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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One More Christmas Story

“One More Christmas Story” was preached at Sunnyside Presbyterian Church on Christmas Day, December 25, 2016. Themes found in this homily include Scripture, theology, Christmas, hymn sings, and personal narratives.

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John 1:1-14

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it

.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. 12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.

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“O sing to the Lord a new song”

“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth”

“Sing praises to the Lord”     —excerpts from Psalm 98

O Lord, did we?! We raised our voices up to the Lord!  God hears our joyous songs of praise! We got to celebrate this Christmas morning with a hymn sing, and I have to tell you, I love a good, ol’ fashioned hymn sing! It makes me think of my three years at seminary. If you want to find a place where having a hymn sing is the coolest thing possible, step foot unto a seminary. I’m not joking. Both in and out of worship, seminarians love hymn sings. It doesn’t matter if it’s a special day such as Christmas or just a typical afternoon, if doesn’t matter if it’s morning or night, we would have a hymn sing. When we had our hymn sing this morning, although small with just a few hymns, I couldn’t help but remember the fun I had with my classmates, and the joy we all got from praising the Lord together. It’s a blessing to be able to do that again with Sunnyside and First Pres-Mishawaka. Thank you! Thank for allowing me that trip down memory lane.

It seems I find myself reminiscing a lot this Christmas Day. Of course, this comes from being with family and thinking of how our traditions have been practiced over the years, but it also has something to do with this Sunday—this Christmas Day—this Gospel text: John 1:1-14.

We are now in service three of three between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services, so I’ll keep this brief… But let me tell you one more “Christmas” story…

My first experience working in ministry was at an outdoor Bible camp in North Dakota called Camp Metigoshe. My first summer I worked as a counselor and my second I was a chaplain. As the chaplain, I often narrated a walking passion play called the Christ Hike that took place every week on Wednesday. The play starts right before sunset with Jesus being baptized in the “Jordan” (or the lake at Metigoshe) by John. The campers follow Jesus as he walks through camp: telling parables and performing miracles. As part of this Christ Hike, there is the triumphal entry into Jerusalem. There is the Last Supper. There is the praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, and there is the betrayal of Judas. There is the scene of Jesus before Caiaphas and then another scene of Jesus with Pilate. And right as the sun set (and they time this perfectly), Jesus is lifted high unto the cross. Yes, I’m not joking. They actually put the staff member playing Jesus up on the cross. Night falls as a scene of death is displayed before the crowd. And after the song, “Were you there?”, the narrator would then lead the campers back to the shore where it all began with the baptism. It’s completely pitch black at this point, and darkness has surrounded the camp. And although there is no nativity scene or birth displayed in this Christ Hike, it is at this moment following the death of Jesus, the narrator reads John 1. With a swinging of a lantern and a loud, booming voice, the narrator proclaims, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” Then, suddenly the campers see it why the narrator was swinging that lantern. Across the lake, a giant sculpture in the shape of a dove is lit on fire. There it is. The resurrection. The promise that Christ was born so that we might all be born again.

Since I was the one so often swinging that lantern and proclaiming those words, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it,” I read this words today, even on Christmas Day, and I am reminded of the resurrection that is to follow.

John 1 is not the story we most often associate with Christmas. It’s not the narrative. It’s not the story we know. It doesn’t have the imagery found in the nativity scene. It’s not Mary and Joseph traveling to Bethlehem; it’s not the cows and the sheep; it’s not the shepherds or the magi; it’s not angels in the sky; it’s not even a baby in a manger. John 1 is the theology; the doctrine; the explanation. This is the story of the Word made Flesh. The light in the darkness. The incarnate God. It’s the birth; it’s the life; it’s the death; and it’s the resurrection. It is the full cycle of a promised life for humankind that was destined from the very beginning of time. This is the birth of salvation. This is Christmas.

On this day, we raise our voices together to praise the birth of our Savior. I hear the joyful noise! Through our songs, we all loudly proclaim together, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” I love the stories we hear at Christmas.  We need to remember Mary and Joseph; the cows and the sheep; the shepherds and the magi; the angels in the sky, and especially the baby in the manger. That’s why we read the stories found in Matthew and Luke again and again. But in the Gospel of John, we remember why that baby was born. God was born into the flesh as a baby in the manger to eventually die and defeat death through the resurrection. For us, it all started there right there in that moment: the birth of Christ; the reason we celebrate Christmas. Christ was born as one of us so that we might all be brought to new and eternal life. That’s the Christmas story. That right there is a reason to make a joyful noise! The light will forever shine. Thanks be to God. Amen.

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Photo credit to Alexis Philbrick

In This Life

“In This Life” was preached at Sunnyside Presbyterian Church on Sunday, October 9, 2016. Themes found in this sermon include Scripture, living by faith, generations, stewardship, and the origin of “It is Well with My Soul.”

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2 Timothy 1:1-14

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, for the sake of the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,

2 To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

3 I am grateful to God—whom I worship with a clear conscience, as my ancestors did—when I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. 4 Recalling your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy. 5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you. 6 For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; 7 for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.

8 Do not be ashamed, then, of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God, 9 who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace. This grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 11 For this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher, 12 and for this reason I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know the one in whom I have put my trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard until that day what I have entrusted to him. 13 Hold to the standard of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard the good treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us.

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You know those weeks when you just feel God is trying to tell you something? This week has been one of those weeks.

I give thanks to our duet and the choir for leading us in the song, “It is Well with My Soul.” It’s such a beautiful, haunting, emotionally-filled hymn, and every time I hear it—especially today—I feel the words come alive in my soul.

You see, this song and the story behind it came up three separate occasions this week. First, the choir arranged it as part of the service this Sunday, and so I first read this story when we added it as an insert to our announcements. Second, I had the opportunity to lead the Women’s Bible Study this past Tuesday. In the book, “Soul Keeping,” the chapter we discussed ends with the author telling this story as an example of a soul constructed to survive destruction. This was the second time I heard this story. And then on Thursday, as I’m scrolling through my facebook feed, I see an old friend of mine post a link to an article titled, “When It is Not ‘Well with My Soul.’” Once again, I read the story as a part of the article. Three different times in three different occasions all in one week as I’m preparing for this sermon, I came across this story. That’s God trying to tell me something, right? Reading this story over and over made me think of the impact life can make on each of us, and how our lives can make an even larger impact in the lives of others. [I have posted the story behind the hymn at the end of this sermon—It was added as an insert to our bulletin.]

And then on top of that, today marks the opening of stewardship season in our church. This is a time for us to intentionally give what we can to the church and for us to do our part to make sure the church lives on to provide for everyone who enters through our doors. We are given a generous opportunity to make an impact.

And then on top of that, we celebrated a baptism today! As a congregation, we made the promise to nurture him, to assist him as he becomes a faithful disciple, and to recognize him as a loved, special member of our family. We make these same promises every time we baptize a child. With each new baptism, we are given a beautiful, intimate glimpse of the future church and the generations to come.

And then on top of that—this is the last one, I promise—we turn our scripture lesson from today. In the first chapter of 2 Timothy, Paul takes a moment to give thanksgiving for a faith that lasted through generations that ended up making a positive impact on a faithful disciple who would become one of the founding fathers of the Christian Church.

All these happenings in one week with the following core themes. Family. Connection. Impact. Life. Generation to generation to generation. Stories of tragedy, thanksgiving, and celebration. Stories of the past, stories of the future, and stories of the here-and-now all saying similar things. That’s God definitely trying to tell us something, right? Right. Now I’m definitely thinking about the impact life can make on each of us, and how our lives can make an even larger impact in the lives of others.

I want to go back to the text for a moment. 2 Timothy is the last of the Pauline epistles. According to the letter, Paul is currently imprisoned and facing certain death. Since Paul actually mentions his upcoming martyrdom, we can be pretty sure that Paul’s execution has been announced. Since he’s aware of his impending death, Paul’s words in this letter could be considered his last will and testament. These are the words from his deathbed—his final words to his beloved follower Timothy. Knowing these are his last words, I wonder what crossed Paul’s mind. Would he try to right his wrongs? Would he write a letter filled with his life’s regrets? Would he fight for his death sentence to be overturned? Would he beg for mercy?

No, Paul does none of this, but he does consider what he life has been and where life—not just his life, but life as a whole of all creation—where life is headed. He recognizes his present suffering, but he also notes if it is suffering for the gospel, then it is suffering well-endured. He looks to the past, and gives thanks for his ancestors who praised and worshipped God that same way Paul praises and worships God in his current situation. He then gives thanks for Timothy, who followed as a disciple as Paul dedicated his life to serving the Lord and spreading the Gospel. Paul, instead of praying that he may live, prays that he may see Timothy just one last time. But knowing this probably won’t happen, Paul instead gives thanks for Timothy’s sincere faith—a faith that was born and carried through his maternal ancestors.

But Paul doesn’t stop there. Paul urges Timothy to rekindle this gift—to fan his flame of faith. He urges Timothy to be constantly and consistently and continually filled with the Spirit of power and love and self-discipline. Paul with bold, clear words tells Timothy he still has time—and a responsibility to use that time—to make an impact! After all, while Paul’s mission was coming to an end, Timothy’s mission still had years to go with many countries to be reached and thousands of people who longed to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  And then—after Paul’s death and after Timothy’s death—generations to come would hear and follow these miraculous teachings because the countries reached would reach out to even more countries and the people who heard the Gospel would spread the Gospel to even more people. Generations—yes, generations—would continue to hear and live into the great Good News! Look us at now! The Good News is alive and well in us today because our ancestors and those who came before us fanned the flame of faith! 

So now we consider our own our lives. Where we’ve been. Where we are. Where we’re going. We have to remember this. Our faith—like the church—was built upon a foundational Rock. Through the years, this Rock has been formed and transformed, and the faith that was built upon has grew and flourished because of the constant fanning of its flame. Because of the work that was put into it through each and every generation. It is now our duty to strengthen and nourish this foundation just as our ancestors have done before us. To fan the flame. Rekindle the gift. To put the work in. That way, our children and grandchildren and the children of our grandchildren have the very same foundational opportunity that nourished us when we were children ourselves.

Do you hear what Paul said with his final words? He stressed the importance of both innovation and preservation. We are called to inspire and to create new ideas through the spark of new flames, AND we are called to value and to preserve the traditions of the generations before us—to fan their flame—so that these new ideas and these valued traditions will be celebrated by generations to follow. As Presbyterians, I believe we do this best. We are the “Reformed Church, Ever Reforming.”

As the Reformed Church, Ever Reforming: What have we done to innovate? And what have we done to preserve? As we think of our answers, consider this final thought.

Your life lasts more than a lifetime. The things you say; the things you do—they will have an impact on generations to come. Good or bad; the impact we will make matters, and we have a responsibility to make sure that this impact matters in a way we want our church to be remembered by all generations.

Ask God to fill our hearts with the Spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline. Fan the flame; do your part; be good stewards. In this life, we have been given wondrous opportunities by God that involves both preservation and innovation. Thanks be to God for the generations before us. Thanks be to God for the generations to follow. Thanks be to God for our generation to make a positive impact on both. Thanks be to God. Amen.

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Origins of "It is Well with My Soul" 

Late in 1873 Horatio G. Spafford and his family were scheduled to travel from the United States to England for a vacation. Delayed by pressing business, Spafford sent his wife and four daughters ahead on the French liner Ville du Havre. The ship collided with the English ship Lochearn on November 22 and sank in just twelve minutes. Spafford's wife was saved, but his daughters (11-year-old Annie, 9-year-old Maggie, 5-year-old Bessie, and 2-year-old Tanetta) perished. After arriving in Wales, Mrs. Spafford cabled her husband, "Saved alone." Spafford then left by boat to meet her. Near the tragic scene on the high seas he wrote this text. [Adapted from http://www.hymnary.org/text/when_peace_like_a_river_attendeth_my_way]

In God We Trust

“In God We Trust” was preached at Sunnyside Presbyterian Church on Sunday, September 25, 2016. Inspirations found in the sermon include Scripture, commentaries, living by faith, money, and God’s providence.

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1 Timothy 6:6-19

6 Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment;7 for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; 8 but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.9 But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.

11 But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.13 In the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14 to keep the commandment without spot or blame until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which he will bring about at the right time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords. 16 It is he alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see; to him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

17 As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share,19 thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life.

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In the passage that you just heard, was there there a phrase that stood out to you? Or a phrase that sounds oddly familiar? “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” I’m sure you’ve heard it before. “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.”

Money. That’s what we’re going to be talking about today. And if any of you don’t believe that hazing in the church is a thing, just remember they gave the new guy this topic and this text. They gave the new guy the sermon on money. No, we’re not in stewardship season… yet. Rather, this is a sermon on living by faith with your money. So I think this is good thing that they gave the new guy the sermon on money. It allows us to get to know one another. For you all to get to know me, for me to learn more about all of you, and for all of us together as a church—the body of Christ—to hear what God intended for us when it comes to our income, finances, and money.

From our earliest of years, we’ve made our own assumptions about what money is and what money can do for us. We’ve been developing that assumption ever since. I want you imagine each significant time you have received some kind of money. Whether it was a penny or a nickel as a young child—your first paycheck as a teenager—a gift in the mail at your graduation or wedding—or the first time you received an income as your started your career. Each time you have further developed this assumption. You saw the importance of money. You learned how to handle it. How you should use. What it is for. What it can do. And what it can’t.  Over time, a unique perspective on money was made, and to be honest, for most of us that perspective is a little off of what God intended. For some of us, it is more than a little off—it is way off. Through misinformation, bad habits, foolish choices, and our own desires; our perspective of money has gotten us into trouble.

That is why, in the passage from today found in 1 Timothy, we hear Paul write, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” Our wrong perspective on money is a trap that we have set and fallen into ourselves. It is a trap filled with ruin and destruction. It is filled with sorrow and heartache. It is filled with pain. And as I said, we have set this trap ourselves. These are self-inflicted wounds. In the same way, our perspective on money has created more troubles that just individual problems. We see these problems in global economies, government policies, systematic injustices—these too are self-inflicted wounds. I recognize those troubles, but I believe if we take a moment and consider our own individual perspective on money, we can make a positive change that can be seen across the world. 

Let’s be honest for a second. Too many of us are constantly worried about our finances. We all experience this worry differently, but in one way or another, it is there for all of us. For some us, the struggle comes with not having enough money. How will I pay for this? Can I afford that? Am I able to provide for my family? For others, the struggle comes from spending too much time earning money. Does money really buy happiness? Am I spending too much time away from home? Have I saved and saved but never used my money for something good? This is where the worry begins to set in. The troubles start. The panic ensues. And then we find ourselves trapped all because the assumptions we have made about money.

There’s one big assumption that most of us share that gets us into all kinds of trouble with our money. Here it is: That because we assume money and other material things are in our possession, it is our possession. We’re not wrong to make this assumption. Why wouldn’t we feel that way? We worked hard for our money. We’ve earned our income. We made it through school. We worked long hours at our job. We budgeted and invested just like we should. We’ve achieved success. We deserve this! But when we consider who gave this to us—maybe we don’t. Maybe we don’t deserve what we have. Or at least, we don’t deserve to believe that what we own is ours to own. Maybe in the grander scheme of things when we consider it in relation to God… it is not my money; it is not your money; it is not our money. What we own is not ours to own.

Because we have made the assumption that our money is ours—because we think we can do with it what we please—we make foolish choices. Maybe we have wasted it. We spend money we don’t have to buy the things we don’t need. Or maybe we have become greedy with it. To get more we have spent long hours abandoning the time and life with the people we love. Either way, we haven’t used it for the good God intended it to be used for. It’s this perception that leads us to the ruin and destruction Paul wrote about. It’s dangerous to want more—to waste and to be greedy.

On every dollar bill and every monetary coin in the United States is our motto, “In God We Trust.” This is a reminder we can use every time we receive a paycheck. “In God We Trust.” This is a reminder we can use every time we pay a bill. “In God We Trust.” If we use this reminder every day and believe in what it says, maybe our perception of money will change. We’ll start to believe that we are God’s own and because we are God’s own, what we own is also owned by God. In this, we surrender our power and control—our wealth and our destruction—to God who in return allows us to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. In God We Trust.

Is that not what Paul is saying? To place our trust and hope in God. Listen again to the portion of 1 Timothy that we read together: “As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life.”

We were always destined to pursue a certain quality of life that has nothing to do with money or other material possessions. It is a different kind of wealth. It’s the wealth we celebrate. It is finding our meaning and calling. It is having a sense and a purpose in life. It is investing in something such as the earth that will be enjoyed by generations to come. It is being surrounded by friends and family who love and need us. It is allowing these relationships to grow deeper throughout the years. It is to be grateful for what we have. It is to be thankful for the people we have. It is to celebrate that God is our God and we are God’s children. We do not find our meaning in life by what we can or cannot buy with our money. We find it in our calling to serve God and to serve others. Let us be rich in good works in response to God’s glory and grace. This is our calling. This is how we live faithfully.

In comparison to all of this, money is not the key to happiness. It’s not critical. It’s not at the heart of the matter. But that being said, we have to be honest. We live in a capitalistic society. Money is necessary. It is a tool we have to use. While we would love to focus only on the things that actually provide fulfillment and joy, we have to be realistic and recognize money is a part of life. So how do we use our money in a way that is pleasing to God? Especially when recognize that it is not ours to own but rather God’s.

What would be the odds that every member of this church owns the exact same amount of money? It’s not likely. This church like all churches reflect society as a whole. Some folks have more, some folks have less. But yet it is true. Every member of this church—every single member of society—owns the same amount of money. Nothing. Zip. Nada. Zero.

This is God’s world and we are just one small part of it. Our money is an even smaller part… but even this is also God’s.

Paul is telling us in this passage that assumed ownership is an illusion. After all, it is God who not only created everything but still continues to provide us with everything we need. Paul writes, “We brought nothing into the world, so that can take nothing out of it.”  We’re just passing through this earthly life till one day we head to our heavenly home.

We may control a few things such as money and other material possessions for a while, but we don’t actually own anything. Everything that we think we own will be owned by someone else eventually. It just passes from generation to generation. We do not and never will take our money with us after this life. It will be gone and passed on.

The Bible tells us this over and over. We don’t own a thing. We are just managing it. You and I, we’re just managing God’s stuff. We are managing it for the Great One who does own it. Just because something is in our possession, doesn’t mean it is our possession. It is and always has been and always will be God’s.

Here’s another crucial thought. At some point we have to give an account for it. We have to account for how we’ve managed God’s stuff, God’s money, God’s possessions. A good manager tries to manage well. Wisely. Carefully. Considerably. Not only that, a good manager not only tries to manage well, but a good manager does so out of the respect for the owner. A good manager tries to advance the plans and follows the desires of the owner. If we remember that this owner is God, then this new perspective can change how we handle our money. Maybe we’ll make less foolish choices. We’ll avoid that trap of ruin and destruction. Rather, if we remember it is in God we place our trust and our hope and that we are just managers for God’s stuff—then a miraculous thing happens. We begin to open our eyes and start to see the world just as God sees it.

God doesn’t care about only this or only that. Not just our spiritual bodies or our physical possessions. No, God cares for it all. God owns it all. When we begin seeing the world as God sees it—it alters our perception on money—the needs it can meet—the good it can do! The good that we can do!

Now the moment you’ve been waiting for… you’ve been waiting for me to tell what the good is that you can with your money. But I’m afraid I can’t do that. I can’t tell you to do this or to do that. To give here or the spend it there. No, I can’t do that. After all, I’m just another manager of God’s stuff. What I’m trying to do is for all us to consider our perspective on money in relation to God who is the Owner. So instead of me telling you what to do, you and I both need to go and talk to the Owner. You and I both need to talk to God. I don’t know exactly what God wants each of you to do. The changes God wants each of you to make. I don’t know how God wants you to spend or give your money. You have to go and ask God yourself. Have that conversation. Spend time in prayer. And then as you figure out what God wants for you, go do it.

It is the love of money that traps us. It is the love of God that frees us. Open yourself to a new perspective of viewing your money. Allow it to free you from ruin and destruction. Allow it to let you pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. Place your trust and hope in God. We are the managers. God is the Ultimate Owner. Open your eyes and allow yourself to see how God sees the world. Use your life and the money you manage and the stuff you possess, use that to glorify God and bring purpose and meaning to your life. This is God’s world. Everything we are and everything we own are a part of that. In God We Trust. That’s where we start. Thanks be to God. Amen.

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