The Creation Before Creation

I preached this sermon at Lawrence Road Presbyterian Church on Sunday, September 13, 2015. Inspiration for this sermon came from scripture, film, art, and theology analogies.

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Proverbs 1:20-33

20 Wisdom cries out in the street;

    in the squares she raises her voice.

21 At the busiest corner she cries out;

    at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:

22 “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?

How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing

    and fools hate knowledge?

23 Give heed to my reproof;

I will pour out my thoughts to you;

    I will make my words known to you.

24 Because I have called and you refused,

    have stretched out my hand and no one heeded,

25 and because you have ignored all my counsel

    and would have none of my reproof,

26 I also will laugh at your calamity;

    I will mock when panic strikes you,

27 when panic strikes you like a storm,

    and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,

    when distress and anguish come upon you.

28 Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;

    they will seek me diligently, but will not find me.

29 Because they hated knowledge

    and did not choose the fear of the Lord,

30 would have none of my counsel,

    and despised all my reproof,

31 therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way

    and be sated with their own devices.

32 For waywardness kills the simple,

    and the complacency of fools destroys them;

33 but those who listen to me will be secure

    and will live at ease, without dread of disaster.”

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On the seventh day, God finished the creation and he rested. He blessed and hallowed it, declaring it a day of holy rest after all the work God had done. Everything was good as it was created by God.

On the sixth day, “God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them, male and female he created them.” These humans would have dominion over the animals that covered the earth. And so before God created humankind, God created the wild beasts of the earth. Everything that ran or galloped; creeped or crawled, God created. God blessed the humans and the animals and said to humans, “Be fruitful and multiply! Fill the earth! Hold dominion over the beasts of the earth and the fish of the sea and the birds of the air!”

Which brings us back to the fifth day! God created the fish of the sea and the birds of the air! Everything from the great sea monsters to the tiniest of creatures; to the majestic eagles to the beautiful sparrows.  The waters swam and the air flew, filled with creatures of every kind, joining the great lights of the sky.

It was on the fourth day God created these great lights, the sun and the moon and the stars. During the day, one greater light would rule the sky and at night, one lesser light along with the stars would rule the sky. These were the signs for time and seasons. And the light that the sun and the moon gave covered the earth and the seas.

And that is why on the third day God created the earth and the seas. God took the waters from beneath the sky and gathered them into one place so that dry land would appear. The dry land was called earth and the gathered waters were called the seas. Upon the earth, vegetation was drawn forth. There were seeds and fruits and trees. These were the plants that would be nourished by the lights and the plants that would nourish the humans and the animals. This all occurred in waters below the waters of the sky.

Because it was on the second day God separated the waters by creating a dome in their midst. There were the waters below the dome and the waters above the dome. This dome was called sky and it was filled with both light and darkness.

And it was the light that God created on the first day. “Let there be light,” God declared. And the light was good. It was separated from the darkness. The light was called day and the darkness called night.  But before this separation, there was only darkness covering a formless void. There was nothing but God the Creator.

This is the reversal of creation story we know. It’s the story that starts our Bible. It’s the story we read time and time again, from our youngest of years in Sunday School to even now in Adult Education. We know this story. But reading this story in the reverse order causes one to think, what was God doing before the first day? What occurred on the days before days? What was God’s plan or intention?

 And that brings us to the book of Proverbs. In the days before days, there was a creation before creation. Before the humans or the animals were created, before the fish of the sea or the birds of the sky, before the sun and the moon and the stars, before the vegetation and the earth and the seas, before the dome called the sky, before the light was separated the darkness, before God swept across the formless void, God created something else: Wisdom.

 It was wisdom that was brought forth in the days before days and it was wisdom that was created before the creation. And it was wisdom that worked beside God while he created. And it was wisdom that rejoiced at the end of each day because of God’ work. It was wisdom that delighted in God’s human race. But we know what happened after the creation. Humankind sinned.

Our passage today is personification of an attribute of God as portrayed by Lady Wisdom. She is angry and frustrated with the sins of humankind. And her angry warning is supposed to create some sort of catalyst and spark a fear into our hearts. She is saying that she will abandon us for we have abandoned her. It’s a terrifying warning and it’s an even more terrible thought. But it through this fear explained by Lady Wisdom that we continue to learn more about the accessibility of God and how God comes to us.

First, we need to acknowledge, Wisdom, especially in its purest form, can be terrifying. It’s the truth. The cold hard truth. And it’s even more terrifying when we know it to be true but we wish it wasn’t.

When I first read this passage in preparation for this sermon, I instantly thought of the Lord of the Ring movies / books. I knew I had to watch the first movie again. So three hours later and three hours not studying for my classes at seminary, I made a conclusion. Lady Wisdom eerily reminds me of Galadriel. For those of you who haven’t seen the movie or read the book, Lord of the Rings is about a small and humble hobbit named Frodo traveling to a land of shadow and darkness to destroy a ring of great evil. Galadriel is a wise and beautiful elven queen he meets along the way. And at one point, Frodo offers her the ring to which she responds with a wicked and terrible speech… a wicked and terrible speech filled with wisdom.

Now mind you, I was nine when this movie first came out. As the movie was PG-13, I begged my mom to take me. She thought it was be too gruesome and that I would be too afraid. So after I begged and begged, the two of us ended up in the theatre. I remember at one point during a battle scene, one of the monsters is decapitated by one of the heroes and my mom looks over at me and asks how I’m doing. Here I am, at the edge of my seat, grasping the arm rests for dear life, with a look of excitement on my face screaming, “This is awesome!!” But mothers always seem to know best because my mom was right in the assumption that I would find this movie scary, and it was actually Galadriel’s speech that made me cower in fear. This beautiful elven woman in a beautiful long and flowing dress instantly became dark and negative, covered in body armour, shouting her speech in a dark and twisted voice:

“And now at last it comes. You will give me the Ring freely! In place of the Dark Lord you will set up a Queen. And I shall not be dark, but beautiful and terrible as the Morning and the Night! Fair as the Sea and the Sun and the Snow upon the Mountain! Dreadful as the Storm and the Lightning! Stronger than the foundations of the earth. All shall love me and despair!”

It only lasted ten seconds before she was the small and beautiful queen once again, but as a boy of nine, I was terrified. Her words rang true with ambition and wisdom. But because this speech and the wisdom in her words, Frodo knew he must be the one to continue to carry the ring. It was through her terrifying wisdom that Frodo realized that this was his journey, not hers.

For another example, think about it like this. Lady Wisdom is similar to a parent scolding a child. Whether you’ve been the one scolding or the one scolded, we know this feeling. It’s not a good feeling for either party. But we understand it is something necessary we need to do. As the one scolding, parents don’t do it because they want to; they do it because they have to. They probably dislike it just as much as the one being scolded. They firmly tell their child what he or she has done wrong and the consequences that will follow. They do this to teach the child a lesson. But even in the scolder’s anger or frustration, their love for their child does not diminish. This is an act of wisdom. As the one being scolded, they don’t want it happen; they don’t even want to admit it needs to happen. They may whine or complain, but eventually they will listen to their parents. They suffer through the consequences and they learn. They try not to let it happen again. And even here, in the shame and sorrow of the one being scolded, their love for their parent does not diminish. This is a response to an act of wisdom; therefore, this too is an act of wisdom.

Lady Wisdom is a scolding parent whose love for her children is being expressed through anger. We are those children. We have been the simple or those who choose to remain ignorant. We have been the scoffers or those who take pleasure in cynicism. And we have been the fools or those who despise knowledge. And each time, we have rejected her wisdom. Time and time again, we reject God’s wisdom. And for rejecting wisdom, wisdom will reject us. There will be sudden and unpredictable consequences that come like a storm and a whirlwind upon us. We will reap what we have sown and we shall be punished for our evil deeds. As I said, wisdom, especially in its purest form, can be terrifying.

While this passage is supposed to light a fire of fear within our hearts and minds, it also can be used to give us an overwhelming sense of peace. See, we have been punished. Our God came to earth in the form of a man – our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ – to die on a cross. That was our punishment. And our God continues to be punished on our behalf. For being simple and for being the scoffers; for being the fools who despise knowledge; for rejecting wisdom and for rejecting God; God is willingly and lovingly being punished on our behalf. God came to us to bear all our sins. God continues to come to us to bear all of our sins. We know this to be true!

Hear the first two verses once again, before Lady Wisdom gives her fearful warning:

Wisdom cries out in the street;

    in the squares she raises her voice.

At the busiest corner she cries out;

    at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:

No matter where we go, God is with us. It proves how accessible God is for us. We find God here in church. We find God reading scripture. We find God in our conversations with one another, with our family and friends. We find God in nature and we find God in our cities. In the streets and in the corners, in the squares and at the entrances, God is present, crying out for us. And it is only through wisdom that we are able to hear it.

There’s very well known images of Jesus knocking at a door. The images portray Jesus coming to us. What we don’t see is what is on the other side of that door. That’s us. But we’re not there ready to open the door. We’re not even preparing our house to welcome Jesus in. Rather, we’re doing everything to keep Jesus out. We’ve shut the door tight, locked all the locks, closed all the bars. Jesus is still knocking. And so then we move the couch in front of the door. And then the fridge. And the kitchen sink. And then your second-born son. Jesus is still patiently knocking.

And that is where grace comes in. Grace and wisdom and salvation. It is through these natures of God that the door is opened. It is through them that we are able to welcome Jesus into our homes and into our hearts. It is Jesus who is knocking at our door and it is through the resurrection of Christ that the door is opened.

We need to fear God. That is why we are doing everything we can to keep God out and that is why we have rejected wisdom. But there should be a greater fear in a life without God. We should fear that without God’s wisdom and love and grace, that door would never be opened.

From the creation story to the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, there was the almighty wisdom of God. It worked alongside God then and it continues to work alongside God now. It rejoices with us and it delights in us. That is why we as humankind, in our brokenness and in our sins, have been saved. It was all part of the plan. In the days before days and in the creation before creation, God had wisdom, and in that wisdom, God chose to love us.

If we live in wisdom, we will live in peace. If we fear the Lord, then there is no fear for misfortune. Because our God – our God of infinite love and wisdom – will always cry out for us.

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen. 

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All mighty and all loving God. In the days before days and in the creation before creation, you created wisdom. In that wisdom, you chose to love us. Help us to live into this love. Use your hand to guide us in ways that best serve you. Forgive us when we abandon you or when we reject your wisdom, for we know it by your grace that the door to eternal life has been opened. We pray these things in the holy name of your Son, Jesus Christ.       Amen.

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A Community of Believers

This sermon was preached at Lawrence Road Presbyterian Church on May 3, 2015. I wanted to approach this sermon from a social justice standpoint. While I believe social justice to be a major and much-needed component of ministry, it is not necessarily my gift to preach that kind of message. My gifts lie in messages of love, acceptance, and humor. But after a week filled with terror and disaster, I felt that kind of message wouldn’t be enough to give the people hope. The focus was to bring a community of believers to stand together. Issues of the world may be able to tear people apart from one another, but we will always be connected and nourished through Jesus our Vine. Inspiration for this sermon came from the Gospel; personal experiences; global, national, & local events; poetry; and worship liturgy.

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John 15:1-8

1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. 2 He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. 3 You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.

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This has been one exhausting and lonely week for our world, our nation, and our own community.

Between Saturday and Sunday, Nepal was hit by an earthquake hitting a 7.9 on the Richter Scale. Over 6600 lives were lost to this natural disaster with over 14000 injured. Both counts continue to rise even a week later, and the fate of thousands still remain unknown.  Because of landslides and other poor weather, it has been difficult for other countries to distribute aid. Citizens of Nepal continue to struggle for basic necessities such as food, water, clothes, and shelter. Nepal feels alone.

On Monday, in Baltimore, Maryland, the funeral for Freddie Gray was held. Freddie Gray was arrested on April 12^th for the possession of a switchblade. During his transport to jail, Gray experienced what police referred to as a medical emergency. He was then transported to the nearest trauma center. He died a week later on April 19^th due to injuries such as a crushed voice box and a severed spine. After his funeral, riots began in Baltimore and governor Hogan declares Baltimore in a state of emergency. Baltimore feels alone.

Tuesday, Baltimore wakes up to images and videos of destruction. Rioters rioted all through the night. Cars and buildings are burning; smoke is filling the air.  Trash, glass, and debris cover the streets. Over 100 police officers and rioters are injured while over 200 rioters were arrested. A 10:00pm curfew is put on Baltimore. But the riots begin again, this time with rioters throwing bottles, smoke bombs, and fireworks at the police. Police responded by throwing pepper balls. The rioters feel alone.

Wednesday, the rioters and volunteers in Baltimore deal with their aftermath. People question how a peaceful protest turned into a violent riot? Other protests assemble in New York, Denver, Washington DC, Minneapolis, Seattle, Philadelphia, and Cincinnati.  An additional 100 arrests are made. Even other cities begin to feel alone.

Friday morning, Freddie Gray’s death is ruled as a homicide, and the six officers involved in the arrest of Freddie Gray are faced with charges such as misconduct, assault, and manslaughter. While protestors rejoice, six more families are devastated. The nation argues whether justice was served. The police officers feel alone.

And then Friday afternoon and evening, here in our own community, the Urban Mission Cabinet, Inc. in partnership with the United Mercer Interfaith Organization, organized a three-mile walk in Trenton. They made six stops. Six stops representing the six homicides in Trenton in just this year. Following the walk, there was a Community Dinner. I was there as well as several other churches and organizations from our area. Also invited were the surviving family members of the victims in Trenton. Five of the six families attended, and I watched them mourn over the loss of their brother, their son, their father. Families still shattered by the unfairness of death. Our own neighbors feel alone.

This is the world we live in – where thousands of lives are lost due to a natural disaster, where hundreds of lives are ruined because of a terrible homicide, where six deaths occurred this year alone in our own community. So yeah, this week has been exhausting and lonely to say the least.

But it is in these times where we turn to the Word of God for peace and for nourishment. In our gospel reading for today, we have the last of Jesus’ “I am” verses. Before this Jesus has declared himself as the Bread of Life, the Light of the World, the Door of the Sheep, the Good Shepherd, the Resurrection and the Life, the way, the truth, and the life, and now, Jesus declares himself as the true vine. God is the vinegrower, and we are the branches. It’s in this passage where we are called to remember that we are not self-sufficient – that we cannot bear precious fruit without the nourishment of Christ. That despite what the world may tell us, we are not alone.

This world is too much for us to handle by ourselves.  If we were alone, how could we make our way through life? We hear in the Great Thanksgiving that we should live “Through Christ, with Christ, in Christ” but how do we get to that point? How can we abide with Christ? How can Christ abide in us?

I wrestled with the question: why do we need the church? There’s a strong movement of Christians who identify their spiritually is found outside of the church walls. They quote “My God is not limited to a building” or “I don’t need to be in a sanctuary to worship.” And while I agree this to be true and for it to be great and for it to be excellent… I ask myself, is it enough? Why do we need the church?

After a week like this one, we should remember there is a strength found in community and a unity found in fellowship. Like the fruit grown on the branches of a vine, we cannot bear our own fruit without the nourishment of Christ and without the support of one another. We are called to be his disciples. Not individual, to each his or her own, disciples, but disciples brought together as one connected, thriving vine. This connection to one another and to God is a gift freely given to us.

Together, united as one strong church fellowship, we are embraced. We are able to abide in Christ as Christ abides in us. Through the power of our Godly vine, we the branches are connected. And when this happens, our fellowship is transformed into something greater and more powerful than the hardships and brokenness and loneliness of our world. It is more powerful than earthquakes and riots and homicides – yes, it even more powerful than death. Through God’s love, we are transformed into one body.

You are called to remember this when you are invited to table:

“Come to this table, not because you must but because you may,

not because you are strong, but because you are weak.

Come, not because any goodness of your own gives you a right to come,

but because you need mercy and help.

Come, because you love the Lord a little and would like to love him more.

Come, because he loved you and gave himself for you.

Come and meet the risen Christ, for we are his Body.”

Let us break bread together. Let us drink from the cup together. We will do so with every saint of every time and place to remind us we are never alone in this world. Through the vine that is Christ, we are brought together in a family of all believers. It is through his nourishment that we are all intertwined.

In the midst of earthquakes and riots and homicides, abide with God. God already abides with you. We all have a sense of longing for something greater. A place to call home. God has given to us that place. A piece of the heavenly kingdom here on earth. And it’s already inside of you.

You may feel lonely, but know that you are not alone.

The last two verses tell us this: “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”

We are called to the faith to be a part of a larger community, a family created by those who abide in Christ. Joined together by our shared love for him, challenged together to bear fruit for that love in the world, we are connected together in, with, and through him.

I end with this poem written by Reverend Richard Fry:

“Abide in me,

and my words will abide in you.

Fiery, fearless words carried

across the smoking sky,

sprung by the velocity of

pent up pain and rage.

Gentle words of hope and mercy.

Strong words of love.

Hard words of loss and lost hope

that taste like ashes in the mouth

uttered on the godforsaken cross-

Nail scared hands and pierced side,

impaled body, severed spine.

Christ in the suffocating void,

where tears are not cathartic

and pain stings the heart.

Draw near us in the darkness.

May you and your words abide in us.

May they be imprinted on every

sacred and beautiful soul

created in the image of God.

No ethereal souls here,

floating off into the heavens.

Only real, embodied souls count-

What you can see and feel and taste

revealed in real suffering and struggle

and the hard fought battle for a more just world.

Let not something so precious and sacred

as one’s own soul be violated.

For the violation of one soul

is worse than 10,000

lost or tarnished treasures.

But may your mindful pruning

bear heavy fruit that will

become transformed into wine,

making drunkards of us all,

delirious at the sight

of the Lord’s abiding presence

at the last table.”

Amen.

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O God, we thank you for being the Creator who gave us life.  We pray that you shall help us return that gift by the way we live and by the way we love. You are our nourishing vine; our connection to every believer of every time and place. Your love is more powerful than all the brokenness in this world. Remind us we are never alone. Allow us to abide with you as you abide with us.  All glory and power are yours. Forever and ever.

Amen.

Letters to the Church: Part 3

This sermon was preached at Lawrence Road Presbyterian Church on March 15, 2015. During the season of Lent, Lawrence Road used a sermon series titled, “Letters to the Church.” Each week, the message was based on the Epistle Reading as assigned by the Revised Common Lectionary. Although I preached this sermon on the fourth week of Lent, it is Part 3 of the series. This was because the prior week Lawrence Road was blessed with a guest preacher who focused on the Gospel Reading rather than the Epistle. I was inspired by other Christian authors and commentators. I focused on the wording and phrasing of the passage as well as the use of the original Greek text. There is also a prayer included at the end.

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Ephesians 2:1-10

1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

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This is my first time preaching from an epistle. And let me tell you, it’s different. Different because it’s unlike the other books in the bible. It’s not poetry like found in the Psalms; it’s not a parable or story as told in the four Gospels; it’s a letter written from Paul’s perspective to a specific crowd: in this case, the Ephesians. And let me tell you, the Ephesians got their money’s worth. This letter is filled with substance. You were dead in your transgressions and sins.” “We were by nature deserving of wrath.” “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith.” These ten verses alone have enough material to fulfill a multiple week bible study. And because of how much material is covered, I had trouble picking a place to start, and so I started reading several commentaries on the text. One of the commentaries written by Kyle Fevor - the Director for Family and Young Adult Ministry at First Lutheran Church in Albert Lea, Minnesota, focused on the original language the letter was written in: Greek. I let out a sigh and a moan as I started to read his commentary as I thought this would be a dry, analytical research paper. But I was pleasantly surprised. Yes, it was a dry and yes, it was analytical, but Mr. Fevor made some good points, and I was instantly inspired. I thought I would try it for myself, and so, back to the original Greek text I went.

What’s funny about this, just three weeks ago or so, Nina and I were having one of a supervisory meetings. Now, to be ordained as a teaching elder in the PCUSA church as required by our Book of Order, seminarians are required to take two language courses: Hebrew and Greek. I am currently three quarters of my way through the latter. Back to the meeting, Nina and I were discussing the necessity of this when I told her I would never be the minister who dove deeply into the language while preaching and tried to explain the use of a word to the congregation. Well, here I am today, proving myself wrong, as that is exactly my starting point. As a side note, I now learned to never say never in ministry. More than likely whatever I say I will never do I will end up doing the following week.

Anyway, I went back to the original language of greek, and right away a word stood out to me. περιπατέω (Peripateo). Forms of this verb are found twice in this passage. Once in verse two and again in verse ten. It translated first as “a way in which we once lived” and the the second time it is translated as “a way we will be living.” However, the actual translation of περιπατέω (peripateo) means to walk. As in, “a way in which we once walked and a way we will be walking.” But this isn’t walking in the literal, physical sense - this is walking in the metaphorical sense. The closest comparison I can make to explain this metaphorical sense of walking is the song, “Walking on Sunshine.” You know the one I’m talking about? I’m not going to sing it because I don’t consider myself a singer and you would all be mortified, but the lyrics are “I’m walking on Sunshine. Woah oh. And don’t it feel good!” We all know the singer isn’t physically walking on sunshine. I don’t even have to explain what would happen to them if they were, but instead, the singer is feeling pure joy - joy that is so great that it makes the singer feel as if they are metaphorically walking on a big ball of sunshine. 

This is similar to Paul’s message regarding death and new life in Ephesians. When Paul starts the second chapter of his letter to Ephesus, he starts boldly and strongly. He declares the citizens of Ephesus as dead. Because of their sins and their transgressions, because they are children of wrath - they were dead. The ways of this world didn’t give them life; instead, it sentenced them to death. There was nothing they could do to save themselves; there was nothing they could do to bring them to life. They were metaphorical walking corpses. They were living a life of rotting and decaying, because even if they were physically walking, they were walking the way of death. And without a savior - they would continue to be walking this dismal journey until the finality of physical death overtook them. They were, and will be forevermore, dead. 

This same message applies to us. Because without a Savior, we too are dead. We too have walked the journey of death. Not now but long before we were born, before we took our first breath of life, before we were even conceived in our mother’s womb, we were dead. Let me say that one more time. We were dead.

It’s a difficult concept to grasp. I mean, here we are, living and breathing as we join together in Sunday worship. Alive in this moment but once dead before Christ and before one another. How is this possible? When we were ever dead? 

What we have to understand is the world keeps moving. Yes, God is eternal and infinite and never changes, but the world does. And part of this changing causes the corruption of churches and the messages they preach. These Churches do not proclaim the gospel or new life, but instead, these are the churches that bring metaphorical death to their members. Right now there are churches who forbid people who identify with the LGBTQ community to worship with their congregation. Right now there are churches who close their doors to people who suffer from mental diseases or addictions. Right now there are churches who ask members to leave if they have an abortion, a child out of wedlock, or a divorce. There are still churches who don’t allow their black and brown brothers and sisters to worship with them because they are viewed as lesser beings. And even now, we still have churches where women are taught that wives should serve their husbands and where men are taught that husbands should own their wives. It saddens me. Would any of you be allowed to worship at those churches? Or would you have been excluded? Would you have been made dead by the ways of these churches? Who does that church have left in their congregation? They have sent everyone away. I don’t know about you but this is not the course I want to be walking.

But here’s the thing about walking. We are not standing still; we are not stuck. The place in which we were will not be the place in which we will be. We are slowly but surely moving somewhere. Paul writes that we were once dead. But no longer! We have been made alive through Christ Jesus. We have been saved by grace! Death was defeated, and we were given new life. And this is the message that this church preaches. Whether this is your thousandth time in that pew or your first time, God has brought you to this place for a reason. God has brought us together in this place. It didn’t matter what you have done. It doesn’t matter what you will do because you haven’t saved yourself; that responsibility and power wasn’t put on you. A greater being - a being rich in mercy and love - took that on for you. And that is a blessing and a gift. And although you could have done nothing to save yourself, God stills call upon you to do something. You have been saved by grace through faith IN ORDER that you may do good works through Christ Jesus. Our works have not saved us, but they are part of the goal God had in mind in saving us. And that makes me think of the way - the journey - that I want to be walking.

When I think of where I want to be, I think of this place. A place where all are welcome. A place where people come to be made alive again through Christ.  Author Justin Lee recalls a monumental worship service in his younger years, “The conference opened with a praise and worship session. Here, in the midst of so many Christians singing their songs of praise to God together, I felt much more at ease. This—-this—-was what it was to be a Christian: broken, hurting, imperfect people, united in love and gratitude to God. I could have worshiped forever in that room. I felt at peace.”

See, that was the path God has created for you to walk. A place where you can bring your brokenness, your pain, and your imperfections, unite them in love and gratitude, and lay them down at God’s holy feet. That place is here. Right here. See this table. That is your place. A place to lay the things that have made you feel dead - a place that serves as a living reminder of the grace that saved you. That is what happens when we partake of the bread and juice. You are taken before Christ, and you are reminded you are cared for by a God rich in mercy and grace. So when you take communion later, bring your sins and transgressions. Let go of your wrath. Bring everything that has made you dead. And lay it down. When you eat the bread, know you have been forgiven. When you drink from the cup, know you have been given eternal life. Feel at peace.

We are the people of God. It was Christ who has saved us. But it is also Christ who calls us to act like Christians. God’s grace is a gift that is freely given to us. We don’t earn a thing when it comes to God’s love, and we only try to live in response to the gift. 

No one is climbing the spiritual ladder. We don’t continually improve until we are so spiritual we no longer need God. Rather, this is a gift you have been given that you may do good works. The “others” that the corrupted churches have made dead; they are no longer the “others.” They are our brothers and sisters in Christ. That is exactly how we need to treat them. We re not saved by good works, but but we saved so that the good works could reconcile and serve as evidence of reconciliation.. It’s not just for us; it’s for the reconciliation of the world. Do not exclude others to metaphorical death; remind them of the new and eternal life freely given to them through Christ Jesus. Allow them to remind you of your own new and eternal life. Be a blessing to one another.

When Paul wrote to the Ephesians, he wrote that they once walked the way of death. We too have walked the way of death. But through the love of God, we were made alive in Christ. We were created new through Christ. God has looked down upon you, saw your deadness - your imperfections and sins, proclaimed his mercy and love, and saved you by grace through faith. “And this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” This is the path God has created for you to walk.

Amen.

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Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer God: We know that you have created a way for us to walk. Allow us to do so with grace and forgiveness as we walk hand in hand with our sisters and brothers. For once we once dead, but you have made us alive in through the life, death, and resurrection of your one and only beloved Son: Jesus Christ. Nourish us and sustain us as we walk this path of righteousness for your sake. For we know we are saved by grace through faith; it is not our doing, but a precious and holy gift from you. 

Amen.

Lessons in Faithfulness: Nathanael

          I preached this message on January 18, 2015 at my home congregation: First Presbyterian Church of Sterling, Colorado. It was part of a multiple week sermon series created by Reverend Michelle Witherspoon. Each week, she used lectionary-assigned scripture passages to answer the question: “When God Calls…. How Shall I Answer? Lessons in Faithfulness.” From the perspective of biblical characters, we examined different appropriate responses to this question. It was my honor to explore the character of Nathanael, one of Jesus’ lesser-known disciples. This is my interpretation to how Nathanael responded to God’s call.

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John 1:43-51

43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.” 46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47 When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, “Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael asked him, “Where did you get to know me?” Jesus answered, “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.” 49 Nathanael replied, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus answered, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And he said to him, “Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”

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In the 1930s, psychologist and creator of the iconic super-heroine Wonder Woman, William Moulton Marston asked 3,000 people this question: "What have you to live for?"  He was shocked to find out that 94% replied “nothing,” that they were just "enduring the moment". They would describe this enduring as eagerly waiting for “something” to happen—waiting for children to grow up and leave home, waiting for next year, waiting for another time to take a long-dreamed-about trip, or just waiting for tomorrow. However, Marston also discovered another finding among the 6% who said they did have something to live for. Whether they lived for themselves, their family, or even a higher power, their philosophies were similar in that they strongly believed they must live in the present because their yesterday was already gone and their tomorrow may never come. They weren’t waiting for something to happen; they were content with what they already done or seen. Every day was another day to wholeheartedly live for something. And so when it comes to character of Nathanael, I believe he would have identified with this 6%. 

We are now in our third week of the sermon series, “Lessons in Faithfulness: When God Calls, How Shall I Answer?” Fortunately for me, Rev. Michelle asked if I would like to preach one of the weeks. Now as someone currently going through the call process to become a teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church, I was very excited when she told me about this idea. For the past two weeks, I have been sitting up in the balcony taking mental notes. If I was in the Magi’s shoes or in John’s shoes, how would I answer? From the magi, we learned that we need to pay attention. God’s call can come at any time and by any means. Whether it’s a star in the sky or a feeling in your soul, we need to pay attention to that call. Next, we moved to the river of Jordan where we meet John the Baptist. John shows us that all of us are called by God. We remember this in the waters of our baptism. So what’s do we learn from today’s gospel lesson? Well, first we should admit this passage is not a well-known biblical story. In fact, earlier this week, I was eating dinner with some friends and they knew I would be preaching here this Sunday. They asked about the passage I was preaching on, and when I told them it was on the story of Jesus calling upon Nathanael, they responded with a quizzical, “Who?” Yes, in this passage we meet one of Jesus’ lesser-known disciples who goes by the name Nathanael in the Gospel of John and possibly by Bartholomew in the other three gospels. For this sermon, we’ll refer to him just as Nathanael, and if we’re talking about minor characters in the Bible, Nathanael is a major contender. Like I said, Nathanael is only in one of the four gospels – the gospel of John – and even here, he is only mentioned twice. In this passage and once again in a list of witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus. And so whatever we can learn about Nathanael is found in these couple of verses. To find out how Nathanael responded to God’s call, we must be able to understand this passage, so let us dive into the story.

In John chapter one, we read that the Word was made Flesh, the Flesh is Jesus, Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist, and then Jesus calls upon his first disciples. This happens all within a matter of days as each passage including today’s gospel lesson starts with the phrase, “The next day.” And so, the next day Jesus meets Philip and calls upon Philip to follow him on his journey. But before Philip drops everything to follow Jesus, he goes back to Bethsaida to find his friend to invite him as well. It’s a person-to-person interaction. And that’s where we meet the character Nathanael. But when Philip tells Nathanael about Jesus of Nazareth, Nathanael responds with honest skepticism and doubt. “Nazareth?! Can anything good come from Nazareth?!”

Nathanael was a traditional Israelite. A man who probably immersed himself in study and meditation. He must know the Old Testament because that’s how Philip refers to Jesus when he approaches Nathanael.  As for Nazareth, it was a town known for its terrible vices – for its lowly and despised people. To suggest anything good can come from Nazareth – especially the Messiah – was a ridiculous and preposterous idea, a joke even. He wasn’t expecting the Savior of the people to come from Nazareth; he probably wasn’t expecting the Savior of the people to even come at all. After all, Nathanael was a man living in his own present. He’s not the type of guy waiting around for something to happen or for someone to come. So when Philip goes to Nathanael saying that someone in fact did come, Nathanael’s question is an honest one. To which Philip responds with an open invitation. “Come and see,” he says. And to which, Nathanael does.

Nathanael then goes before the Lord, and instantly Jesus calls him a man in whom there is no deceit. Nathanael – a good and honest man – maybe a little blunt – but still a good-hearted, honest man. But this puzzles Nathanael and he asks Jesus, “Where did you come to know me?” Jesus says, “I saw you under the fig tree,” and boom, a revelation happens within Nathanael. He declares Jesus as the King of Israel, as the Son of God! The very Savior that the people have been waiting for – the one and true Messiah. This must have amazed Nathanael – he was not expecting to see goodness in the flesh. He thought this was already the greatest miracle he has even seen! This is what Nathanael will live for! But then Jesus ends this passage by alluding to his eventual resurrection. He tells Nathanael that if you thought this was great, well, you’ve seen nothing yet! Something even greater will happen!

And there’s where we get to the main point found in today’s lesson, when Jesus called upon Nathanael, he responded with an honest but curious mind – he responded with openness to witness something greater.

Through Nathanael’s initial skepticism and doubt, we can learn that when God calls, we must respond with an open mind. We must live in the present while awaiting for God to come to us again in the future. This summer I was doing a bible study with my summer staff up in North Dakota, and in the bible study on prayer, there was the line, “Live as if everything depended on you; pray as if everything depended on God.” That is a perfect example for the way to live as directed by this passage. God knows you; God has created a plan and a purpose just for you. That’s your call. Do we fully understand the call? No. But we do know that God has not called us to sit and around wait for the next great thing. God wants us to act now. To live healthy and empowering Christian lives; to live for something right now in the moment. Because yes, greater things will come, but there is already greatness around you. God has seen you – each one of you – under your own metaphorical fig tree.

That’s the lesson in faithfulness; that is how we can respond to God’s call. Allow yourself to be open to the world around you.  Open to change; to passion and pain; to both the good and the bad. Open yourself to sharing the good news with others. See, the Christian faith has been passed from person to person for over 2000 years starting with Jesus. We see it in today’s lesson. Jesus tells Philip who tells Nathanael. And all kept an open mind. And that’s how it has worked ever since. The spread of the Christian church across the world is the person-to-person story of the thousands of people who fanned out across the globe to tell the story about Jesus and what Jesus had done for them. One person says to another, “I follow Jesus and invite you to do so too.” Churches were then built. People started attending Sunday worship. Those people invited their family and friends to join them in worship. Later on as the church grows as more people start attending worship. Then parents bring their infant children to Jesus in baptism and then bring them up to follow him. Those children grow up and then do the same for their own children. And the church is growing. Well, that’s the idea, right?

Well in reality, the church is not growing. And that’s because we have grown content with living for nothing. We identify with the 94% who says that we have nothing to live for now, but we are waiting for something greater. This is where we take Nathanael as our example. Be honest and curious, but allow yourself to be open for something different. Do not turn people away. Do not shut down their ideas or beliefs. Embrace them and use it an open invitation to see something greater. Invite those who are different from yourself so that they may be able to a see a glimpse into your world and so that you may be able to see a glimpse into theirs. God often reveals God self through the actions of humankind. And so to be a witness to God's manifestation, we need to keep an open mind for they could lead you to goodness. 

We know that we are all called but to interpret that call is another action of response we need to take.  It's okay to be skeptical or doubtful like Nathanael was - that's human nature - but what beautiful and miraculous things could we see if we just allowed ourselves to be open.  We must embrace the things we know as well as embrace the things we don’t. Be grateful for every moment we have. The moments we have right here in the present. Right here and right now. Live every day with an open mind. That’s when greatness will come to you. Yes, God will reveal God’s self to us once again through the second coming of Christ, but sitting around and waiting for this wasn’t God’s plan. Instead, while we wait, we must actively spread Christian love. People become Christians because they have seen what the Christian faith has done for those whom they know. The saying passed down from the early years of the church still rings true: “See those Christians, how they love one another.”

And so we go back to the initial question. What have you to live for? The answer is not nothing. You have been called to live for something. Whether you know what that is or not, it is there. God has seen you; God knows you; and God has called you. Find something to live for now. Live now in the moment. God will come to us to us again, but as Jesus told Nathanael, you’ve seen nothing yet! Keep an open mind and an open heart. Because greatness can come from anywhere and anyone. Amen.