2018 Statements of Faith Sermon

The “2018 Statements of Faith Sermon” was professed at Sunnyside Presbyterian Church on May 20, 2018 by five confirmation students using excerpts from their own individually written statements. You can listen to an audio recording of this sermon here.

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Acts 2:1-21 

1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

5 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6 And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. 7 Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” 12 All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.”

14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. 15 Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. 16 No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

17 ‘In the last days it will be, God declares,

that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,

    and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

and your young men shall see visions,

    and your old men shall dream dreams.

18 Even upon my slaves, both men and women,

    in those days I will pour out my Spirit;

        and they shall prophesy.

19 And I will show portents in the heaven above

    and signs on the earth below,

        blood, and fire, and smoky mist.

20 The sun shall be turned to darkness

    and the moon to blood,

        before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day.

21 Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

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Taylor: This past year we had seven our eighth graders enroll in confirmation. They came together to learn more about the Presbyterian tradition and build a confidence in their own beliefs. It is also a time for our youth to discern whether they are ready to join the church. One of our students faithfully made the decision not to join. One of our students was received as a member during our session meeting on May 7th. The other five are here before you today, the day of Pentecost, to profess their beliefs.

Our passage in Acts, one the day of Pentecost, has people coming together to profess their beliefs. From all over, people of different ethnicities, cultures, lands, and even languages came to be the church. What they thought divided them were brought together by the Spirit. In that moment, still in their own languages, they understood one another, and they become the Church.

This too happens today on Confirmation Sunday; our students in their own voices have written what they believe, and yet we understand them as part of our own voice. They have come to be the church. The Spirit moves through them; let us listen. 

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Taylor: What do you believe about the Trinity? 

Matthew: I believe that the Trinity is the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. I also believe that we define God in the way of the Trinity.  

Theo: I believe in the Holy Trinity that is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. I believe that the Holy Trinity is like the mind, body, and spirit of a human being.

Madelyn: I believe as God being the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as one or the Trinity. Trinity is God as all three: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I believe that we define God this way because he is a Father to all of humankind, he is the greatest and holiest Spirit, and he is the Son.

Taylor: What do you believe about God?

Theo: To me God is the almighty Creator of every single thing in the entire universe from a tiny grain of sand on a beach to the billions of stars in the galaxy.

Logan: We are in God’s world, so that God can help us by teaching us new lessons each and every day through various methods, spreading God’s Word.

Ben: I believe God is the Creator, and He is making us more caring and loving. He still does a lot of work for us. Some of the work He does for us is He spreads his Word in the church. This year, during the adoption process, there were a few times that the Ethiopian government said we might not make the cutoff for adoption. We ended up making it past that step, and now I have a younger sister… This is God’s work.

Taylor: What do you believe about Jesus? 

Matthew: I believe that Jesus is God's form as a human on earth. I believe that we say that Jesus is our Messiah because he is our savior, our leader, and he is the one who taught us about our faith. I believe that Jesus, the king of kings, lived a simple life among his people and that he died for us and our sins, even though he was pure.

Ben: I believe Jesus was the one who died on the cross for us. I believe He came to save us. I believe Jesus lived by spreading God’s Word. I believe resurrection is when Jesus rose from the dead. I believe that we could all rise and have a life in heaven.

Logan: The resurrection of Jesus is a symbol of eternal life for all.

Taylor: What do you believe about the Holy Spirit?

Theo: I believe in the Holy Spirit. To me, the Holy Spirit is God and his work on Earth after Jesus’ death. The Holy Spirit is alive today in many ways. It is alive through peace, love, positivity, and much much more. I see the Holy Spirit in many people and their actions: like the pastors preaching God’s Word and those who go to help on mission trips. I try and represent the Holy Spirit in me through my actions and good deeds.

Madelyn: I believe that the Holy Spirit is God in a spirit form. The Holy Spirit is also the Father and the Son. It is alive in the world today because it influences our choices and keeps the faith in God alive. God is still looking after us even though he isn’t on earth, and he wants us to know that. I feel the Holy Spirit in my life the most when I am doing something helpful for someone. I feel like the Spirit’s presence is making everyone in a good mood, and helps everyone be nice to each other.

Logan: The Holy Spirit is the spirit version of God, and is sent by God to guide us along the path with God. We can feel its presence and hear it, but we never see it. The Holy Spirit is guiding us through our lives, helping us grow closer to God every step of the way.

Matthew: I believe that the Holy Spirit enables us to have faith in God and is alive in all of us as we fulfil God’s plan for our lives. The Holy Spirit in alive in the world today and can be seen in all of us as we share love and joy of the Holy Spirit with others in the world. I see the Holy Spirit in action when helping others in need, kindness bestowed on others, and also in trying to live a life in the Christian faith.  

Ben: I believe the Holy Spirit is what inspires you to do the right thing. I believe that the Holy Spirit is alive today. I believe It is alive when I am writing or doing school-work and an idea pops into my head. I believe that the Holy Spirit is also alive when you go to a new place and you have the feeling that it is the coolest or most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen. The Holy Spirit has impacted my life in ways I couldn’t even imagine, like the decision to pick Grandma Jean as my mentor or the day Pastor Taylor asked me to be liturgist. These made my heart full of Holy Spirit.

Taylor: What do you believe about the Bible?

Madelyn: I believe that the Bible is the Word of God written by many people. The Bible is written by many different people because they all had different things to tell about how God and Jesus had an impact on their lives. It has the same overall message, but it is written by lots of different people. I believe that the overall message is that God is the almighty and is willing to help people, as long as they have faith in him and Jesus. The Bible tells us how to live according to God and also as Christians.

Logan: The Bible is the Word of God, and it shows us how to be Christian through various stories that teach us many lessons about how to properly live as Christians. The Bible teaches us about the Jewish law, history, and prophecy in the Old Testament. The New Testament teaches us about Jesus, the Gospels, and Paul’s Letters. Various people wrote the Bible, but each piece of the Bible leads back to God in some way. We read the Bible to learn more about God, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus in ways such as who they are, what they have accomplished, and what they can do in our lives. We may also look to the Bible for guidance on certain situations, for hope, or for peace in our lives. 

Taylor: What do you believe about mission and outreach? 

Logan: Mission and outreach is, in a way, spreading our beliefs about our faith to make the lives of everyone we come in contact with better. We go on mission trips to connect with God and to connect with ourselves. I like to help people in many ways, such as going to Hope Ministries and serving dinners for the people there. The Bible says we should love our neighbors as we love ourselves. We’re called to serve others because we should act as the hands and feet of Christ and to show our Christian love.

Theo: Mission and outreach is when we as Christians go and try and spread the good of Christianity. This could be repainting buildings in Michigan or going overseas to help build homes. We do it so other people can learn about Christianity and take benefit from us. Mission trips are part of this. We go on mission trips to learn about ourselves and others and to help many people. I personally have not gone on a mission trip yet, but I look forward to going on one in the coming years. I love to help others. It makes me, and hopefully them, feel good. I think it could make a change in other people's lives. One of my favorite ways to help others is to go to Hope Ministries in South Bend and serve food. It helps the people who might not have food and who are just trying to get back on their feet. It is also a great bonding experience for me and my friends. In the Bible, it says to love your neighbor as you love yourself and I truly try to do that, though sometimes it can be challenging. Outreach is doing good deeds and helping out others, creating opportunities to spread the Word of God; it’s even as simple as talking to them about Sunnyside.

Taylor: Why do we live in a Christian community?

Matthew: I believe that we live in a Christian community because it is easier to learn the religion with other people, and it is a more meaning and fulfilling place to live. I believe to be part of a church means to always support the church and support the people in the church.

Theo: When you live in a Christian community, you are making a commitment to give your time, talent, and tithes. This means that you should try and attend all that you can, donate all that you can, and give back to the church by helping others out. If someone asks you to do something, you should try and do it, rather than not do it just because you do not want to. It is important for me to be in a Christian community, so I learn valuable lessons from God through the people around me. As it says in Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them." Clearly God wants us to be in community together.

Ben: At church I feel safe, loved, and I feel like I belong there. I can participate in activities and go on mission trips. I help those in need, pray for those that might need a prayer, and I pledge to give my time and gifts in any way I can: I can be liturgist, I can volunteer, I can take charge and help lead things, and I can participate in mission trips and service projects.

Taylor: What do you believe about the Sacraments? 

Theo: The sacraments are an important part of our Christian community. They are part of our belief in God. In the Presbyterian branch of Christianity, we believe in only two sacraments. This is because these are the only ones that Jesus directly commanded us to do.

Logan: The Lord’s Supper is to represent the last supper that Jesus had with his disciples and is used as a way to remember that Jesus is still here with us. As we take the bread and wine or grape juice, the community is brought closer together. The bread symbolizes Jesus’ flesh, and the wine represents Jesus’ blood.

Theo: Baptism is like an initiation to the church, and it is when God claims us as one of his own. It shows that we believe in and want to be accepted by God. It is usually done to newborn children or just new members.

Taylor: What do you believe about sin? 

Matthew: I believe that a sin is something that the Lord does not want us to do. I believe that we sin because we are human and we are not perfect.

Madelyn: I believe that sin is when we do something that goes against God's Word. People sin because they think either that is the better thing to do, or it is the easier thing to do. God is trying to make the evil in the world see the light again, and become good.

Ben: I believe that God lets bad things happen because He will always be in the middle of it. I believe that bad things happen to good people. If someone is going through a hard time we can tell them that we are there for them and so is God.

Taylor: What do you believe about the Resurrection?

Matthew: I believe that when we die we go up to heaven and live eternally because it shows that Jesus was risen from the dead. I believe that Jesus died for our sins. Easter gives us hope that we will go to heaven after we die because he died for our sins.

Madelyn: I believe that after we die, our souls go to heaven, but our bodies stay on earth. There we will meet up with God and live the afterlife in heaven. The Easter story gives us hope that someday we will be able to come back to earth, as just our souls, or with a body. It also talks about resurrection, or how Jesus came back to earth to finish up his life and to show people that he was really the Savior.

Theo: I believe that when you die, if you have faith in God, you will ascend into heaven to be with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. The Easter story gives us lots of hope for the future. Even though it may seem that evil is looming, good can come from it. When Jesus was crucified, many thought that all hope was lost. Jesus was later resurrected, showing that anything is possible through Christ.

Taylor: What do you believe about prayer? 

Matthew: I believe that prayer is talking to God. I believe that I am just getting started in this journey learning about God. I am always going to have questions; that means that I will always have stuff to learn.

Madelyn: I pray a lot and think about God whenever things go either wrong or right. I also thank him for the world that he created. Prayer is something that people do when they want to talk to God. It gives them a chance to offer their thanks, blessings, and ask for help/guidance.

Ben: I feel close to God because I pray and go to church and participate in church-related things. I believe prayer is talking to God. At night I pray and usually I pray about what is on my mind, and then I always pray for the soldiers, the sick, suffering, and the dying. Also I pray for those that might need a prayer. 

Taylor: Why do you want to be confirmed?

Logan: I definitely want to be confirmed because I get to truly be a part of Sunnyside and God’s church. I will get to have a say in matters relating to the church, and I can experience the opportunities of a deacon or an elder. I will have a chance to give my talents and efforts to the church as well. This rite of passage means a lot to me and will be a big step in my journey in the church as an official member and a big step in my relationship with God. Membership in this church would allow me to become more involved with the church than I am right now, and it will also give me a better chance to connect with God through song and prayer.

Madelyn: I do want to be confirmed because it will help me to be able to become more active in the church. I will also have more of a say in what is going on in my faith life. This rite of passage means that I have a duty to fulfill in the church. I can serve the church in more ways than I can now, like becoming a youth Deacon or Ruling Elder. Another thing that I can do is to volunteer more in and outside the church.

Ben: I want to be confirmed because I want to have a say in the churches new ideas and improvements. I want to be confirmed because I will become a grownup, and I will be an official member of the church. In a few years, I want to become a Deacon or Ruling Elder. But right now I want to be a part of the church service and do community projects with the church.

Matthew: I want to become confirmed because I want to be locked in with my religion and my faith. It means that I am the next generation to pass through and teach this religion, and I want to be part of this church and the church community.  I want to become a member of the church because I want to give my time to the church.

Theo: I want to be confirmed because I have faith in God, and I want to become a full member of the Church. When you are confirmed that is the next step in your spiritual journey. This is a huge part of my life. It has helped me grow closer to God and learn about the Bible and why things happen. It has also helped me form strong connections with people I knew but were not that close to. After Confirmation, I would like to stay as an active member of the church and help out as much as I can. This could be more service or even serving in a position at this church. This process has made me even more interested in the Christian church, and I look forward to learning more.

Taylor: Amen. 

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Together is Beautiful

“Together is Beautiful” was preached at Sunnyside Presbyterian Church on Sunday, April 8, 2018. Inspirations for this sermon include Scripture, commentaries, fellowship with one another, and a Coca-Cola commercial.  There is no audio recording of this sermon.

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1 John 1:1-2:2

1.1 We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2 this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us— 3 we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; 7 but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

2.1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 2 and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

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Did you know after every Super Bowl Time magazine keeps a scorecard for every commercial that was aired during the game? Every single year, they make a list. You can actually google “Best Super Bowl commercials of ________ year” and Time Magazine’s list of rankings will be one of the very first links. Now, on average, companies pay about $5 million for a 30 second commercial at the Super Bowl. Time Magazine then gives these commercials a grade, usually based on their creativity, humor, and effectiveness. Once they have received a grade, Time Magazine then ranks them from worst commercials to best commercials. Can you imagine paying $5 million for a thirty second commercial just for it receive a D or even worse, an F, and be considered one of the worst commercials at the Super Bowl that year?

But then you imagine the commercials that actually do well. The ones that get the A ranking and are listed as one of the best commercials of that year. Over 100 million watch the Super Bowl each year, and some people watch the Super Bowl not for the football but for the commercials alone. One hundred million people watching a commercial during the game, and then if the commercial gets a good score, people watch it again and again, increasing that number even higher. Talk about some good advertising… even if it does cost $5 milliom…

And then you have those commercials that are so good they are played multiple years.

Coca-Cola has one of those commercials. In 2014, during Super Bowl 48, Seattle Seahawks vs the Denver Broncos, Coca-Cola released a commercial that Time Magazine gave an A score (the highest score a commercial can receive) and was listed as one of the best commercials that year. But it wasn’t like the other commercials. It wasn’t funny; it didn’t have any spoken words. It was just a commercials full of clips of family and fun and love while “America, the Beautiful” was sang in the background.

Now mind you, what made it special, was the diversity and the inclusion the commercial featured; the unity and togetherness of people. The families that were shown were families of all different races, backgrounds, and orientations. The song itself, “America, the Beautiful” was sang in seven languages: English, Spanish, (KEE-resh) Keres, (TAH-GAH-log) Tagalog, Hindi, (SEN-NAH-GAH-leez) Senegalese French, and Hebrew. Of course, everyone in the video was sipping on a bottle of Coca-Cola, and at the end of the commercial, the words “Together is Beautiful” flashed across the screen. The end. The commercial was simple, but it was powerful.

When the commercial aired, Coca-Cola released a statement on their website:

The premise of ‘It’s Beautiful’ can be simply stated: America is beautiful and Coca-Cola is for everyone. It celebrates Coca-Cola moments among all Americans and features snapshots of American families. We believe it’s a powerful ad that promotes optimism, inclusion and celebrates humanity – values that are core to Coca-Cola. “It’s Beautiful” shows just a few of the ways Americans enjoy our brand and how Coca-Cola brings families and friends together every day.

Now I believe that commercial was successful because it reminded the viewers what was important in their lives. Whether they are black or white, rich or poor, conservative or liberal, whether they even like coke or not; that commercial showed that being together will provide life-long happiness. Whatever may divide us, all we need is love and apparently a bottle of coke to bring us back together. They just had to be reminded.

Which is exactly what the author of 1 John is saying in his letter.

The first century was mistakenly thought as the “honeymoon” of the Christian Church. Because the church was growing so quickly, people assumed everything must have been going well. But that is far from the truth. Because the church was growing so quickly, people began disagreeing what was the most important doctrines and beliefs to follow. In fact, one of the greatest divisive issues, was on who Christ was. Was Christ God? Was Christ human? Was Christ neither? Was Christ both? Think about that: the early Christian church—the early followers of Christ—disagreed on the person and the God who had them establish the church in the first place.

So as the early Christian Church grew, it soon began splitting into several different communities. There were more differences than similarities, and it was a time of strife. All these churches were far from the Church they were supposed to be. They lived in a divided community.

So 1 John was written. In the opening address, John calls the audience to remember why the Christian Church was established in the first place. He calls them to go back to the beginning: what have they all heard, what have they all seen; what have they all looked at; what have they all touched with their hands. John tells them to testify to this and the life that was revealed in Christ Jesus. If they remember this, they will have fellowship with the Father and with the Son. If they have true fellowship with the Father and the Son, they will have fellowship with one another. If they have fellowship with one another, then their joy will be complete as they will be a united community once again.

1 John is a letter of love, knowledge, and truth. There is an urge for unity in the community. This unity comes from three characteristics of God that form the heart and soul of God’s children: light, justice, and love. Our passage today only focuses on the first characteristic, so we will do the same.

In our passage, we have the proclamation that God is Light. Now we know from the creation story that God created light, but 1 John says that God not only created light but now serves the people as the True Light. If they walk with God, they walk in the light. If they forget who God is, they walk in the darkness. Now 1 John admits that because of their sin they all have walked in the darkness at some point, which makes them lost and separated from one another. But even in the darkness, he reminds them that they have all seen glimpses of the light. Since everyone has experienced the light, it’s something that they have in common with one another, and it draws them together.

1 John says if the people gather in the Light who is God, then they gather together as a united community.

This is also true for us. If we gather in the name of God, then we gather as one community. If we have fellowship with God, we have fellowship with one another.

If we think about the two commandments Jesus gave us: to love God and to love one another; 1 John teaches us that they go hand-in-hand. Our own faith in Christ Jesus is what summons us to be in relationship with one another.  Our relationships with one another are what help us live in an often-difficult world. We’re not meant to face life alone.

I often consider why I believe fellowship is important in my call to ministry, and I keep going back to the answer that we are stronger together. You know the saying? It takes a village. It’s true! It does take a village. Yesterday, Sunnyside hosted a wedding, and in addition to me serving as the pastor, Rachel was there playing the organ and Seng Ly came to help reset our sanctuary for this morning’s worship, and four of our members came to serve as hosts, helping the wedding party and the family and the guests. It was a beautiful service but not because of the work of one person. No, it was because several people gathered together in the name of God to celebrate the love of God that was revealed between two people as they made their vows to one another.

Our church follows the call of God because of the relationships that happen here. It is strengthened by the bonds we create with one another. I often say this at youth group: our group would be less if one of them were not a part of it. If one of our youth goes missing for a while due to sports or school, their presence is missed because a vital part of our community isn’t with us. They are separated from us. This is true for all of you. If you decided that your relationships here at Sunnyside weren’t important and you decided to leave our Christian fellowship, our community of faith would be less without you.

And we need to be honest. We are a diverse church. We have all sorts of backgrounds that could divide us; that sometimes do divide us. But if remember who God is to us; who Christ is to us—then we will not be divided. We will instead be united together as one community in Christ, through Christ, with Christ.

And who is Christ to us, Sunnyside? Christ is our guide, our light, our advocate; our Savior. And Christ’s work is shown at weddings and at youth group; at Bible studies and at committee meetings. It is shown here in worship and upstairs with our children; it is shown in the ministry of our staff and in the ministry of our volunteers. Every person here walks in Light of Christ; therefore, we walk together.

And if it’s true here, then it must be true all across the world. Let us all be reminded how fellowship with Christ draws us to be in fellowship with another.

There are many reasons that may divide us, but fellowship with Christ is a much more powerful way to unite us. Christ gather us to be together… and together is beautiful.  

Thanks be to God. Amen.

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Hosanna! Hosanna..?

“Hosanna! Hosanna..?” was preached at Sunnyside Presbyterian Church on Sunday, March 25, 2018. Inspirations for this sermon include Scripture, commentaries, Palm Sunday / Passion Sunday, and March for Our Lives. This was originally written to only focus on the transition of Palms into Passion and the preparation into Holy Week, but I spent Saturday night rewriting it to include my thoughts following the March for Our Lives marches across the country. You can listen to an audio recording of this sermon here.

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1 When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples 2 and said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it. 3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.’” 4 They went away and found a colt tied near a door, outside in the street. As they were untying it, 5 some of the bystanders said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” 6 They told them what Jesus had said; and they allowed them to take it. 7 Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it. 8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. 9 Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting,

“Hosanna!

            Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!

10        Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David!

Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

11 Then he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple; and when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.

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I want us to imagine what the Triumphal Entry actually looked like. It’s an important story. It’s included in all four of the gospels, each telling the same story but with their own small yet significant details. The version we just heard from the Gospel of Mark has its own thing that sets it apart from the other versions, and we’ll get to that and why it’s a necessary part of the story. But first, as I said, I want us to imagine what the Triumphal Entry actually looked like.

We have people from all over, from the towns and the countryside, gathered together for one purpose. To symbolize one thing. To share in one thing. They raised palm branches in the air, waving them as they cried out together, “Hosanna! Hosanna! Lord, save us!” They cheered together; they chanted together. And Jesus along with his followers marched forward toward the city knowing full well that this city would send him to the cross; send him to his death. And yet still he marched. To resist wrong authority, he marched. To protest the finality of death, he marched. To bring salvation to his people, he marched. Christ marched forward. But not everybody liked it.

It’s not too different from what marches look like today. People coming together from different places for one reason. They make signs to raise in the air; they cheer and chant and cry out together. And they resist and they protest and they bring forth change. They march… and people don’t like it.

Kind of like the March for Our Lives march that took place in D.C. and all across our country, including here in South Bend. Now I’m not going to get into gun reform; that’s not what this sermon is about. We had an Adult Formation class a few weeks ago that was specifically on that topic, which provided a safe space for healthy dialogue and continued progress. I’m thankful for that. And so, I’m not going to talk about gun reform; that’s not today’s point. But I am going to talk about something I saw happen before, during, and after the marches.

I believe in healthy and safe protest. I believe that all people, both conservative and liberal, children and adults, have the right to protest and should do so when they believe we could be doing better. While I personally thought it was incredible for people to come together for something they believe in, there were some people who didn’t like that people were gathering together. Threats were made against the people gathering together. All across the country people threatened to bring guns to a protest on gun reform. And you can’t just say these are empty words. We remember what happened to the march in Charlottesville where someone physically drove a car through a parade of people, killing one and hurting many others. And South Bend actually wasn’t any different; our own city experienced an outcry of rage from people who didn’t like that others were gathering. Fortunately, from what I saw, no threats of bringing guns were made, but following the march, I was on the internet reading the news stories that covered the march. And then I read the comments. Never read the comments. Have you ever heard that piece of advice? Never read the comments. I get it. I get why they say that. Because for every five positive comments, there is at least one harsh, negative, demeaning, hateful comment.

The negative comments from our own march here in South Bend said things such as, “I’m leaving South Bend for hosting such a thing” and “No progress was made today”. There was a comment directly made at youth who were there, and let me tell you, there were many youth there. The comment said the youth are “indoctrinated Hitler Youth march[ing] for the new Fourth Reich in South Bend”. And then there was another comment that stood to me. It said, “I hope all these marchers get pneumonia.” Pneumonia…

I think this comment stands out to me because the last time I preached from the pulpit it was on Mark 1:29-39. If you remember, that passage tells us about the time Jesus healed the mother-in-law of Simon, one of his followers. He healed this woman of a fever. And in that sermon, we talked about the severity of a fever and how it could have led to death. Pneumonia can lead to death. For some of us, we know pneumonia has led to death…

In the Triumphal Entry, people waved palms crying out, “Hosanna! Lord, save us!” as Jesus marched. And when Jesus marched, some people must have already been whispering, “I wish he would die” for just a few days later these people sentenced him to death. At the March for Our Lives, people waved signs crying out, “Enough is enough! Save our kids!” as they marched. And in the same way, some people whispered through the means of the internet, “I wish these people would fall ill.” But despite the threats, the ill-wishings, the negative comments; people still marched. Jesus still marched.

And I can’t help but imagine, Jesus who is the Son of God and is God, knew he was marching to his death for he is All-Knowing and All-Powerful, the courage he must have had to keep marching. That same courage that comes from God that shows in the people who march today.

Because like the people who march today and like Jesus who marched so long ago, there’s this critical juxtaposition of emotion happening. I’m sure there’s hope knowing people have gathered together to bring positive change. There must also be fear for all the things that could happen. And I’m sure there is also sadness as Jesus considers what has already happened and what will happen. I can’t help but feel overwhelmed thinking of all that Jesus must have been feeling, how much raw emotion must have been there, and the time and space it would take to process and accept all those emotions. But Mark’s version of the Triumphal Entry has a detail that I think is crucial to the story.

At the end of our passage, after Jesus has marched forward to Jerusalem, after the people waved their branches and spread their cloaks, after loud cries of “Hosanna” were heard—Jesus heads into the temple late at night. There he takes a moment to pause, to look around, and after “seeing everything,” he leaves. I read multiple commentaries on our passage today, and they all describe how anticlimactic that moment seems to be: that following his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Jesus enters the temple, and then he leaves the temple.

But I have to disagree. Jesus entering the temple to take a moment for himself is exactly what I need to see Jesus do. It’s so very human. I believe that Jesus just like the rest of us would have been resistant to his upcoming death with every fiber of his being, but he made the choice to die for us because he loved us. When we cried, “Save us!” to Jesus, he responded with salvation. So even though he was willing to die, I don’t think Jesus would have wanted to die. That moment in the temple, that moment alone in his Father’s house, that moment late at night when everyone else was in their homes; I believe Jesus took a moment to accept what he needed to do, and when he accepted what was to come, he moved forward with further courage and strength. He was preparing himself for the cross.

As I said, this moment is so very human. When we approach something that will be filled with great sadness or when we approach something that will break our hearts, we are told to prepare ourselves. You know what I’m talking about. As we have conversations with loved ones that we don’t want to have. As we enter into the hospital room. As we witness the death of the people we love. As we grieve at their funerals. As we continue to live our own lives without them. We do our best to prepare ourselves for each of these moments.

One of the best pieces of advice I received when working as a chaplain intern in a hospital was to prepare myself every single time I entered into hospital room. At first, I thought this meant to gather as much information as possible. To read up on the patient’s diagnosis. To learn about their family history. To have scripture and prayers ready for them. But this isn’t what my teachers meant. In fact, some of the experienced chaplains would look up the patient’s diagnosis before they met the patient… and some wouldn’t. No, what they meant was to emotionally prepare yourself so that you as the chaplain would provide the best means of support no matter what was about to happen.

I remember the first time this preparation was crucial. As part of the internship, the chaplain interns would have overnight on-call shifts once a week. My first on-call shift I was woken up a little after midnight to receive call saying a chaplain was needed as a woman was actively dying. Hearing that a woman was dying instantly took my slumber-filled brain into a moment of adrenaline and panic; everything hit me like a frantic rush and I was instantly overwhelmed. But I remembered the advice I was given; to prepare myself for what was to come. And so I started reciting the Lord’s Prayer. As I changed into my clothes, as I walked the halls of the hospital, as I took a moment to breathe outside the patient’s room; I said the prayer we all know, and I said it again and again. It was a calming ritual on repeat. And when I finally entered into that patient’s room, I felt as prepared as I could ever be, and I trusted that God would work through me to provide the support that this family needed. And after that woman died and after I left that room and that family for good, the rush of emotions came back and I was overwhelmed once again. But I also gave thanks to God because while I was in that room, I was prepared to do what I was called there to do.

And I think God continues to prepare us every day for what comes next, especially this day for this upcoming week. Palm Sunday is an exciting Sunday in the church; it’s even a fun Sunday. Did you love the kids processing this morning during our first hymn? That same joy in their faces as they waved their palms was the same joy that was felt by the people who waved their palms when they saw Jesus riding the colt. That joy has lived on throughout the years and is seen almost every Palm Sunday. But it’s important to note that Palm Sunday is also Passion Sunday. We remember that Jesus marched into Jerusalem knowing he was headed to the cross. Our shouts of joy will soon turn into shouts of anger: “Hosanna” into “Crucify him!” We know this feeling all too well. Our own shouts have turned from joy to anger. And then our worry for ourselves will cause us to abandon Christ. And then we’ll feel guilty and sad as he hangs and eventually dies on the cross. And then we’ll be in shock as we see the emptiness of his tomb. And then we’ll doubt the first time we see him, and we’ll ask to see the holes pierced through his limbs and stomach. But then we’ll celebrate the moment we realize it’s him; that he defeated death for us and gave new life to us. All these raw, rush of emotions… and it all happens within a week. We need to prepare ourselves. We all need to prepare ourselves.

For those of us who march just like Jesus marched, let us prepare ourselves to march again and to be ready for whatever is to come. For those of us who didn’t like that people marched, let us prepare ourselves with open hearts & minds and respond to those we disagree with, with love.

Starting today, Palm Sunday / Passion Sunday, we prepare ourselves. We follow what Jesus did. We’re already in a temple; we’re already here in our church. And while we don’t have to be to prepare ourselves, but we are, so let’s take advantage of it. Let’s prepare ourselves for this week. Our joy will soon turn to sadness, the light will soon fade into darkness, our palms will turn into a cross. We’ll feel it in the rest of our service today. We’ll experience it on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday… we’ll remember it on Saturday as we wait in eagerness for Sunday. And then we’ll wake up, we’ll come back together, and we will be ready to celebrate in joy for Easter is indeed coming. And so we march. We will march.

Thanks be to God. Amen.

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Photo Credit to the Office of Mayor Pete Buttigieg

Searching for the Sacred

“Searching for the Sacred” was preached at Sunnyside Presbyterian Church on Sunday, February 4, 2018. Inspirations for this sermon include Scripture, commentaries, the Super Bowl (ha!), engaging young adults, and an intergenerational storytelling event immediately following worship. You can listen to an audio recording of this sermon here.

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Isaiah 40:21-31

21 Have you not known? Have you not heard?

    Has it not been told you from the beginning?

    Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?

22 It is he who sits above the circle of the earth,

    and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;

who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,

    and spreads them like a tent to live in;

23 who brings princes to naught,

    and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing.

24 Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown,

    scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth,

when he blows upon them, and they wither,

    and the tempest carries them off like stubble.

25 To whom then will you compare me,

    or who is my equal? says the Holy One.

26 Lift up your eyes on high and see:

    Who created these?

He who brings out their host and numbers them,

    calling them all by name;

because he is great in strength,

    mighty in power,

    not one is missing.

27 Why do you say, O Jacob,

    and speak, O Israel,

“My way is hidden from the Lord,

    and my right is disregarded by my God”?

28 Have you not known? Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God,

    the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He does not faint or grow weary;

    his understanding is unsearchable.

29 He gives power to the faint,

    and strengthens the powerless.

30 Even youths will faint and be weary,

    and the young will fall exhausted;

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.

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Mark 1:29-39

29 As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. 31 He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

32 That evening, at sunset, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. 33 And the whole city was gathered around the door. 34 And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.

35 In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. 36 And Simon and his companions hunted for him. 37 When they found him, they said to him, “Everyone is searching for you.” 38 He answered, “Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.” 39 And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.

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Throughout the four Gospels, Jesus performed many healing miracles.

He made the blind see; he gave voice and sound to a deaf mute.

He cured lepers, those afflicted by skin deformities and disfigurements.

He healed paralytics and caused the lame to walk.

He healed women; he stopped the bleeding of a woman who bled for 12 years and he called a woman to stand up straight after being crippled by a spirit.

He removed intense suffering from a man experiencing chronic pain; he blessed a withered hand; he healed the son of a royal official from a distance.

And Jesus didn’t stop there.

He restored the ear of guard after it was cut off by a sword. He exorcised demons out of many afflicted.

And he raised people from the dead; a daughter, a young man, Lazarus. From the dead he raised them!

We think of all these great miracles; these great and divine healings, and think to ourselves, “What power our savior must have! He can heal anything!”

And Jesus can heal anything… including a fever.

I need to be honest with you all. I’m speaking for myself here. When I first read our gospel passage, my immediate reaction was, “Okay so nothing happened. Good story, Mark.”

What’s funny is we have a person in our life who tells stories like this. A person who hypes up the story they are about to tell. You know the one, the one who gets you on the edge of your seat with excitement as you await for something revolutionary to happen. And then nothing seems to actually happen.

Like, “Hey, I need to tell you something! It’s really good! I went to the store today!”

And so you would naturally respond, “Okay and then what?!”

And then they say, “Oh. Nothing. I just wanted to tell you I went to the store.”

So I admit when I first read this passage from the Gospel of Mark, I had this natural reaction to say, “And then what?”

“Jesus healed a woman with a fever.”                                                “And then what?”

“Well then he went to go pray.”                                                         “And then what?”

“Then he said he wanted to go out to neighboring towns.”               “And then what?”

“And then he did. The end.”                                                               “The end..? What!”

And I also must admit that this feeling of a lack of a revolutionary moment comes from the fact that this story starts with the healing of a fever. A fever! Something I have had; something you have had. Something some of us have had in the last month or even last week.

And I also admit because of my age demographic and the use of modern medicine, a fever doesn’t sound like that big of deal. Jesus who brought people back from the dead also took the time to heal a woman from a fever. I’ve been wrestling with this dichotomy all week.

So I read this story again. And I read it again. And again and again and again.

And each time I read it felt like a door was opening little by little till eventually I was invited into this sacred space.

Because it made me realize that God works great things not only in the grand scheme of things but also in the small. In the almost seemingly trivial matters. Because this story just like the stories of Jesus raising people from the dead matters.

Because we know this story like all stories is the Word of God written with intent and purpose. With divine, sacred meaning.

And these words—these exact words and phrases found in our passage today—hold those same divine meanings. Let us turn back to the first few verses to explore certain words and phrases together.

“Mother-in-law.”

 “Fever.”

“Lifted her up.”

“She began to serve them.”

First, we see that we are still in the first chapter of Mark. Mark as a Gospel moves quickly. In the first chapter alone, Jesus has already been baptized, tempted in the wilderness, called his first disciples, and cast out an unclean spirit from a man. Among his first disciples Jesus called were Simon and Andrew, the fishermen who were called to be fishers of men. And when they were called, they dropped their nets, left their father—their family behind, and followed Jesus without question.

Which is significant because when we hear that story we marvel at the courage Simon and Andrew had because they left their families behind; some of us even understand it as that broke their family’s bonds to follow Jesus. I mean, scholars even admit that the Gospel of Mark can appear to be quite anti-family.

But here, just a few short verses after Simon and Andrew left their families to be disciples of Jesus, they call on him to heal Simon’s mother-in-law. One of Jesus’s closest followers is hurting because a family member is sick, and so Jesus responds. Not by some grand or marvelous act, but by holding her hand.

Which brings me to her fever. Again, I admit; her illness seemed trivial to me; minor in comparison to the many other healings done by Jesus. But a fever can be no small thing. I mean, even fifty years ago, a fever was no small thing. Even today, with certain circumstances, a fever can lead to death. So 2000 years ago in biblical times, a fever was definitely no small thing; no insignificant illness. For Jesus to heal her fever is just as miraculous as making a blind man see.

And when he healed this woman of her fever, Mark tells us that Jesus lifted her up. In fact, in nearly every healing story throughout the Gospel of Mark, the person healed is “lifted up” by Jesus. Lifted up as in raised up. Raised up as in the resurrection. The healing of Simon’s mother-in-law is the first resurrection story in the Gospel and a forecast of Jesus’ own resurrection that will come.

This healing narrative then ends with Simon’s mother-in-law serving Jesus and his disciples. Staying true to customs of that time, “She began to serve them.” The woman who was just sick in bed moments ago is now up and ready to serve the men. But her service to the men doesn’t make her secondary to them in this story; rather, Simon’s mother-in-law is restored by Jesus to be herself once again; to do what she felt called to do—to serve, to feed, to repair, to fulfill responsibilities, and to provide for Jesus. This service and provision to Christ is important in this story because at the end of the Gospel of Mark, when Jesus has been hanging on the cross and just taken his last breath, when all of his male disciples have abandoned him, Mark 15:4-41 says, “There were also women looking on from a distance; […]. These [women] used to follow him and provided for him when he was in Galilee; and there were many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem.”

In the original Greek text, the same verb is being used to talked about Simon’s mother-in-law serving the men in the first chapter and for the women who provided for Christ in the second to last chapter. And because of that, biblical scholars say it’s okay to presume that Simon’s mother-in-law was there with the other women; that she never abandoned Christ even when Jesus’s official disciples including Simon and Andrew did. To be with Christ from beginning to end makes this woman a follower of Christ. To be a follower of Christ who is willing to serve Christ makes this woman a disciple of Christ. To be a disciple of Christ, “then to her has been given the secret of the kingdom of God.” 

So yeah, and I might just be telling myself this but maybe I’m telling you too, this story is so much more than what we get from a quick, initial listening. When we take the time to listen to a story, to just listen, we are brought into that story. And when we are brought into a story, we see its significance and purpose. We feel the emotions and we make sense of the details. The story begins to come alive before us. We are invited into an intimate place of narrative. And in that intimate place, something more happens; something sacred. The words are transformed and the bonds between the listener and teller become stronger. And in that, Christian fellowship happens. A glimpse of the heavenly kingdom can be seen through the relationships growing between God’s people.

It should also be noted what an initial listening to our Isaiah passage would be. Did you hear the animal reference in the last verse? This Isaiah passage, Isaiah 40, one of the four assigned lectionary readings for this exact Sunday ends with, “but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles…” A quick, initial listening would also make it sound like God is rooting for the Philadelphia Eagles today in the Super Bowl.

I admit I laughed at that reference when I read the Isaiah passage knowing today was going to be the Super Bowl. But this passage in Isaiah is similar to the story told in the Gospel of Mark because it is asking us to accept the invitation to enter into an intimate place of sacredness with God.

“Have you not known? Have you not heard?” It invites us to listen; it invites us to learn. And all through this passage are words of transformation: faint to power, legs to wings, weariness to stamina, questions to understanding. We hear and see the same transformations as when we took the time to listen to what Mark chapter 1 was really saying. Once again, we are invited into a more intimate place, and by entering, we are surrounded by a certain level of sacredness.

Now I want us to consider our own setting; our own story. Sunnyside is a place of blessing. It seems we always have one thing after another. Another event. Another project. Another ministry. Another mission. In fact, when Jessica Young Brust, our regional representative for our Engaging Young Adults grant, came to visit Sunnyside a few weeks ago said one of the things that her impressed us most about our church is that even though we already have so much going for us, we still actively listen to where God is calling us as a church to go. We are letting God’s story live through us and our stories.

So we continue to do this. We don’t just sit back and rest. No, we get up and serve. And we know this takes work. It especially takes work as we continue to build relationships as Sunnyside continues to be a new community of faith for people of all ages. Families with kids, grandparents with youth, young adults looking for a place of belonging, seniors looking for a church home. They are all searching for something. And so our ministry grows. And we get excited. We see the faithfulness of God through the members of our community. But in this, God challenges us.

We are an intergenerational church. We are an intergenerational family. We believe that every person here is a child of God and therefore each of your presences here is valued. We believe that if you were not here today, our church wouldn’t be the same without you. First time visitors and longtime members. Our church wouldn’t be as special without you. And then today is intergenerational worship. We have heard and will hear the voices of children and youth and adults of all ages here in this hour alone. And we know each of those voices matter because they are sharing their gifts for the glorification of God.

And then following worship we have our all church lunch downstairs in the fellowship hall. And I’m so thankful for the young adults of Sunnyside who have agreed to host it. Our bible study on Tuesday evenings has become a safe, secure place of community for our young adults here at Sunnyside. And they want to share that community with you. They want to share their stories, and they want to hear yours. They want the relationships they build with all to transform into something sacred. And to do this, all we all need to do is to just listen, to be invited into an intimate place, to respond with gratitude, and to accept the invitation of a new, sacred relationship.

I love that this passage from Mark ends with Jesus going out into a deserted place to pray. When the disciples find him in this place, they say “Everyone is searching for you.” And Jesus responds by saying that he will go to them. Is that not also true for us? We search for Christ. We spend our days searching for Christ. And we know with holy confidence that in our searching for Christ, Christ comes to us, here in worship, here at the table, here in our stories, here in the relationships we build with one another.

Perhaps searching for Christ means we must search for the sacred. And to search for the sacred means we must search for the stories. It’s a beautiful thing to hear God work through people; all we have to do is listen.

Amen.

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