Sermon September 16, 2012

 “Believers Who Make Peace”

Sermon Series on “Peacemaking a Believer’s calling”

Preached by Linda Jo Peters ~ September 16, 2012

Scripture: Psalm 16 read responsively and Matthew 5: 1-16

Unity Presbyterian Church ~ Terre Haute, Indiana 

INTRODUCTION TO SCRIPTURE

Psalm 16 read responsively

There are some serious textual problems with Psalm 16, but for today let us trust the translators of the text and listen instead for a message of care and love found in a life of faith.   

¹Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge.

²I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.”

³As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble, in whom is all my delight.

⁴Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names upon my lips.

⁵The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.

⁶The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; I have a goodly heritage.

⁷I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.

⁸I keep the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

⁹Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also rests secure.

¹⁰For you do not give me up to Sheol, or let your faithful one see the Pit.

¹¹You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore. 

Matthew 5: 1-16

When I was first ordained as a Minister of Word and Sacrament, I chose the call of Abraham as the pivotal text for our worship service.

 “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.” (Genesis 12:1&2)

To be a blessing seems significant in our relationship with one another.  In the “Sermon on the Mount” Jesus expands being a blessing; to being blessed by following God’s will in our lives.  Giving and receiving blessings are all wrapped up in the Hebrew word for Peace – Shalom, which means so much more than an absence of violence.  It means wellbeing; completeness; health and contentment.  It is the encompassing nature of God’s blessings that bring us to such a state and that we are called to create together.  

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him.²Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

³“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.⁴“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.⁵“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.⁶“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.⁷“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.⁸“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.⁹“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.¹⁰“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.¹¹“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.¹²Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

¹³“You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.¹⁴“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid.¹⁵No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.¹⁶In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. 

SERMON

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”  Believers who make peace are called children of God.  For me, when I hear the word “make” I think of creative activities such as cooking, carpentry or gardening.  But making peace seems so ethereal.  I wonder, “Where is the concrete result of peacemaking I can see and touch?”  My plan for this sermon series is to seriously look at peacemaking as we move toward World Communion Sunday when we receive and dedicate our peacemaking offerings. 

In the Gospel of Luke, as Jesus is teaching in the synagogues, he comes to his home town and reads the Isaiah passage that would frame his en-fleshed life. It is here that he grounds his calling in the making of peace. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me 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.”[1]

Last week we remembered that Jesus’ purpose was to proclaim the Kingdom of God and how we are to live as citizens of God’s kingdom.  If we too are called to herald the Kingdom of God and we too are called to be children of God, then we too are called to be makers of peace through works of justice and compassion: to be light in the darkness and salt that gives flavor.  We do that through a myriad of actions that make for peace.  I think making peace really is like gardening, baking, and carpentry:

·        Gather your resources

·        Put them together

·        Waiting time/patience

·        Share the result

·        Give thanks.

 What are the resources that make for peace?

Respect of others, even when we disagree with one another. 

Seek common ground. 

People who have made peace in their communities.

Prayer, prayer, prayer!!!! 

Good listening practices

Time and financial support

Remember Northern Ireland? Over thirty years of violence, what seemed irreconcilable hatred between groups, and generations of injury.

The legacy is deep seeded hurt from decades of fighting and polarization along religious, political and cultural divisions. Even after a decade of peace movement toward full reconciliation still needs to be seen as a generational task involving the churches, voluntary bodies, and community groups, working alongside politicians.[2]

One example is Project Children which was started in 1975 by members of the Gaelic Cultural Society who wished to assist the blameless children who had become victims of the conflict in Northern Ireland. Money was raised to bring six children, Protestant and Catholic, from Belfast to the United States to spend a six week vacation together.  Since its inception, more than 16,000 children have experienced a summer of peace and tranquility in the United States. Now they are bringing young adults who are doing internships in various areas of law, politics, science and building trades.[3]  Did this cost time and money, you bet!

How do these resources go together?

Prayerfully and Carefully.  

Can you find common ground without respect of others?

Who in your family, our church or community has a history of peacemaking among people?  Often in counseling we challenge peacemakers because they have lost a sense of their own worth.  Peacemakers cannot be doormats!  Could you see Jesus as a doormat?[4]  Peacemakers are those who stand up for righteous relationships and justice.  They will encourage risk taking. 

The Presbyterian Peacemaking offering at the national level takes gifts of nearly one million dollars and works with the Red Hand Campaign to end the use of children as soldiers, supports peace efforts in the Sudan, Israel, Palestine, the Philippians, Congo,

Colombia, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan and other places around the world.  Think of the careful and prayerful efforts that have come together in so many places to make peace a reality. 

Why wait?

Whether it is waiting for bread to rise, paint to dry or plants to grow, good results only come to those who wait in patience.  When I see violence reign in our world, I want to stop it right NOW!  But lasting peace, takes time and people are hurt and dying during those waiting times.  It is the hardest thing to do, is not to rush into violence our selves and wait for God’s grace to be revealed.  

With whom do we share our results?

Wherever brothers and sisters hurt one another: in families, communities and around the world they need to know there is another way that works.   

Praise God!!!!!

Everyday and in every life there are reasons to rejoice.  The makings for more shalom/more peace is born from the praise of God. 

 

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[1] Luke 4:18–19 and Isaiah 61: 1-2

[2] Adapted from: http://www.presbyterianmission.org/ministries/global/northern-ireland/

[3]See: http://www.gaelicculturalsociety.org/projectchildreninfo.html

[4] See: http://www.impactsalaska.com/articles/dysfunctional-family-rules-and-roles/

“The enabler is the family peacemaker who feels responsible for everyone’s emotional well-being.”

Sermon September 9, 2012

 “Healing which brings Fame Instead of Faith”

Preached by Linda Jo Peters ~ September 9, 2012

Psalm 125 read responsively and Mark 7:24-37

Unity Presbyterian Church ~ Terre Haute, Indiana

 Rally Day! Return of Choir and Sunday School!  

INTRODUCTION TO SCRIPTURE

Psalm 125 read responsively
When life gets scary, it is good to imagine God surrounding and protecting us like the hills around Jerusalem. 

¹Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever.

²As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people, from this time on and forevermore.
³For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous, so that the righteous might not stretch out their hands to do wrong.
⁴Do good, O Lord, to those who are good, and to those who are upright in their hearts.
⁵But those who turn aside to their own crooked ways the Lord will lead away with evildoers.
Peace be upon Israel!

Mark 7:24-37

A new study in the journal Cognition overturns a decades-old theory about the nature of attention and demonstrates that even brief diversions from a task can dramatically improve one's ability to focus on that task for prolonged periods.[1]

This week Governor Romney took a break from campaigning.  He like most politicians when they take time off received criticism for his choice.  People in all walks of life need down time.  Wendy Olson who pastors with her husband Mark in Trinity Parish, and I are working on a downtime for Presbytery participants at PYOCA.  .  Jesus understood this need and often chose to withdraw for a time of prayer.  Now he seems to be going out of his way to find some quiet away from the demands of fame.  Let’s face it if we knew of someone who was healing the ill, we would be looking for him/her to help someone we loved or ourselves.  The encounter with the Gentile is almost hostile and the demand for silence from those helping the deaf mute is ironic. Now they are asked to be the deaf and dumb.  I can almost hear Jesus say, “What does this have to do with my purpose?”  We too get frustrated when we are derailed from our goal.  Jesus’ purpose was to bring people to faith, not to become a famous healer.  

²⁴From there he set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice,²⁵but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet.²⁶Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter.²⁷He said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.”²⁸But she answered him, “Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”²⁹Then he said to her, “For saying that, you may go—the demon has left your daughter.”³⁰So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.

³¹Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis.³²They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him.³³He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue.³⁴Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.”³⁵And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.³⁶Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it.³⁷They were astounded beyond measure, saying, “He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”

SERMON

Through the ages commentators have tried to explain Jesus’ behavior in the face of this worried mother and her suffering child.  I have heard everything from it was a teachable moment for his disciples to a lesson for Jesus to learn that his mission was for the whole world not just the Jews.  But I would like to focus on what Jesus’ priorities were, so that this encounter and the deaf man frustrated his purpose to proclaim the kingdom of God and how we are to live as citizens of God’s kingdom.

Today we are delighted to have the choir back in leadership; to have Bible Study and Sunday School is back in full force.  Youth Group had their first meeting last week.  We are glad they took a break.  We hope all the volunteers are eager and full of energy for another year of service.  Time off can be precious time to focus on our purpose.  Are we doing what God has called us to do?  As I work with Wendy planning a time of refreshment for those who participate in the demanding schedule of Presbytery, I am reminded that Jesus took time away to renew and re-center.

I am certain Jesus had a clear understanding of his purpose to proclaim the Kingdom of God.  His proclamation came as amazing healings and stimulating teaching and other miracles.  But over and over people just did not get it. They wanted more bread or one more miracle or perhaps “tell the parable about the lost son once again, Rabbi.”  Listen to his dialogue with two of his disciples on the very night he was betrayed by a close companion who should have understood what his purpose was, he said:

⁴And you know the way to the place where I am going.”⁵Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”⁶Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.⁷If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”⁸Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.”⁹Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? ¹⁰Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works.¹¹Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves.

Anyone who has taught knows the frustration when after a whole semester of study, a student comes up and asks for an extension on a project they have had weeks to finalize.  Generally they have no eternal clock that says this needs to done by this date, or they never read the syllabus or they may have a very legitimate reason for needing the time.  A teacher has to listen carefully as Jesus did to hear the truth and respond in kind.  Sometimes they may even seem to be harsh and unforgiving.  But to develop better habits, teachers need to set boundaries of behavior.  Jesus set boundaries not as inflexible walls but a flexible net to capture our souls.  He wants your undivided attention not just during the exciting times but every moment is filled with opportunities to hear God’s call for our life.

The point is that whether you are praying or playing, studying or serving every aspect of our lives needs to be imbued with a relationship with our Creator.  Faith is not just for fox holes or ill health.  Faith is a daily walk.  Moses told the people wandering through the wilderness for forty years:

⁴Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.⁵You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.⁶Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart.⁷Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise.

When you lie down and when you get up! Every day all the time pay attention to what God is doing in your life.

The warrior chief Tecumseh of the Shawnee is credited with this wisdom:

Let every day begin and end in attention to God’s grace in your life. 

When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light,

for your life, for your strength. Give thanks for your food

and for the joy of living. If you see no reason to give thanks,

the fault lies in yourself.[2]

Let this be a year of intentional effort to know God’s will for your life, your family, our church, community and world.  Amen.

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[1] See: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110208131529.htm

[2] Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/t/tecumseh190018.html#qA3LTcGIbIiBkMW8.99