Sermon: November 28, 2010

Preparing for the Unexpected

Scripture Psalm 122 and Matthew 24:36-44

Preached by Linda Jo Peters ~ November 28, 2010

 First Sunday of Advent

INTRODUCTION TO SCRIPTURE
Psalm 122
Identified as "A Song of Ascents," this psalm describes the pilgrim throng entering the Temple. As we begin a new church year we, too, herald the glad tidings and invitation to all people: "Let us go the house of the Lord." In this season of Advent we, too, are called into the sanctuary of the Lord.
1I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD!”
2Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem.
3Jerusalem—built as a city that is bound firmly together.
4To it the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, as was decreed for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
5For there the thrones for judgment were set up, the thrones of the house of David.
6Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you.
7Peace be within your walls, and security within your towers.”
8For the sake of my relatives and friends I will say, “Peace be within you.”
9For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your good.

Matthew 24:36-44
How can we really prepare for the unexpected? Jesus cautions us against speculation. It is the same speculation through which people try to get control of their future. Not knowing is to face one’s vulnerability. Jesus is telling his disciples that no one, not even he, knows when he will return. Yet he still encourages us to prepare for it.
“But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.
SERMON
Many of you have been involved in the Girl or Boys Scouts associations. What is their motto? “Be Prepared!” We prepare for the unexpected by considering what has surprised us or others in the past and extrapolating what that means for the future. So we buy all sorts of insurance to protect us against loss. Some of us may have disaster plans such as where to meet family members to check on them in case of a disaster. Many of us store a certain portion of food and water; have a generator set aside for power outages.

Anyone who has experienced a disaster in their life knows there is no preparation that will cover all possibilities. Some have watched their life savings flow away or their very homes float away. Two lay pastors in our Presbytery have lost their homes to fire. An elder in another congregation who has worked hard all his life now has so many medical bills for his wife and himself they have used up all their savings. Many can no longer keep up premiums on insurance. The unexpected has arrived at their doorstep and there was no way to prepare for it. So how can we ever prepare for the return of the King, the final judgment, a new heaven and a new earth?
David Lose writes:
As foreign or even frightening, as the coming judgment of the Son of God might be, it is an inescapable element of the biblical witness and for good reason. The flip side of judgment is justice. The dominant rationale for judgment in both Old and New Testaments is how well we accord with God's concern for how we treat one another and especially those who are most vulnerable. So give up any notion of God's judgment and you've also abandoned any meaningful sense of God's justice, of God's determination to hold us accountable for how we treat each other and creation.

The trick, of course, is holding these two together; justice and judgment.
Rather disturbing news reached us last week just before Thanksgiving. North Korea had bombed South Korea. Since North Korea has nuclear weapons the old images of mass destruction loomed over the world. For the people of Yeonpyeong Island the unexpected had arrived.
The whole point is that there is no preparation we can make for the unexpected except a close and loving relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus is our guide. Sandy Sanchez lent me a book the other day called The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven . It is about Alex Malarkey whose spine is severed at the base of his skull. Very few ever survive this injury. The story recounts the amazing journey and faith of his family, friends, church, community and strangers who sustained him in prayer. But there was no way anyone could have prepared for this disaster. Jesus says:

If the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.
A life of prayer takes work and time and commitment. Prayer builds a safety net that no insurance can buy. Prayer weaves other believers into our lives. Prayer is the life blood of our faith. Prayer opens our eyes to seek justice. The unexpected will come. The only preparation is prayer. The good news is that our faith and prayer life can sustain us and prepare us for the most unexpected events of our lives. Will Jesus return? Will he bring judgment and justice to our world? May faith tells me yes. Can I know when this will happen? No! But my prayer life teaches be to trust that when that day comes I will be surprised by the glory of God but sustained by the embrace of Jesus when we come face to face! Amen.

Resources:
http://www.workingpreacher.org/. Commentary by  Paul S. Berge, Emeritus Professor of New Testament, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN and David Lose, Marbury E. Anderson Biblical Preaching

Chair Luther Seminary St.

Paul, MN
Kevin and Alex Malarkey, Tyndale Press, Carol Stream, IL 2010

Sermon November 21, 2010

The Promised One

Scripture: Colossians 1:11-20 and Luke 1:68-79

Preached by Linda Jo Peters ~ November 21, 2010

Christ the King Sunday

Introduction to scripture:
Colossians 1:11-20 read responsively
Christians in Colossae and other cities of Asia Minor were the victims of suspicion and therefore ill-treatment because of their faith. Paul writes these words of encouragement to the believers. In Christ the King we find our freedom and joy.

11May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully
12giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.
13He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son,
14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation;
16for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him.
17He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
18He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything.
19For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,
20and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.

Luke 1:68-79
Today we are invited to remember that the “the Kingdom of God” — to which Jesus constantly pointed — is as fully available now and always as it was 2,000 years ago. The question that remains each Christ the King Sunday is whether we will choose to live under the authority of one who is not Caesar, but God. Here in this passage the priest Zechariah sings a song of praise on the birth of his son who will grow up to be John the Baptist. John’s role is to prepare hearts and minds to receive Jesus as the Christ King, the promised one.
68“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them. 69He has raised up a mighty savior for us in the house of his servant David, 70as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, 71that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us. 72Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors, and has remembered his holy covenant, 73the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham, to grant us 74that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear, 75in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. 76And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, 77to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins. 78By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, 79to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

Sermon
“The Promised One!” Jesus is the promised one for the whole world. Zechariah’s son was a promised one for he was given a high calling; “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways.” I believe every child is a promised one. Everyone has a call from God. We seem more open to that when we look at a child. The future is all in front of them. This week our daughter turned 31. She is very active in her church as usher, greeter, deacon, serving communion, and on a committee to create to new worship service. But where I see her calling is in her teaching. She has a passion about learning and touching the lives of her students. I see the same passion manifested in Rosetta, Nancy, Bill, Paul, Amie and Mary. Teaching styles, subjects and students may vary but the call remains. Once upon a time each of you were held by someone who loved you and saw you as a promised one. Have you lived up to that promise, have you fulfilled God’s call?

I served a congregation in Arlington Heights, IL. It was a non-ordained position. I was called the associate for Christian Nurture. There was one member named Lois (name changed for privacy) who discovered that I had a habit of leaving my keys unattended in various locations in this very large church building. After several times of helping me search for them, she took it on as her job to acquire my keys when I arrived and keep track of them. When Lois was born she spent too long in the birth canal, and had brain damage as a result. I wondered did anyone hold her and say, “You, O little one, are a promised one.” But she is! You, child of the living God are a finder and keeper of the lost. What a wonderful and vital calling. Each of us is a promised one. Have you heard God’s call? Are you fulfilling God’s promise? Some children fulfill their promise early in life and others like Grandma Moses are late bloomers.

Anna Mary (Grandma Moses) had drawn as a child. But it was on her farm the necessity led to her art. Her first painting was created because she was wallpapering her parlor and ran out of paper. To finish the room she put up white paper and painted a scene. It is known as the Fireboard, and it hangs today in the Bennington Museum in Bennington, Vermont. As she aged arthritis prevented her from doing needle work so she began to paint. Her first one-woman show was held in New York City in 1940, she was eighty years old.

Harry Bernstein (born May 30, 1910) is the author of The Invisible Wall, which deals with his abusive, alcoholic father, the anti-Semitism he encountered growing up in a Lancashire mill town in north west England, and the Romeo and Juliet romance experienced by his sister and her Christian lover. The book was started when he was 93 and published in 2007 when he was 96. Recently, he published his third book, The Golden Willow

Mary Harris Jones was born in the early 1800’s. She was a teacher and small business woman. But after the death of her husband and the loss of her business to the Chicago Fire she became a union activist at the age of 50 although she was one of the few women to claim to be older. You may know her under the name of Mother Jones.

No matter our age, God continues to call us. How old was Abraham and Sara?

On Tuesday in the Mission Yearbook of Prayer the focus was on Flint River Presbytery in Georgia. It told the story of Ki Thomas Golson. Ki grew up in the projects in Albany, Georgia. She was emotionally and physically abused, told over and over: “You will never be good enough.” Even when she became an honor graduate and was awarded a music scholarship by Georgia Southwestern State University, Ki was told she would fail. At the Presbyterian Student Center, a project of Flint River presbytery she found a diverse group of Christians who accepted and encouraged her. Ki’s story is the story of countless young adults who are supported in their answer to God’s call by campus ministries. Just like our own United Campus Ministries right here in Terre Haute. Story after story reveals young adults who are transformed by the love of God in Jesus Christ as acts of consistent and creative hospitality which engages them at crucial moments in their lives. That’s why Flint River Presbytery invests (not “spends”) 10 percent of its annual budget in campus ministry. So Presbytery’s have a calling from God. And because Flint River answered God’s call, Ki discovered who she was as a beloved child of God and just how much she had to give in return. Today she serves as a music teacher at Sylvester Primary School in Adel, Georgia.

No matter what people say about you or what your age or ability, you have a calling from God. Because of Jesus, age, race, gender, even death is not the end of our story. When Jesus was born there were great signs that he was indeed a promised one, that he was the long awaited Promised One. He became a great teacher and healer fulfilling his promise. Then he was arrested and executed as a criminal. Not a very promising end to his story. But we know that was not the end of his story or even the true nature of his call. You, child of the living God are a finder and keeper of the lost. And he still is and we are called to work with him in this fulfillment of our promise! Amen.

RESOURCES: See: www.notablebiographies.com/Mo-Ni/Moses-Grandma.html; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Bernstein; : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Harris_Jones;
http://gamc.pcusa.org/ministries/missionyearbook/november-16/

Sermon November 14, 2010

“An Opportunity to Testify”

Scripture Psalm 98 and Luke 21:5-19

Preached by Linda Jo Peters ~ November 14, 2010

Called Congregational Meeting and Thanksgiving dinner

INTRODUCTION TO SCRIPTURE
Psalm 98 When the Israelites thought of God, their first response was to offer praise. Praise doesn’t "work." It is not productive, and it isn’t even about us. Praise means being lost in adoration of the beloved, being awestruck by beauty and wonder. Let’s offer God our praise!

1O sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things. His right hand and his holy arm have gotten him victory.
2The Lord has made known his victory; he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations.
3He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.
4Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises.
5Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody.
6With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord.
7Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who live in it.
8Let the floods clap their hands; let the hills sing together for joy
9at the presence of the Lord, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.

Luke 21:5-19
The readings at this time of year are out of sync with what is happening in malls and stores everywhere: they are gearing up for that shopping madness called Christmas; the lessons are gearing up for a cosmic conflict between good and evil; between death and life. As believers we might expect preparation for Christmas, the lectionary readings give us lessons about global warfare, plagues, confrontation, betrayal, persecution, and ... endurance and salvation. so, maybe the lessons aren't so out of sync with our lives. George Hermanson writes:
I sometimes think we should make the Reign of Christ a whole new Season in the Christian calendar just to give everyone a heads up that we headed to a cross and not just to a cozy stable.

Next Sunday is Christ the King Sunday, let us prepare our hearts to receive him as King knowing how unwelcome he was in so many places.

When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, he said, “As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.” They asked him, “Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?” And he said, “Beware that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is near!’ Do not go after them. “When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.” Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven. “But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. This will give you an opportunity to testify. So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance; for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your souls.

SERMON
Jerry Goebel of One Family Outreach writes: Jesus did not drink from that cup for the sake of suffering; he drank from the cup for the sake of salvation. As Christians, we do not seek suffering for the sake of enlightenment; we suffer because we throw ourselves (like Christ incarnate) into the human situation. We suffer because we refuse to turn away from Lazarus lying crippled at our gates. We suffer because someone suffers in our neighborhood and we must go to them.

Our relationship with the vulnerable is inevitable if we are going to wear Christ’s banner. To know Jesus is to be tied to him in his most vulnerable form. Choosing to be simple among the poor and to advocate on their behalf is to seek the opportunity for testimony. It should be the mark of our faith. To be Christian is to be a vocal advocate (a prophet for the poor). To be Christian is “not to avoid the fight” – but to avoid the wrong fights. We forget about our own rights and stand up for the rights of others. Those are the fights worth fighting.

Trust in God has profoundly personal implications. It also has important political, social and religious ramifications. Luke has not withdrawn into individualism. He (or his text) still weeps for Jerusalem and longs for its liberation. He is prepared to be inventive to tackle the madness of fear and hate and the fanatical theologies it also generates. He keeps our feet on the ground about abuse and oppression. He stands in a tradition which tackles enmity in a way that is not off-centered by hate or fear, but informed by the stillness and wisdom of the Spirit. Bill Loader sees this shift “from quantity of time to quality of being...”

I watched a delightful Chinese movie with Arisa (she is Japanese) the other night called Eat Drink Man Woman. Because it was all in Chinese we both had to read subtitles. The story centered on how we connect to people through sharing food. Jia Chien’s father was a master chef who loses his sense of taste. It is like Beethoven losing his hearing. Everything he creates is done from memory. He has never allowed Jia Chien to cook for him so she often felt disconnected from him. But after many changes in their lives, he comes to eat dinner with her, which she has prepared. Suddenly he is arguing with her about how much ginger she used in the soup and she is defending her choice and all at once he stops and says, “ Jia Chien, I can taste your soup!” Today our church family will gather for a Thanksgiving, we will taste each other’s “soup.” We will cherish each other around the gift of food. We will know each other more because we have eaten together. Food is one way we can break down the barriers that separate us and it can be a golden opportunity to share our faith with one another.

Jesus says:
“…They will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. This will give you an opportunity to testify.”

Not all our opportunities to testify to Jesus Christ will be as dramatic as many disciples through the ages have faced. Arrest and persecution may not be part of the picture, but it is no less important to share who we really are with friends and family as well as kings and governors. Can you say Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior and what that means for your life? When was the last time you thought about your personal relationship with Jesus?

In the survey some of you took before our Leadership retreat we asked “What is your vision for Unity?” Several responded that they wanted Unity to be a more affirming congregation. This struck a chord with the leadership group who made several suggestions to begin working on a Unity to become a more affirming congregation. One was “to tell each other our faith journey stories.” In other words to learn to testify to what it is we believe, will help us be a more affirming congregation. I think that happens when we take the time to write down what it is we believe. Seeing it in our own written words can be very challenging. Before we challenge another’s faith, we need to reflect on our own faith and the journey to that faith. As we sit at table today let hear what it is that makes Jesus so important to us. Amen.

Resources: Sermon by the Rev. Dr. George Hermanson, "Promise and Paradise."  See: "David Ewart, http://www.holytextures.com/." 
http://onefamilyoutreach.com/bible/Luke/lk_21_05-19.htm

http://wwwstaff.murdoch.edu.au/~loader/LkPentecost25.htm
Eat Drink Man Woman (1994) Yin shi nan nu (original title)

See also November Yoke

Sermon: November 7, 2010

“God of the Living”

Celebration of Our Lord’s Supper

Scripture Psalm 32 sung as the Psalter and Luke 20:27-38

Preached by Linda Jo Peters ~ November 7, 2010

INTRODUCTION TO SCRIPTURE

Luke 20:27-38: There were two religious groups that challenged Jesus’ authority to interpret God’s word. One was the Pharisees and the other was the Sadducees. Professor Murdock writes:

The Pharisees embraced the idea of resurrection from the dead. It was a way of putting flesh on hope, so to speak, in days when justice in this world seemed irretrievable. The righteous would surely be rewarded; they will surely be raised from the dead. Otherwise life does not make sense... The Sadducees rejected such speculation and were prepared to ridicule its exponents. That is what is happening here in this encounter with Jesus.

Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to him and asked him a question, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers; the first married, and died childless; then the second and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. Finally the woman also died. In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her.” Jesus said to them, “Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage; but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. Indeed they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive

SERMON
Roberta Bondi, church historian, writes that she came to faith in an encounter with the writings of a 6th century Bishop. In her commentary on this passage in Luke, she writes:

I believe in the communion of the saints… not as a peculiar abstract idea but as a concrete and most practical reality… I am glad that Jesus cited Exodus to demonstrate to his opponents why he believed that God "is God not of the dead, but of the living, for they are all alive to him." This is certainly my experience.

We all have been touched by believers who have left their mark in us through their writing, music, stories, gardens, missions they created, church buildings, even textiles or bread recipes. Our assurance is that they are still alive in the power and grace of Jesus Christ. They are alive in a way beyond our imagining but connected to the simple things of everyday life like bread and wine.

During traumatic events, the normal flow of day-to-day life is disrupted in an instant. In the aftermath of sudden upheaval and incomprehensible loss such as 9/11, people seek a bridge between the irreplaceable past and a hopeful future. I recently watched a fascinating PBS documentary called Objects and Memory which examines the innate drive to maintain connection and continuity by preserving the past and speaking to the future. Museums have traditionally been our connection to the past. Scrapbooks are a more personal tool. We need places in our lives where we honor our connection to those who have gone before us. Wayne Muller would say in those places the veil becomes thin between now and eternity. Think of the roadside shines that mark the death of a loved one. This sort of keeping and preserving or even restoring is about a sense of continuity and connection.

I often wear a cross that was made in El Salvador during their struggle for freedom. In spite of the often horrific acts that threatened these people they chose bright colors and motifs to decorate the cross of Jesus. We have a cross in our sanctuary that lets light pour into our worship. We remember Washington Avenue and Westminster Churches and all the people who were part of those congregations in the two brass crosses and the wooden one on the wall. Ultimately every cross recalls to our mind Jesus the Christ. Our continuation of life and memory is not found in any item because it can only point to what was. Jesus connects us to what was, what is and what will be. In Him we are alive always.

This is what the Lord’s Supper is all about; recalling our connections to past, present and future believers in celebration of life. This is a table of life not death. It recalls Jesus’ death but that was not the end of the story. “This day you will be with me in paradise.” His promise to the thief is His promise to all of us. The Sadducees came up with an absurd game about a widow. They never thought once about what a horror that would be to live. Since they believed they could only continue to exist through their offspring, they looked for the same closed system in heaven and said impossible. Yet the stores of their faith are stories of God doing the impossible over and over again. God cannot be bound by anything not even death. This past Thursday we read from Revelations:

Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels surrounding the throne and the living creatures and the elders; they numbered myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, singing with full voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, singing, “To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the elders fell down and worshiped. (Revelations 5: 11-14)

No way, that is death! That is a vision of life eternal, a proclamation of life for all of creation. Amen.

Resources:
Roberta C. Bondi, The Christian Century, November 2, 2004

see: http://www.pbs.org/objectsandmemory/
See: Wayne Muller, Sacred Time
Note: Philoxenus of Mabbug, a sixth-century monophysite bishop and author of 13 very long sermons on the Christian life in the early Syrian and Egyptian monastic traditions.

Sermon October 31, 2010

Sermon A Three Part Series on Stewardship

Stewardship: Trick or Treat

Scripture Psalm 119: 137-144 and Luke 19:1-10

Preached by Linda Jo Peters ~ October 31, 2010

INTRODUCTION TO SCRIPTURE
Psalm 119 is an alphabetic acrostic consisting of twenty two stanzas, each with eighth lines, each of which begins with the letter of the Hebrew alphabet for that stanza. The stanzas work sequentially through the alphabet. It is a reflection on torah, the law. Our reading for today is a stanza for the letter tsade which is the first letter of the Hebrew word tsedek or ‘righteousness’ and that is the theme that runs through this stanza of the psalm. To follow God’s law is to live a righteous life.

Psalm 119: 137-144
137You are righteous, O LORD, and your judgments are right.
138You have appointed your decrees in righteousness and in all faithfulness.
139My zeal consumes me because my foes forget your words.
140Your promise is well tried, and your servant loves it.
141I am small and despised, yet I do not forget your precepts.
142Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and your law is the truth.
143Trouble and anguish have come upon me, but your commandments are my delight.
144Your decrees are righteous forever; give me understanding that I may live.

Luke 19:1-10
Halloween is the evening of All Saints Day or “Hallowed Eve.” Through the centuries it has claimed a more pagan and prankish nature of “Trick or Treat.” Lost is the remembering of those saints who have gone before us. Instead we are warned that if we do not give out good treats a trick will follow. Taxing bodies and authorities often have the same perception of them. If you pay your taxes, the government will provided the services you expect but if you don’t pay them you can loose everything. In the time of Jesus, tax collectors were agents of Rome and they had the authority of the Roman garrison to take what they wanted. They passed on to Rome what was expected and anything above that was their fee. Often they were wealthy men. Zacchaeus is chief among tax collectors. So how does Jesus receive this tax collector?

He entered Jericho and was passing through it. 2A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. 4So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. 5When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” 6So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. 7All who saw it began to grumble and said, “He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.” 8Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.” 9Then Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. 10For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.”

Sermon
Most of us know today is Halloween, but it is also Reformation Sunday: a time to remember Calvin’s “reformed, always reforming.” The day we remember that we truly are Protestants, or protestors. It is the anniversary of Martin Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses nailed to the church door at Wittenberg. It is not very often that Stewardship Pledge Sunday falls on Halloween and therefore encounters all these other significant events in the life of the church. But I’d like us to use the Halloween focus today to consider stewardship and in particular pledging. Let’s be honest pledging can feel like Trick or Treat. The trick is all the worry that is associated with any significant financial choice. The treat is the wonderful feeling we gain when we share.

Zacchaeus certainly knew about financial planning. For centuries we have translated that his encounter with Jesus changes his behavior, but David Lose really blue me out of the water in his commentary on this passage. He writes that in the Greek, Zacchaeus is not speaking about a future plan but what he already does. In other words: “Look, half of my possessions I give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I pay back four times" – as in right now, already, as a matter of practice.” Wow!

Yet understanding the effects of salvation in one’s life is a repeated theme of Luke’s gospel. Change, conversion, needs to incorporate a changed attitude and behavior in relation to all of life including wealth. Did Luke have fellow Christians in mind who saw salvation as a ticket to heaven or as a recipe for inner tranquility with little or no thought for social justice, or distribution of resources especially for the poor? Did he want to disabuse them of such an attitude by making the tax collector the more righteous “son of Abraham,” which is the title Jesus gives to him?

Why do we really hand out treats on Halloween? Because we love children, and we enjoy seeing them happy, right? Why does Jesus call Zacchaeus out of the tree and invite himself to his home? Jesus loves him and wants him to be happy. Nothing Zacchaeus could do would have made him righteous in the eyes of his own community. His job made him a sinner, even if he worked hard at being fair. Jesus claims him as he claims us. He transforms our lives with his love. Pledges, stewardship is about our relationship with Jesus not about buying our way into heaven. We do it because it is a joy to serve our Lord. Amen.

Resources:
WorkingPreacher.org; David Lose,Marbury E. Anderson Biblical Preaching Chair, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN

Pentecost 23, William Loader, Murdoch University, Uniting Church in Australia.

Sermon October 24, 2010

Sermon A Three Part Series on Stewardship

“Stewardship as an act of Humility”

Julio Sanchez installed as a trustee

Scripture Joel 2:23-28 read responsively and Luke 18:9-14

Preached by Linda Jo Peters ~ October 24, 2010

INTRODUCTION TO SCRIPTURE
Joel 2:23-28
At the leadership retreat last weekend, the participants prayed and discussed and reflected on the future of Unity Presbyterian Church. They actively sought God’s vision for Unity. The prophet Joel writes in response to an ecological disaster, a plague of locusts that exceeded their regular breeding and feeding cycles to the point that the economic well-being of God's people is threatened and even the beasts of the field were starving. Joel calls for all the people to repent and humble themselves before God. When a people are starving and afraid it is hard for them to believe in a future. God knows our fears and calls us to release them and see the future God has planned for us.
23O children of Zion, be glad and rejoice in the Lord your God; for he has given the early rain for your vindication, he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the later rain, as before.
24The threshing floors shall be full of grain, the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.
25I will repay you for the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent against you.
26You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never again be put to shame.
27You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I, the Lord, am your God and there is no other. And my people shall never again be put to shame.
28Then afterward I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.

Luke 18:9-14
As we consider stewardship as an act of humility, Professor Lose cautions us “to avoid the kind of self-congratulatory reading of the parable that the parable itself would seem to condemn.” He reminds us that “everything the Pharisee says is true. He has set himself apart from others by his faithful adherence to the law. He is, by the standards Jesus seems to employ, righteous. So before we judge him too quickly… consider that the Pharisee isn’t speaking falsely, but rather that the Pharisee misses the true nature of his blessing... He has trusted in himself. His prayer of gratitude may be spoken to the Lord, but it is really about himself. He locates his righteousness entirely in his own actions and being. So this becomes a very important passage to consider as we reflect on our own stewardship in relationship to a humble life.

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.”

SERMON
Stewardship is a life long practice of caring. It always has an element of purpose that is outwardly directed rather than inwardly. Humility is an attitude that is also outwardly directed in that it sees the value of others even before the value of one’s self. Stewardship as an act of humility sets aside our own wants, wishes and even needs to care for others. I think this is an aspect of stewardship that can be most resented. It calls for sacrifice. But what I want or need, I want to have when I want it! Jesus story about two men praying in the temple reveals how wrapped up in our self we can become that even our prayer life is self directed.
The Pharisee was called to religious leadership in his community. Seeing a fellow believer on his knees in self abasement, should have triggered some concern for the tax collector. Instead he only sees an opportunity to present himself to God as so much better than the other man. He was anything but humble. Yet humility is a potent aspect of good leadership. Two leaders are described as humble in the Bible: Moses and Jesus. You could not find better examples of leadership than these two men. No one would claimed them as weak or ineffective. Even today, in our highly competitive market, humility in leaders is valued. Mike Myatt, CEO Coach, writes, “…authentic humility is the most sincere form of confidence and strength.”
Stewardship is about service but it is also about leadership and they are connected through an attitude of humility. We traditionally do not share what we specifically give to the congregation. Some is that is a desire for privacy, but mostly it is born out of the humble knowledge that nothing we give for God can repay the dept born in Christ’s broken body. We are all sinners before the Lord. But even in humility we can own the struggle to be good stewards of the resources God has given us. I believe you are a generous congregation. There are times when like the tax collector we all end up on our knees grieving over our sinfulness and begging God for mercy. We loose our focus and cannot see how we can give any more for anything. That is a time for deep meditative prayer like we practiced last week. It is also a good time to share your struggle with another believer you trust. He or she can encourage you during times of trial.
We also as God’s stewards have time when life is so very good! Everything is going well and we can give generously out of our abundance. But I believe this is just as important a time to be in prayer, particularly a prayer of thanksgiving but also seeking God’s guidance. Just because all is well does not mean let go of God’s hand or the relationships with other disciples. Unlike the Pharisee it is not a time to exalt one’s self.
Next week our pledge cards will be dedicated. It is a time of great joy. For God invites us to join him in acts of redemption and salvation through our stewardship. But in true humility we know that only God can make our gifts worthy. My family used to say “proof is in the pudding.” I knew that meant that words were not enough; our words had to be followed by concrete actions that made a difference. “Action speaks louder than words,” which is another proverb from my childhood. Laying claim to personal value was just plain foolish. One cannot exalt one’s self. Only others can raise up our value. Really only God can raise us up. Through our stewardship we hear our master say “well done good and faithful servant… enter into your master’s joy.” Now that is exhortation on a grand scale. The Eagle’s Wings song comes to mind.

And He will raise you up on eagle's wings,
Bear you on the breath of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun,
And hold you in the palm of His Hand.
Amen!

Resources:
See Matthew 25:23, Luke 15:7, and Numbers 12:3

Eagle's Wings written by Michael Joncas, 1979

www. WorkingPreacher.org “Commentary on Gospel” for Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost by David Lose, Marbury E. Anderson Biblical Preaching Chair, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN
http://www.n2growth.com/blog/humility-and-leadership/

Sermon October 17, 2010

Sermon A Three Part Series on Stewardship

“Stewardship as Persistent Prayer”

Scripture Psalm 121 read responsively and Luke 18:1-8

Preached by Linda Jo Peters ~ October 17, 2010

INTRODUCTION TO SCRIPTURE
Psalm 121 is the second of the Psalms of Ascents (120-134). These texts seem to have been used by pilgrims during their travel to Jerusalem. Travel for the ancients was at best difficult and commonly dangerous. The availability of water would have been a constant concern. In addition, the danger of bandits could never be ruled out, as the parable of the Good Samaritan later bears witness. Psalm 121 responds to what must have been unavoidable misgivings about travel with unwavering reassurances that God protects his beloved. In fact, the Hebrew verb translated as "keep," which has the sense of "watch over, protect," occurs six times in only eight verses. In all of these occurrences God is the one doing the action. God protects the traveler from a host of possible dangers. So the next time you take a trip you might want to pull out Psalm 121 and pray this psalm.

1. I lift up my eyes to the hills— from where will my help come?
2. My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
3. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.
4. He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
5. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
6. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
7. The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.
8. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore.

Luke 18:1-8
I have often suggested that Jesus’ parables are meant to surprise us and turn our world upside-down. But in this parable the surprise is found in Jesus’ interpretation of his story. We come away wondering, “Is God like the unjust judge?”

Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Grant me justice against my opponent.’ For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, ‘Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.’” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

SERMON
So is God like the unjust judge and like the widow we just have to be persistent in our prayer life? Father Pierse in his reflections on this passage writes that instead of God being the unjust judge we need to see ourselves as the one “who neither fears God or respects people.” When we are dominated by our egos, we generally are just looking for what is in it for us. We are really stubborn in our self seeking. But God is persistent in love for us. God is the hound of heaven who wears us down, like the widow, by persistently pursuing us. Eventually, we yield and let God enter our lives and guide us to do the right thing.

In Peirse’s interpretation we see God as persistent in trying to break down our defenses. We see prayer as allowing this pursuing God to enter our lives and challenge us to change our self destructive behavior.” I like Peirse’s interpretation and from it I see where stewardship is like persistent prayer. Once we have opened our hearts to God, prayer is our connection to our life with God, with our Master. In Jesus’ day stewards were servants of a landowner, master, whose resources it was there job to grow through good management. What is the resource that God owns? Everything including our very lives belongs to God. So what kind of steward are you? How would you know? Has God done a personnel review with you? Received any memos from the hand of God lately? Probably not! But prayer is our personal access to God will for us. That is where the persistence pays off. If you regularly are in prayer with God, and a crisis comes upon you or those you love, you are already confident that God is with you in those time of trial.

The whole world has watched with bated breath for the arrival on the surface of the Chilean miners. What a joy to see them free at last. One of the youngest had report that there weren’t just 33 miners trapped but 34 because God never left them. A persistent God never leaves us. But a persistent steward of prayer is always aware of God’s presence in ordinary and extraordinary days.
Many of you know Tom Logan director of the Marion Medical Mission and Shallow Well program in Malawi Africa. This summer their son was killed in a boating accident. Still he and his wife, Jocelyn headed out to Malawi for another amazing year

Here is a brief update from them. Titled “We struggle on...” written on October 6, 2010

Things have been very hard this year – especially for Jocelyn, Marie and I. The well program in Africa has been the most difficult ever as we struggle to provide safe drinking water. In April Mr. Malata died of malaria, he was the foundation of the Shallow Well Program in the Nkhoma Synod. Then the death of the 4 year old boy on September 21, who ran out in front of one of our trucks in Tanzania. But know that all of US team 1 members are fine, 2 of our African Coordinator’s have had malaria (Mr. Khosa and Mr. Mhango) and Mr. Damalankhunda, one of our Field Officers, was in a motorcycle accident and lost half of his index finger on his left hand, yet they continued on hardly missing a beat. God’s blessings and power are clear, even with all the problems (diesel shortage, lack of pump fittings, malaria, etc.) over 1,000 wells should be completed by the time the first team leaves on Sunday! (and indeed over a 1000 wells were completed) This is a record for first teams. Please keep the prayers coming – pray hard and often. Love to all!

In these stories of faithful stewards of prayer, can you hear God’s call to prayer for you? Take some quiet time to open your heart, mind and will to God’s direction for your life. Amen.

Sermon - October 3, 2010

Pursuing Peace

Romans 14:13-19 and Matthew 15:10-20

Preached by Linda Jo Peters ~ October 3, 2010

World Communion Sunday with

Celebration of our Lord’s Supper and Dedication of the Peacemaking Offering

Introduction to Scripture Readings
Romans 14:13-19
This text is not ever included in the lectionary, which is a shame because this is a beautiful message of how Christians are called to live together in peace. Listen to Paul as he writes to the church in Rome.

Let us therefore no longer pass judgment on one another, but resolve instead never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of another. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. If your brother or sister is being injured by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. Do not let what you eat cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died. So do not let your good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. The one who thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and has human approval. Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.

Matthew 15:10-20
In contrast to Paul’s message of peace making with our brothers and sisters in Christ, Jesus challenges his listeners and then his disciples not to think that following arbitrary rules of cleanliness will make a person truly clean when their intensions are evil.

Then he called the crowd to him and said to them, “Listen and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles.” Then the disciples approached and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?” He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit.” But Peter said to him, “Explain this parable to us.” Then he said, “Are you also still without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach, and goes out into the sewer? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles. For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile.”

SERMON
The standard for cleanliness has changed through the centuries. Most of that changed with the discovery of germs and viruses. A Hungarian doctor named Ignaz Semmelweis had his hospital staff wash their hands before attending to patients in 1840. He was trying to figure out if it made a difference in saving lives. In 1860 Louis Pasteur is discovers that bacteria causes illnesses. He is the first to call the bacteria "germs." 1892 Viruses are discovered by Russian scientist Dmitri Ivanovski. Soap is a great source for killing bacteria and removing dirt that can carry them and viruses. It has been around for thousands of years but not always valued for its ability to keep us clean, especially by little boys. Through modern science and marketing we have come to value and strive to live the proverb of “cleanliness is next to godliness.” But we also know a sparkling clean kitchen may look wonderful, but it does not tell us if the food prepared there will be great eating. Both Jesus and Paul are talking about ritual cleanliness. What makes us clean enough to approach God or be in communion with God. Jesus is challenging us not to just look superficially at cleanliness but to find what is life giving. What makes one worthy to come to the table of the Lord? – washing your hands seven times or forgiving your enemy seven times?

Pursuing peace is like pursuing cleanliness. It is a nice ideal, but does it have any meaning for the way we live our lives?

Presbyterians have celebrated World Communion Sunday since the mid-1930s. At that time North Americans were experiencing the economic upheaval of the Great Depression, and many were concerned about the instability in Europe and the possibility of another world war. A group of Presbyterian ministers met to pray and talk about the church’s role in such a time. Rediscovering the unifying power of Christ in the Lord’s Supper, they reaffirmed that in Christ all Christians are one, regardless of nationality, race, or ethnicity. From their meeting came the first World Communion Sunday in 1936. In the years that followed other denominations began to celebrate this special Sunday until it really is world communion Sunday. In the mid-1970s a later generation of Presbyterians, also experiencing a time of challenge revisited World Communion Sunday. Many were feeling a sense of urgency to work for peace. Thirty-one presbyteries sent overtures to the General Assembly asking that the church direct energy toward peacemaking. As a result, the 187th General Assembly (1975) commissioned the Advisory Council on Church and Society “to reassess the concept of peacemaking . . . in the light of our biblical and confessional faith.” The Advisory Council created a special task force… to study and prepare a report on peacemaking.

Members of the task force met, prayed, and studied, then came to the conclusion that peacemaking was central to the gospel and to the mission of the church, that it was at the heart of being a Christian, and that it ought to have priority in the church. Their work was a call directed at the inner life of Presbyterians to commit to work for peace individually and as a church. A commitment to peacemaking, though, would need to be reflected both in the structure and in the finance of the church so that it could be translated into action. The task force recommended creating a national peacemaking program and a special offering to fund the work of peacemaking… The 192nd General Assembly (1980) adopted the task force’s work, “Peacemaking the Believers’ Calling.” Thirty years later Presbyterians continue to work for peace and to receive the offering used to fund that work. (The task force also) recommend that the Peacemaking Offering funds be divided among every level of the church so that congregations, presbyteries, synods, and the General Assembly’s program could all find creative ways to work for peace. That is why our congregation keeps 25 percent and has designated a variety of ministries that work for peace in our community to receive this gift. This year CODA was chosen. Its goal is to eliminate domestic violence. True peace making write here in Terre Haute.

It was that first task force that connected World Communion Sunday as an ideal time to receive the offering that would be used for peace work in the name of Christ.
But in thirty years what have we accomplished in our pursuit of peace? Is it just on the surface or have there been systemic changes in our communities? Should we give up because war and violence still rage in our world? Yet we have touched lives in the name of Jesus from Columbia to Korea. From domestic abuse to HIV/AIDS networks for change; we have made a difference. The pursuit of peace is a life long journey. It comes with terrible risks which our Lord and Savior bore on the cross. We remember his sacrifice and take up our cross to follow him.

The letter from Paul says put the needs of new Christians before our own. Jesus continues to challenge us as his disciples to make more than just surface changes. Here we come to the communion table and consider how we are serving the Prince of Peace our host. We know we come to the table as God’s children. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called Children of God.” This bread is a gift of grace that says God has not overlooked us or our neighbors. No matter what gender, race, political affiliation, ethnic background, sexual orientation or any other human boundary divides us; Jesus has called all to this table. It is a table of reconciliation. God searches our innermost thoughts and loves us. Eating of this bread is accepting this wondrous gift of God’s love and believing that it will make a real difference in our lives. At this table we ask who else might this bread feed? Have we exclude people from this table? This bread of life is not a scarce commodity to be jealously guarded or eaten only in times of crisis. God's banquet table is abundant; there is more than enough to invite others. Come to the table, receive this bread and be reconnected with God, receive this cup and be reconciled and whole with one another. Make peace real in your lives and in our world. Shalom, Salam, Mir, Paz, Pax, Heiwa, Peace.

Resources:
http://library.thinkquest.org/03oct/00923/germs.htm
See: http://gamc.pcusa.org/ministries/specialofferings/peacemaking-offering

Matthew 5:9
Rev. Todd Weir, bloomingcactus.typepad.com, November 21, 2005

Sermon September 5, 2010

Reshaping Lives with Love

Scripture: Philemon 1: 1-25

Preached by Linda Jo Peters ~ September 5, 2010 

 Labor Day Sunday

INTRODUCTION TO SCRIPTURE
Philemon 1: 1-25
We never read a whole book of the Bible in worship, nor one that is a letter like this missive from Paul, but we will today. Unlike most of his letters this one is written to one man, although he is asked to share it with the church that meets in his home. The people of the church then become a witness to how he responds to Paul’s request. What was Paul’s request: To accept his slave as a brother. Ultimately the letter is about the change in our relationships that happens because Christ is now our master.

Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our dear friend and co-worker, to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. When I remember you in my prayers, I always thank my God because I hear of your love for all the saints and your faith toward the Lord Jesus. I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective when you perceive all the good that we may do for Christ. I have indeed received much joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, my brother.

For this reason, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do your duty, yet I would rather appeal to you on the basis of love—and I, Paul, do this as an old man, and now also as a prisoner of Christ Jesus. I am appealing to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I have become during my imprisonment. Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful both to you and to me. I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you. I wanted to keep him with me, so that he might be of service to me in your place during my imprisonment for the gospel; but I preferred to do nothing without your consent, in order that your good deed might be voluntary and not something forced. Perhaps this is the reason he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back forever, no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a beloved brother—especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. So if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. If he has wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand: I will repay it. I say nothing about your owing me even your own self. Yes, brother, let me have this benefit from you in the Lord! Refresh my heart in Christ. Confident of your obedience, I am writing to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. One thing more—prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping through your prayers to be restored to you. Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you, and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

SERMON
At this point in his ministry Paul is seems fairly confident of his authority as an apostle of Christ. In many letters he must defend his postion against critiques, but not in this letter. Thus he could command Philemon to do what is right but he chooses to appeal to him through their relationship in Christ. “For this reason, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do your duty, yet I would rather appeal to you on the basis of love.” (v.8).

Onesimus (a’nā sēmus) name means “profitable” or “useful.” As a run away slave he has hardly been profitable or useful for Philemon but for Paul he has been more than just useful Onesimus has become like a son to Paul serving him during his imprisonment. Roman jails were brutal. Most prisoners had to provide even their own food from outside sources. Paul would have relied on outside aid for not only the basics for survival but also the paper and ink to write to Philemon. Onesimus may have provided supplies for Paul, but the deep bond between them had to have come from more than just being servicable. Of course we know that bond, because we share its source. Jesus the Christ binds us together in not only in our care of one another but most of all our love of one another.

New Testament Professor Holly Hearon writes that “The letter to Philemon challenges us to discern, in and for Christ, what is the right thing to do. It would be easy if doing the right thing was, for example, taking out the garbage, or helping an elderly person cross the street. It is another when the right thing involves a radical transformation of social relationships: of learning to see people that time and experience have led us to view one way in a completely new way. It is another thing when this radical transformation of social relationships asks us to give up what we have come to view as our rights: to willingly let go of privilege. It is another thing when this letting go of privilege leads us to assume a relationship of kinship—of obligation—with those whom we have formerly viewed with suspicion because we now recognize that we are bound together in Christ.”

What would change in your life, if you saw everyone through the eyes of Christ. On August 24 The Coalition of Immokalee Workers forged a fair food agreement with food service provider Sodexo! Sodexo services a number of Presbyterian-affiliated colleges which is why we have taken particular notice. It is the ninth food retailer to sign an agreement with the coaliton. In celebration of this event our denomination has provided a beautiful communion prayer which Judy Brett will read in Spanish and I will read the translation.

Take two tomatoes. By looking at them, can you tell which was picked from a local grower or which was picked in slave labor? No. But everything that comes to our table or into our lives. Has been on a journey to reach us. Paul wanted more for Onesimus (a’nā sēmus) than to hide out from Philemon’s rage. He wanted Philemon to change. We don’t know the end of this story. Was Philemon’s heart truly bonded to Paul and Onesimus through Christ Jesus? What we do know is that about fifty years after Paul wrote this letter, Ignatius, the bishop of Antioch, was being taken across Asia to Rome to suffer martyrdom there. From Smyrna he wrote a letter to the Ephesian church, in the opening chapters of which he has much to say about their bishop Onesimus. We cannot be sure that Onesimus, bishop of Ephesus was the slave of Philemon but it is not impossible. Perhaps Philemon did send him back to Paul again, as Paul so much wished he would do; that Onesimus lived to become a Christian leader in his own country, Asia, and was the bishop of Ephesus when Ignatius passed through that region.

Last week we considered how some have entertained angels unaware out of their generosity. Today may we recall that even the least of these may one day be great because we worked for their freedom. May we be open to the love of Christ to reshape our thinking, our very hearts into bread for the whole world. It could not have been easy for Philemon to release his slave, nor was it easy for Paul to ask. But in the making of the bread, the wheat is ground and then pounded together with other ingredients that change its very nature, and if that is not hard enough, it is then put into the oven to bake.

God’s loving hands are working on each of us and all of us as the church of Christ to feed and free the world. I would like to share with you a prayer from a collection of prayers that speak to that reshaping of our lives in the love of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Closing prayer: Guard your church, O God
Guard your church, O God from pity that precludes partnership; from heroics that disintegrate democracy; from procedure that prolongs injustice. Guard your church, O God. Awaken us in mercy, strengthen us in crucifixion, forge us in resurrection that we may give though it make us insecure; that we may depend, though it offend our pride; that we may challenge, though it cost our reputation; that we may hope, though it seems unreasonable; that we may love, though scorn feels righteous; that we may build, though tearing down be expedient; that we may speak, though silence would be safer, that we may venture, though we may not see the end. Guard your church, O God. In the strong name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.

Resources:
 www.christadelphianbooks.org/agora

Commentary published by Luther Seminary, see: working preacher.org. Professor Holly Hearon Christian Theological Seminary Indianapolis, IN
Story adapted from: www.earlychristianwritings.com/goodspeed/ch09.html.

An Introduction to the New Testament By Edgar J. Goodspeed, University of Chicago Press , Chicago: Illinois. 1937.
Excerpted from Prayers for a New Social Awakening, ed. Christian Iosso and Elizabeth Hinson-Hasty, Westminster John Knox Press, 2008. To see other prayers and to order the book visit www.wjkp.org .

To learn about how the PC(USA) is working with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers to advance human rights for farmworkers and corporate social responsibility visit PC(USA) Campaign for Fair Food www.pcusa.org/fairfood .

Sermon August 29, 2010

Feasting with the Poor

Scripture Psalm 112 and Luke 14: 7-14

Preached by Linda Jo Peters ~ August 29, 2010

INTRODUCTION TO SCRIPTURE
Psalm 112 is constructed as an acrostic poetic text. Each line begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. But it is more than a simple ten-verse poem set in an acrostic form for memorization. It is poem that lays out something of the distinctive qualities of those who would ascribe to the law of God and endeavor to live their lives by it. It breathes with an ethic that says there is a right course and a wrong path for human living.

1Praise the Lord! Happy are those who fear the Lord, who greatly delight in his commandments.
2Their descendants will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.
3Wealth and riches are in their houses, and their righteousness endures forever.
4They rise in the darkness as a light for the upright; they are gracious, merciful, and righteous.
5It is well with those who deal generously and lend, who conduct their affairs with justice.
6For the righteous will never be moved; they will be remembered forever.
7They are not afraid of evil tidings; their hearts are firm, secure in the Lord.
8Their hearts are steady, they will not be afraid; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.
9They have distributed freely, they have given to the poor; their righteousness endures forever; their horn is exalted in honor.
10The wicked see it and are angry; they gnash their teeth and melt away; the desire of the wicked comes to nothing.

Luke 14: 7-14
The social matrix of first-century life is on display in this passage, and we hear Jesus speak into this matrix both with communal wisdom and unexpected, even astonishing, advice… There is a theological truth that undergirds this passage and its very tangible social networks and exhortations: as God's people humble themselves and seek to live by a different social system marked by radical inclusion.

7When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. 8“When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; 9and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, ‘Give this person your place,’ and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. 10But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. 11For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” 12He said also to the one who had invited him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. 13But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. 14And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

SERMON
My mother-in-law, Nina, could set a wonderful table. Not only was the food great but the table was elegant. Crystal and real silverware, china from England: it was a joy to clean up. No, it really is true. I loved that time with her and my sister-in-laws. Talking over our days as these beautiful items were prepared for the next family event, which was often the following Sunday. Now we all live far apart and family meals are once a year event if then. What kind of table would we set if Jesus was coming to dinner? Who would we invite to attend? Well guest what? Next Sunday is communion and we are all invited to eat with Jesus. Who will you invite?

In this parable Jesus tells his host to invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. This is not just to make sure they eat, but to invite them to a banquet – a feast. Jesus is teaching us Kingdom behavior. In the Kingdom of God everyone is welcome. Today the Mission Committee has invited us to a party at Younity House. Younity House was created to provide permanent housing for people who have experienced homelessness do to mental health issues. It has ten apartments and was the dream of Rev. Don Mullens retired pastor of First Congregational Church. Last year was our first time in feasting with them. We all had fun together, but what was important was that we were their guests in their own backyard.

Children of God need to look for ways that turn the expected upside down. The wealthy feast with the poor, the comfortable make a place for the frightened and a little child will lead them. ( Isaiah 11:6)  Get out the best china that you have not used for years and invited your friend who lost her husband last year to a high tea. The neighbor who lost his job, the child who broke your window, the family with too much furniture of the front porch invite out for a picnic. Perhaps they will join you at the Rally Day event on September 12. Jesus is saying stop worrying about what you need and want and be concerned about what others want and need. The surprise gift of a generous spirit is that your concerns will fade into the background. Be generous, be extravagantly generous and feast with the poor: the financially poor, the physically and mentally poor, and the spiritually poor. That covers about everyone!

Jesus looked at the behavior of the guests and pointed out “Whoa! That is not right and not good for you.” Then he said, “All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” In all humility make all of life a feast with God. Invite the new kid to lunch with you and your friends at school. Take the office complainer out after work and ask what is really going on in their lives. Offer to pray for him/her. And follow through, after a week in pray ask again how his/her life is now. Let your fear go, and welcome the stranger. “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” (See: Hebrews 13:2)

Georgy Joseph shares this story in his blog:

It was fifty years ago, on a hot summer day, in the deep south. We lived on a dirt road, on a sand lot. We were, what was known as “dirt poor”. I had been playing outside all morning in the sand.

Suddenly, I heard a sharp clanking sound behind me and looking over my shoulder, my eyes were drawn to a strange sight! Across the dirt road were two rows of men, dressed in black and white, striped, baggy uniforms. Their faces were covered with dust and sweat. They looked so weary, and they were chained together with huge, black, iron chains. Hanging from the end of each chained row was a big, black, iron ball.

They were, as polite people said in those days, a “Chain Gang,” guarded by two, heavily armed, white guards. I stared at the prisoners as they settled uncomfortably down in the dirt, under the shade of some straggly trees. One of the guards walked towards me. Nodding as he passed, he went up to our front door and knocked. My mother appeared at the door, and I heard the guard ask if he could have permission to get water from the pump, in the backyard, so that “his men” could “have a drink”. My mother agreed, but I saw a look of concern on her face, as she called me inside.

I stared through the window as each prisoner was unchained from the line, to hobble over to the pump and drink his fill from a small tin cup, while a guard watched vigilantly. It wasn’t long before they were all chained back up again, with prisoners and guards retreating into the shade, away from an unrelenting sun.

I heard my mother call me into the kitchen, and I entered, to see her bustling around with tins of tuna fish, mayonnaise, our last loaf of bread, and two, big, pitchers of lemonade. In what seemed “a blink of an eye”, she had made a tray of sandwiches using all the tuna we were to have had for that night’s supper.

My mother was smiling as she handed me one of the pitchers of lemonade, cautioning me to carry it carefully” and to “not spill a drop.” Then, lifting the tray in one hand and holding a pitcher in her other hand, she marched me to the door, deftly opening it with her foot, and trotted me across the street.

She approached the guards, flashing them with a brilliant smile. “We had some leftovers from lunch,” she said, “and I was wondering if we could share with you and your men.” She smiled at each of the men, searching their dark eyes with her own eyes of “robin’s egg blue.”

Everyone started to their feet. “Oh no!” she said. “Stay where you are! I’ll just serve you!” Calling me to her side, she went from guard to guard, then from prisoner to prisoner, filling each tin cup with lemonade, and giving each man a sandwich.

It was very quiet, except for a “thank you, ma’am,” and the clanking of the chains. Very soon we were at the end of the line, my mother’s eyes softly scanning each face.

The last prisoner was a big man, his dark skin pouring with sweat, and streaked with dust. Suddenly, his face broke into a wonderful smile, as he looked up into my mother’s eyes, and he said, “Ma’am, I’ve wondered all my life if I’d ever see an angel, and now I have! Thank you!”

Again, my mother’s smile took in the whole group. “You’re all welcome!” she said. “God bless you.” Then we walked across to the house, with empty tray and pitchers, and back inside. Soon, the men moved on, and I never saw them again. The only explanation my mother ever gave me, for that strange and wonderful day, was that I “remember, always, to entertain strangers, for by doing so, you may entertain angels, without knowing.”  Then, with a mysterious smile, she went about the rest of the day. I don’t remember what we ate for supper, that night. I just know it was served by an angel.

What a great example of generosity this woman gave her child while she was feasting with the poor. May God provide amazing encounters for each of you and may you be unafraid to feast with the poor. Amen.

Resources:
Commentary on Psalm by Paul O. Myhre

Commentary on Gospel by Jeannine K. Brown
www.turnbacktogod.com/story-entertaining-angels/

Sermon August 15, 2010

Family Conflict

Scripture Isaiah 5:1-7 and Luke 12: 49-56

Preached by Linda Jo Peters ~ August 15 2010

INTRODUCTION TO SCRIPTURE
Isaiah 5:1-7
This passage begins as a love song which becomes a trial. It contains a sophisticated play on words using 'mispat' (justice) with 'mispah' (bloodshed) and 'sedaqa' (righeousness) with 'se'aqa' (a cry). Time and again in prophetic writings the reader will be lead along one path before there is a sharp turnabout and then one finds oneself challenged or accused. God had ensured that his chosen people would have all the goodness and protection they needed so they could embody justice and righteousness, instead they choose violence and oppression.

1Let me sing for my beloved my love-song concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill.
2He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watchtower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it; he expected it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes.
3And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. 4What more was there to do for my vineyard that I have not done in it? When I expected it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes?
5And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down.
6I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and it shall be overgrown with briers and thorns; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.
7For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the people of Judah are his pleasant planting; he expected justice, but saw bloodshed; righteousness, but heard a cry!

Luke 12: 49-56
In this lectionary reading for today, we see Jesus pressing on toward Jerusalem and the cross, or as he calls it, his “baptism.” For Jesus, his death is a divine judgment upon guilt, not his own guilt, but Israel's guilt. It is the same guilt that Isaiah wrote about 800 years earlier. Jesus brings a message of hope and redemption in the face of our guilt. Some are even healed by his touch or his words, and the one healed is sent away rejoicing. But while the person is rejoicing, another group will be muttering to itself, deciding how best to get rid of Jesus. “He expected justice, but saw bloodshed; righteousness, but heard a cry!” The result is that an abiding conflict seems to be ongoing as a back drop of the Gospel of Jesus the Christ. Is it any different today?

“I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed! 51Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! 52From now on five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three; 53they will be divided: father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

54He also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, ‘It is going to rain’; and so it happens. 55And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat’; and it happens. 56You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?

Sermon
The fire of Jesus’ sacrifice creates a new community, a community not based on physical or genetic relationships but on spiritual ties of kinship. Jesus knew that his true mother, brothers and sisters were those who heard the word of God and followed it. But even a very close family can have conflict. From the disciples through the early church we see conflict arise from Jerusalem to Rome. Some of us get frustrated when churches are in conflict. It seems to be a poor representation of the Prince of Peace. How do we reconcile the angels’ herald of "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" with Jesus saying, “Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division!”

Summer is the season of weddings. When two people get married they create a new family, but more than that, the connections with their families of origin change. This very ordinary change can cause conflict. Generally, we don’t like conflict. At least most of us put a lot of effort into avoiding conflict even to the detriment our relationships. Honest speaking and listening to one another can strengthen all relationships. But it can get heated, especially in a family. So why was Jesus so passionate to engage in this up and coming conflict? This was a family conflict that had been brewing for hundreds of years. It was much worse than The Hatfield–McCoy feud of West Virginia and Kentucky. It was closer to the divisions over race and gender that segregate people who have been considered unclean and unwelcome in worship. These restrictions had so divided God’s people so deeply that Isaiah would later write:

To the eunuchs who keep my sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant, I will give, in my house and within my walls, a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. (Isaiah 56: 4&5)

But by the time of Jesus the restrictions were even more stringent and detailed. Many believers focused their time, talent, energy and money to caring for the Temple, worship and right behaviors in living. Jesus wanted to challenge the source of this shift from justice issues such as care of “widows and orphans” which was God’s priority.

Let’s go back to the wedding. I often try to get couples to spend their efforts on their marriage rather than the wedding.
On average, couples that live (in the) Terre Haute (area) spend between $13,000 and $23,000 for their wedding.
I cannot even imagine how much time is put into a wedding. But the cost was surprising, even to me. If we go with the lower figure of $13,000, think what a young couple could do with that money. Buy a car, down payment on a home, set up a retirement plan?
Another draining event is the death of a family member. On top of grieving the loss the average cost of a funeral can run between $12 -15,000. And we know better than to think children are free! All these events, happy and sad, in the life of a family produce stress which can produce conflict.

There is a cable show called “Say Yes to the Dress.” Some of the hateful behaviors between the bride and her family members is shameful. They have lost their focus. They look like the cover of the bulletin with the Simpsons fighting. God is concerned about how we deal with conflict. Conflict is often generated because of limited resources: money, time, oil, food… God is very concerned about how we spend our resources. In Jesus’ life we are shown that wrestling with difficult decisions is valuable for our spiritual growth and our relationship with God.

Orderliness and harmony were great Stoic themes. At worst it meant everyone in their place, an unchanged and unchallenged status quo. For many people Christian peace is still seen as that kind of harmony, if not achievable outwardly, then at least achievable inwardly. The gospel then takes up its place beside all the others who promise serenity of life and ‘feel good’ spiritualities. But peace in the teachings of Jesus is found in unity with God and what God is doing in the world and a sense of solidarity with those travelling that path.

From last Sunday’s Mission Yearbook of Prayer reading I was struck with how challenging Rev. Kim’s message was. He wrote:
Many people who have lost their jobs and homes fall into homelessness. An estimated 3.5 million people are homeless each year. One out of every fifty children is homeless, one third of homeless people are veterans, and 1.5 million teens experience homelessness each year. Many seniors live out their final years in vehicles because they can’t afford rent.

What would you do if Jesus told you to sell your possessions and give to the poor (Luke 12:33), invite the homeless into your home (Matt. 25:35), or open rooms in our church and invite them in. If he were here with us today, wouldn’t he do ALL of the above?

Isaiah 1:10–17 shocks us by disqualifying our worship service, offering, and prayers unless we learn to do good: to seek justice, rescue the oppressed, and share with needy neighbors.

What can we do? (Rev. Kim) suggests that our churches include the issue of homelessness in pastoral prayers, Bible studies, and sermons. Churches could be a shelter for the homeless. They could offer community meals for the poor and open our parking lots and host a tent city. Or with this heat we could be a cooling spot. We could offer rental assistance for the homeless, build low-income homes in partnership with banks, builders, and other churches, and get involved with public policy advocacy to have an impact on policies related to poverty. What he doesn’t mention is the conflict that will rise up when we take seriously the challenge to serve God’s will over our own. The good news is this is family conflict. We love one another and we have worked hard to make our worship inclusive of a very diverse population of this family of God. The bad news is this is family conflict. It can be bitter and divisive, especially when we lose our focus, our purpose for being a family of God to “Love God and one another and make disciples.”

This is true for our own families as well. Family conflict can help us make good choices by challenging our thinking. Whether we are planning a wedding or dealing with the loss of a loved one, whether we are welcoming a new life among us our sending them off to college, conflict will be a part of our family dynamics. To suppress conflict to appear harmonious is not healthy for families or churches. If we are to challenge the ruts we get ourselves into, we will need to listen to others critique our choices, and offer our own critique of theirs. Sparks may fly. Jesus said, “I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!” His passion for the fire of the Holy Spirit to come among us still lives in each of us today. We want families that expect the very best of our us and we want churches that give the very best that others may know the love of Jesus Christ. Amen.

RESOURCES
Pentecost 12C, Commentary, Background, Insights from Literary Structure, Theological Message, Ways to Present the Text. Anna Grant-Henderson, Uniting Church in Australia.

www.articlesnatch.com/Article/The-Average-Cost-Of-A-Funeral-In-The-United-States/490478

Pentecost 12, William Loader, Murdoch University, Uniting Church in Australia

Minute for Mission by The Rev. Dr. Jean Kim, organizer/adviser of national and local homeless networks, educator, preacher, seminar leader, and writer on homeless issues for August 8, 2010, Mission Yearbook of Prayer published by the Presbyterian Church USA.

Sermon August 5, 2010

God’s Heart

Scripture Hosea 11:1-11and Colossians 3:1-11

Psalter of Psalm 47 #194 “Peoples, Clap Your Hands”

Celebration of Our Lord’s Supper and Reception of New Members

Preached by Linda Jo Peters ~ August 1, 2010

INTRODUCTION TO SCRIPTURE
Hosea 11:1-11,
Throughout this passage, we sense the deep tides of God’s compassion surging against the rock of a justly-deserved punishment for the people’s faithlessness. There is here no cheap grace, no easily won indulgent love. Rather we glimpse the pain of a parent’s heart, torn by the thoughtless straying of a wayward child, yet God continues to loves us still. Here in the words of the prophet Hosea, we glimpse the hope for the future of the child lies not in a change within the child but in the “turning” within the heart of the parent. Here we are shown the Holy One who is beyond our ways, whose steadfast love outlasts all betrayal.

When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. 2The more I called them, the more they went from me; they kept sacrificing to the Baals, and offering incense to idols. 3Yet it was I who taught Ephraim (ēf•rah'•yim) to walk, I took them up in my arms; but they did not know that I healed them. 4I led them with cords of human kindness, with bands of love. I was to them like those who lift infants to their cheeks. I bent down to them and fed them. 5They shall return to the land of Egypt, and Assyria shall be their king, because they have refused to return to me. 6The sword rages in their cities, it consumes their oracle-priests, and devours because of their schemes. 7My people are bent on turning away from me. To the Most High they call, but he does not raise them up at all.

8How can I give you up, Ephraim (ēf•rah'•yim)? How can I hand you over, O Israel? How can I make you like Admah (ad•mä')? How can I treat you like Zeboiim (Tsĕbo'iym)? My heart recoils within me; my compassion grows warm and tender. 9I will not execute my fierce anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim; for I am God and no mortal, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath. 10They shall go after the Lord, who roars like a lion; when he roars, his children shall come trembling from the west. 11They shall come trembling like birds from Egypt, and like doves from the land of Assyria; and I will return them to their homes, says the Lord.

Colossians 3:1-11
Commentator, William Loader writes:
Setting one's focus on something creates its own dynamic, like when two people set their hearts on a marriage. Many actions follow from that single goal, most of them spontaneous and all of them motivated by this single aim. In the same way, to set one's focus on God, is to create a dynamic with consequences which touch every part of life. There is an element of the automatic, but there is also the need to keep focused. The writer (of Colossians) is aware of this (need to be focused) and therefore gives this exhortation. We need, he is arguing, to be what we have become, to realize our potential. Turning to Christ meant changing our focus, indeed, changing the goal or god of our lives. That meant dying to the old life and beginning anew. The newness is not as simple as a new resolution. It is a new relationship.

So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, 3for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.

5Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry). 6On account of these the wrath of God is coming on those who are disobedient. 7These are the ways you also once followed, when you were living that life.

8But now you must get rid of all such things—anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language from your mouth. 9Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices 10and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator. 11In that renewal there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all!

Sermon
In Hosea we hear the words of a parent looking back at the pictures of an innocent child as the young adult goes off on their own, full of independent ambition and pride and unaware of the pitfalls that lie ahead. Our Parenting God watches as we like the people of Israel become more and more distant. Hosea says: “The sword rages in their cities, it consumes their priests, it devours because of their schemes." Pastor Mimi Walker writes:

These aren't words of punishment; rather, they are the recognition of the consequences that follow the choices of a headstrong and wayward people. And how many parents have watched as their children are being swept up into the world of addictions and its companion crime? Like our loving God, a loving parent waits in anguish for their children to return. God does not enable our behavior but there are terrible consequences of the choices we make. It can even seem like God is punishing us. But God’s tough love is found in the cross of Jesus. It is revealed in sacrifice not punishment.

I ask our confirmands to write a statement of faith. Putting into words what we believe is part of the Reformed Tradition. In Christopher’s statement of faith he wrote:
God loves everyone equally.
Jesus is the son of God and gave his life to forgive everyone of their sins.
Jesus is gentle. He would not tolerate bloodshed even to keep himself from being crucified.

We all have a place in God’s heart. Christopher and Aaron’s parents sought from the very beginning to place their children within the body and being of Christ which seeks to reach out with love into the world. There is almost a sense of security in the statement that we are hidden in Christ. Being in and part of the church keeps us safe and protected, but not from disease, disaster, persecution, or any of the ills of this world. Being part of the body of Christ places us in an environment with a different set of priorities. At some point children must chose who will be in charge of their life. When they chose to be a part of the family of God to dwell in God’s heart, they are choosing all that is good and beautiful and true. In God’s heart we are like dinner guests invited to partake of the finest food freshly prepared and displayed. To turn from God is like eating the same food after it has been dumped in the garbage. It just is not the same. What parent does not want the very best for their children? Libby and John want the very best for Christopher and Aaron, just as all of us want the best for our children and grandchildren. In fact, we want all children welcomed to the feast of God. At table with God we learn and grow in relationship with God. We learn we are precious and discover our gifts and talents and we hear our call to service.

I have designed our confirmation study around the Biblical nature of being called by God. We learned that often the one called would try to find some way out of the responsibility. But God was persistent. I asked Christopher what he understood about the nature of his call and he wrote:

"I believe God wants the church to help the less fortunate, teach His word, and to make the world a better place. I believe my call is to help the needy." Sounds like a young man who is dwelling in the heart of God. May you too hear God’s call for your life. Amen.

RESOURCES
Pentecost 10, William Loader, Murdoch University, Uniting Church in Australia. See: http://wwwstaff.murdoch.edu.au


See: http://day1.org/2108-broken_hearted_god