June 27, 2010

A Tough Road to Follow

Scripture Psalm 77: 11-20 read responsively and Luke 9:51-62

Ordination and Installation of Elder Barbara Atkinson and Installation of Jane Kohr

Preached by Linda Jo Peters ~ June 27, 2010

INTRODUCTION TO SCRIPTURE
Psalm 77: 11-20 read responsively

Psalm 77 begins as it recalls the past out of a senses of abandonment and loss. It concludes with our reading for today which is an affirmation. The past not only recalls loss but it is also a source of promises fulfilled. It becomes a source of hope for the present because God’s eternal nature intersects with our past and present to shape our future.
11I will call to mind the deeds of the Lord; I will remember your wonders of old.
12I will meditate on all your work, and muse on your mighty deeds.
13Your way, O God, is holy. What god is so great as our God?
14You are the God who works wonders; you have displayed your might among the peoples.
15With your strong arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Selah
16When the waters saw you, O God, when the waters saw you, they were afraid; the very deep trembled.
17The clouds poured out water; the skies thundered; your arrows flashed on every side.
18The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind; your lightnings lit up the world; the earth trembled and shook.
19Your way was through the sea, your path, through the mighty waters; yet your footprints were unseen.
20You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron

Luke 9:51-62
We know Jesus grew up in Galilee. Most of his ministry has been in communities around his home base. Now he is heading toward the conflict his ministry will create in Jerusalem. Now following him takes on more troubling significance. He will become homeless, derided and finally killed for his passion to bring the Kingdom of the God to the people of God. What would you give up to serve the Lord?

51When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. 52And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him; 53but they did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. 54When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” 55But he turned and rebuked them. 56Then they went on to another village.

57As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 59To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 60But Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61Another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” 62Jesus said to him, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

SERMON
Today we will ordain Barbara Atkinson and with Jane Kohr install them into office to serve Christ’s church. Jane has been down this road before and Barbara has been attending Session meetings for the past several months. Neither one would be surprised by my sermon title that following Jesus is a tough road. Yet they also know the great joy that comes from following Jesus. There are many times of laughter and feelings of accomplishment, but there also times when someone corners you over an issue they have with the church and they pour out their anger and frustrations on you. Like James and John we may want to pour fire down on them,

Though James and John are "messengers," they get the message wrong. Elijah had indeed called down fire from heaven to destroy a military detachment from Samaria (2 Kings 1:10). They seem to suppose that fiery judgment might again be called for against the Samaritans, and they further suppose they are the ones to administer it.

Elijah is an important fore-runner of Christ. But Jesus is not Elijah, and his mission is not about judgment, but compassion and mercy.

As followers of Jesus our job is to listen to those hurting even in the church with patience and love. It is not easy but it is part of our road.

Following Jesus means we are sojourners in this world because our home is with the risen Christ. We may live in a five bedroom house or an efficiency apartment; we may live in a trailer or a cardboard box. We may have resided in our house for over sixty years or have just moved in yesterday. All are temporary. We are all resident aliens, but not homeless because wherever we are, as long as we are following Jesus, we are home. Hospitality is one of the great gifts of Christians everywhere. This week many of you opened your home for the Grove UMC Youth Choir and also prepared meals for over forty people. On Thursday Jan took over the Praise service for me so I could moderate the Clinton Session. Thursday they have a community meal for anyone who can come. They had feed 44 people that day. They also house the community food pantry. Sound familiar? Churches large and small are pouring out resource during yet another time of crisis, when their own budgets are hurting. Instead of withdrawing from our commitment to Jesus Christ, we continue to step out in faith. It is not easy to follow Jesus but it is the road we travel.

People want to be where the action is. It was just as true in Jesus’ day as today. Jesus was “where it was at!” So people gravitated to him and wanted to follow him and be his disciple. Jesus was warning these people that road he was on was fraught with danger and demanded high commitment. So I ask you again, “What would you give up to serve the Lord?” Perhaps you feel you have already sacrificed enough for Jesus. Maybe you’re tired and the kingdom of God seems so far away. Our world is full of trouble what more can we do about it? When we start looking back on what we have done, we lose our momentum. Our past life, our past home, our past relationships are all set aside to follow Jesus. Like mowing the lawn, if instead of watching where you are going you are always looking where you have been, your will wander all over the yard. You might run over a few flowers or into a tree on the way. Jesus wants our full attention. What we are called to do as disciples is too important to turn back or get tangled up in old commitments that are not life-giving.

Perhaps the question I should be asking is, “What do you need to give up to keep your commitment to Jesus Christ?”

I was watching a video of Berkley graduates, who were asked “What do you want the future to look like?” Over and over was the theme of acceptance of diversity as integral to their vision along with their own commitment to make that happen. Then I watch the commencement address at Barnard Women’s College by Meryl Streep. She said:

Never before in (our) history or country have most of the advanced degrees been awarded to women but now they are. ( ) It's hardly more than 100 years since we were even allowed into these buildings except to clean them but soon most of law and medical degrees will probably also go to women. Around the world, poor women now own property who used to be property and according to Economist magazine, for the last two decades, the increase of female employment in the rich world has been the main driving force of growth. Those women have contributed more to global GDP growth than have either new technology or the new giants India or China. Cracks in the ceiling, cracks in the door, cracks in the Court and on the Senate floor.

If diversity can inspire so much hope for our shared future, what do we as followers of Jesus want the future to look like? I want it to look like the kingdom of God. A reign of peace and joy, were all have a place at the table. Where the gifts of everyone are valued and used to serve the greater good. I see a future where it is not about accumulation of wealth and stuff, but sacrifice and love.

Meryl told those young women, “This is your time and it feels normal to you but really there is no normal. There's only change, and resistance to it and then more change.” A tough road to follow? You bet! But so worth it! Amen.

Resources: The Old Testament Readings: Weekly Comments on the Revised Common Lectionary, Theological Hall of the Uniting Church, Howard Wallace, Melbourne, Australia. John Petty, Progressive Involvement, 2010.See:http://e.iciba.com/space-4457699-do-blog-id-1202609.html

June 20, 2010

One In Christ Jesus

June 20, 2010 ~ Father’s Day

and the Celebration of the Gifts of Men

Psalm 43 read responsively and Galatians 3:23-29

Preached by Linda Jo Peters

INTRODUCTION TO SCRIPTURE
Psalm 43 read responsively
We all have yearned to know God, to be intimate with the divine. Much seems to separate us from a close relationship with God. The psalmist knew this yearning and the desire that God would guide us clearly and definitively.

1Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause against an ungodly people; from those who are deceitful and unjust deliver me!
2For you are the God in whom I take refuge; why have you cast me off? Why must I walk about mournfully because of the oppression of the enemy?
3O send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling.
4Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy; and I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God.
5Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God.

Galatians 3:23-29
Our passage begins with Paul's assertion that the Law functioned to enslave us and expose our weaknesses. It functioned like the slave who was responsible for disciplining children for their education (frequently very harshly!). People who see in the Biblical Law something with ongoing relevance as an expression of God's guidance will be appalled by Paul's descriptions. In the next chapter, Paul will speak of Gentiles who were once enslaved to false gods! You can almost hear the affront that he would associate commitment to scripture with enslavement to pagan gods! Paul made such claims because some of the Galatian Christians had turned the Law into a set of demands which became almost a set of qualifications one had to meet before one was acceptable to God. Does this sound like some Christians today for whom biblical laws have become not a source of generous guidance but an instrument of oppression? We have been given something much more wonderful than the Law, we have been given Christ Jesus!

23Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. 24Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. 25But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, 26for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. 27As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. 29And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.

SERMON

Today we celebrate and give thanks for the gifts of men, in particular fathers and grandfathers, who provide safe havens for children, in their homes as well as in their hearts. But also for men who are disciples of Jesus Christ and lead others to know and serve him. I want us to move away from the great macrocosms of my last two sermons that exposed what breeds slavery, pollution and greed to the microcosm of intimate relationships between family, friends and church. The power to grow healthy relationships and make effective changes in our society comes from being open to the Holy Spirit.

For me the best image of the transforming power of the Holy Spirit is that of fire as the church has used for many years. When the Holy Spirit is present there are no laws that can contain our love and it shoots across rivers of distrust and hate and jumps barriers erected by prejudice. It consumes us and reforms us in the body of Christ. No wonder the Galatians wanted the Law back. They had actively participated in the fire of the Holy Spirit and they were afraid of the glorious uncontrolled freedom it brings! Are we not just as afraid?
We write law after law in an effort to change human behavior. But without changing the human heart, no significant change can last. What turns a self center, egotistical man into a loving and devoted father? A change of heart! If a child can do that, think what being open to the Holy Spirit can do for a man. Men are sometimes derided for being so task oriented. But that is how God designed them to be. Here is a story that affirms the movement of the Holy Spirit using men’s gifts to set a goal and accomplish a task.

Water in the Presbytery of the Mid-South didn’t flow — it froze. Inches of ice built up until the weight began snapping trees and power lines throughout east Arkansas, the boot heel of Missouri, and northwest Tennessee. “All we could do was shake our heads. We didn’t know where to start,” related the Rev. Warren Wilkewitz, pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Blytheville, Arkansas. A week later, in February 2009, the first Disaster Assistance Relief Teams (DART) arrived in Blytheville with chainsaws, water, and batteries.

The Spirit started moving through the presbytery a couple of years before the ice storm. One man’s ministry was organizing disaster relief groups. Then a group of folks gathered to discern a call to “do something” and DART was born. After just one announcement, many churches offered people power and equipment to the team. Then the ice storm hit. Largely unprepared but willing and able, DART answered the call.

“We didn’t know who would respond — sandwich makers, counselors?” said Jayn Lando, elder at Advent Church and DART leader. “It quickly became clear that we’re a chainsaw team first and whatever else is needed after that. They just brought their equipment and sleeping bags and were ready to help.”

“Do something” ultimately meant restore hope, bring order, listen to the stories, hold a hand, pray. With friendships forged, the team members share more than chainsaw oil: they share the willingness to listen for the next call and answer together, being blessed by becoming the hands of Christ.

Even their prayer is simple and to the point:

"Tell us what to do, O God, and give us hearts to respond. Amen."

The good news is that God has a plan for each of us and for all of us working together. We have different gifts and passions but bound together with the power of the Holy Spirit, we can make a huge difference. Together we are all “heirs according to the promise.” Men and woman, fathers and grandfathers, single and married, with children and without, we are all one in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Resource: Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study The Presbytery of the Mid-South for June 14, 2010

June 13, 2010

“Forgiven and Made New”

Psalm 5 read responsively and Luke 7:36-8:3

Preached by Linda Jo Peters ~ June 13, 2010

Unity Presbyterian Church ~ Terre Haute, Indiana

INTRODUCTION TO SCRIPTURE

Psalm 5:
The psalm ends with a message of hope but our lectionary excludes verses 9-12, perhaps because the lectionary compilers are cautious about reading the vindictive language of verse 9. When we exclude such words from our reading of scripture, do we run the risk of not hearing the voices of victims of violence? Is not the psalmist just uttering the kinds of things that those who suffer, including us, utter when greatly oppressed? If we listen, we will hear such words, in angry protests from victims all over the world, even in the Gulf of Mexico directed toward BP. The inclusion of such words in the psalms gives us permission to speak what might really be deep within us at times when we suffer greatly. It also gives us permission to pray on behalf of such people who may even express things from which we would recoil. In any case, the psalmist surely guides us in that such deep feelings and responses are best uttered before God, who both knows us deeply and judges all, especially the oppressors, in righteousness and with fairness and understanding. Forgiveness can only come when the pain has been named.


1Give ear to my words, O Lord; give heed to my sighing.
2Listen to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you I pray.
3O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I plead my case to you, and watch.
4For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil will not sojourn with you.
5The boastful will not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers.
6You destroy those who speak lies; the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful.
7But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house, I will bow down toward your holy temple in awe of you.
8Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me.
9For there is no truth in their mouths; their hearts are destruction; their throats are open graves; they flatter with their tongues.
10Make them bear their guilt, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; because of their many transgressions cast them out, for they have rebelled against you.
11But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, so that those who love your name may exult in you.
12For you bless the righteous, O Lord; you cover them with favor as with a shield.

Luke 7:36-8:3
The story of a woman anointing Jesus is told in some form in all four gospels: what were the elements in the original story: tears or oil; Feet or head; Bethany or Galilee; Mary or a local prostitute? The parable Jesus tells in response to Simon’s criticism redirects our attention to what is important, which is to receive the lost with acceptance and love. The result is the lost may end up in ministry with or even to us.

One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. 37And a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment. 38She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. Then she continued kissing his feet and anointing them with the ointment. 39Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him—that she is a sinner.” 40Jesus spoke up and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” “Teacher,” he replied, “Speak.” 41“A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42When they could not pay, he canceled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more?” 43Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the greater debt.” And Jesus said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 44Then turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. 45You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. 46You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.” 48Then he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49But those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” 50And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

8 Soon afterwards he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, 2as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, 3and Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their resources.

SERMON
The back drop to this dinner at Simon’s home is the hospitality code of the ancient middle east. The environment of the desert and arid land in most of the Middle East is harsh. For a traveler, access to water and food was a matter of life or death. Over time the need to provide for the traveler became a norm for guests in one’s home. When Jesus came in, Simon normally would have offered Jesus water with which to bath his feet or have a slave wash his feet. Simon offered neither. No water for Jesus. And normally, Simon would have offered olive oil to soothe Jesus’ hands and feet, but Simon did not offer him olive oil either. He did not even welcome him with an embrace. Had he invited Jesus to his home just to insult him? We do not know. Although we do know there was conflict brewing between Jesus and the religious leaders. But someone else wanted, even needed to express her welcome and thanks to Jesus – a local prostitute. We do not know why she expressed her love in such an extravagant fashion. Perhaps he had healed her or a family member or friend. In return he gave her the greatest gift of all, forgiveness of her sins. Why would forgiveness be more important than health or life itself? As Paul wrote in Romans, “The wages of sin are death.” Every time we refuse to be forgiven or refuse to give forgiveness, we all die a little inside.

Sometime a person, who has lost a family member because of a crime, is so anger and filled with the desire for revenge, it poisons their entire beings. They are so focus on what they’ve lost, and what they wanted the dead person to be, and do, for them, that they completely miss the opportunity they’ve been given to learn about real love. Instead, they seem to believe that hatred, even to the point of killing, will satisfy their thirst for vengeance and will somehow bring them healing. So, with hardened hearts and stiff lips, they say, “I’ll never forgive.” And the sad thing is that in wishing to send someone to hell they end up sending themselves there as well.

Sometimes our own sins are the ones that close us off from God’s forgiving love. Why would we hold on to destructive and sinful behavior? Lets take a look at this woman who comes to Jesus in thanksgiving and receives the gift of forgiveness. From Simon’s comments we know she was a sinner, possibly a prostitute.

RESOURCES:
Weekly Comments on the Revised Common Lectionary, Theological Hall of the Uniting Church, Melbourne, Australia. By Howard Wallace.
Romans 6:23
Hamama-Raz, Y., Solomon, Z., Cohen, A., & Laufer, A. (2008). PTSD symptoms, forgiveness, and revenge among Israeli Palestinian and Jewish Adolescents. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 21, 521–529.

June 6, 2010

An Unexpected Gift – Life

Celebration of our Lord’s Supper

Luke 7:11-17

Preached by Linda Jo Peters

INTRODUCTION TO SCRIPTURE
This passage comes at the end of a series of events beginning with Jesus’ reading of Isaiah 61:1-2 at a local synagogue. Jesus declares this is his mission: "to bring good news to the poor, ... to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." The events which follow in chapters 4 – 7 show Jesus doing just that. Including the most amazing of all, raising of the dead.

Luke 7:11-17
11Soon afterwards he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went with him. 12As he approached the gate of the town, a man who had died was being carried out. He was his mother’s only son, and she was a widow; and with her was a large crowd from the town. 13When the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her, “Do not weep.” 14Then he came forward and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, rise!” 15The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. 16Fear seized all of them; and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has risen among us!” and “God has looked favorably on his people!” 17This word about him spread throughout Judea and all the surrounding country.


SERMON
A woman in ancient Palestine lived much as radical Muslim woman do today. She came into her husband's household as an outsider. Her labor and bearing of children for the family was her only bond to them. Upon the death of her husband, the fragile tie to his family was likely to be broken, unless she had given birth to a son in the household. Her son would become a part of the household in a way that she could never be, and his relationship to the family would bind her to them thus making a place for her. This woman of Nain has not only lost her husband but now her son. The only income she could legally receive was from begging, unless she had a wealthy family that could afford to take her back, she might become homeless. Notice that Jesus has compassion not on the dead man but on his mother. He gives life to her son but the real gift is life to his mother.


Do you know people whose retirement disappeared in a ponsi scheme or the market crash? Do you know someone whose identity was stolen? What did you feel? Compassion? This is what Jesus feels. He might have felt anger at the injustice of the system in which this widow lived. But changing a whole social system takes more time than he had. Instead in his life he sows seeds of compassion that then are lived out in his disciples and eventually most people have come to see that care of “widows and orphans” is a responsibility of the whole community not just the family. That is the nature of change. Some things happen very quickly but real changes of the heart take years, generations, even centuries. Our role as part of the church of Jesus Christ is that we are in it for the long haul. We work for change that we may never see in our life times. Real transformation, long lasting change that brings life takes consistent effort.

Now I know you are not in church to hear more about the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. But if we are Jesus’ disciples we are called to bring life to every situation. Jim Wallis writes:


There is not one answer to this calamity; there are many: corporate responsibility; serious government regulation; public accountability; and real civic mobilization to protect the endangered waters, coasts, species, and people’s livelihoods. But at a deeper level, we literally need a conversion of our habits of the heart, our energy sources, and our lifestyle choices. And somebody will need to lead the way. Who will dare to say that an economy of endless growth must be confronted and converted to an economy of sustainability, to what the Bible calls stewardship. What about the community of faith?  (" A Time for Moral Reckoning” by Jim Wallis Sojourners 06-03-2010)


From now on, the bottom line must be balanced against the well being of employees, including subcontractors, clients or customers and creation. I know this is too big even for the US government, so how can we a small congregtion in Indiana, make any difference? We are thinking about building phase II, what if we built the next building so energy efficient that we sold electricity back to the power company? The church has a history of both great good and terrible evil done in the name of Jesus. We have a choice to make. Will our choice give life.  What child needs raising up to give life to a widow?


If you do not feel called to stewardship of our shared planet, what about our schools that are struggling to provide good education, to raise up the child to care for the mother.


Start with prayer. Not as an excuse to avoid action but as a way to seek God’s direction through the power of the Holy Spirit. Go ahead and read the newspaper, watch TV, cruise the internet, but do it with a purpose to hear God’s call in the cries of the mother’s whose children are no more. May you make a difference every day born of the love and compassion of Jesus the Christ. Amen.

“Mindfulness not Perfection”

Psalm 19:7- 14 read responsively and Matthew 5:38-48

May 23, 2010 – Pentecost

Sermon series on being Mentally Healthy

Preached by Linda Jo Peters, Pastor

INTRODUCTION TO SCRIPTURE

We all strive for perfection in some aspect of our lives: our work, study, homes, bodies, relationships and service. But we all fall short of perfection. The Psalmist knew that God’s law was perfect, but he was not, so he sought God’s acceptance. Note acceptance is one of the attributes of mental health that we all need, plus love and forgiveness that we also seek from God.
Psalm 19:7- 14 read responsively

7The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the decrees of the Lord are sure, making wise the simple;
8the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes; 9the fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. 10More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey, and drippings of the honeycomb. 11Moreover by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. 12But who can detect their errors? Clear me from hidden faults. 13Keep back your servant also from the insolent; do not let them have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression. 14Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

Matthew 5:38-48
John Purdy writes:
What are we to make of Jesus' call to his disciples to practice such radical ethics in personal relations? Some have charged that this is a "counsel of perfection," which dooms anyone who tries to follow it to failure, guilt, and endless remorse. Such critics rightly argue that the chief bar to right behavior is self-hatred. Therefore why add to that burden by laying on human demands for goodness that is clearly beyond us? For a few who hanker after sainthood, the vision of such perfection may shine like a halo. For the rest of us it looks more like a crown of thorns.
Rev. Purdy is right that this is a tall order, but I do not think Jesus is asking us to be perfect but challenging us not to settle for less than our best.

38“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39But I say to you, “Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; 40and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; 41and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. 42Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.”
43“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44But I say to you, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. 46For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

SERMON
Here we are on Pentecost, the birthday of the church, when we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit to empower these very disciples to live perfect lives. I know striving to be perfect is not good for our mental health, but neither is giving up the effort to fulfill God’s call.

Maybe we need to consider what Jesus s asking of his disciples. What he means by being perfect. The Greet word for perfect τέλειος (te'-lā-os) means “nothing needs to be added,” it is complete or mature. Becoming complete or mature is good for our mental health. But we reach it not by striving for some imagined perfect state but the on going practice of mindfulness. One meditation teacher defines mindfulness as: "paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally."
This may sound simple, but mindfulness is a skill that takes practice to cultivate, maintain, and could once again lead to an unhealthy desire for a perfect model. That is why mindfulness is non-judgmental even of ourself.

Have you ever driven for miles and not been able to recall the trip. Your brain was on auto pilot. Only when a crisis happens, such as a car pulling suddenly in front of you, do you become mindful. But auto pilot is how we sometimes live in other aspects of our life. It is not good for relationships, especially our relationship with God. When we are on auto pilot, we ignore all that God has given us and we arrive at our destination and thinking that we got there ourselves.  If we were mindful during our journey, we would see all that is good, beautiful, true and worthy of love. Instead we see and do what we have always done. Living life on auto pilot is unhealthy for our mental health or our life together as a church. The Holy Spirit awakens us to what is important. Hopeful it does not take our lives crashing into a wall to make us mindful. Being open to the Holy Spirit is the best mental health care we can have. Being filled with the Holy Spirit produces a sense of peace and joy. Last week we were energized by the amazing participation of our youth. The Holy Spirit filled our hearts and minds. Today we receive the Pentecost offering that is dedicated to children at risk, youth and young adults in the church. Here we can respond with the grace of the Holy Spirit to make a difference in our world. Paul writes, “Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God.”

We need to be open to the movement of the Holy Spirit who helps us be mindful of God’s will for our lives. Remember I said it takes practice to become mindful. Let’s practice by taking a deep breath through your nose, holding it and then letting it out through your mouth. Do that three times. Now listen for the sounds around you. Pay attention to your own breathing. Let the sense of touch become your focus. What is the air like on your skin? Can you smell anything? Now ask the Holy Spirit to come and dwell within you. Be patient. The in dwelling of the Spirit cannot be rushed. Let it fill your whole being with joy and love. Now slowly open your eyes asking the Spirit to reveal beauty, goodness and love around you.

I pray you open your eyes filled with the Holy Spirit every day. No more auto pilot living. Live fully in the moment relishing all that is good. Amen.

Resources:
Adapted from: http://www.religion-online.org/showchapter.asp?title=420&C=267 “Returning God's Call: The Challenge of Christian Living” by Rev. John C. Purdy
Psychologist and mindfulness meditation teacher Jon Kabat-Zinn see: http://www.jimhopper.com/mindfulness
Acts 13:52

I Corinthians 2:12