have time to catch your breath. This a place where you’re just away from it all. Isn’t this nice? Taking a moment of your day just to be at peace. Keep your eyes closed; remain in this peaceful place.

In your imagined place, who are you surrounded by? Where are you? What’s going on around you? And what are you doing? What did you sacrifice to get to this place of peace?

Where are your family and friends? Your spouse? Your parents or children? Your siblings? Or even your mother-in-law?  Are you at work? Or at home? Are you still even in this church? When you think of this imagined place, what’s missing? What have you given up to be here? What have you removed yourself from?

You can go ahead and open your eyes now.

Hopefully, these questions helped you realize that to achieve this sense of peace, we removed ourselves from the things that we love. We may have removed ourselves from our family. Our friends. Our job. Our house. We might have even removed ourselves from the very life each of us live. I see this as a fake sense of peace because we have removed ourselves from the things we love most in this world. Now, this place of peace is a nice place to occasionally go, but there’s a reason we don’t always live in this place. God never created this peaceful place as a place to stay. We live busy lives, and stress often overwhelms even the best of us. But that’s the life we were destined to live. And I if had to choose between a life of peace away from everything I love or a life filled troubles, worries, and fears caused by the things I love, I would hope I would choose the latter every time. Because that “peace” just isn’t worth it.

The problem in humankind is we lose ourselves when we become submissive to our worries, troubles, and fears and no longer remain submissive to God. We see this as a type of peace because it’s easier to let human problems control us. But this isn’t peace. It’s complacency. It’s the easy road.  There are times when we all no longer stand up for what we believe in and times we no longer remain true to ourselves or to our creator God. And that is exactly what this passage is telling us what NOT to do.

You see, in this passage, Jesus is telling his disciples to go out and spread the good news of Christ. But he is also giving them a warning. He tells the disciples they will face turmoil and they will have problems. He tells them life will be hard, especially when living a life of faith. But when they experience all of these hardships, Jesus also tells them throughout this passage to “Do not fear…” and “Do not be afraid…” because these disciples have great value in the eyes of God.

And then, Jesus says something weird, even for him. Now that saying something because let’s just be honest, Jesus said a lot of weird things in Scripture. But this one is weird because it seems to contradict almost everything he has taught up to this point. He says, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.” Now let’s think about this… the prince of peace is, in fact, not bringing peace to our world? He’s bringing a sword? Really Jesus, really?! A sword?! But it isn’t a sword; this is Jesus’s way of giving his disciples an option. They can turn away from everything they love and know. They can escape from their problems and go back to their old peaceful, submissive lives. Or they can defend what they believe – what they serve and what they love – and they take up a sword. But Jesus doesn’t stop there. Jesus also tells his disciples to be worthy, they must also take up a cross.

But in our lives today, what does the sword represent? And what does the cross represent? They both represent strength given by God. In those moments when we feel weak or alone or afraid, when our troubles, worries, and fears control us. God will equip us with a mighty sword. A sword to give us strength to do what is needed. Strength to stand up for what is right. To defend what we love and serve. To show that human problems will not control us. But sometimes God will equip us with something different; God will tell us to take up a humbling cross. Here, God still gives us strength but a different kind of strength. Strength to have mercy. To carry not only our own burdens, but also the burdens of our neighbors. Strength to continue to move forward in life, even in our darkest days. By giving all that we are to the Lord, God’s will give us the strength to take up our cross.

The message here is God is telling humankind to lay out our lives for Christ. When we try to live true Christian lives, God will equip us with the strength we need. Do not be submissive to human problems; be submissive to our divine God. And then announce for all to hear. Announce it in the light and announce it in the dark; announce it silently and announce it loudly. One of my favorite contemporary Christian songs – “Rooftops” by Jesus Culture – has the lyrics, “I shout out your name. From the rooftops I proclaim. I am yours. And all that I am. I place into your loving hands. I am yours. I am yours.” Troubles will not control us. Worries will not control us. Fears will not control us. Human problems will not control us.

Rather, give your life to God. We will run into problems; we all have troubles, worries, and fears – this passage warns us of that. But don’t lose your life being controlled by them. Don’t try to live in peace ignoring them. Embrace them; take them in and then give them up to God, along with every part of you. Lose your life for Christ and be submissive to God. God will equip us with that mighty sword and that humbling cross. God will give us strength. Because God created each of us to live full lives; abundant lives. And to do this, we just need to give all that we are to Christ.

Let the Creator God love us; let the grace of Christ save us; and let the Holy Spirit move us.

Amen.

In Remembrance of Her

Mark 14:1-11

It was two days before the Passover and the festival of Unleavened Bread. The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him; for they said, “Not during the festival, or there may be a riot among the people.”

While he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment of nard, and she broke open the jar and poured the ointment on his head. But some were there who said to one another in anger, “Why was the ointment wasted in this way? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor.” And they scolded her. But Jesus said, “Let her alone; why do you trouble her? She has performed a good service for me. For you always have the poor with you, and you can show kindness to them whenever you wish; but you will not always have me. She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for its burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.”

Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. When they heard it, they were greatly pleased, and promised to give him money. So he began to look for an opportunity to betray him.

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“For what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.”

In remembrance of her…

This passage is interesting. It is a few days before the Passover dinner. The passage opens with the dark plot to kill Jesus and it ends just as dim with Judas’ agreement to the betrayal. And because of this surrounding darkness, the tensions were high and their tempers were short. Jesus is in Bethany surrounded by his disciples and his other followers at a table, probably for conversation and a meal. But then, an unknown woman comes in carrying an expensive jar of oil. I’m sure the conversation subsided pretty quickly as the disciples stared at her waiting for her next move. When the woman breaks the jar and pours the oil onto Jesus’ head – oil that cost an entire year’s wages - the conversation quickly resumed as the people surrounding Jesus became angry. Like I said, the tensions were high and their tempers were short.  They argue that the oil could have been sold and that the profits could have been given to the poor. They scolded and rebuked the woman – thinking this act of hers was nothing but a waste. That this was no great act. This was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

But as always, Jesus takes this opportunity as one to teach his followers a new lesson – one on risk and compassion. He kindly but firmly tells his disciples to leave the woman alone. He explains, while yes, she could have given the money to the poor, she chose to anoint Jesus instead. She gave what little that she had – in this case, one expensive Jar of oil – to Jesus. She took a risk – a new approach – to glorify her Holy Teacher.

And so, because of this great act, whenever this story is read and “wherever the good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.”

When I first read this passage, the line “in remembrance of her” stuck out to me. I instantly made the connection to the Lord’s Supper. When we eat the bread and drink the wine, Jesus told us to do so in remembrance of him. But here, Jesus takes the focus off himself – he doesn’t tell a parable or he doesn’t perform a miracle – instead, he lets a woman anoint him and then he says that act will be done in remembrance of her. Yes, even this unnamed woman has made a name for herself. And she did this by pouring a jar of oil – probably the most expensive item she owned; maybe even all she has ever owned – onto the head of Jesus.

Now I started thinking that if I were in this woman’s shoes, what could I give to Jesus that would best glorify God? Unfortunately I don’t think my $10 cologne would suffice.

So I thought harder – what is the most expensive thing I have in my life? And then it hit me and it’s one I’m sure we can all relate to – the cost of attending Princeton Theological Seminary. Our future Master of Divinity degree is our jar of oil.  It is what God has called us to give.

Here at seminary, we have all sorts of different gifts and talents. We have seminarians whose lives are rooted in scripture. We have those filled abundantly with kindness, compassion, and love.  We have the charismatic preachers and we have the theologically intelligent. We have it all here at Princeton Theological Seminary.

However, the problem, once we find our place – once we find our calling here at seminary – we stick to that and only that. And by doing so, it’s like we are only giving to the poor. Yes, it’s great and all, but it’s not always what God has called us to do. As we see in the passage, Jesus says we will always have the poor to give to – or in our case, we will always have our gifts to excel in. But if we don’t get out and explore what else God has given us, then we have doing nothing in the name of Jesus.

As Christians – as true followers of Christ – we need to give our time and our talents. And the nice thing is, God has gifted us each of us with both. God wants us to succeed – to push hard and to push forward. God wants us to take risks in the ways that serve. God has called us here to seminary – to this point in our lives – and God will continue to lead us where to do. So go out there; cradle and nurture your gifts and watch them flourish, but also, go out and take risks and explore your weaknesses; do all that you can to glorify God.

So what will you give up to God? 

What will be done in remembrance of you?

Amen.

Do You Understand?

Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52

He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”

He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; 46 on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

“Have you understood all this?” They answered, “Yes.” And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”

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            Do you understand?

It’s a question all of have been asked before… from our youngest of years when we’re being scolded for breaking the rules and all throughout school when we learn something new. It’s a question we are asked when we experiences terrible new or when something goes wrong. We have been asked this question before.

Do you understand?

It’s also a question many of us ask nearly on a daily basis. We ask it at home and we ask it at work. We ask it to our family and friends; our coworkers and our boss. We ask it out of sympathy and anger and sometimes we ask it out of joyous celebration.

Do you understand?

In our gospel reading today, Jesus is telling his disciples about the kingdom of heaven. To do this, he tells them five different parables where he compares the kingdom of heaven to a mustard seed, yeast mixed into flour, a treasure hidden in a field, a merchant in search of fine pearls, and a net thrown into the sea. Each of the parables are short and to-the-point. Jesus does not go into detail; he does not offer any further explanation. There is barely enough information provided to even make an accurate interpretation. Instead, Jesus asks his disciples “if they have understood all this” to which they reply “Yes.”

Now, this is what I can tell you about the kingdom of heaven based on the parables. It is both small and large; it is always at work as it grows and flourishes; it is very valuable but hidden, invisible to humankind; and it is welcoming to all who believe in God. But that is all I can tell you based on these parables. The kingdom of heaven is still a mystery, and I, in my humility, do not fully understand it.

But that also makes me questions if that was the lesson to be learned from Jesus here. Sure, Jesus is teaching about the kingdom of heaven, but we also know that Jesus always had more than one agenda when he told his parables. And that makes me question whether the disciples fully understood what the kingdom of heaven is actually like or if they responded with a “yes” for another reason? Maybe they did not fully understand the kingdom of heaven; maybe they said “yes” because they saw a different lesson to be learned from Jesus. We do not understand the kingdom of heaven – what this perfect place is actually like – but we can learn something else here. See, the disciples not only learned about the kingdom of heaven, but they also understood Jesus knew exactly what he was talking about and they placed their trust in him. They asked Jesus to grant them wisdom and that is exactly what Jesus did, even if they didn’t fully understand.

You see, wisdom is a miraculous gift given to humankind from God. It’s more than being smart; it is more than having knowledge. It is intelligence enhanced by power, judgment, rationality, and discernment. It is the ability to know what is true or what is right. And in this passage, Jesus knows what is true. And it takes great wisdom to place our own trust in Jesus; it takes great wisdom to understand that.

You see, we are following a faith where they will always be more questions than answers; where there are more mysteries than proofs.  But that doesn’t make it any less true. It’s a beautiful thing about Christianity. It’s a place where we can individually follow Christ and have a relationship with God.

We will not always understand scripture and how we can apply it in our lives. We will not always understand why terrible or difficult things happen to us or the people we love. We will not understand how we can celebrate one day but suffer the next. But we can pray. We can ask God for wisdom, we can ask to place our trust in Christ and embracing our humility that God alone is the only one to have full understanding. We need to listen and we need to obey. We need to understand that we will not always understand. We need to know we are dependent on God. That is the wisdom we need.

Do you understand? No, not yet, but this is only the beginning. Amen. 

The Least of These

Matthew 25:34-40

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37 Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’"

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"First day here at Camp Metigoshe, and I don't know how I'm feeling; maybe ‘conflicted’ is the best way to describe this. I don’t know when I became so shy that I’m afraid to meet new people. It’s not that I fear any of them—they’re all actually really nice, funny, crazy, and accepting—I fear their inner thoughts. I fear what they might think of me; that it is more ‘natural’ for Christians to be cruel, bland, conformed, and judgmental because that has been my experience with many Christians from my past. I want to call them friends, but I’m too afraid to try. Wow, I’m starting to make it sound like I’m the weird, antisocial counselor in the corner. Forever alone. Trying to make myself laugh here. We held our first worship service tonight. It's called Vespers. Vespers is a quiet worship service that is held in the late evening - a time to reflect. The staff is sitting in a large circle, and in the middle of the room is a cross, made out of several logs, each with several holes that line across the middle of each log so that they each may hold several candles. As a staff, we went around our circle, singing slow, beautiful songs while each one of us took a turn lighting a candle. We then passed on the message of 'You are the light of the world' to the person next to us as it became their turn to light a candle. I may have lit a candle, but tonight no light came from me.

One song in particular stood out to me; it's called 'The Lord is my Light.' The lyrics go:

'The Lord is my light. And my salvation.

Whom shall I fear? Whom shall I fear?

The Lord is my strength. The strength of my life.

Of whom shall I be afraid.'

This song stood out to me because it asked, ‘Whom shall I fear?’ I do not fear God like maybe I should. Instead, I fear God’s people and how they may perceive others. I know I should not fear what people think, but I do. Here I am, at a camp where I am supposed to spread my love of the Lord with others, but right now, I’m just lost in the dark."

That was my first journal entry I made this summer while I was working at Camp Metigoshe right outside of Bottineau, ND. It's dated May 20, 2013. I look back at the journal entry, and I am actually shocked, appalled, and disappointed that I wrote that. Because now that the summer is over, I don't feel like that at all. I read it again and again, but it's like I'm reading it from a different perspective. I said I don't fear The Lord, but I did. I feared what others would think of me, and if I feared them, I also feared The Lord. Because if there's something I saw on a daily basis at Camp Metigoshe, it was The Lord through the works of others. It was a lesson on serving people known as the "Least of These." I read that first journal entry I made, and I realize, in that particular moment, I was the least of these. I wasn't actually hungry or thirsty. I wasn't exactly a stranger, and I definitely wasn't naked. I wasn't sick nor was I in prison. But that first night, I felt them all. But God provided me everything I needed. All summer long the staff of Camp Metigoshe served the Lord because it is the Lord who serves all of us.

I was hungry for the reassurance I was meant to be at Camp Metigoshe. But through staff members and campers, I felt like I belonged and that being there was my purpose.

I was thirsty for answers of questions that always made me unsure of myself. But through staff members and campers, I learned faith isn't about having answers; it's about having hope.

I was a stranger as I was different. But through staff members and campers, I was embraced and loved for the person I am. 

I was naked – uncomfortable and hidden. But through staff members and campers, I was clothed with compassion, comfort, and peace. 

I was sick with the feeling of failure. But through staff members and campers, I was told that I do have the calling to make a great pastor someday, and that I was already making a difference. 

And I was in a prison created by myself, to keep myself in and others out. But through staff members and campers, my walls were broken down. Camp Metigoshe is not and never will be a prison for those who come. It is a place to call home. It's a place where my faith grew and where I was surrounded by a family. 

The last week of camp, during our last Bible study for the counselors, we shared our highs and lows of the summer. My lows were forgotten, but for my highs, the list was endless. I thought of memories that were created each week – one group of Pioneers, one group of Discoverers, one group of Seek Week, two Day Camps, three groups of Voyageurs, and two weeks serving as either the Co-Cook or Waterfront Director for two different Trinity Weeks. But if I had to choose my ultimate high: it was the love, support, and acceptance I received every single day from the staff that surrounded me.

We have another song at Camp called "Gonna Dance!" It’s upbeat and fast and allows us to do crazy, fun things such as Dance, Laugh, Jump, Sing, Trout (yes, we trout - it's like a

"Splish-Splash” kind of thing), and Pray "before the Altar of The Lord." And then it goes "Won't be afraid of living anymore; won't be afraid like before!"

I fear The Lord but not in the way that I feared myself or the way I feared living. Instead, my fear is imagining my life without God’s everlasting love. The Lord our God is always there, and it is God who provides us with everything we need. If you ever feel you are the least of these—and trust me, everyone has experienced being the least of these—remember you are not alone. God will always love you; God will love you for exactly the person you were created to be.

I'm done being afraid of living, and instead, I'll be dancing and laughing and jumping and singing and trouting (yep, I'm gonna trout) and praying and whatever else He asks of me. I will serve the least of these and even the best of these because God serves all. And through God, no one will ever be abandoned when they feel like least of these. Regardless who the person is – love them and serve them and let them know they are not alone. The Lord is our light. Follow this light. Let the Lord’s light shine through you. Be the light of the world.