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The Spirit: · Gives us passion · Gives us power · Equips us for ministry When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’ John 20:19-23 In 1994, there was a man who experienced a turning point in his life. He let go of everything he knew up 'til then, and in an instant, his heart and soul were changed. His heart and mind were filled with a substance, almost like a golden liquid. He was filled with the Holy Spirit of God. He didn't know much about God, but yet he was pursued, and came to know Christ in a deep way. This is a true story, and that man was me. Today we celebrate Pentecost, an incredible event, an amazing story in which tongues of fire touched each disciple. You can't read about this event in the gospel or book of Acts without being amazed by this event. This isn't a storybook tale or a made-up account; we know that it's true. It's a Pentecost story. Pentecost was the fulfillment of a promise made a long time ago. When Jesus appeared to the disciples after his resurrection, he told them to wait in Jerusalem for the promise from the Father. "Something's coming; trust me," he told them. So they went, and they waited. On that day of Pentecost, they were all together, and a violent wind came through, and tongues of fire rested on each of them. They were filled with the Holy Spirit. There were three things that the disciples received. First of all, the disciples received power. They were hiding behind locked doors, waiting for the promise; but the Spirit came and gave them power to speak in other languages and to testify to the people. Secondly, they were filled with a passion that they didn't have before. This was not something that could be generated by themselves alone, but from an outside source. It filled their hearts and minds. Peter, on the other side of Pentecost, was a man filled with a passion to serve the Lord. Thirdly, they were equipped for the purpose that Christ had for them -- to make disciples of all nations. Before Pentecost, the disciples were waiting quietly in secret; but after Pentecost, 3000 believers came. We might ask today, and rightfully so: Does Pentecost make any difference today? Well, the church is in big trouble today. We are facing a lot of issues that we don't deal with very well. We are losing members, and we have major cultural challenges that we are facing. Pentecost is important to us because of the promises Christ made to us. He promised that he would equip us in order that we could tell others about him. Telling other people about Christ is scary work, especially in today's culture because many people simply don't care. They might even tell you to your face that they don't care and don't want to hear about Jesus. But Jesus promises us the Holy Spirit, sent to equip us. He gives us the promise of the Spirit for future generations. He also gives us the promise of forgiveness. Where we are today as a church had a beginning at Pentecost -- a bang of a start. Can you imagine what that might have been like, to see the disciples speaking in everyone's own language with such a passion? Do we have the same fire and passion today? We are a Spirit-filled people. Without the Spirit, nothing we do has a purpose. We are bankrupt without it. We have nothing to offer people. But the good news is his promise that he will equip us. That same Spirit that brooded over the waters at creation, is the same Spirit that fills our hearts and minds today so that we can go out and make disciples. |
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Rev.
Mark Tusken
The Trinity: · Creator · Redeemer · Equipper Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.’ Jesus answered him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.’ Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?’ Jesus answered, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, “You must be born from above.” The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.’ Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can these things be?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.’ John 3:1-16 We are in a perilous place, if we emphasize one part of the godhead over another. In the 1800's, Rev. Green came to the wilds of Fox Valley from Albany, NY. This young man and his wife came to this area in order to found this church. They apparently had financial means, because they gave the beautiful windows that are found in our chapel today. One of their friends gave the bell that hangs in the bell tower of the Chapel -- it was forged in Troy, NY, and it was brought here to the Chapel, and we still ring it today and the end of each service. The windows in the Chapel portray many symbols of the Christian faith, including the Trinity. God the Father is portrayed with a hand coming out of the clouds, and God the Son is portrayed by a lamb. Although there is no window portraying the Spirit, usually it is portrayed by a dove. It's always a challenge for us to balance these three. Today we take a look at how we can balance God our Creator in work, God our Redeemer in pain, and God the Spirit in our passion. The Creed of Saint Athanasius found in the Book of Common Prayer gives us instruction on what we believe pertaining to the Trinity: So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God. And yet they are not three Gods, but one God. So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Ghost Lord. And yet not three Lords, but one Lord. For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every Person by himself to be both God and Lord, So are we forbidden by the Catholic Religion, to say, There be three Gods, or three Lords. The Father is made of none, neither created, nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone, not made, nor created, but begotten. The Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son, neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding. So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts. And in this Trinity none is afore, or after other; none is greater, or less than another; But the whole three Persons are co-eternal together and co-equal. So that in all things, as is aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped. He therefore that will be saved is must think thus of the Trinity.
There is a great moment of worship found in Revelation chapter 5, when an angel asks, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?" No one could be found who could open the scroll, or even look inside it. But then there was a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne room, who took the scroll and was able to open it. Then there was an amazing song being sung by those around the throne: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!"
The work of God the Spirit, as we learned last week, is to give us purpose, power and passion. The Spirit is at work within us. In Jerusalem, pilgrims are allowed to reach through an opening and touch the rock at Golgotha. Most people begin to weep as they are overwhelmed with the passion that they feel. That passion comes on Jesus as the work of the Spirit. The hand of God as creator, the Lamb of God as redeemer, and the Spirit of God portrayed as a dove -- we miss something is we neglect any of the three. Ask God to work through you, to restore you, and to give your life a passion for what really matters. Just as St. Patrick used the three leaves of the shamrock to teach the Irish about the doctrine of the Trinity in the fifth century, so today God is still working through us, restoring us, and giving us a passion through his love for us. |
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Storm Stories: God will not forsake us On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, ‘Let us go across to the other side.’ And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’ He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?’ And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?’ They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. And when he had stepped out of the boat, immediately a man out of the tombs with an unclean spirit met him. He lived among the tombs; and no one could restrain him any more, even with a chain; for he had often been restrained with shackles and chains, but the chains he wrenched apart, and the shackles he broke in pieces; and no one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always howling and bruising himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and bowed down before him; and he shouted at the top of his voice, ‘What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.’ For he had said to him, ‘Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!’ Then Jesus asked him, ‘What is your name?’ He replied, ‘My name is Legion; for we are many.’ He begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. Now there on the hillside a great herd of swine was feeding; and the unclean spirits begged him, ‘Send us into the swine; let us enter them.’ So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and were drowned in the sea. The swineherds ran off and told it in the city and in the country. Then people came to see what it was that had happened. They came to Jesus and saw the demoniac sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the legion; and they were afraid. Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighborhood. As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed by demons begged him that he might be with him. But Jesus refused, and said to him, ‘Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy he has shown you.’ And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed. Mark 4:35-5:20 Those of you who have cable, probably know that there is a channel called The Weather Channel. I love the weather channel – but what I love best about the weather channel is a feature called "Storm Stories." Storm Stories is a program that re-lives and documents some of the greatest storms in this century. It’s my coastal New England upbringing, I guess, but I love a good storm, mostly because it reminds me that in this technological age, there is still very little we can do about the weather. God controls the fluctuations of the universe, not man and not technology. In today’s readings, we have three storm stories. The first is from the Old Testament lesson – where we learn that God answered Job out of the whirlwind. Given Job’s location in the world, perhaps the whirlwind was a sandstorm. The second storm we read about today is in the Psalm. Listen again to verses 25-29: “Then he spoke and a stormy wind arose. Which tossed high the waves of the sea. They mounted up to the heavens and fell back to the depths. Their hearts melted because of their peril. They cried to the Lord in their trouble and He delivered them from their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper, and quieted the waves of the sea. They were glad because of the calm.” And, finally, we hear a third storm story…… in Mark’s Gospel. Jesus and his disciples are crossing the Sea of Galilee when a storm suddenly arises and threatens to swamp their boat. The disciples are panicking and in their fear they waken Jesus. And they almost chastise him, saying, “Lord, do you not care that we are perishing?” And Jesus woke up, And rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Quiet, be still.” And the wind ceased and there was a dead calm. Do you hear that similar language between the Psalm and the Gospel? Those similarities are not coincidence. Jesus, knowing his disciples knew the psalm we read here today, is making a bold statement to his disciples about his Lordship. I am He, he says, who stills the storm to a whisper, and quiets the waves of the sea. And we watch an interesting transformation begin to occur. Suddenly, the fear of the storm is replaced by this dawning reality. Look at their response – right there: “And they were filled with great awe – in some translations, it says there were amazed and terrified – and they said to one another, “who then is this – that even the wind and the sea obey Him?” Might it be that This Jesus is the God who delivers them from their distress? Fear is being replaced by a slowly dawning faith. Jesus poses two timeless questions: “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” Fear is at the opposite end of the spectrum from faith. The opposite of faith is not dis-belief ...it’s fear! Harry Emerson Fosdick, the late 20th century theologian put it this way: Fear imprisons, faith liberates; The disciples are moving from useless in their panic to serviceable in their roles as apostles in their faith in Jesus as the Lord of All. Fear of the storm is all but forgotten in the face of the dawning truth about who Jesus really is. To move ourselves from useless to serviceable, we too need to shift our worldview from fear to faith just as the disciples did. Last Monday night, before my son left for his Mission trip in Siberia, we sat on the porch late into the evening and talked about this issue of faith in the face of fear. And Andy admitted that before every mission trip, he gets to a place, where talking to God feels like he’s talking to nothing but drywall - where fears of unworthiness and self-doubt plague him. But then he said: “Mom, I feel that it is in those frustrating celestial silences that we are forged and made stronger in our faith. When God feels utterly absent, when I get to the point that I start to question his very existence, the only thing I can hold onto is my faith –and that is when it grows the most.” And I’ve thought about his words a lot this week. It’ been true in my experience. And it’s probably been true in yours.When our worst fears present themselves, when our efforts to control the storms of our lives fail...it is then that we are most likely to turn to God, isn’t it? Yet, timelessly, Jesus poses the question: “Why are you afraid?” He asks this question in all three synoptic Gospels, so it must be an important one. What storms lie imminently off the coast, waiting to swamp your boat? I’ve asked a bunch of people this week and these are the answers I got.
What storms seek to knock you down? And the storms will come. Matthew 5:45 says: “The Father causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on both the righteous and the unrighteous.” You may have different kinds of storms but storms will come.
Jesus asks, “Why are you afraid?” I am the God who laid the foundation of the Earth, who determined its measurements. The God who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb. I am he who stilled the storm to a whisper, and quieted the waves of the sea. I am he. “Where is your faith?” So as you ponder the storms that must inevitably come, or the storms you find yourself now embroiled in, ask yourself, “Where is God in this?” Where is God in our storms? Where is God in our distress? When someone close to us dies? Or when a firestorm of controversy threatens to destroy the Church? The 15th century German mystic Meister Eckhart once preached: “God is nearer to me than I am
to myself; We must strive to be Christians of the first sort. We must know that God is nearer to us than we are to ourselves. Like the disciples in the boat, our faith is not strong by itself, so we pray that God will rescue us from despair, deliver us from fear, and preserve us from unbelief. Then we will be able to face those things that threaten us and challenge our faith. As we face our fears, our faith will deepen. Where is God in the storms? I like what we say in the Book of Common Prayer every Sunday at 8:00 AM. God is right here, “not weighing our merits, but pardoning our offences, through Jesus Christ Our Lord.” God is here. In the waves of our storms. In the tumult. In the temptations. In the whirlwinds. And in the aftermath. Not weighing our merits, but pardoning our offences. In the words of Jesus Christ: Peace! Be Still. I will never forsake you. |
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Move from fear to faith by:
Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet and begged him repeatedly, ‘My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live.’ So he went with him. And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. While he was still speaking, some people came from the leader’s house to say, ‘Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?’ But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, ‘Do not fear, only believe.’ He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. When he had entered, he said to them, ‘Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.’ And they laughed at him. Then he put them all outside, and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, ‘Talitha cum,’ which means, ‘Little girl, get up!’ And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement. He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat. Mark 5:22-24,35-43 Last week, we looked at chapter 4 of Mark, in which the disciples found themselves in the midst of a storm. We saw how Jesus told them, "Be not afraid; have faith!" And this is the movement we all need to make - from fear to faith. We asked ourselves, what are our fears? We might have fears about our job, or our relationship with our spouse, or of getting sick. This is the challenge for us: the only ultimate escape from fear is faith. This realization begins for the disciples in chapter 4. Today, in chapter 5, we read about Jairus and his daughter who was close to death. He came to Jesus and begged him to heal his daughter. Jesus told him, "Do not fear, only believe." This week we consider how we can fear-proof our lives. Perfect love casts out fear. We never find perfect love from our spouse, or in our workplace - but we can find perfect love in Jesus. Jairus was a leader of the synagogue. He was a man with prestige, with much authority and influence. But none of his power, wealth or influence changed the fact that his daughter was dying. Jairus came to Jesus in need of a miracle. He needs to move from fear to faith, to believe that God can make a difference. But on his way to Jairus' house, Jesus was pressed in from all sides by the crowd around him, and was delayed. And then the news came: Jairus' daughter had died. "Why trouble the teacher further?" they said. The people saw him only as someone of great wisdom, not as someone with power. We move from fear to faith because we see his power, not just his wisdom. There are five ingredients that encourage us to move from fear to faith. As Henri Nowen puts it, we need to move from the house of fear to the house of love. These five ingredients make up the fabric of our life, and will move you from fear to faith, and from terror to trust. They will fear-proof your life. As he was going to see Jairus' daughter, Jesus allowed no one to come with him except Peter, James and John. The first ingredient to a fear-proof life is to have good friendships. We are not able to grow in a vacuum. Peter, James and John had a special friendship with Jesus. They were with him at the transfiguration, at Gethsemane, and here, at Jairus' house. Jesus needed these special friends with him. Not in his divinity, but in his humanity he needed them there. If you have one person to pray for you, that's good. Two people praying for you is better. Ten people praying is great! We need to build into our lives strong spiritual relationships. Even thieves have friendships -- but their friends don't cause them to grow in their spiritual lives! Have people in your lives that you trust your very life with, someone to which you can freely say: come with me, pray with me, I have problems and difficulties that I need help with. Move from fear to faith. God expects us to have a community that grows us. Whom do you have that you can call day or night to say, come, I need you to pray with me? If you want to grow your faith, to move from fear to faith, you need great friends around you. Next, look at the bad guys in the crowd, creating a commotion, seemingly very unfeeling and uncaring. They laughed at Jesus when he said she was only sleeping. We need to learn to laugh with others, not at them. Jesus' life and ministry was filled with humor. We see this in the way he gave nicknames to his disciples. He called Simon Peter his rock, and James and John the "sons of thunder" because of their passionate and headstrong ways. In ministry, we will all have times that we cry or laugh, so we might as well laugh! In order to move out of the house of fear into the house of faith, we need to learn to laugh -- even at ourselves. At our communion service we say, "It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth." If you are around believers who only have sour faces, you will never grow. As Jesus went to the daughter's bedside, he took her hand in his. In order to fear-proof our lives, we need to touch one another. We need to feel flesh & blood. If you only watch t.v. evangelists, it is not enough. We need to feel others around us, to hold each others' hands and feel each others' embrace. Isolation always leads to fear. We need to express our love for one another, and embrace each other. We are physical beings. Contrast the Gnostics, who taught the anything to do with the physical body was bad and sinful. We as Christians are not like this. We delight, and dance, and love to be close to one another. Jesus always does healing up close; he never stands back. He took her hand. Next, Jesus said, "Talitha cum," or, "I say to you, arise." To move from fear to faith, you will need to take action in your life. You can't grow spiritually by sitting in a monastery, only mouthing the same prayers. We need to serve others in Christ, and we will change. How will God have you serve others around you? You might be called to teach Sunday School, or to lead worship as a singer or musician, or to organize a small group -- and doing so will guarantee that your faith will grow. For some, this might sound intimidating. But the church needs everyone! We need all of our softball team members! (Our last game, we lost 22-2!). Jesus says, arise -- not "rest awhile". We must be working in the kingdom of God -- not for salvation, but to grow in our faith, and to move away from fear. Immediately after Jesus heals the little girl, he asks them to give her something to eat. There is a spiritual component here. There is wisdom in eating right, and taking care of our bodies. When people fast, they learn the importance of this discipline. In the "old list" of sins, one particular item which was consider especially wrong was to eat in secret. We in our culture haven't experienced this discipline of eating right. We have lost the sacredness of mealtime, and breaking bread with one another. It's not about fats, protein, carbs, or the Atkins diet -- but rather about eating well. Do we eat in a way that fortifies our body for ministry? Eating "well" does not mean eating in rich abundance. In seminary, oftentimes the first thing in the mouths of the young men and women in the morning is the Bread of Life as they celebrate the Eucharist each day. We have lost this intentionality. Move from fear to faith by intentionally eating right to strengthen our bodies, as they are the temple of the Holy Spirit. What are our priorities in life? Are we living a life of laughter, of touch, of intentionally breaking bread in fellowship with one another? Are we getting out and taking action? All of us wrestle with the house of fear. Charles Spurgeon once spoke of a time when God planted in his mind a particular verse: "My grace is sufficient for you." (2 Cor 12:9) He told the story of a fish, a mouse, and a man. The fish, being very thirsty, was troubled about drinking the river dry. God said, "Drink away, little fish, my stream is sufficient for thee." After seven years of plenty, the mouse feared it might die of famine; and God said, "Cheer up, little mouse, my granaries are sufficient for thee." And a man away up yonder, in a lofty mountain, said to himself, "I breathe so many cubic feet of air every year, I fear I shall exhaust the oxygen in the atmosphere," but God said, "Breathe away, O man, and fill the lungs ever, my atmosphere is sufficient for thee." In these three pictures, Spurgeon saw himself. And we too can rest in the fact that God's grace is always sufficient to move from fear to faith. |
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Rev. Tony
Welty
Spiritual Blindness He left that place and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, ‘Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?’ And they took offense at him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house.’ And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. And he was amazed at their unbelief. Then he went about among the villages teaching. Mark 6:1-6 There is a certain place in Hyde Park called the "Speaker's Corner," where anyone can be a preacher. There is a sense of immediacy at this corner, because there are always people hanging around waiting for someone to get up and start speaking. After someone speaks, there is almost always someone else who will stand up to give a rebuttal. One day, a man stood up and scorned Christianity. He argued that there can't possibly be a God in heaven, a life after death, a final judgment, because no one has ever seen them! He won some scattered applause from the bystanders. But then another man stood up and said, "The green grass, the blue sky, the white clouds -- I've never seen these either, but I'm blind!" Spiritual blindness -- this is what Jesus encountered. The people are amazed. They see a man making these outlandish claims, saying, "I am God, in your midst." But the people didn't see. The implication is that they couldn't see because they were spiritually blind. Before Jesus came to Nazareth, he performed many healings and worked miracles. But as soon as he came home to Nazareth, it was like there was a black hole. He could barely do anything there. In the corporate world, there is such thing as a "blackout period," during which insiders can't buy or sell stock. This is what happens here in this story. It may seem shocking to us: How can nothing happen when God is there in the flesh? In Hebrews 11:1, faith is defined: "Faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see." Listen to the passage from "The Message" translation, which is entitled "Only a Carpenter": "He left there and returned to his hometown. His disciples came along. On the Sabbath, he gave a lecture in the meeting place. He made a real hit, impressing everyone. 'We had no idea he was this good!' they said. 'How did he get so wise all of a sudden, get such ability?' But in the next breath they were cutting him down: 'He's just a carpenter--Mary's boy. We've known him since he was a kid. We know his brothers, James, Justus, Jude, and Simon, and his sisters. Who does he think he is?' They tripped over what little they knew about him and fell, sprawling. And they never got any further. Jesus told them, 'A prophet has little honor in his hometown, among his relatives, on the streets he played in as a child.' Jesus wasn't able to do much of anything there--he laid hands on a few sick people and healed them, that's all. He couldn't get over their stubbornness. He left and made a circuit of the other villages, teaching." This passage is about spiritual blindness, at its core. When we listen to or read a certain scripture passage, each of us tends to identify with one person in the story, or with one perspective on the story. For instance, in this story, you might identify with the disciples. They have seen demons cast out, a bleeding woman healing, and a girl raised up from death. Now they are thinking, "Why can't he do anything now?" Or you may identify with the sick people, because you yourself need healing. There were few people healed, only those who knew they were sick. Or, you might identify with the Nazarenes -- they couldn’t, and didn't, believe. They knew Mary's boy Jesus, but they didn't know this man standing in front of them. This story will impact you depending on who you identify with. There once was a scholar who came to Chicago, wanting to know who the historical Jesus was. After much study, he came to believe he was a great prophet and a wise teacher, but not the man that the gospel portrays. One day, he was giving a lecture in an auditorium, explaining his findings and beliefs. At the end of the lecture, the scholar began to take questions from the audience, and an old pastor sitting near the back stood up to speak. He had a brown bag lunch in his hands, and he was in the midst of biting into and chewing an apple. "Please tell me, sir: what does this apple taste like? Is it sweet, or is it sour?" The scholar responded, "Of course I can't answer that, because I've never tasted your apple." "Neither have you tasted my Jesus," the old man retorted. Our ability to taste Jesus depends on our measure of faith. St. Anselm of Canterbury wrote: credo ut intelligam, "I believe so that I may understand." Spiritual blindness may keep us from seeing who Jesus really is. |
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Rev. Tony
Welty
What kind of witness will you be? He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. He said to them, ‘Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.’ So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them. Mark 6:7-13 All of us are here today because someone took the risk to tell us about the love of Christ. They may have spoken about what Christ has done in their lives, or how much they enjoyed a certain Bible Study, or how great the worship was at their church -- but someone took a risk. The challenge for us today is to do something in return in order to fill the pews around us. The question for us is, what kind of witness will we be? Jesus called the twelve disciples by name. He simply said, "Come to me." He merely asked them to follow. He also equipped them before sending them out. They were transformed by the Spirit of God. He sent them out, as messengers, two by two. He didn't make them "lone rangers"; he didn't tell them they had to just stick it out through the rough times by themselves -- he gave them companions. The third thing he gave them was a message. He gave them the authority to command unclean spirits. We don't have authority to change the gospel, but we do have authority to proclaim the name of Jesus. The message he gave the disciples, and us, to proclaim is: repent, and turn to Jesus. It's a message that so many people don't want to hear. It is a message that engages both the mind and the will. Repent means to change your mind. The command is to turn away, to choose not to continue in sin. The second part of the message is to turn towards Christ. This message didn't make the disciples very popular! But this is what they were called to do. This is where it all started, with these twelve disciples. They told some, and then those people told others, then others were told, then others -- and now today there are approximately 2 billion believers throughout the world. It's a great river of faith coming down through the ages, and we are somewhere in the midst of the flow. What does this mean for us? All of us are gifted. We are not all called to be teachers, or leaders, or musicians -- but we are all called to be witnesses. Out of the twelve disciples, only two actually preach a sermon! But all of the disciples witnessed. They all had different gifts, as we do today. We are all called to serve. Secondly, we are all called to be transformed. We are transformed through our times of study, of prayer, of worship, and through participating in the sacraments. Thirdly, we are all call to a fellowship of believers. Lastly, we are called to go -- not in our own authority or power, but in his name. He is the one who gives the power. The mission is about Jesus, not about the individuals who are sent. The mission is to proclaim Jesus' love and power. Through transformation we come to know the story, and we are sent on to tell others. How are we to become someone who can do this? Will we just be nominal Christians, just coming to church every Sunday to get our needs met? Or will we seek to be Christ's witnesses, in our own ways that he has gifted us? What kind of witness will you be? A number of years ago, my son and I found ourselves walking along a stream. One by one, my son threw pebbles into the river, and each time ripples emanated out from the center where the pebble was thrown in, growing larger and larger. And then, as boys like to do, he picked up a handful of pebbles and threw them at once into the water. The pebbles went in all over the surface of the stream, and I watched, fascinated, as the rings of ripples emanated everywhere all over the surface and began to converge, so that an entire area of the stream was covered with rings. Each pebble represents each one of us -- whether we are at work, or at a family reunion, or wherever we might find ourselves -- and we have a witness to others. What kind of witness will you be? |
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Rev. Tony Welty
The Importance of Rest The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, ‘Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. When it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, ‘This is a deserted place, and the hour is now very late; send them away so that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy something for themselves to eat.’ But he answered them, ‘You give them something to eat.’ They said to him, ‘Are we to go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread, and give it to them to eat?’ And he said to them, ‘How many loaves have you? Go and see.’ When they had found out, they said, ‘Five, and two fish.’ Then he ordered them to get all the people to sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and he divided the two fish among them all. And all ate and were filled; and they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. Those who had eaten the loaves numbered five thousand men. Mark 6:30-44 Life is a lot like a football game: there are lots of guys in the stands, who really could use some exercise; and there are a lot of guys playing who could use some rest! Today's gospel relates the story of Jesus calling off the 12 disciples for a period of rest. The disciples had been sent out to do some intense ministry, and Jesus tells them to get into the boat to go off to a solitary place to rest. This is an uncommon and unfamiliar exercise for many of us! We live in a driven culture in which we don't get any rest. Years ago there was a funny story circulating around email entitled: "Signs That You're a Workaholic". These signs included, "you have entries on your to-do list for lunch and bathroom breaks," "you get excited that it's Saturday, so you don't have to wear a suit to work," and "working a 1/2 day means leaving at 5:00." It's so true; we hardly ever just take a day off to rest. Before lights were invented, studies show, people on average slept about 10 hours per night. Now, that average is down to 7 - 71/2 hours per night. We've lost 3 hours per night! Many common illnesses we have are due to lack of rest. We're driven; we try to cram too much into our days. Jesus called the disciples away for rest, because he knew he needed to prepare them for long-term ministry. They needed physical, emotional and spiritual rest. They would continue later that day, but not without some rest. The power for their ministry came not from themselves, but from Christ -- who had the power to turn 5 loaves of bread into enough to feed 5,000 people, with leftovers! That's where their, and our, strength comes from. "Rest" has not always been foreign to people. Throughout the ages, wise people have said that rest is not only necessary, but of great value. Once such voice was that of a man who excelled as a painter, a sculptor, a poet, an architect, an engineer, a city planner, a scientist, an inventor, an anatomist, a military genius, and as a philosopher -- clearly this man was no idler! His advice: "Every now and then, go away. Have a relaxation. When you come back, your judgment will be surer. To remain constantly at work is to lose the power of judgment. Go some distance away, and your work appears smaller. More can be taken in at a glance. A lack of harmony and proportion is more readily seen." This man was Leonardo DiVinci. He did many great things, but he also knew it was important to get away. Sometimes we are so close to something, that we don't see the forest for the trees. For those of us who work in the corporate world, or any other place where the hours are long and demanding, we might be so close to it that we can't see that our family or our health is falling apart. Without stepping away and getting some sense of proportion, you might not see that you are getting burned out. There is an old story about Aesop, the fable writer, in which he is found playing childish games with the kids. An Athenian comes by and jeers, calling Aesop a sloth, and asking him why he was doing this. Aesop replied by taking a bow, loosening its string, and laying it on the ground. "Tell us the answer to this riddle," he said. "What does this unstrung bow imply?" Of course, the Athenian couldn't even venture a guess. Aesop continued: "If you keep a bow strung tightly at all times, eventually it will break from the strain. But if you let it go slack, it will be more fit for use when you want it." People are the same way. If we are continually in a state of tension, we will break. If we loosen up every once in awhile, we will be at our best and available for work the God has called us to. We will be more fit for becoming the person he wants us to be. Rest is important. Yet, our culture tells us the exact opposite message. Even with our play, we say, "Play hard!" That's not restful. We have a "do whatever it takes" attitude. "Life isn't going to give us anything," we say. "I must do it myself." There are nine rules developed by the "Coronary and Ulcer Club" -- see if you recognize yourself!
1. Your job comes first; forget everything else. 2. Saturday, Sunday and holidays are great times to be at the office. After all, no one else is there to bother you! 3. Always have a briefcase with you when you are away from the office. This gives you an opportunity to review all of your troubles and worries at any time! 4. Never say "no" to a request. Be sure to always say "yes" to everything. 5. Accept all invitations to every meeting, banquet, event, etc. that comes along. 6. All forms of recreation are a waste of time (including the church softball league!). 7. Never delegate the responsibility for something to someone else. Always be sure to carry the entire load yourself. 8. If you travel for business, work all day and travel at night -- this way you won't waste any time at all. 9. No matter how many jobs you are doing, you can always take on one more! Do these sound familiar?! We as Christians at our churches are the worst examples of this. We take on so much. Living by the contemporary rules of our culture is killing us. This business destroys families, relationships, and even our intimacy with God. We crowd God out, because we are too busy doing his work! Rest is important. It sometimes takes someone close to us to point it out to us. Sometimes children are the best indicators. There was a first grader who was concerned and perplexed about her dad bringing home a briefcase full of papers every night. "Why does daddy keep doing that?" she asked her mom. The mother explained (very rationally), "Daddy has so much to do, that he can't finish it all at the office." The child responded innocently, "Why don't they just put him in a slower group?" She was so right! Now listen to Jesus' words against that: "Come to me, all you who are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. My yoke is easy, and my burden is light." How do we take this yoke of Jesus on to ourselves? Think of the acronym REST. The R stands for relax. The world already has a savior, and it's not you! Take time off. Smell the roses. Look at other things besides work. One time, when Frank Lloyd Wright was a boy, he was with his very stern and serious uncle. They were walking through a snow-covered field. As they walked along, Frank meandered to and fro, looking at various interesting things, while his uncle took a very direct path. Upon arriving at the other side, his uncle said, "Look at how your path meanders around through the snow -- to the fence, then over to the cattle, then back again -- but mine is straight to my goal of reaching the other side. There is an important lesson for you in that." Years later, after Frank Lloyd Wright had become a famous architect, he liked to tell this story and relate how it shaped his personal philosophy. He was determined not to miss the things in life that his uncle had missed! There was an important lesson -- but not the lesson that his uncle thought he was giving! The E stands for entrust your life to Christ. Put all your hopes and dreams in a basket, but give him the basket. Augustine said, "You have created us for yourself, and our heart cannot be still until it finds rest in you." The only place we truly find rest is in God, through Christ. The S stands for solitude. We must find space, someplace where we can go and just be. Christ called his disciples away so that they could be recharged. We need space to be refreshed. We need space so that we can play, where we can read that favorite book that feeds us, a place where we can recreate with a hobby, a musical instrument, taking an art class, or something else that recharges us. We are all different, so it will look different for all of us. The T stands for take a day off. If God, the creator of the universe, can take a day off -- the one who can take five loaves and feed 5000 with them -- surely we can take a day off too. Relaxation is a gift from God. I once worked with a man who would call in and say, "I'm not coming in today -- I'm feeling too well, and I'm taking a health day." As Christians, we are called to be mission-minded people. The world is starving for the truth. We are called to show compassion towards people whose lives have been crumpled, who have been left on the side of the road. We are called to be transformed into people who are like Christ. All of this rigorous activity is demanding. As we live out our lives, it is easy to be consumed by the work of ministering. But Jesus calls us to take a day off, to rest, to set aside doing and focus on being -- this is just as much a part of being a Christian as our ministry is! Richard Foster once said that sometimes the most spiritual thing we can do for ourselves is just to take a nap. We must allow God to weave into our hearts what it means to claim the gift of rest, to set things aside, to be rejuvenated and recharged, so that we are more able to be what he has called us to be. |
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Rev. Mark Tusken
Series on Ephesians The seven-fold aspect of unity:
I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ's gift. The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people's trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body's growth in building itself up in love. Ephesians 4:1-7,11-16 The passage from Ephesians for today gives us truths about what we believe, as well as truths about how we believe. First of all, Paul writes that we may "lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called." We have been called, Paul says. He also tells believers that we have been given different gifts, and that some are called to be evangelists, some to be pastors, and others to be teachers, for example. We are called to be different, but this gives us a bond of unity as well as maturity. There is a seven-fold aspect of unity that we can consider today -- unity in our families, in our church body, and even in our nation -- especially as believers. "There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all," says Paul. The first aspect of unity is that we are one body. If you believe, you are a member of the body of Christ. Some have roles and responsibilities as pastors, teachers, or pray-ers; but we are all one. In the Christian church, we may be divided in different denominations, such as Catholics, Episcopalians, and Baptists; but we have unity through the bond of our common Christian beliefs. A second aspect of unity is that one spirit unites us. It is the spirit that unites us to one another when we believe. Have you ever had a sense of a spiritual connection with someone, even if you don't really know that person too well? That is the spirit of peace that unites us. We might not always be in complete agreement with one another, but we are members of one body, and the one spirit unites us. The third aspect of unity is the common hope that we share. Our hope is heaven. All of us who believe hope for heaven. We are all hoping for that geographical change in life that will bring us to our Lord in heaven. The hope that we have is that he has prepared a heavenly home for each of us. It is part of our unity. The fourth aspect of unity amongst Christian believers is that we have one Lord. In the end, there is only one king that we acknowledge, and only one Lord who we bend the knee to. You cannot read the New Testament and not say, "Jesus is Lord." It's not always an easy thing to say "yes" to the Lord. When we do say "yes" and acknowledge his lordship over our lives, there is a blessing there for us. When we hold back from him and say "no," we don't receive his blessing and we miss something for our lives. Unity is found in following the Lord. Our faith is a fifth aspect of unity. When we meet with other Christian believers, there are fundamental truths that we agree with. We agree that Christ died for our sins, physically rose from the dead, and will one day return to judge the world and deliver His people. There is a sense of security that our faith gives us. We are able to recognize a genuine faith when we see it, and no one is able to pass of a fake to us. Our baptism is the sixth aspect of unity. We as Christian believers are baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Our baptism puts us in a place of great safety. Luther considered our baptism to be the first plank of our salvation, in building a place of security. The seventh and final aspect of unity is God the Father. God is above all and in all and through all. Jesus taught us to pray, "Our Father." "Father" is a word of hope, of intimacy, of inheritance. It will bring healing to our lives to realize that he is our father. And it is our faith in God that we need to share with others -- our Muslim friends, our Jewish friends, and others. Many people are saying that we will no longer have unity in the Episcopal Church, due to the impending decisions at General Convention this week. And the truth is, we may actually be making a dramatic change in what the Episcopal Church officially believes. In the Book of Common Prayer, the Articles of Religion state that it is not lawful that the church ordain anything that is contrary to scripture. At their ordination, it used to be that ordinands were asked to "sign off" on this statement to indicate their agreement with it. In the next article, it also states that errors are sometimes made at general councils. Nothing is infallible that is agreed upon at General Convention! It's important to know that nothing much will change at St. Mark's. Our unity is grounded not in General Conventions or elsewhere, but -- as Ephesians says -- in the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. The challenge for us all is to realize that out of that unity we can come to a place of maturity. We must be open to new movements of the spirit, but we can't allow changes to fundamental sacraments such as marriage. It is important to understand that unity stands for truth. We don't want to be too harsh, or conversely too wishy-washy. We need to speak the truth in love. The truth is that holy matrimony is a union between one man and one woman. We may need to wrestle with this so that we can understand it, but we can't change things by a simple vote that takes place in Minneapolis. Unity leads to maturity. Just as an acorn grows into a strong oak tree, God is intent on growing us into believers who stand firm in the faith and truth. We are not squash plants that die off at the first frost, but given time and the right sun and rain, we are oaks that will grow strong and have a hope for eternity. Although we may read about divisiveness in the papers, nothing is changing at St. Mark's. We still have one hope, one faith, and one baptism. We will go forward in the bond of peace. |
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Rev. Mark Tusken
Series on Ephesians Speaking the Truth in Love Now this I affirm and insist on in the Lord: you must no longer live as the Gentiles live, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of their ignorance and hardness of heart. They have lost all sensitivity and have abandoned themselves to licentiousness, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. That is not the way you learned Christ! For surely you have heard about him and were taught in him, as truth is in Jesus. You were taught to put away your former way of life, your old self, corrupt and deluded by its lusts, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to clothe yourselves with the new self, created according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are members of one another. Ephesians 4:17-25 In the Chapel, there is a curtain that hangs behind the altar. What is behind that curtain, many have asked? There is actually a simple plaster wall behind there now, but rumor has it that there was once a great stained glass window portraying the lion of St. Mark. The great mystery is, why was it covered with plaster and a curtain? This is unfortunately an apt analogy to our culture today. We cover up what makes us uncomfortable and those things we don't like. Last week, we looked at the first part of chapter 4 of Ephesians, which spoke of unity and maturity. We talked about the difficulties that the Episcopal Church is currently encountering at the General Convention. This week, we are uncovering more truth, as we look at the rest of chapter 4 of Ephesians. It is ironic that with this election of the first openly gay bishop, the Lectionary today has us read about losing sensitivity and abandoning the self to licentiousness. This is a passage that speaks of standards. Just like the beautiful stained glass window, we have plastered over our standards in today's church. Paul begins by saying, "Now this I affirm and insist on in the Lord." The words I will speak next, Paul is saying, are important and given from God. His words were not only true at the time they were written, or 100 years ago, or 500 years ago, but today as well. Paul is saying that he affirms and submits that his words are directly from God. Now, Ephesians was written directly to the Gentiles, who had converted from paganism to belief in Christ. However, they were still following in the Gentile mindset. Paul tells them that they must change their way of thinking. What is the most erogenous part of the body? The mind. Paul is talking about people whose minds had been tantalized, and it was consuming them. For example, while rock-climbing, you might start some small pebbles rolling down the hill as you scramble over the loose gravel. The pebbles roll down, and gather more rocks, until they build into a landslide which can't be stopped. It's the same way with us; it might start with some small diversion that we pursue, and then soon enough it has us completely in its grip. The Gentiles were living "in the futility of their minds." In effect, they may not have understood what was happening, but there was a hardness of heart there. It just "felt right." They had lost sensitivity. The boulders that made up the landslide were crashing down the hill at a faster and faster pace. They had abandoned themselves to licentiousness and lewdness. Take a moment, and think about what licentiousness and lewdness might entail. We do know what it is when we see it. The people were greedy to practice all kinds of impurity. "That is not the way you learned Christ! For surely you have heard about him and were taught in him, as truth is in Jesus," Paul says. There was nothing that Jesus of Nazareth did wrong. The truth can be found in him. Jesus said, God made us, man and woman, and the two shall become one. This is what God wanted and what he envisioned. But the people became deluded, and they began to rationalize. They couldn't live a life that knows one thing right and another thing to be wrong. It does happen to all of us from time to time, and that's why it's important that we have a confessor or an accountability partner. Paul gives us the sternest of warnings, here in Ephesians 4, and also in Gal 5. "You were taught to put away your former way of life, your old self, corrupt and deluded by its lusts, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to clothe yourselves with the new self, created according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness." (Eph 4) "So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery." (Gal 5) We are created in the likeness of God, and we must put on Christ and live in him. "So then, putting away falsehood, let
all of us speak the truth to our neighbors," Paul continues. Our bishops
stress the importance of tithing, but did you know that tithing is not
spoken of once in the New Testament? But yet they ignore something that is
spoken of time and time again. Both the Old and New Testaments speak
strongly and clearly on sexual morals. In Genesis chapters 1 and 2, when
God first created marriage, the only appropriate union is between one man
and one woman in a permanent exogenous relationship. All other sexual
unions are perversions of this bond. Psalm 78 today reminds us that we
have a responsibility to pass on our ethics to our children. "We will tell
to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might,
and the wonders that he has done." What is your sexual ethic? The bishops
who vote in favor of the election of Robinson in my opinion are deluded
and exhibit no sexual ethic. Paul says, we must no longer live as the
Gentiles. Put away falsehood. Don't live a life in which the truth is
plastered over. Ephesians tells us to speak the truth in love. If we live
according to Christ, we live a life of purity; anything else is an
unstoppable landslide that is crashing down the hill. [ A book that might be of interest to anyone who wishes to delve deeper into this issue is The Bible and Homosexual Practice by Robert Gagnon. The author presents a comprehensive argument against pro-gay theology. In the preface which includes praises for the book from contemporary academics, one scholar states that this book "cannot be ignored in future debate even by proponents of discordant views." ] |
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Rev. Mark Tusken
Series on Ephesians
Five ways to keep the enemy from gaining a foothold: |
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Rev. Liz Meade
Series on Ephesians Paul's exhortations:
Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:15-20 In our series on Paul's letter to the Ephesians, we have been instructed into how to conduct ourselves morally as Christians. The letter continues today with a call to Christian fellowship. It is particularly apt, I think, that we look at this passage in the face of the distress and controversy within our denomination in the wake of the General Convention of a couple of weeks ago. I want us to reflect on four of the exhortations that Paul mentions today. First, what about being careful and being wise? How do we become wise people in the 70- 80 years that we are given? The OT reading from proverbs today gives us a hint. Listen again verses 5 & 6: "To those without sense, Wisdom says, "Come, eat of my bread…. and drink of the wine I have mixed. Lay aside immaturity, and live, and walk in the way of insight." And listen also to this short exhortation in the first chapter of James: "If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you." (James 1:5) To become wise people, therefore, we must eat of the bread offered us - The Holy Scriptures. We must lay aside immaturity and walk in the way of insight. And we must boldly ask God for wisdom. I have heard from many people in the last couple of weeks. People who are in pain. And people who are grieving. People who are angry. And I have listened a lot, and carefully. The statement that grieved my heart the most came from a believer who said angrily and yet honestly, "I don't want 'them' in my church. I wish 'they' would just all go away and start their own denomination." Perhaps many of us feel that way, but that was not a careful statement. And what grieves me most about it is the pain this person is feeling about our church. Out of that pain, came a rash statement that did not reflect the love of Jesus Christ. In our hearts, we know Jesus is not about "us" and "them." Jesus is about "we". About acceptance. And forgiveness. And salvation. Remember that when pushed by the Pharisees to tell them what he thought to be the greatest commandment Jesus replied, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your mind. And the second is like it, love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matt 22:37) We must not be a people of loose tongues and knee jerk reactions. We must not be a people of "un-careful" or hurtful statements. So, Paul suggests: if we are careful and not foolish, and if we take our sustenance from the scriptures, and if we ask God to give us wisdom, we will begin to understand the will of the Lord - which is the second of his instructions in today's passage. Discerning God's will for our lives is important work for each of us. We are exhorted by Paul to be careful and not foolish in discerning God's will for our own lives and, by extension, we must be careful and not foolish as we come to grips with decisions the Church has made. To understand God's will, the OT reading from Proverbs reminds us that Wisdom calls us to eat and drink from the cup, to lay aside immaturity and live in light. Eating and drinking from the cup means not only fellowship, but feasting on God's Word as revealed to us in Scripture. Living in maturity means not taking our toys and going home when we aren't winning the game. And living in light requires us to live and share the love of God with every person we meet, not just with those with whom we agree. Whether you are grieving or rejoicing over the events of General Convention or if you are simply trying to discern God's will for the future of the church, or I would challenge you to pray. Pray for St. Mark's each day for the next 30 days. Pray that our ministries will be richly blessed. And Pray for healing where rifts have occurred. And then, also every day for 30 days, pray for the greater Church - for the Anglican Communion. Pray that its ministries will be richly blessed also, and that healing will happen where rifts have occurred. And if by chance any of you are sitting there with arms folded, saying to yourself, "It won't change how I feel on these issues," it probably won't. Nor is that my intent. But being faithful in prayer allows our hearts and minds to open, to more clearly discern God's will. And with faith-filled prayer, healing will occur. Paul's third exhortation invites us to be filled with the Holy Spirit, not to become drunk with wine, which leads to debauchery. Paul is speaking of the culture of the time where intoxication and debauchery were common - and he calls believers to something else. This is still so true today. My son Andy got home safely Wednesday from his mission trip to Siberia and when we were talking about his impressions of the culture there, Gary asked him what the Siberians do for fun. Andy said, "I know this sounds like a huge over-generalization, but basically they sit around and drink vodka all night." He said it's about the only affordable diversion in a poor area with a harsh climate. By comparison, believers there are called to be tea-totalers in response. They are called not to drink. In a very real way, Believers in Siberia have the choice - to fill up on vodka or to fill up on the Holy Spirit. Thank God that He has revealed another way to joy and peace. Most of us have seen someone who has drunk a bit too much - the wall flower becomes a party girl, the nerd becomes sloshingly good-natured and ready to party. Conversation flows easily and decisions are made that are not sensible, and sometimes downright dangerous. This is because something outside of ourselves has taken control of us. For some, it may be alcohol. For others, it may be something else. Drugs. Physical desires. Greed. The Internet. Division. Discontent. What things distract us from being filled with the Holy Spirit? If anything in our lives is controlling us, Paul tells us to stop, to repent, and to ask the Holy Spirit to fill our emptiness. We already have God's power, the Holy Spirit, resting inside each of us. Our job as believers is to fill up on this power. Make room for it in our lives. How do we fill up on the Holy Spirit? We ask God to fill us with what is already there. Think of this flashlight as us - the lights of the world - children of God. These batteries represent the power within us - the Holy Spirit. But the power can't come on if the body is cluttered with distractions. Oh, here's lust. Oh….here's greed. Oh…… here's alcohol. Only when we take the clutter out, do the batteries fit in and make the Spirit shine! Finally, Paul's last exhortation says to give thanks to God at all times. To sing to the Lord. To make melody to the Lord in our hearts. Are we singing? Are we giving thanks at all times? When I was young, my mother had a rule that we had to take at least one bite of everything on our plates. And the one thing my brother and sister and I dreaded more than anything else was cooked spinach. It happened about once a month. One bite, she'd say, just one bite, and she'd talk cheerfully about Popeye's strong arms and good vision and strong bones. And we'd sit there. No conversation. The entire meal was ruined when we had spinach because we couldn't get past dread of having to take that "one bite." We couldn't get past the spinach. "Just one bite," she'd say. It was horrible. But one day, my brother, the family optimist, said to my sister and me, "Let's just take the one bite first, to get it out of the way, because I really want to go to the movies tonight…." So we agreed…. And we took that "just one bite" first. And a strange thing happened. It tasted just as horrible as we knew it would. It was still unpalatable and slimy - but the tenor of dinner changed. We moved on. We enjoyed the meal. We talked. We got to the movies. I don't say this to imply that things that come our way in life will become more palatable if we simply sample them. They may or they may not. I say this to remind each of us that if we dwell in the un-palatable, we can get stuck. What spinach is on your plate right now? What thing is preventing you from giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for every thing? What stills the song that should be rising in your heart? Each of our lives are about more than the spinach-y things that get put on our plates. And St. Mark's and the Episcopal Church are about more than controversy. St Mark's, for example, is about families, and discipleship, and missions and outreach and growing in our love for each other in Christ. It's about education and praise and music and most importantly, it's about worshipping and honoring the glory of God. It's not about taking our toys and going home. And in order not to get stuck - even if we grieve - we must give thanks to God our Father at all times and for all things. If anything is distracting us from our ministries here, chances are pretty good that it is like the alcohol Paul rejects - it is taking control. Let nothing distract us from worshipping the Lord in this place. Paul exhorts us to be thankful to God our Father in all things. The fifth century Doctor of the church, John Chrysostom, echoed this. He even gave thanks for hell - because thinking about hell, he said, made him more determined than ever to avoid it. Listen to Chroysostom's words from a sermon he preached in the 5th century about praise and thanksgiving: "Let us then go down with alms-giving," Chrysostom says, "unto the furnace of poverty, and trample on the burning coals. And let us behold the marvel of a man singing praises in a furnace of poverty, a man giving thanks in fire, offering much praise to Christ. Those children were not set on fire; rather, upon their giving thanks to the Lord, their bonds too were at once loosed. Paul says: Be careful and be wise. Understand the will of God. Be filled with the Holy Spirit. And be thankful to God our Father in all things. AMEN. |
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~ Youth Mission Trip Report ~
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God the
Father is represented as an outstretched palm, portraying God as the
Creator. When God is at work in us, there is a beauty, a lilt, a rhythm to
life that cannot be orchestrated by ourselves. God has created each of us
with a purpose and design. It was the work of God the Father to send the
Son. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that
everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal
life." (John 3:16) Whatever might come in our lives is an opportunity
for each of us, in our own experience of God in our lives. Work with
whatever is at hand, and you will discover the hand of God. God is pleased
with you, even if you're not perfect. Delight in the small things, and you
will discover God.
We
have been told by our window restorer that the most perfectly made window
in the Chapel is the one which portrays Jesus as the Lamb. 135 years ago,
when this window was handcrafted, it was made the most perfect. In the
same way, Christ died for each of us, and he was the perfect sacrifice.
The sacrifice of the Lamb of God is a redemptive work. Wherever there is
pain in our lives, Christ is there. He bore the wounds for us already.
