2017 Statements of Faith Sermon

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

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John 14:15-21

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

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

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

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

Please pray with me:

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

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

Taylor: What do you believe about the Trinity?

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

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

Michael: I believe in Love, Lover, Beloved.

Taylor: What do you believe about God?

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

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

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

Taylor: What do you believe about Jesus?

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

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

Taylor: What do you believe about the Holy Spirit?

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

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

Taylor: What do you believe about the Bible?

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

Taylor: What is your favorite Bible passage?

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

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

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

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

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

Taylor: What do you believe about mission and outreach?

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

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

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

Taylor: Why do we live in a Christian community?

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

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

Taylor: What do you believe about the Sacraments?

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

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

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

Taylor: What do you believe about sin?

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

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

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

Taylor: What do you believe about the Resurrection?

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

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

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

Taylor: Why do you want to be confirmed?

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

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

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

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

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

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Living as Sheep

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

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John 10:1-10

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

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

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

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

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

Never imagined me up here singing, did you?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks be to God! Amen.

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Lenten Blessings

“Lenten Blessings” was preached at Sunnyside Presbyterian Church on Sunday, March 12, 2017. Inspirations for this sermon include Scripture, commentaries, Lenten devotionals, reformed theology, and the theme: leaving the past. A shortened, adapted version of this sermon was preached to the Presbytery of Wabash Valley on Saturday, March 18, 2017 as part of my ordination examination.

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Genesis 12:1-4a

1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him.

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John 3:1-17

1 Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. 2 He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. 6 What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ 8 The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” 9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?

11 “Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

17 “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

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Consider your Lenten blessings. Yes, you heard that right: Lenten blessings.

For a good majority of us, that might seem like an odd pairing of words: Lenten & Blessings. Some of us might argue and say, “Take out Lent: why not just ask us to consider our blessings all the time.” After all, John Calvin, a founding theologian of our reformed tradition, was superstitious of Lent and believed we should be celebrating a little bit of Easter and the resurrection in every Sunday. For others, maybe the phrase “Lenten blessings” is odd because it’s somewhat of an oxymoron. If Lent if a time for suffering and struggle; for lament and longing – why would I ask you to consider your blessings during a season such as this? But I’m asking you to do it. Consider your Lenten blessings. And whether you are feeling more blessed than Lenten or feeling more Lenten than blessed, let us pair those words together and consider our Lenten blessings.

Whether you see Lent as another time to celebrate the resurrection or whether you see Lent as a time of darkness… If there is one thing we can agree on about the season of Lent, it’s that it comes before the season of Easter. There’s no debating that one. Just as Advent comes before Christmas, Lent definitely comes before Easter. We use these forty days; these seven weeks to follow Jesus’ life to his eventual death on the cross and the promised resurrection to come. Some use this season as a time to give something up—perhaps sweets or social media. Others use this season as a time to take something on—more time reading Scripture, more time in intentional prayer. And then there are some who choose Lent as a moment to leave something behind and as an opportunity to move forward. That’s one of my favorite things about the season of Lent—it’s a time in the church that makes us want to do something as we prepare Easter and the resurrection.

I want to particularly focus on that last action: leaving something behind in order to move forward.

One of my absolute favorite things about being new and fresh in ministry is that everything—and I mean everything—excites me. I love committee meetings and creating plans for the church. I love making visits to church members in their homes or at the hospital and hearing their stories. I love talking with people before and after worship, and I love working alongside people who bring life to the many ministries across the globe. Every opportunity to preach or teach or serve is a privilege I am grateful for, and I absolutely love every minute of it.

And then sometimes as a pastor, I get asked to do odd jobs, which I also love.

For example, several weeks ago I was asked to burn the palm branches so that we could collect their ashes to use in our Ash Wednesday service. This—and I don’t say this lightly—this was a dream come true! When I was asked to burn the branches, my face lit up with excitement. I grabbed the largest bowl I could find to use as a fire pit; a box full of palm branches from last year’s Palm Sunday; and as many matches as I could. Now I’m sure many of you can guess this but one-year old, dry palm branches are extremely flammable. That fire grew and grew; smoke went everywhere… and all I could think to myself was, “Oh my gosh! This is my job! This is awesome. I LOVE THIS!”

But as I continued to watch those branches burn, I couldn’t help but end up in prayerful reflection. I saw the fire grow and the scent of smoke came all around me, clinging to my clothes and filling my nostrils. It brought me back to one of my first blessings in ministry.  

As some of you may know, my first experience in ministry was working for an outdoor ministry summer camp up in northern North Dakota. When I see fire and when I smell smoke, I am instantly brought back to summer and bonfires and camp and music and joy and thanksgiving. Fire and the smoke it brings are two of the sights and smells I associate with ministry. As the branches burned, I remembered my two summers of working at Camp, first as a counselor and then as a chaplain, and how I wanted more than anything to return and work for a third summer. However, due to other commitments (specifically taking a summer Hebrew course at seminary), this wasn’t a feasible option. It was time to move on; it was time to move forward… and that was an incredibly hard decision to accept.

See, camp was my home. Camp was my comfort zone. I could do camp ministry; I was getting pretty good at camp ministry. It was that moment when everything felt okay that God then called me away. I had been blessed by my experience at camp but it was now time to share those blessings in new places with new people. And although it was hard to let go of camp, it brought me to my internship at a church in New Jersey and then to my clinical pastoral education in a hospital in Colorado and then to my residency at Sunnyside. That hard decision was followed by many good things to come. That right there is a Lenten blessing.

Lenten blessings are the good things that happen during trying times. It’s making the difficult decisions. It’s the letting go of what holds us back. It’s the moving on and moving forward. It’s what God reveals to us. Lenten blessings are remembering we are called to be better and do more when things already seem fine. And Lenten blessings are trusting God when things don’t seem fine…

Our passage in Genesis today specifically speaks to Lenten blessings: leaving something behind in order to move forward and do something else. Genesis 12 tells the call of Abram (later better known as Abraham), in which the Lord speaks to Abram and tells him to leave all he has known—his country, his family, his home—to go forth and be blessing unto others. And so Abram does, without question, he leaves his past behind and he goes forward to be a blessing. And it’s not that Abram went without struggle as he went forward to be a blessing. He continued to face hardships and difficult decisions… this includes leaving his home and heading into foreign lands, pretending his wife Sarah was his sister so the Pharaoh would take her in, being promised children in extremely old age, having his first son Ishmael with Hagar and not Sarah, then having his son Isaac with Sarah, having to then cast Hagar and Ishmael out at the request of Sarah,  and then ultimately being tested by God to see if Abram would be willing to sacrifice his son Isaac. Each time he approached hardships with a heart full of  love, trusting that God his Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer would continue to protect and hold Abram’s life as a blessing to be shared with others for generations to come.

What choices do you have to make? What do you have to let go of? How can you move forward? Where is your pain and your suffering and your struggle… and how can use that for something good? Consider your Lenten blessings; consider what is being made good and what you can, with the help of God, make better.

This is not the easiest thing to do. This is especially hard if things are so dark that it seems there is no hope to even see the light, but we are encouraged to try. Look at Nicodemus in John 3. He is still in the dark. The kingdom of God is right in front of him, but he is still unable to see it.

However, we need to give Nicodemus the credit he deserves because he is trying. He literally goes to Jesus in the middle of night trying to learn, seeking to know more so that he can become a better man. It’s important to note that Nicodemus is a Pharisee, a leader of the Jewish people. He is expected to know God’s law… but what makes Nicodemus different than some of the other Pharisees is he approaches Jesus with humility. This act is Nicodemus letting go of what he has always been told and what he as a Pharisee would interpret as God’s law… but he takes this as a chance to find answers.  

To ask open and honest questions to Jesus, I wonder how that made Nicodemus look in front of the other Pharisees. I wonder if they responded with disappointment or ridicule; I wonder if they responded with awe or curiosity. Nicodemus needed to go from what he knew and ask questions so that he would be given answers and see the new things that Jesus would show. So too are we encouraged to leave what we know in order to see the new things that God will reveal. There are few things that are more frightening than this, but there are also a few things that are more faithful.

Keep in mind Abram was in his old age when he was asked to leave his country and kindred. Keep in mind Nicodemus was a Pharisee, a well-established and respected expert of God’s law, when he sought out Jesus. But if Abram, father of the Abrahamic traditions, could leave behind his home, and if Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews, could leave behind his teachings…. Maybe we can do it too. Maybe we are called to leave something behind that is holding us back, so that new and greater things can be revealed.

During this season of Lent, we, like Abram, must go from what we know in hope that God will bless us to be a blessing. We, like Nicodemus, must seek out what Christ will reveal to us and we must do so in humility and openness. This is your opportunity; this is your moment. What is God asking you to leave behind? What is God revealing to you? What journey must you take to expand your identity and be a better version of yourself?

We see this opportunity as a risk, but it is a risk we are called to take. After all, the choices we make to better ourselves for God’s sake will be rewarded with grace and love and salvation. Remember God did not send Christ into the world so that we would perish. God did not send the Son into the world so that it may be condemned. No, God sent Christ into the world so that it may be saved. Christ was sent so that we have been guaranteed eternal life. This is the greatest blessing of all; this is the guaranteed reward to your risk.

My friends, consider your Lenten blessings. In the midst of your darkness, where is the good? In the midst of what’s good, what can be made better? God is calling to us all. Go. Go forth. Go and be blessed. Go and be a blessing. Go and know God shields those who serve.

Consider your Lenten blessings; consider what you must let go; consider what good things are to come.

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

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Do Better

“Do Better” was preached at Sunnyside Presbyterian Church on Sunday, January 15, 2017. Themes found in this sermon include Scripture, call narratives, titles & names, exegetical research, and relational topics.

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Isaiah 49:1-7

1 Listen to me, O coastlands,

    pay attention, you peoples from far away!

The Lord called me before I was born,

    while I was in my mother’s womb he named me.

2 He made my mouth like a sharp sword,

    in the shadow of his hand he hid me;

he made me a polished arrow,

    in his quiver he hid me away.

3 And he said to me, “You are my servant,

    Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”

4 But I said, “I have labored in vain,

    I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity;

yet surely my cause is with the Lord,

    and my reward with my God.”

5 And now the Lord says,

    who formed me in the womb to be his servant,

to bring Jacob back to him,

    and that Israel might be gathered to him,

for I am honored in the sight of the Lord,

    and my God has become my strength—

6 he says,

“It is too light a thing that you should be my servant

    to raise up the tribes of Jacob

    and to restore the survivors of Israel;

I will give you as a light to the nations,

    that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

7 Thus says the Lord,

    the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One,

to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nations,

    the slave of rulers,

“Kings shall see and stand up,

    princes, and they shall prostrate themselves,

because of the Lord, who is faithful,

    the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

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John 1:29-42

29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.”

35 The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed). 42 He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).

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Titles matter to me. Not just a little bit; they really matter to me. As in, they probably matter too much, but still, it’s my thing; they matter to me. You know that old piece of advice, “Never judge a book by its cover.” I’m sure the saying is also true about titles. “Never judge a book by its title.” But I’m going to let you in on a secret. I do. I always judge a book by its title. Okay, maybe not the entire thing, but based on the title alone, I form a preconceived idea on what that that book about. Because I do this, a title must be good enough to make me want to pick up a book and read it. Personally, I believe a title must be three things. One, it must draw people in by being catchy or creative. Two, it must spark a curiosity that makes people question what the book might be about. And three, it must somehow feature the underlying theme of the entire book without revealing too much. Take for example, J.K. Rowling’s second book “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.” One of our first questions would be, “What’s this secret in the chamber? I want to read this book and find out!” Now spoiler alert: you find out this secret is a giant snake in the basement. Can you imagine if Rowling would have titled the book, “Harry Potter and the Giant Snake in the Basement?” I don’t think any of us would have wanted to read it; a snake in the basement is a real fear for some of us! So instead, she titled it “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.” It’s catchy; it’s curious; it has a message. It made me want to read the book. As I’ve been saying, titles matter to me.

Now titles of books aren’t the only thing that matter to me; as a pastor, I also care about the titles of sermons. This week; figuring out the title for my sermon was the hardest thing I had to do. Friday morning; bulletins are about to be printed, and I still don’t have a sermon title. The entire week I was throwing around ideas: “Called by Name,” “Lamb of God,” “Too Light of Thing,” “We will, we will rock you” (That’s a Peter joke), and I just couldn’t think of one that met the three requirements that I believe a title must have. Finally, after telling myself, “C’mon, Taylor! You can do better!” I thought of one, “Do Better.” Now if any of you think I’m going to get up here and raise my fist and shout at you all to do better, I promise you I won’t. Mostly because as Christians, we already know that we all could do a little better. But no, that’s not what this sermon is. This sermon is about how God continues to do better than what we could have ever imagined or expected. A way that God does this is by forming each and every individual fearfully, wonderfully, purposefully and giving them a set of gifts that they are called to bring into this world. Yes, I am talking about you. Each of you. And our neighbors. And our enemies. Everyone. And because everyone was purposely brought into the world by God and because everyone was given their own gifts and strengths by God, God continues to do better than what we have ever imagined God would even do. So there’s the title, “Do Better.” We’ll come back to this explanation later.

But first, I want to entertain the idea that titles of sermons and books are similar to the names of people. Names, like titles, seem to encompass who a person is. The first thing we do when a meet someone new is exchange names so we have a foundation on which we can get a better understanding of one another. The meaning of a name may not particularly describe a person, but it still makes sense for one reason or another that that is their name. For example, my name: Taylor comes from the English root word “tailor” which means “cutter of cloth.” Yes, I’m not making this up, my name comes from the profession tailor. And although I can’t make or fix clothing or even sew for that matter, it somehow makes sense that I’m Taylor. You don’t know me as anything else but Taylor. I don’t know myself as anything else but Taylor. I’m a Taylor. I’m Taylor.  Think to yourself a second, does your name describe you? If it does or doesn’t, it just makes sense that your name is your name. I mean really, can you imagine having your name be something else? The name you go by today, would you ever just change it?  Or better yet, what if someone changed it for you? Because that happens in Scripture all the time, both in the Old and New Testament. In Scripture, we can refer to some of these namings as call narratives. God who knows everything and everyone calls servants by name…. and sometimes changes their name… or calls them by name without even saying their name. It might not make the most sense initially, but through call narratives we get a greater understanding about who a person is and who they are called to be. It’s the building of a foundation that destined from the very beginning, even before the person was born.

In the Gospel of John, we see an example of being called by name by Christ himself. If you look at the last six verses of our Gospel reading today, verses 37-42. Things have already happened. John has just testified that Jesus is the Light of the World and the Lamb of God; Jesus has been baptized by John; the Spirit like a dove descended upon Jesus; and now Jesus is ready to begin his ministry. The first thing Jesus does when about to start his ministry is to find disciples and call them to come and follow him. The first disciple according to the Gospel of John is Andrew, who we don’t really hear much from in the rest of Jesus’ ministry, but here Andrew plays a significant role by being the brother of Simon. Andrew then brings Simon to Jesus, and Jesus says to Simon, “You are Simon son of John. You are called to be Cephas.” Cephas which means Peter. Peter which means rock. I get it; there’s a lot of names that were just thrown out there; it’s confusing. One more time. Jesus calls Andrew. Andrews finds his brother Simon. Jesus gives Simon the new name of Peter. Andrew and Peter become the first two disciples.

And there we have it. The first two disciples called by name to serve God and follow Christ. They would both serve a purpose greater themselves, and God would use them in ways I’m sure they never saw coming. Part of this includes Peter being the rock on which the church would be built, but that would come later.

But what is even more interesting is right before Jesus gives Simon the name Peter, John the Baptist calls Jesus the Lamb of God. Let’s look at verse 29 again: “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, ‘Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’” Jesus himself is given a name; a metaphorical nickname; but still a name. And this name holds complete truth, divinity, and wonder in it. The “of God” means Jesus is the Son of God, belongs to God, comes from God, and he himself is God. And the “lamb” refers to sacrificial offerings and Passover meals and Jesus being part of the flock…which is exciting because Jesus is not only the lamb but also the shepherd…which means Jesus is both part of the flock and ruler of the flock…fully human; fully God. I’m kind of geeking out here! This name is given to show us the significance, identity, and ultimacy of Jesus. This is especially true in the Gospel of John as Jesus is given name after name, title after title, so that Jesus can fully and ultimately and divinely fulfill the calling set by God, set by himself. The “Lamb of God” is only the first name and it was given to Jesus by John, so even John the Baptist had a calling to fulfill something that was greater than himself. He would be the one to prepare the way of the Lord, and this was the calling set for him before he was even born; when he was still in Elizabeth’s womb. God gave John the Baptist a purpose.

We see it here. John was called to serve. Andrew was called to serve. Peter was called to serve. Many others would be called to serve. They were all given a plan and a purpose and a calling to serve God and to follow Christ and to be a light in the world. Yes, and I mean world because God did better than what any of them expected. The Lamb of God wouldn’t just take away sin from the Jewish people or take away sin from just the believers; the Lamb of God would take away the sin of the world. That is why God calls people to serve, so that God would do better than what we thought could even be done at all.

This is evident in Isaiah. Isaiah 49:1-7 is the second of five calls for a “suffering servant” in the book of Isaiah. This is because the Israelites are experiencing a moment of being down and out. They feel that as God’s people, they have been defeated. Their temple has been destroyed. They were put into chains and forced in submission to serve in Babylon. They are now alienated from both their land and their God. This exile more than anything is the epitome of an identity crisis and a faith crisis. I imagine the Israelites asking themselves, “How can we worship God in this foreign land? Are we still God’s chosen people? Is there even a God at all?”

This leads Isaiah the prophet to put out a message from God. This messages calls for a person that was chosen long before birth to come and save the Israelites from their current destruction and alienation. And as we’ve been saying, God would do better than expected, so this person wouldn’t just save the Israelites but would save all nations.  This person would be a servant of God who would be called to be a light to the nations, a source of salvation, a bringer of justice, and an ally to the oppressed, the poor, the needy, and the imprisoned. And although this passage alludes to the eventual coming of Jesus of Nazareth who would emerge as the ultimate Suffering Servant, whose suffering and sacrifice on the cross would bring healing and salvation for all; this passage should also be recognized that there is a purposeful call for an anonymous savior.

God would raise up a servant, but it would be one hidden and unknown to the people. It would be a nobody. This isn’t a new concept in Scripture. God often calls unlikely servants for great purposes: Abraham, David, Mary, Paul just to name a few. And this servant—this nobody—would be called while still invisible to the world, while still in the womb. This servant would be chosen to fulfill greatness. This person would play a significant part in God’s mission for the world.

There is a reason why this person was never called specifically by name in Isaiah. Sure, it makes the connection to Christ, but if we believe Christ works through us today, then this passage is a call from God for all of us. This passage is God calling us all by name. We may be the most unlikely people called into God’s service, but that’s what God does; God calls unlikely people to become servants. Our neighbors may be the most unlikely; our enemies may be the most unlikely, but again, that’s what God does. We may ask how can we serve; we may question our purpose; we may say that we have nothing to offer the world, but that is not true. We don’t have to initially recognize ourselves or each other as servants of God. God will use all of us anyway; God will give us all a plan and a purpose and a way to use our gifts that best serve God and all of God’s people. We just have to be open to what God is calling us to do.

Our country is on the precipice of change. For so many of us, this can be a turbulent time. All of us in our own way are crying out to God wondering what will happen next: where will the leaders of the world take us. We are facing our own version of an identity crisis. But if remember that God will do better than what we expect of God; maybe we’ll be okay. And if we remember that God calls out to all people and that all people have something they can use to better humanity, maybe we’ll be better than okay. God called to you and your neighbor and your enemy long before any of us were born. God still calls to you by name to serve.

Let’s go back to the title: “Do Better.”  This was God’s plan for Godself. Christ would do better than what we thought was possible. Christ wouldn’t just save the Israelites; that wouldn’t be enough. Christ would save the entire world. Christ wouldn’t just call the best of the best to serve; that wouldn’t be enough. Christ would call all to serve; the likely and the unlikely. God would bestow all people with gifts that could be used to better this world.  God would call each of us by name. This was the plan. This IS the plan. Thanks be to God. Amen.  

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