Tuesday, July 25, 2017
Sermon: Meeting Your Maker
Genesis 28:10-19a
Jacob comes from a religious family. His grandfather is Abraham, the one
who makes the first covenant with God. Abraham is often recognized as the
father of Judaism and Islam. His grandmother is Sarah, who is visited by angels
and told that she will give birth to a miracle baby at age 90. So Jacob’s grandparents
are pretty well respected by a lot of religious people.
But that isn’t all. Jacob’s father, Isaac, is the miracle baby who was promised
by the angels, and then he is nearly sacrificed to God as a child, but is saved
by a timely appearance of a ram. Isaac is very careful to go out of his way to
find a wife that also follows God. He doesn’t want to marry one of the women in
the area where he lives that worship a different god. So he travels a long way
to find and marry Rebekah, a holy and God-loving woman. So religion is
important to Jacob’s family.
But Jacob has always been a problem child. He steals from his brother,
cheats his way through relationships, sneakily obtains his father’s blessing,
and uses people for his own gain. So religion, whatever it may have meant to
his family, doesn’t seem to mean a lot to him. He was like the boy who when
asked by the Sunday School teacher why he believed in God said, “I don’t know,
unless it is something that runs in the family.”[1]
If he believes in God, he certainly doesn’t act like that belief should change
his behavior. The impression that we get is that religion for Jacob is
something that is a tool for getting what he wants, that he doesn’t really care
if God is real or not, but if he can find gain from this religion thing, then
he will milk it for all it is worth.
Yell at him about his past? Tell him to get in line or he will be punished?
Strike him with an illness or have him kidnapped and enslaved by foreigners?
Something like that perhaps? Certainly we would expect some words from God that
tell him to clean up his act.
Amazingly as God meets with him, God doesn’t do any of that. There is no
yelling, or threats, or punishment. Instead God promises to be with him in the
future and bless him and his descendants. God says every family of earth will
be blessed because of him and his descendants. Those are pretty big promises
and kind words for a liar and a cheat.
So why is Jacob terrified? Probably because he realizes for the first time
that God is very real. Not just abstractly real, not just a nice idea, but
really real – able to touch you real. He says in verse 16 “The Lord is
definitely in this place, but I didn’t know it.” That disturbs him, because he
now knows that God is standing beside him, and the life he has been living
isn’t really the one he wants to live with God looking over his shoulder. God
has seen what he has been doing, and although God didn’t yell at him, the
thought that God saw his actions terrifies him.
Such a change of thinking can happen to any of us. We may have come from a
religious family, we may be able to name the people who are pastors, or church
leaders in our ancestry, but we may have never quite taken it seriously.
Perhaps we have even been the problem children, the ones who acted out, who did
everything that our family hated. But I have news for you. God still wants very
much to meet with you, to be part of your dreams and visions for the future.
God won’t dwell on your past, but will forgive it and move on, because what God
really wants is to be with you in the future and bless you and your
descendants.
His hospital room was filled with a white light. He was seized with an
“ecstasy beyond description.” In his mind’s eye, he stood on the summit of a
mountain, where a great wind of spirit blew right threw him. “Then came the
blazing thought: ‘You are a free man.’” He became aware of a Presence, like a
sea of living spirit. “This,” he thought, “must be the Great Reality. The God
of the preachers.” Bill Wilson never took another drink. He had started down
the path to become one of the cofounders of Alcoholic Anonymous.
When God becomes very real to us, as opposed to just a nice idea, when we
become convinced that God is present, as opposed to far away in heaven, it
changes our attitudes and the very way we approach our everyday lives. That
change in how we live can become the basis for blessing not just for ourselves
but for people all around us, people who will never directly meet us.
Even though we know that God loves us. Even though the words that God
speaks are comforting and calming. We end up being terrified, because (I think)
that simply is the reality of meeting the one that is much more powerful than
we are. I don’t think that God is trying to scare us, I just think that when we
as humans stand before the greatness of God, we are so awed that it can be
frightening.
I certainly have had my share of experiences of this. There are times and
places where I know that I have been in the presence of the Holy, like a sea of
living spirit, and in that moment God is very real. And even though the message
that God has given me is one of comfort, yet the actual meeting with God can be
disconcerting and even terrifying. It has changed how I think about those
places where I have met with God. Like Jacob, they become places that I
remember as sacred and especially spiritual. I almost desire to build a little
shrine there, a reminder of what has happened as God emerged into our world so
vibrantly for me. And perhaps you have had experiences like this as well. Where
God is near and it is both comforting and terrifying, where you stand in awe,
and feel the sea of living spirit around you.
God wants us to live into our full potential. So if it takes God erupting
into our world, disturbing our dreams at night, or suddenly bursting through to
us while we are in the hospital, God will do it. All so that the world can
receive the blessings that God wants to pour upon it through us. Yes, you are
an agent of God’s blessings. Maybe that thought terrifies you a little, because
you have a great responsibility. But through it all God reminds you, I will be
with you always, I am with you now, I will protect you everywhere you go, and I
will not leave you until I have done everything that I have promised you.
Tuesday, July 11, 2017
Sermon: Which Pastor Do You Want?
Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30
In case you haven’t figured it out, you are stuck with me for another year
as your pastor. That means you are stuck with my limitations and my strengths
for another year. Some of you are probably happy with that, others would like a
person with different strengths and weaknesses. That’s okay. People have
different needs, different wants, and different ideas of what religious
leadership should look like.
Actually, today’s bible passage is exactly a discussion of that. Imagine
that Jesus is sitting down with a group of people and talking about what they
expect the Messiah to be like. And the fact is that some people preferred the
serious style of John the Baptist – they liked that he didn’t eat much, that he
didn’t drink alcohol. He approached life like a funeral, expecting people to be
solemn and respectful. Some people thought the Messiah should be like that. But
others thought there had to be something wrong with him to act like that – some
even said he had a demon.
Other people liked the style of Jesus who ate with sinners, drank with tax
collectors and socialized with all sorts of people. He approached life like a
dance, and invited others to dance along. Some people thought the Messiah
should reach out the outcasts. But others saw his actions as irreligious, not
serious enough, too much like the sinners themselves. So they called him a
drunk and a glutton.
So here is Jesus having this discussion with people and they are giving
their feedback about what the Messiah should be like, as Jesus reminds them,
that some people would complain about the Messiah no matter what he was like –
they would point out all the flaws and never be happy. If invited to the
funeral, they wouldn’t be serious and respectful; and when invited to dance,
they would sit there like lumps on a log. Jesus is trying to challenge them to
open their minds and see that he really is the one sent from God.
As I was reading it, I began to reflect upon pastoral leadership and honestly about the kinds of people we put into other leadership positions like lay leader and Ad Board chair.
What if we take Jesus’ discussion here as the beginning of a discussion
about all of the leadership in church?
For example, you have two choices in a pastor. One is a pastor who is like
John the Baptist, strict in his religious observances – fasts, never laughs,
doesn’t dance, and comes at life and religion with a very serious approach. The
other is one who is like the Human One who eats and drinks with sinners, who
visits the bars, who dances to music, and likes to laugh. Life and religion are
a source of joy to be shared with everyone.
Which would you pick? What would you complain about with each? Turn to your
neighbor and tell them which one you would pick! [wait]
Of course all of know that that really isn’t enough information is it?
Could you really pick a pastor just based on that? Well, you could but it might
not work out very well.
When Jesus tells this story he is really inviting us to a discussion about
what really matters. Is it the outward signs or is it something different? Is
it something deeper?
So a couple of months ago I went to two training seminars that talked about
demographics and one of the things that people study is what different types of
people look for in their religious leaders. In fact, the studies are so
detailed that they can tell based upon what block you live in what you probably
look for in a pastor and in other church leaders. I know, that is a little
frightening – in the information age, people know so much about us. But my goal
isn’t to scare you. Actually I want to look at the top six major demographic
groups in Buchanan and tell you what they are looking for in church leadership.
So for example, I can tell you that the largest demographic group in Buchanan likes pastors who graduated from a well-established school of theology and from the “School of hard knocks”.
They want a person who has expertise and commonsense. They want someone who
works closely with the church board but does not take over. They want a pastor
who listens carefully to all points of view, and seeks advice of the lay
leaders. They expect the pastor to be on call 24/7 and to be a good caregiver
of the people.
Similarly, our third largest demographic group in Buchanan likes pastors who are ordained by an established denomination and are primarily approachable and friendly.
They want a pastor who not only visits in homes and hospitals, but is also
an excellent administrator, who is more like a CEO and can run a business or a
non-profit agency.
Our fifth largest demographic group has a little different perspective. They are pretty open to different kinds of leadership styles.
They prefer a pastor who preserves harmony, who is sensitive to different
generations and acts as friend, counselor and facilitator. They are capable
preachers and administrators but don’t have to be the best.
Do you hear the differences start to emerge? This group doesn’t care so
much about the CEO approach, of even how they work with the board. This group
wants the pastor to be their friend.
Where things really get different is our six largest group. This group wants a pastor who has a live and let live attitude and has let go of all the sacred cows of churchy institutions.
The pastor has to be laser focused on servant evangelism and helping
disciple young adults. The pastor works with the people individually and in small
groups to help people shape a do-able and portable spiritual life for
themselves and their families.[1]
So this last group really doesn’t care about administration at all, they
want a person who disciples them and teaches them how to live a spiritual life.
And all the traditions respected by the first few groups can go out the window.
Turn to your neighbor and tell them which of these groups you most agree
with. [wait]
As you can see, no one person can be all of these things. So what has to
happen is that churches either will never attract certain types of people, no
matter how hard they try, because they leadership style just isn’t right, Or –
the church lay people, you all, fill in the leadership gaps and become the bridgebuilders
who reach to those other groups.
So we need lay people who meet the needs of the first group that have
expertise and common sense, who listen carefully to everyone’s point of view.
We need lay people who are approachable and friendly, who are excellent
visitors in homes and could run a company. We need people who are concerned
about the church’s harmony and are sensitive to different generations, who can
be a person’s friend and counselor. We need people who question tradition and
are willing to toss it aside, and we need people who are willing to meet with
people individually and in small groups and help them figure out a spirituality
that fits their busy lifestyle.
So the next time you complain about your pastor, or about one of the other
church leaders, think about that. While you might not like it, it may be
exactly what another person is looking for in a leader.
Also, before you complain remember that all of that is outward stuff. Kind of like Jesus says, all of that is about the personality of the leader. Are they more like a funeral or a dance?
But what we really need in our church leadership is people who first and
foremost love God. People who look to Jesus as their ultimate leader, as their
messiah. You can have the right personality all day long, but if you don’t have
that, then there is a problem.
Of course since I am not perfect, I will fail you. Since our other church
leaders are not perfect, they will fail you too. The delight here is that Jesus
is ultimately our leader – and he tells us some very specific things about his
style of leadership. “Come to me, all you who are struggling hard and carrying
heavy loads, and I will give you rest. Put on my yoke, and learn from me (he doesn’t
say we won’t have work to do). I’m gentle and humble. And you will find rest
for yourselves. My yoke is easy to bear, and my burden is light.”
So when I fail, when the church leadership fails, look to Jesus. After all
our religion really is about following him, not following me, or our board, or
anyone else.
[1]
All Demographic Summaries are from Mission Impact Guides, V2.0 From
MissionInsite, LLC available through www.missioninsite.com
Wednesday, July 5, 2017
Sermon: A Cup of Hot Coffee
Matthew 10:40-42
The scripture from Matthew is all about how we give and receive
hospitality. It is about welcoming the stranger, and being welcomed when we are
strangers. Obviously, in Jesus’ day, especially in the desert, it was vital
that you offer strangers water when they were travelling. To not do so might be
condemning them to death. They might literally collapse from dehydration if you
refused them. So one of primary values of that area at that time was
hospitality to strangers, especially in the provision of water.
Jesus knows that as he sends the disciples out, they will be dependent upon
the hospitality of others for survival. It simply is a reality of their being
travelers in a harsh environment. Perhaps he is reminding them of that, or
perhaps he means for his teaching to be a reminder to those who will be
receiving the disciples that they have a duty to treat his followers well. To
provide them with what they need.
As you read the passage, you may have a bit of déjà vu, when Jesus says those who receive you are also receiving me.
The language here parallels what Jesus says at another time in his ministry
(a probably more famous passage later in Matthew where Jesus describes
separating the sheep and the goats, and the goats complain, when did we see you
hungry, when did we see you thirsty, and Jesus says whenever you did not do it
for the least of these my brothers and sisters, you did not do it for me.) In
today’s passage, Jesus says that when we receive a stranger we have received
him, and when we receive him, we receive the one who sent him. The two passages
are very similar. I think it is helpful to see that Jesus shares this teaching
more than once – he repeats it because it is important that we know that how we
treat the least of these is vitally important.
But the thing is, we live in different times and a different climate than
Jesus, with different needs and fears. Travelers can get water from the store,
or a large coke from McDonalds. There are inns and hotels. It is a lot less
likely that we are going to have someone come to our door whose very life is
dependent upon whether we give them a cup of cold water or not.
So how does this scripture connect with our lives today? I would extend
Jesus’ teaching, and say that the hospitality that Jesus is suggesting is
anything that gives life, that helps the person to survive.
Today that might still be water, especially in situations around the world
where water is scarce, or unclean. But more often it is in helping them with
the very things they need to survive the day.
It could be food, like we do through RAM. It could be heat like we do through RAM. Like in this video: Show [Take Care of Each Other]
What is interesting is that such generosity not only helps the other
person, but it also helps us. Studies have shown that being generous with
others actually increases our happiness. In the 2015 World Happiness Report,
Richard “Davidson and Brianna Schuyler explained that one of the strongest
predictors of well-being worldwide is the quality of our relationships. Generous,
pro-social behavior seems to strengthen these relationships across cultures.
Generosity is even associated with better health and longer life expectancy.
Generosity seems to be so powerful that, according to researchers David
McClelland and Carol Kirshnit, just thinking about it “significantly increases
the protective antibody salivary immunoglobulin A, a protein used by the immune
system.” So it seems that money can buy happiness, if we spend it on other
people.”[1]
Archbishop Desmond Tutu says, ““I’ve sometimes joked and said God doesn’t
know very much math, because when you give to others, it should be that you are
subtracting from yourself. But in this incredible kind of way— I’ve certainly
found that to be the case so many times— you gave and it then seems like in
fact you are making space for more to be given to you. “And there is a very
physical example. The Dead Sea in the Middle East receives fresh water, but it
has no outlet, so it doesn’t pass the water out. It receives beautiful water
from the rivers, and the water goes dank. I mean, it just goes bad. And that’s
why it is the Dead Sea. It receives and does not give. And we are made much
that way, too. I mean, we receive and we must give. In the end generosity is
the best way of becoming more, more, and more joyful.”[2]
But you may say to yourself. I have no money, I can’t afford to give away much. It could be something simpler than money. Anne Weems has a brief poem:
Sometimes that cup of cold water,
Turns out to be a cup of hot coffee,
And what we’re asked to do is to pour
it . . . and to listen.[3]
What I think she is saying is that a deep conversation, an opportunity to
connect and share, a chance to shed one’s guilt and shame or talk about the
things that one fears, to really talk, over a cup of coffee might be the most
life giving thing we could do for a stranger.
I confess, it is something I don’t do as well as I should, I often don’t
really take the time to listen to everyone’s story – there are so many people
and so little time, and I suspect that may be true for many of you. And yet
Jesus suggests when we do such a life-giving thing, we are doing it for him.
Wouldn’t you like to sit down and have a cup of coffee with Jesus this week?
Jesus says that everyone who does this will certainly be rewarded. He
doesn’t say what the reward is, but let’s be honest, who doesn’t want a reward
from God. Share a few cups of coffee with strangers, listen and talk with them,
and in return get an invitation to a banquet in heaven. Sounds good to me!
But if even that is too much for you, consider walking around with a smile on your face. Look people in the eye and smile at them.
That may be the cup of cold water that sustains them on a difficult day. Perhaps
that day they have heard nothing but complaints, perhaps that day no one has
said “I love you” to them, perhaps that day there has been nothing that has
brought them joy, and you bring a smile that says – I am happy to see you.
Sarah Stevenson in Psychology today tells the following story, “It’s a
rough morning. First, my alarm doesn’t go off. Then I’m late getting my son to
school because another driver decides to roll into me. It doesn’t damage my
car, but it completely wrecks my mood. Then I get to my doctor’s appointment
only to realize I’m an hour early. Just great. It must be a case of the
Mondays!”
“I decide to pop into little French cafe around the corner to grab a cup of
tea while I’m waiting. As I sit under my little gray cloud, my pretty, young
server Colette flashes me a dazzling smile that sticks there for the entire
interaction. I can’t help but smile back. In fact, I even catch myself smiling
while washing my hands in the bathroom. Suddenly my day doesn’t seem so bad. I
finish my tea and head to my appointment equipped with a grin on my face, feeling
as though I’ve slipped on a pair of rose-colored glasses. Today’s lesson? It
turns out that when I smile, the world smiles back.”
Later in the article Sarah explains, “Did you know that your smile is
actually contagious? The part of your brain that is responsible for your facial
expression of smiling when happy or mimicking another’s smile resides in the
cingulate cortex, an unconscious automatic response area. In a Swedish study,
subjects were shown pictures of several emotions: joy, anger, fear and
surprise. When the picture of someone smiling was presented, the researchers
asked the subjects to frown. Instead, they found that the facial expressions
went directly to imitation of what subjects saw. It took conscious effort to
turn that smile upside down. So if you’re smiling at someone, it’s likely they
can’t help but smile back. If they don’t, they’re making a conscious effort not
to.”[4]
So smiling can be a cup of cold water given to another as a lifeline, and
it actually will help you feel better as well.
Whether it is literally a cup of cold water, a cup of coffee and a
conversation, or a smile, make sure that you are practicing generosity. As you
do it, you are doing it for your own health, for others, and as Jesus says,
even for him.
[1] Lama,
Dalai; Tutu, Desmond; Abrams, Douglas Carlton. The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness
in a Changing World (p. 265). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
[2] Lama,
Dalai; Tutu, Desmond; Abrams, Douglas Carlton. The Book of Joy: Lasting
Happiness in a Changing World (pp. 263-264). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle
Edition.
[3]
Seasons of the Spirit
[4] https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/cutting-edge-leadership/201206/there-s-magic-in-your-smile
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