May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.
What is our Gospel really about today? On the surface it is about belief. It is about believing the Good News that Jesus preached during his life. It is about believing that Jesus was the Son of God. It is about believing that Jesus rose from the grave and walked among the disciples. It is about believing that Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit, is still among us today.
All of that is true. Our Gospel is about these things, but that is only the surface. Like so many passages in the Bible, the surface meaning is very powerful, but there is much more to learn. The words that contain God’s Word are not so shallow. Words seldom are.
Let’s look at our reading more closely. Jesus and his disciples were Jews. They were an upstart sect of Judaism which did not fit with the most powerful group or groups of Jews. By the time this story was written, they had been thrown out of the Temple. If anyone found out that you were one of Jesus’ followers, it could be very bad for you. They were afraid and they were hiding what they were doing. So our story is about fear.
Jesus came and talked to them. He proved who he was and told them what they were to do. He breathed the Holy Spirit upon them and gave them the power to forgive and retain sins. This is the first ordination in Christ’s church. Our story is about priesthood.
Thomas, who had by now spent years with this small group of friends, wasn’t there when Jesus came. Thomas did not believe them. He had to see for himself. (I can’t imagine that made them feel very good). So our story is about doubt and mistrust and pain.
Then Jesus comes again when Thomas is there. Thomas sees and believes. So our story is about belief again.
Finally, Jesus did many other signs that are not recorded. So our story tells us that we should trust the message of Jesus without knowing the whole story.
So let’s see. Our story is about fear, priesthood, doubt, mistrust, pain, belief, and trust even when we don’t have all of the information.
Words have great power.
Have any of you ever played the rumour game? The game where a group of people sit in a circle – one person whispers something in the ear of the next person – that person whispers in the ear of the next – and so on around the circle?
What happens by the time it gets back to the first person?
How about this? Have any of you heard of facebook?
What happens when something gets posted on facebook?
Does facebook know if it is true?
Things posted on facebook are just like the rumour game. They can take on lives of their own. If the item posted grabs on to peoples’ emotions, such as fear, it spreads faster and quickly becomes exactly what is feared.
A rumour about something that we fear can make us just like Thomas. It can make us doubt a person that we have known for years. A person who has consistently done good things for us. A person that we have no real reason to distrust.
Now to bring it back to today’s Gospel. Jesus died and rose again. After his death, people were spreading rumours about Jesus. They were saying that Jesus was just an ordinary man. They were saying that those who said that they saw Jesus were either having delusions or that they were lying. Those rumours led to Thomas doubting his friends.
Jesus sends us out to spread the Good News. And what is the Good News in our Gospel today? “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” Not one of us here today has seen Jesus, the man, in person. None of us have felt the wounds on his hands and feet or in his side. At least I haven’t. Maybe one of you has. But despite this, we believe. We are here because we believe the incomplete, good story rather than the rumours. We are here because we believe that our sins are forgiven and that we have the power to forgive others.
We believe.
I pray that if I fall victim to rumours, and I’m sure I will because words have power – I pray that when I fall victim to rumours, others will forgive me. I also pray that when others hurt me because of rumours, I will be able to forgive them.
This is my prayer for myself. What is yours?
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Music for Thought
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.
As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God's works might be revealed in him. (John 9:1-3)
Music has always been an important part of my life. I love all kinds of music, but the music that feeds my soul is the music that we sing about God.
Does anyone know what this is? (Hold up hymnal)
I love hymns. I love to sing them. I love to read them. I suck at writing them. It’s a gift I’ve always wanted and never had. One of my personal sins … envy.
You might be wondering why I’m saying all this about hymns this morning. Don’t worry. I’ll eventually get there. But first I’m going to sing you the first verse of a hymn. If you want to follow along, it is number 371.
(Sing verse 1 of “To God Be the Glory”).
What a great hymn of praise to God. Here is another that has always been a favourite of mine. It’s not in our hymnal, but I have it in another one. I know it from my childhood in the Presbyterian Church: "All the Way My Savior Leads Me." (Tab 2) It tells about how Jesus leads us through the difficult times in our life. I have another one here that you might know: "Blessed Assurance, Jesus Is Mine." (Tab 3)
Now to get to what you’ve all been waiting for. What do hymns have to do with today’s readings. Well, actually nothing.
But these hymns all have something in common. They were all written by the same person. In fact, that person wrote quite a number of hymns. Only one of them is in our hymnal. Her name was Fanny Crosby.
When Fanny was six weeks old, she had an eye infection. Her regular doctor was out of town, and a man posing as a doctor gave her the wrong treatment. Within a few days, she was blind. If that happened to me, I am afraid I would be very bitter and I would probably spend a lifetime feeling sorry for myself. Fanny was never bitter and she never felt sorry for herself. When she was only eight years old, she wrote this poem:
Oh, what a happy child I am,
Although I can not see.
I am resolved that in this world,
Contented I will be.
How many blessings I enjoy
That other people don't.
To weep and sigh because I'm blind,
I cannot and I won't!
Instead of being bitter and feeling sorry for herself, Fanny used the gifts that God had given her to write over 8,000 hymns and poems to praise and glorify God.
One day Jesus was walking with his disciples when they passed by a blind man. When they saw him, the disciples asked Jesus who was to blame for the man's blindness. Was it because of his sin or was it because of his parent's sins? Jesus answered them and told them that no one was to blame, he was blind so that God's works could be shown in him. Then Jesus healed the man and the people praised and glorified God for his goodness.
What about Fanny Crosby? God didn't heal her blindness. Perhaps if God had healed her, she might never have written all of those beautiful hymns -- and the world would never have heard of Fanny Crosby. She used the tragedy of her blindness to glorify God. I pray that tragedy will never come into your life, but if it does, remember that everything that happens can be used to praise and glorify God!
Dear Lord, the difficulties in our life seem small when compared to what others may be facing. Help us not to grumble and complain, but to praise and glorify you in every situation. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
based on sermons4kids
As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God's works might be revealed in him. (John 9:1-3)
Music has always been an important part of my life. I love all kinds of music, but the music that feeds my soul is the music that we sing about God.
Does anyone know what this is? (Hold up hymnal)
I love hymns. I love to sing them. I love to read them. I suck at writing them. It’s a gift I’ve always wanted and never had. One of my personal sins … envy.
You might be wondering why I’m saying all this about hymns this morning. Don’t worry. I’ll eventually get there. But first I’m going to sing you the first verse of a hymn. If you want to follow along, it is number 371.
(Sing verse 1 of “To God Be the Glory”).
What a great hymn of praise to God. Here is another that has always been a favourite of mine. It’s not in our hymnal, but I have it in another one. I know it from my childhood in the Presbyterian Church: "All the Way My Savior Leads Me." (Tab 2) It tells about how Jesus leads us through the difficult times in our life. I have another one here that you might know: "Blessed Assurance, Jesus Is Mine." (Tab 3)
Now to get to what you’ve all been waiting for. What do hymns have to do with today’s readings. Well, actually nothing.
But these hymns all have something in common. They were all written by the same person. In fact, that person wrote quite a number of hymns. Only one of them is in our hymnal. Her name was Fanny Crosby.
When Fanny was six weeks old, she had an eye infection. Her regular doctor was out of town, and a man posing as a doctor gave her the wrong treatment. Within a few days, she was blind. If that happened to me, I am afraid I would be very bitter and I would probably spend a lifetime feeling sorry for myself. Fanny was never bitter and she never felt sorry for herself. When she was only eight years old, she wrote this poem:
Oh, what a happy child I am,
Although I can not see.
I am resolved that in this world,
Contented I will be.
How many blessings I enjoy
That other people don't.
To weep and sigh because I'm blind,
I cannot and I won't!
Instead of being bitter and feeling sorry for herself, Fanny used the gifts that God had given her to write over 8,000 hymns and poems to praise and glorify God.
One day Jesus was walking with his disciples when they passed by a blind man. When they saw him, the disciples asked Jesus who was to blame for the man's blindness. Was it because of his sin or was it because of his parent's sins? Jesus answered them and told them that no one was to blame, he was blind so that God's works could be shown in him. Then Jesus healed the man and the people praised and glorified God for his goodness.
What about Fanny Crosby? God didn't heal her blindness. Perhaps if God had healed her, she might never have written all of those beautiful hymns -- and the world would never have heard of Fanny Crosby. She used the tragedy of her blindness to glorify God. I pray that tragedy will never come into your life, but if it does, remember that everything that happens can be used to praise and glorify God!
Dear Lord, the difficulties in our life seem small when compared to what others may be facing. Help us not to grumble and complain, but to praise and glorify you in every situation. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
based on sermons4kids
Friday, March 18, 2011
Measuring God's Love
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.
How do we measure God’s love?
Well, how do we measure other things?
We could try a measuring cup. What is the volume of God’s love? Believe it or not, there is a psalm which talks about that very thing. It’s a psalm that I’m sure you’ve all heard before and might even be able to recite.
Listen and see if you can catch where it talks about the volume of God’s love. You might recognize psalm 23.
Psalm 23 NRSVNRSV
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff-- they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD my whole life long.
Did you catch it?
My cup overflows!
No matter how large a cup we use to try and measure God’s love, it will run over.
So let’s try something else. Maybe we can use a measuring tape? What do you think? Can we measure how long or how wide or how high God’s love is?
Oddly enough, there’s a psalm about this too. This one is psalm 108.
Psalm 108
My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make melody. Awake, my soul! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn. I will give thanks to you, O LORD, among the peoples, and I will sing praises to you among the nations. For your steadfast love is higher than the heavens, and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let your glory be over all the earth. Give victory with your right hand, and answer me, so that those whom you love may be rescued. God has promised in his sanctuary: "With exultation I will divide up Shechem, and portion out the Vale of Succoth. Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet; Judah is my scepter. Moab is my washbasin; on Edom I hurl my shoe; over Philistia I shout in triumph." Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom? Have you not rejected us, O God? You do not go out, O God, with our armies. O grant us help against the foe, for human help is worthless. With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes.
Did you get it this time? “For your steadfast love is higher than the heavens, and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.” We would need quite the tape measure to reach that high, and even then, we wouldn’t have one long enough to measure God’s love.
One more try. Maybe we can measure God’s love using time. We can measure time using a watch or a stopwatch. We can measure how long it takes to drive from here to Sydney. We can measure how long we sit at the table for supper. Someone might even be timing how long I stand up here preaching. So can we use a watch to measure God’s love?
Do you think we have a psalm for this? -- We do! It’s psalm 103. I’m not going to read the whole thing because it is fairly long; just the verse about measuring God’s love.
Psalm 103:17
But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children.
You got that one? Good. It’s pretty hard to measure even one everlasting on a watch, let alone two.
So if we can’t measure God’s love in a measuring cup, or with a measuring tape, or even with a watch, how can we measure it?
John 3:16 NRSV
"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.”
Is that a love you can measure?
I don’t think so. But we can experience it. We can feel that love every day. And when we feel God’s love for us, we can share it with others and it will never run out. We will be so full of love that it overflows from us. It reaches far beyond us. It has always been with us and will always be with us.
I’m going to leave you with one more verse about God’s love. This one is from Ephesians.
Ephesians 3:18-19 NRSV
I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Amen.
How do we measure God’s love?
Well, how do we measure other things?
We could try a measuring cup. What is the volume of God’s love? Believe it or not, there is a psalm which talks about that very thing. It’s a psalm that I’m sure you’ve all heard before and might even be able to recite.
Listen and see if you can catch where it talks about the volume of God’s love. You might recognize psalm 23.
Psalm 23 NRSVNRSV
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff-- they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD my whole life long.
Did you catch it?
My cup overflows!
No matter how large a cup we use to try and measure God’s love, it will run over.
So let’s try something else. Maybe we can use a measuring tape? What do you think? Can we measure how long or how wide or how high God’s love is?
Oddly enough, there’s a psalm about this too. This one is psalm 108.
Psalm 108
My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make melody. Awake, my soul! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn. I will give thanks to you, O LORD, among the peoples, and I will sing praises to you among the nations. For your steadfast love is higher than the heavens, and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let your glory be over all the earth. Give victory with your right hand, and answer me, so that those whom you love may be rescued. God has promised in his sanctuary: "With exultation I will divide up Shechem, and portion out the Vale of Succoth. Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet; Judah is my scepter. Moab is my washbasin; on Edom I hurl my shoe; over Philistia I shout in triumph." Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom? Have you not rejected us, O God? You do not go out, O God, with our armies. O grant us help against the foe, for human help is worthless. With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes.
Did you get it this time? “For your steadfast love is higher than the heavens, and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.” We would need quite the tape measure to reach that high, and even then, we wouldn’t have one long enough to measure God’s love.
One more try. Maybe we can measure God’s love using time. We can measure time using a watch or a stopwatch. We can measure how long it takes to drive from here to Sydney. We can measure how long we sit at the table for supper. Someone might even be timing how long I stand up here preaching. So can we use a watch to measure God’s love?
Do you think we have a psalm for this? -- We do! It’s psalm 103. I’m not going to read the whole thing because it is fairly long; just the verse about measuring God’s love.
Psalm 103:17
But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children.
You got that one? Good. It’s pretty hard to measure even one everlasting on a watch, let alone two.
So if we can’t measure God’s love in a measuring cup, or with a measuring tape, or even with a watch, how can we measure it?
John 3:16 NRSV
"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.”
Is that a love you can measure?
I don’t think so. But we can experience it. We can feel that love every day. And when we feel God’s love for us, we can share it with others and it will never run out. We will be so full of love that it overflows from us. It reaches far beyond us. It has always been with us and will always be with us.
I’m going to leave you with one more verse about God’s love. This one is from Ephesians.
Ephesians 3:18-19 NRSV
I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Amen.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Is God in the earthquake?
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.
Earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, hurricanes, cyclones, tornados, draughts – all of these are called acts of God.
What does this mean? How are they acts of God?
Where is God in any of these?
1 Kings 19:9-13 (NRSV)
At that place he came to a cave, and spent the night there. Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" He answered, "I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away." He said, "Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
Is the earthquake the act of God?
We are tempted to look at it this way. Just as Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, in times of trouble we enter our own wilderness. We are tempted to look for a reason that God is punishing us or why God is punishing them. We are tempted to blame and judge, even if it means judging ourselves.
Where is God in the earthquake? Where is God in the tsunami?
Elijah went into a cave and God asked him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
If Elijah had done what God told him to, he might have seen God. God is not in the earthquake. God is in the people who help others after the earthquake. God is in the survivors, gathering together and working together to find others. God is with those who are in pain, with those who mourn. They are never alone.
Where is God in the earthquake?
God is in us as we respond to help. God is in us as we send financial support through our church and in other ways. God is in us as we support our government’s efforts to help. God is in us as we pray for those directly affected.
Let us pray,
O loving Creator, bring healing and hope to those who, at this time, grieve, suffer pain, or who have been affected by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
We remember those who have died and we pray for those who mourn for them.
We pray for those who have been affected as the tsunami spread across the Pacific.
May we all be aware of Your compassion, O God, which calms our troubled hearts and shelters our anxious souls.
May we pray with humility with our troubled and struggling brothers and sisters on earth.
May we dare to hope that through the generosity of the privileged, the destitute might glimpse hope, warmth and life again.
Through our Saviour Christ who lives with us, comforts us and soothes us.
Amen.
We remember those who have died and we pray for those who mourn for them.
We pray for those who have been affected as the tsunami spread across the Pacific.
May we all be aware of Your compassion, O God, which calms our troubled hearts and shelters our anxious souls.
May we pray with humility with our troubled and struggling brothers and sisters on earth.
May we dare to hope that through the generosity of the privileged, the destitute might glimpse hope, warmth and life again.
Through our Saviour Christ who lives with us, comforts us and soothes us.
Amen.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Who is Jesus anyway? Or is that the right question.
I speak to you in the name of the one true and living God. Amen.
Have any of you ever heard of the “Jesus Seminar”?
Well, the Jesus Seminar is a group of Biblical scholars who try to identify the historical Jesus. That is, they read through as many sources of the Bible as they can, and try to figure out what was actually said by Jesus, what was said about Jesus, what was said about what Jesus said, and what has nothing to do with Jesus at all. They search for who Jesus was.
When I first looked at our gospel reading today, it reminded me of the Jesus Seminar.
Who was Jesus?
Was he like Moses? Did he bring us the new law?
No, the only law Jesus brought us was the great commandment, and that wasn’t new. Jesus just talked about how the great commandment sums up the rest of the law. If we follow the great commandment, we are living the Truth which lies behind all of the Torah – God’s Law.
Well, if he was not like Moses, then was he like Elijah? Was he the new prophet?
No, Jesus did not tell people what was in their future. He did tell people what was in his own future, but this is not how the prophets operated. Jesus did point out what was wrong in his society, like the prophets, but he did not pronounce impending doom for God’s people. Instead he said that he was there to save God’s people. If he had been a prophet, he might have told them how they could save themselves.
Not Jesus.
Okay, if Jesus was not the bringer of the new Law and Jesus was not the new Prophet, who was Jesus?
Well, here is a summary (from Wikipedia) of what the Jesus Seminar says about Jesus.
The seminar's reconstruction of the historical Jesus portrays him as an itinerant Hellenistic Jewish sage and faith healer who preached a gospel of liberation from injustice in startling parables and aphorisms. An iconoclast, Jesus broke with established Jewish theological dogmas and social conventions both in his teachings and behaviours, often by turning common-sense ideas upside down, confounding the expectations of his audience: He preached of "Heaven's imperial rule" (traditionally translated as "Kingdom of God") as being already present but unseen; he depicts God as a loving father; he fraternizes with outsiders and criticizes insiders. A mortal man born of two human parents, Jesus did not perform nature miracles, die as a substitute for sinners nor rise bodily from the dead. Sightings of a risen Jesus were nothing more than the visionary experiences of some of his disciples rather than physical encounters. (Wikipedia, 5/3/11)
Did you get all of that?
Jesus was a Jew influenced by the Greeks. Jesus was a teacher and a faith healer. Jesus did not agree with the common Jewish teachings of his time. Jesus was a human being. He was the son of God in the same way that each of us is a child of God. Jesus did not perform miracles. Jesus did not rise from the dead.
Hmmm – that’s very interesting, but it leaves my heart cold. I do not hear God speaking to me through this image of Jesus. I respect both the intelligence and the work of those involved in the Jesus Seminar, but I believe they are asking the wrong question entirely.
They are trying to figure out who Jesus really was. I think there is a much more important question to ask.
Who is Jesus?
Two thousand years ago there was a man who preached a gospel of social justice. He was willing to die for that message. He died for us!
Jesus is very much alive in my life. I feel his presence in my everyday life. I look for his guidance when I’m unsure of what to do. When I do not follow his guidance, I end up sad and unfulfilled.
Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, is only three days away. As we journey through Lent, I ask you to join me as I try to answer this question for myself.
Who is Jesus to me?
Jesus is very much alive.
Thanks be to God.
Have any of you ever heard of the “Jesus Seminar”?
Well, the Jesus Seminar is a group of Biblical scholars who try to identify the historical Jesus. That is, they read through as many sources of the Bible as they can, and try to figure out what was actually said by Jesus, what was said about Jesus, what was said about what Jesus said, and what has nothing to do with Jesus at all. They search for who Jesus was.
When I first looked at our gospel reading today, it reminded me of the Jesus Seminar.
Who was Jesus?
Was he like Moses? Did he bring us the new law?
No, the only law Jesus brought us was the great commandment, and that wasn’t new. Jesus just talked about how the great commandment sums up the rest of the law. If we follow the great commandment, we are living the Truth which lies behind all of the Torah – God’s Law.
Well, if he was not like Moses, then was he like Elijah? Was he the new prophet?
No, Jesus did not tell people what was in their future. He did tell people what was in his own future, but this is not how the prophets operated. Jesus did point out what was wrong in his society, like the prophets, but he did not pronounce impending doom for God’s people. Instead he said that he was there to save God’s people. If he had been a prophet, he might have told them how they could save themselves.
Not Jesus.
Okay, if Jesus was not the bringer of the new Law and Jesus was not the new Prophet, who was Jesus?
Well, here is a summary (from Wikipedia) of what the Jesus Seminar says about Jesus.
The seminar's reconstruction of the historical Jesus portrays him as an itinerant Hellenistic Jewish sage and faith healer who preached a gospel of liberation from injustice in startling parables and aphorisms. An iconoclast, Jesus broke with established Jewish theological dogmas and social conventions both in his teachings and behaviours, often by turning common-sense ideas upside down, confounding the expectations of his audience: He preached of "Heaven's imperial rule" (traditionally translated as "Kingdom of God") as being already present but unseen; he depicts God as a loving father; he fraternizes with outsiders and criticizes insiders. A mortal man born of two human parents, Jesus did not perform nature miracles, die as a substitute for sinners nor rise bodily from the dead. Sightings of a risen Jesus were nothing more than the visionary experiences of some of his disciples rather than physical encounters. (Wikipedia, 5/3/11)
Did you get all of that?
Jesus was a Jew influenced by the Greeks. Jesus was a teacher and a faith healer. Jesus did not agree with the common Jewish teachings of his time. Jesus was a human being. He was the son of God in the same way that each of us is a child of God. Jesus did not perform miracles. Jesus did not rise from the dead.
Hmmm – that’s very interesting, but it leaves my heart cold. I do not hear God speaking to me through this image of Jesus. I respect both the intelligence and the work of those involved in the Jesus Seminar, but I believe they are asking the wrong question entirely.
They are trying to figure out who Jesus really was. I think there is a much more important question to ask.
Who is Jesus?
Two thousand years ago there was a man who preached a gospel of social justice. He was willing to die for that message. He died for us!
Jesus is very much alive in my life. I feel his presence in my everyday life. I look for his guidance when I’m unsure of what to do. When I do not follow his guidance, I end up sad and unfulfilled.
Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, is only three days away. As we journey through Lent, I ask you to join me as I try to answer this question for myself.
Who is Jesus to me?
Jesus is very much alive.
Thanks be to God.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
The Ever Shrinking List of Laws, or We're Growing Up
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.
Last week I was all set to talk about what it means for us to be the salt of the earth. If any of you want to read it, it is online and I have printed several copies of it that you can take home. For a while I thought about giving that sermon today, but it just doesn’t fit with the readings.
Most Sundays our readings have a central theme, but it’s not very often that that theme is so obvious.
“If you choose, you can keep the commandments, and to act faithfully is a matter of your own choice.”
“Happy are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord.”
“You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’”
Have you figured out the theme yet? – Following God’s rules.
Can anyone tell me how many rules there are?
- Ten Commandments
- The Great Commandment (Summary of the Law)
- 613 Laws (Mosaic Law)
Our Old Testament readings from Sirach and the Psalms tell us that it is possible to follow the rules. They also tell us that God knows when we keep them and when we break them. This reminds me of Santa. (sing) He knows when you’ve been sinning. He knows when you’re at peace. He knows if you’ve been bad or good. (stop singing) Well, you know the rest. According to these readings, god is happy with those who keep his laws.
In our Gospel, Jesus tells us how we should interpret the laws. Following the letter of the law is not enough. We need to look at what the law was intended to do, and then we need to follow it not just by our actions, but in our hearts.
Then our Gospel gets scary. “If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell.”
Is Jesus telling us that we should blind ourselves to avoid sins such as lust and greed? Is Jesus telling us that we should maim ourselves to avoid stealing? Or muting ourselves so that we cannot lie?
No!
Jesus is telling us that he knows we are human. Jesus is telling us that he knows we will be tempted to sin and that sometimes we won’t be able to resist. Our reading from the First Letter to the Corinthians talks about this too. “And so, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for solid food. Even now you are still not ready, for you are still of the flesh.”
We are human beings. We are not perfect. We will be tempted. We will fall short of the Law.
So what are we supposed to do?
Step 1. “If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away.”
There are things in our lives that we know tempt us into sin. Our first step is to remove the temptation. For example, I know that in our house there are times when every one of us wants to choose what program is on TV. The temptation is to fight over it. How could we remove this temptation?
- Get rid of the TV.
- Take turns choosing.
- Make a schedule.
I’m sure you can think of your own temptations. I’m also sure you can come up with some ways to remove or at least reduce those temptations.
Our reading from First Corinthians leads us to step two. “I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for solid food.” Have you noticed that as we move through the timeline of the bible the lists of rules get shorter?
- 613 Mosaic Laws
- 10 Commandments
- 1 Great Commandment
Does this remind you of growing up? When I was young, someone else made all of the decisions, at least the important ones. My parents told me what I would be doing and when I would be doing it.
As I grew older, I was given a list of things I could do and things I couldn’t do. These rules were more like guidelines that helped me make sure I did what needed to be done and avoid things I shouldn’t do. (Not that I always followed the rules.)
Finally, I moved out and was expected to be able to make my own decisions.
Well, that’s where we are now. That’s what the Great Commandment is about. It’s not about getting rid of the old laws. It is about being trusted to know in our hearts what is right and what is wrong. We’ve grown up. Every one of us knows what is right and what is wrong, but we are still human. We will be tempted. This is okay. This is how God made us. What is not okay is to keep going back to our temptations. Jesus is telling us that we need to learn from our mistakes and to stop repeating them over and over.
All of our readings tell us that with God’s help, we can get better at it. We can avoid sin. When we work at it and trust in God, God is well pleased.
Thanks be to God.
Last week I was all set to talk about what it means for us to be the salt of the earth. If any of you want to read it, it is online and I have printed several copies of it that you can take home. For a while I thought about giving that sermon today, but it just doesn’t fit with the readings.
Most Sundays our readings have a central theme, but it’s not very often that that theme is so obvious.
“If you choose, you can keep the commandments, and to act faithfully is a matter of your own choice.”
“Happy are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord.”
“You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’”
Have you figured out the theme yet? – Following God’s rules.
Can anyone tell me how many rules there are?
- Ten Commandments
- The Great Commandment (Summary of the Law)
- 613 Laws (Mosaic Law)
Our Old Testament readings from Sirach and the Psalms tell us that it is possible to follow the rules. They also tell us that God knows when we keep them and when we break them. This reminds me of Santa. (sing) He knows when you’ve been sinning. He knows when you’re at peace. He knows if you’ve been bad or good. (stop singing) Well, you know the rest. According to these readings, god is happy with those who keep his laws.
In our Gospel, Jesus tells us how we should interpret the laws. Following the letter of the law is not enough. We need to look at what the law was intended to do, and then we need to follow it not just by our actions, but in our hearts.
Then our Gospel gets scary. “If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell.”
Is Jesus telling us that we should blind ourselves to avoid sins such as lust and greed? Is Jesus telling us that we should maim ourselves to avoid stealing? Or muting ourselves so that we cannot lie?
No!
Jesus is telling us that he knows we are human. Jesus is telling us that he knows we will be tempted to sin and that sometimes we won’t be able to resist. Our reading from the First Letter to the Corinthians talks about this too. “And so, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for solid food. Even now you are still not ready, for you are still of the flesh.”
We are human beings. We are not perfect. We will be tempted. We will fall short of the Law.
So what are we supposed to do?
Step 1. “If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away.”
There are things in our lives that we know tempt us into sin. Our first step is to remove the temptation. For example, I know that in our house there are times when every one of us wants to choose what program is on TV. The temptation is to fight over it. How could we remove this temptation?
- Get rid of the TV.
- Take turns choosing.
- Make a schedule.
I’m sure you can think of your own temptations. I’m also sure you can come up with some ways to remove or at least reduce those temptations.
Our reading from First Corinthians leads us to step two. “I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for solid food.” Have you noticed that as we move through the timeline of the bible the lists of rules get shorter?
- 613 Mosaic Laws
- 10 Commandments
- 1 Great Commandment
Does this remind you of growing up? When I was young, someone else made all of the decisions, at least the important ones. My parents told me what I would be doing and when I would be doing it.
As I grew older, I was given a list of things I could do and things I couldn’t do. These rules were more like guidelines that helped me make sure I did what needed to be done and avoid things I shouldn’t do. (Not that I always followed the rules.)
Finally, I moved out and was expected to be able to make my own decisions.
Well, that’s where we are now. That’s what the Great Commandment is about. It’s not about getting rid of the old laws. It is about being trusted to know in our hearts what is right and what is wrong. We’ve grown up. Every one of us knows what is right and what is wrong, but we are still human. We will be tempted. This is okay. This is how God made us. What is not okay is to keep going back to our temptations. Jesus is telling us that we need to learn from our mistakes and to stop repeating them over and over.
All of our readings tell us that with God’s help, we can get better at it. We can avoid sin. When we work at it and trust in God, God is well pleased.
Thanks be to God.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
You are the Salt of the Earth
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.
You are the salt of the earth!!!!
Jesus speaks to us just as clearly now as he did 2000 years ago. You, Christian, are the salt of the earth.
What does it mean to be the salt of the earth?
Well, salt serves several purposes. What happens when we add salt to food? It tastes better. It brings flavours to life. What happens when we add too much salt? It becomes bitter. It loses all flavours except saltiness.
Salt – essential for all animal life. Too much salt – deadly. Dries out the body.
So if we think of ourselves, and all Christians, as salt, what does that say about us?
We have an essential role in the world.
We bring out the natural flavours in the world. We help the world to understand love.
If we lose track of our purpose we can do terrible things. Just think of what “Christian” explorers did throughout the world. The horrible things done in Christ’s name did not stop there. They still happen.
Too much saltiness is not only deadly to others, it loses its appeal. It no longer draws us to eat. This has happened to our church as well. Our gospel tells us that when salt loses its taste it is good for nothing and must be thrown out. Well, we’ve been there. But we didn’t throw anyone out, they just left.
How do we become salty again?
Our gospel talks about that too.
“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and in gives light to all the house. In 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.”
This year I believe we have made good progress. We have done a good job of becoming “more salty.” We have shown our light to others. We need to keep doing it.
We also have to be careful. It is easy to look at our lives, at our church, and see only what hasn’t worked. When we focus on our failures, our light gets dim. When we use our failures as an excuse to not try something else, our light goes out. It is overwhelmed by the darkness.
So as we move into our annual meetings, starting today, let’s look at where we have succeeded. Let’s build on our successes. We can let our light shine. Our church can become a beacon. Not because this building will be seen in our community. This building is not the church. You are.
And you are the salt of the earth!
You are the salt of the earth!!!!
Jesus speaks to us just as clearly now as he did 2000 years ago. You, Christian, are the salt of the earth.
What does it mean to be the salt of the earth?
Well, salt serves several purposes. What happens when we add salt to food? It tastes better. It brings flavours to life. What happens when we add too much salt? It becomes bitter. It loses all flavours except saltiness.
Salt – essential for all animal life. Too much salt – deadly. Dries out the body.
So if we think of ourselves, and all Christians, as salt, what does that say about us?
We have an essential role in the world.
We bring out the natural flavours in the world. We help the world to understand love.
If we lose track of our purpose we can do terrible things. Just think of what “Christian” explorers did throughout the world. The horrible things done in Christ’s name did not stop there. They still happen.
Too much saltiness is not only deadly to others, it loses its appeal. It no longer draws us to eat. This has happened to our church as well. Our gospel tells us that when salt loses its taste it is good for nothing and must be thrown out. Well, we’ve been there. But we didn’t throw anyone out, they just left.
How do we become salty again?
Our gospel talks about that too.
“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and in gives light to all the house. In 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.”
This year I believe we have made good progress. We have done a good job of becoming “more salty.” We have shown our light to others. We need to keep doing it.
We also have to be careful. It is easy to look at our lives, at our church, and see only what hasn’t worked. When we focus on our failures, our light gets dim. When we use our failures as an excuse to not try something else, our light goes out. It is overwhelmed by the darkness.
So as we move into our annual meetings, starting today, let’s look at where we have succeeded. Let’s build on our successes. We can let our light shine. Our church can become a beacon. Not because this building will be seen in our community. This building is not the church. You are.
And you are the salt of the earth!
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