John 3:7-18

John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham.  Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

And the crowds asked him, “What then should we do?”  In reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?” He said to them, “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.” Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what should we do?” He said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.”

As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.

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The countdown to Christmas is in full swing, and in case you haven’t heard, there are only nine more shopping days until Christmas!  Many of us are still frantically trying to pull it all together for the big day.  There are still gifts to be wrapped, cookies to be baked, and meals to be planned and prepared. 

Even in the church, the preparation for Christmas takes on a life of its own.  The colors on the altar change to blue.  The Advent wreath becomes a part of our morning worship liturgy.  We even gather on Wednesday evenings during the week to share a sacred meal and reflect on Jesus’ birth and what it means in our lives. 

Today, we lit the third candle of our Advent wreath that traditionally signifies joy, even though are hearts are heavy in the wake of the recent tragedy in Connecticut.  The idea of proclaiming joy seems inconsistent with our reality.  How can we proclaim joy to the world when it seems that evil could have the power to extinguish the flames of light heralding the coming of God’s Kingdom. 

Two days ago, the countdown to Christmas progressed as usual.  But life has a way changing our direction, and the terrible events in a town much like ours brings us to our knees.  Today, we light the third candle in our Advent wreath, praying that somehow the light of Christ will not be extinguished but will continue to shine in a world of pain and suffering.  And as we wait for God’s kingdom to be realized, we wonder – Lord, how long will it be? 

The people flocking to see John in the wilderness knew the pain of suffering too.  They lived in a time of oppression at the hands of the Roman government.  Their dream of being the great nation that God had promised them to be was almost forgotten.  Still, there was hope because they knew that their current situation was part of an all too familiar pattern.  Their history and the beloved stories of their journey with God reveal a cycle that began as a promise from God to make the children Abraham into a great nation.  At first, they believed God and enjoyed a measure of prosperity.  But at the first sign of trouble, the people rebelled and turned away from God.  When they did, God seemed distant and the promise became a seemly unattainable dream.  In frustration and fear, they cried out to God who heard their cries.  Just when all seemed lost, God would send a chosen one to lead them out of bondage.  For awhile, they would live in peace, worshipping God and enjoying God’s blessings – until they rebelled and turned away again.

When John came on the scene, the people of Israel were in a state of bondage – this time to the Romans.  Once again, God’s promise seemed to be a distant and unattainable dream and they were crying out for freedom.  The religious leaders were trying to turn things around, paying closer attention to the details of the law in order to prove they were worthy of deliverance.  Surely, God would hear their cry and their efforts would be enough for God to send them the Messiah who would release them from oppression.  So they flocked to John and to his baptism of forgiveness in an attempt to wash away everything that was keeping them from living in God’s promise. 

We can imagine their dismay when they heard what John had to say.  They were seeking the promise of forgiveness and restoration.  Instead, they heard words of judgment, God’s wrath, and frightening images of winnowing forks and fire.  It’s hard to hear anything that sounds like good news coming from John the Baptist’s mouth isn’t it? And yet, the scripture says John was proclaiming the good news.

If this is good news, I’d hate to hear the bad news!

But there is good news here – there really is! 

John is offering a way to break the cycle of disobedience and rescue that gets us nowhere except in a state of dizziness.  He points to the Messiah – Jesus, who baptizes with the Holy Spirit and fire.  His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.  Hearing this passage through the lens of God’s love and forgiveness allows us to see this frightening image in a new light. 

You see, when wheat is harvested, it is moved to a threshing floor where it is pounded down to release the edible grain from the inedible seeds called the chaff.  Once the wheat has been threshed, it must be winnowed in order to separate the grain from the chaff.  The winnowing fork is used to pick up the threshed wheat and throw it into the air.  The process depends on the wind.  Since the chaff is light and the grain heavy, the wind carries the chaff away while the grain falls to the ground.

Grain and chaff – they are by-products of the threshing process.  And they are also the by-products of life itself.  The chaff represents the circumstances in our lives that threaten our faith and make us feel unworthy to be in God’s presence.  But Jesus’ winnowing fork removes the chaff with the wind and fire of the Holy Spirit.  Through the work of the Spirit in our lives, we no longer have to worry about earning God’s favor. 

As a result, we find ourselves in a face to face encounter with God where we discover something amazing!    God has not abandoned us.  Miraculously, God considers us worthy of love, showers us with forgiveness, and invites us to see the world differently – as valuable and worthy. 

John warned the people that repentance is not just words of sorrow for misdeeds.  True repentance, he said, brings about a genuine transformation in the way we see the world and the way we live our lives.  When we turn toward God – in a face to face encounter, we are invited to view the world through God’s eyes and our selfish desires are transformed into deeds of service that flow from God’s love and forgiveness.  

This year, as we spent time thinking about how we might join God in doing what matters, we identified the importance of embracing God’s love and forgiveness as one of the five guiding principles that will help us live out our purpose as a community of faith.  In the first two weeks of Advent, we heard about two other guiding principles: being open and flexible to God’s call in a changing world and working to break down the barriers that separate us from one another.   All of these flow from repentance - a face to face encounter with God made possible by Jesus’ winnowing fork and the work of the Holy Spirit.  Bathed in God’s love and forgiveness, we are given a new vision of the world where God is actively at work, even in the face of suffering and loss.

Today, we come before God with raw emotion.  We cry out in anger at the injustice of the senseless loss of life.  We feel helpless and unable to protect the innocent from violence in our world.  We wonder how long we must wait until all is made right again.  At the same time, we feel compassion for the victims and their families and we trust that the light of Christ cannot be extinguished in this world.

Anger, fear, helplessness, hopelessness, patience, hope, love, compassion, and forgiveness.  These are the chaff and grain that we offer up to Christ.  Although it is difficult, we turn toward God, turning our backs to the power of suffering in order to see God’s presence in the face tragedy.  And I believe that we WILL see many glimpses of God’s work in the days and weeks ahead as God’s people embrace God’s love and forgiveness and reach out to others in the midst of suffering.  Today, we do not need to be afraid of proclaiming joy because we rest in God’s power to transform the world.  Pain and suffering will never have the last word.  This is good news indeed!

Dying to Give

Mark 12:38-44

As he taught, he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets!  They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums.  A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. Then he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

Dying to Share

Today, on Veterans Day, our liturgy and special music gives us time to think about and offer thanks for all the men and women who have served in the armed forces.  We are grateful for them and for the freedom that we have in this country, especially for the privilege to worship freely.  But freedom is costly, and our prayers and litanies remind us that sinfulness leads us to war and to the tragic loss of life that comes in its wake.  Even as I say these words, I am flooded with contrasting images.  The first is the image of grand and elegant celebrations that accompany an unabashed pride in our country’s great heritage.  The second is the image of marginalized people living in poverty throughout this country and the world.   

Perhaps our Gospel lesson could not have come at a better time in the liturgical calendar.  Today, Jesus shows us another set of jarring images.  They are seen in the contrast between the temple scribes and the poor widow.

Jesus has spent the better part of the last few chapters of Mark challenging the religious leaders.  Earlier in the Gospel, he literally turned the tables on the money changers.  They had turned the temple from a house of prayer and care into a financial institution that had little regard for the poor or powerless.  In today’s text, Jesus is teaching in the temple.  It’s a wonder that he was even allowed to be there! 

Never one to be shy about creating controversy, he begins to warn the people to beware of the scribes – the educated men who are responsible for interpreting the law.  They parade around in their long flowing robes, a sign of their wealth.  They take the good seats in the temple and are honored and flattered by their high position.  They offer long prayers in the temple for the sake of appearance.  To make matters worse, their lavish and pretentious lifestyles are made possible through the generous donations to the offerings gathered there.  When he was done teaching, he moved to a corner of the temple where he could watch the people offer their money. 

It is hard to get a feel for what Jesus is seeing without a description.  In the temple, there were thirteen collection boxes located in various rooms.  Some were in area of the women’s court.  Each collection box was earmarked for a specific purpose.  Perhaps one was to collect money for outreach, another for education, and another for the maintenance of the temple. 

Since there was no paper money, the boxes had a system that allowed for the collection of coins.  Attached to each box was a wide mouthed metal funnel that looked like a trumpet.  When a person of great wealth dropped their offering into the mouth of the trumpet, everyone could hear the clanging of the coins as they circled the metal.  It was similar to what you hear in a casino when a slot machine pays out on a win.  No matter where you are in the room, you can hear the coins dropping from the machine.  Immediately, everyone turns their heads to see who won. 

Imagine this cacophony of noise in the temple.  Every time someone gave a large offering, everyone could hear it and see who was rich enough to offer such a gift.  The prize for such recognition was an honored place in the temple and a greater say in how the temple funds would be used. 

According to Old Testament law, the very law that the scribes so dutifully protected, offerings from the temple were to be used to support the priests whose lives were dedicated to God’s work, the widows who had no family to support them, the orphans, and the aliens in their community.  Jesus’ description of the scribes indicates that the temple’s collections were not being used properly.  Instead, they are devouring the widow’s houses. 

As Jesus watches the people give their offering, his attention is turned to a widow with only two coins in her hand.  Somehow, Jesus knows that these two coins are everything that she has, all that she has to live on.  Still, she offers it all.  Her offering would receive no fan-fare.  Except for one, no other head would turn to the sound of two measly coins being thrown into the trumpet. 

Barbara Brown Taylor described the scene perfectly saying, “As far as the widow knew no one ever saw her. But then again, no one EVER saw her.  She was all used up.  Only Jesus sees her and realizes that her last penny is a fortune in God's eyes.  She was a percentage giver and she gave 100%.   It took one to know one...she withheld nothing from God and neither did Jesus.”

He knew what she was giving up.  In fact, he and the widow seemed to be on a parallel course, and he didn’t want her decision to give all that she had to go unnoticed.  But why? 

We often hear of this story as an inspiration for good stewardship.  And the widow is certainly a model of sacrificial giving. She seems to have the kind of reckless trust that allows her to give everything she has.  But that’s romanticizing the story.  

There is another interpretation that is far more disturbing.  It is a story of lament – a commentary on the consequences of losing sight of God’s purpose for the community of faith, a purpose seen clearly in Jesus’ life and teachings.  The institution that should have supported the widow let her down.  It did not recognize the gifts that she had to share in that community, nor did it give her the opportunity to live her life to the fullest as a valuable member who had much to offer. 

For the people who followed Jesus from the beginning, the contrast between him and the scribes was quite clear.  Jesus lived a life of self-sacrifice, modeling the life of a servant as he washed his disciples feet.  He spent time listening to God in scripture and prayer…and moved out into the world healing, feeding, and offering words of forgiveness. 

His life, death and resurrection free us from bondage to our selfish desires and inspire us to give 100% of ourselves.  We are free to take notice of the systems and behaviors that marginalize others and to take extraordinary risks to change them. We are free to recognize the value of all people and the gifts that they, like the widow, are dying to share. 

One church in Nashville, Tennessee did just that.  They studied the needs of the community and discovered that affordable housing was critical and the town had little land available for such an endeavor.  Defying the church growth strategists, this small congregation gave land adjoining the building for the construction of five houses for the working poor. The land had been intended for expanded parking for anticipated growth. However, in a risky act of devoted ministry, the church gave up the land. Now, five families have homes who once had no homes. The irony is that the church is now growing as the often neglected and frequently rejected people of the neighborhood are finding a new community centered in grace and expressed in the willingness to give away its very self.

Their decision to give away their land was not made in order grow the church.  Instead, it was an act of self-less love in order to fill a need in the community.  They were willing to risk dying in order to give this great gift.  As a result, they received new life.

There has been a growing desire in our congregation to make a difference in the world around us. This past weekend, a group of fifteen of our members met with the Doing What Matters Team to talk about how we can best serve God in this community. 

Through prayer and Bible study, we sought to discern God’s purpose for our church.  The result of that work is printed on the first page of today’s bulletin.   It says:

 God’s purpose for our church is to strengthen our faith by gathering in worship,

reaching out as disciples, sharing our faith and serving all.

 Gathering, reaching, sharing, and serving

These are the things that we hear God calling us to do.  In order to live into our purpose, we discussed the importance of embracing and practicing God’s love and forgiveness; being flexible and open to God’s call in a changing world; breaking down the barriers that separate us from one another; giving of ourselves and praying always.  We know what we must do, but we can’t do it without identifying where God is calling us.  In the next few months, we will begin a process of talking to the people and leaders in our community in order to match their needs with the gifts that we are dying to share. 

Jesus reminds us that no life should go unnoticed and that ALL have gifts that they are dying to share too.  As we work together to serve God in this community, we are called to recognize the systems and behaviors that marginalize people, keeping them from becoming valued members in our society and the church.  May God grant us the courage to risk all, using 100% of the gifts that we have been freely given so that others might do the same.

 

    

Delving into the Gospel and Discovering Grace

Gospel

Mark 10:2–16

Some Pharisees came, and to test him they asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" ³He answered them, "What did Moses command you?" ⁴They said, "Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her." ⁵But Jesus said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you. ⁶But from the beginning of creation, 'God made them male and female.' ⁷'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, ⁸and the two shall become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one flesh. ⁹Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate."
¹⁰Then in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. ¹¹He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; ¹²and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."
¹³People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. ¹⁴But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, "Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. ¹⁵Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it." ¹⁶And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.
 
Scholars consider this Gospel lesson to be one of Jesus’ “hard teachings.”  One pastor said that many preachers would want to exercise prudence, choosing to preach on the Hebrews text instead of the Gospel today.  The problem is, preaching the gospel is rarely about being prudent.  Far be it from me to follow the path of prudence.  Avoiding this Gospel lesson after reading it would be like ignoring the elephant in the room. 

Is there anyone who can hear this story without cringing?  Since almost fifty percent of all marriages in the United States end in divorce, I would venture to guess that every one of us has had some experience with it.  Divorce not only brings about pain and suffering for the couple, but also for their children, family members, and friends. 

As tragic as divorce is, sometimes it is the best choice for all involved.  Divorce can save people from the physical, mental and spiritual abuse that often stems from failed relationships.

Even so, people experiencing divorce suffer from such a deep sense of failure that hearing Jesus’ words today is like ripping open wounds that have not been fully healed.  One woman described hearing this passage in church and feeling as if a garbage dump was being poured out all over her.  Although she had put on her Sunday best to attend church that day, by the end of the reading she felt as if she couldn’t rid herself of the stink of her divorce. 

I imagine that some of us here today may be feeling the same way right now.  This text is extremely difficult to hear.    But when we internalize it in this way, we fail to realize that Jesus is using divorce and remarriage to make a bigger point.  He is using it as a springboard for a deeper discussion about our brokenness and inability to live as God intends. 

The Gospel tells us that the Pharisees are again trying to test Jesus.  But he is on to them.  When they ask if it is lawful for a man to divorce his wife, Jesus answers their question with question.  He knows that the Pharisees already know the answer, so he asks, “What did Moses command you?”  Being the good Pharisees that they are, they repeat the law from Deuteronomy 24 verse 1.  The verse says this: “If a man marries a woman and then it happens that he no longer likes her because he has found something wrong with her, he may give her divorce papers, put them in her hand, and send her off.” 

So there is the answer…right from Moses’ law.  The answer is yes, divorce is lawful, but Jesus does not say it is right.  Jesus’ response throws them, and us, for a loop.  His answer is unequivocal.  Divorce is lawful, but it isn’t really what God intends.

God’s intention unfolds in the creation story.  It is a bond of equality between two people, joined together so closely that hurting the other means hurting yourself.  This is God’s intention for all relationships. 

But it is an ideal that is not the reality for us because human sinfulness creates all sorts of unhealthy situations.  Therefore, the law allowing for divorce is in place to protect the life and spirit of individuals who would otherwise be forced to live in harmful relationships. 

Even so, obeying the law does not release us from the brokenness we feel when a relationship dissolves.  Instead of feeling justified, we worry that we made the right decision.  We worry that we could have done more.  We are afraid that we are nothing more than a failure, in God’s eyes and in the eyes of our family and friends.  Although we want to do right, trying to live according to God’s intent, we find ourselves floundering.  To make matters worse, Jesus points out that we cannot even find righteousness through our obedience to the law.

I think this is the point of today’s text.  Every time we seek to understand the law as a way to make ourselves right with God, we set ourselves up to fail.  But Jesus seeks to release us from our pain and brokenness by showing us a better way. 

The whole Gospel of Mark is the story of Jesus’ journey on the way to the cross.  During the three years of his ministry, his plan directly conflicts with everyone else’s expectations.  Along the way, Jesus also forces us to admit how far we fall short of God’s intentions for creation.  And the closer Jesus comes to the cross, the harder the questions become and the more he reveals how much we need God’s grace.

The Hebrews text says that Jesus is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being.  We expect to stand in front of God and receive condemnation for our failure.  But with Jesus, to our amazement, there is no condemnation – only forgiveness.  For God is a God of the sinful, the broken, the humble, the miserable, the troubled, the oppressed, the despairing, and those who feel they have become totally nothing. God lifts the lowly, feeds the hungry, heals the blind, comforts the miserable and troubled, justifies the sinner, raises the dead, and saves the despairing and the condemned. 

Sometimes we have to confront the forces that threaten to leave us in isolation and shame.  But God is with us in all of our struggles. God’s forgiveness changes everything.  It scrapes off the garbage dump that has been heaped on our heads.  It restores us to a right and loving relationship with God.  It offers us eternal life!  Like that preacher said, delving into the Gospel is not always prudent, but it is where we find God’s grace.  Thanks be to God.  

Pentecost 6 - Curriculum Vitae

Readings:  Ezekiel 2:1–5; Psalm 123; 2 Corinthians 12:2–10; Mark 6:1–13

This May, the business news carried several reports about Scott Thompson.  After serving as Yahoo’s CEO for only six months, Thompson announced his resignation in the wake of a growing scandal regarding the qualifications he listed on his Curriculum Vitae.  A Curriculum Vitae, or CV for short, is a fancy term for a type of resume.  It is a brief account of a person’s education, qualifications, and experiences typically sent with a job application.  Employers, looking for the most qualified people, often base hiring decisions on a single CV entry that makes one candidate stand out over another.

In addition, companies will share management’s CV information with their stockholders in order to retain their confidence in the organization.  One of Yahoo’s stockholders, wanting to be sure Yahoo made the right choice, carefully scrutinized the newly acquired CEO’s curriculum vitae.  What he discovered was troubling.  Thompson’s CV stated he had earned a degree in computer science and accounting from a small university in Massachusetts – a claim that was only partially true.  Thompson did not have a degree in computer sciences, only in accounting.

When faced with the inaccuracy, Thompson claimed an over-zealous head hunter firm (who vehemently denied the claim) added the information without his knowledge in order to make him look more desirable to Yahoo.  In all the uproar, he was forced to resign.  The unfortunate part of this story is that Thompson was more than qualified to take on the position with the degrees and experience he already had.  However, because the competition in the business world is so intense, someone felt the need to embellish on his education in order to make him stand out in a crowd of other very successful candidates.

We are a society that values qualifications!  Think about it… most people will not seek care from a physician without first verifying the doctor’s training, education, or specialty.  We wouldn’t hire a divorce lawyer to defend us in a criminal trial, nor would we hire a machine operator to fly a jet, or a pilot to clean our restrooms.  In every walk of life, we depend on people who are trained and qualified for the job they are expected to perform.

It wasn’t any different in Jesus’ time.  Even then, there was a hierarchy of trained people – especially in the synagogues where a religious teacher would have studied all of his life in order to teach others about God’s word.  So when Jesus shows up in his hometown and begins to teach in the synagogue there, the people are offended. 

“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! ³Is 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?”

It didn’t matter to the people in his hometown that Jesus had already established himself as a man with extraordinary knowledge of God’s word.  It did not matter that news of miracles and healings were being reported in every town he visited.  All that mattered to them was his CV… and it was notably lacking in ancestry and education.   Not only is Jesus just a carpenter, he is only the son of Mary.  

In Jesus’ day, sons were recognized by their father’s name.  Calling him the son of Mary insinuates there is a question about who his father actually is.  In their eyes, he was not qualified enough to be a teacher in their synagogue, let alone the messiah.   

It is in this context of rejection that Jesus sends the disciples out into ministry.  They are not allowed to take anything with them except a staff, a pair of sandals and one tunic.  They could take no bread, no bag, and no money for their belts.  They had no plan for growth, no financial resources of their own, and very few qualifications.  They are ordinary people commissioned to do ministry by a leader who has been rejected by the religious authorities and his own hometown.  Even his family thinks he has gone a bit mad.  But Jesus would not give up.  He continued to move on, proclaiming the Gospel, healing the sick, and transforming  lives.  His journey to Jerusalem would eventually give hope to all, ensuring that rejection, troubles, division, and even death would not have the final word.

This is the legacy of the church today – ordinary people with few qualifications and seemingly limited resources are commissioned to serve, heal, and transform lives.  By all the standards for success, then and today, the church should have never survived.  But God’s standards are not our standards.  Miraculously, the church has lived, thrived and shared the good news in the midst of this struggle since the beginning.  It is a living reminder of life springing up from death, and God’s power bursting through our weakness. 

Those of you who are long-time members of this congregation can attest to the difficulties we have endured throughout the years.  We began as a mission congregation and struggled to keep our ministry alive throughout most of our existence.  Over the years, we have seriously discussed closing our doors twice, and many of us continue to wonder when the same discussion will come up again.  Although we had a brief period of growth and vibrancy that many of us long for again, we have since experienced a loss in financial support, and a decrease in membership partly due to a time of very painful conflict. 

If we were to examine our congregation on paper, if we had a curriculum vitae for our church, it wouldn’t be a stand out alongside a host of other churches with big plans, big program, lots of members, and robust giving.  Fortunately, our standards for success are not God’s standards.   We are small and in the eyes of others ill-suited for the task, but we are no less apt to carry out God’s mission than other churches.  Despite our shortcomings, just as with the disciples in today’s Gospel, God has entrusted us with the good news of God’s great love for the entire world and sends us out to serve, heal, and transforms lives. 

Faced with what seems like an impossible task, we hear a word of comfort from Paul who gives encouragement to all affected by troubles for the sake of the Gospel.  Paul knew first-hand what it was like to be judged by other’s standards and found lacking. In today’s text he admits his weakness and explains that he has been forced to come to terms with it.  Paul speaks of his experience as a thorn in his flesh, threatening to torment him to the point of giving in to it.  Three times, he has prayed that it would leave him.  God’s answer to him - “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”’

These words to Paul are proclaimed to us here today!  God’s grace is sufficient for us! 

What would it mean to be the church that allows God’s strength and power to move through it?  It means coming to a new understanding of serving God based on Jesus’ power to bring life from death, freeing us to view our struggles as a blessing that allows us to be visible witnesses of God’s power made perfect in our weakness.  It means being able to give up our ideas about what it is to be a successful congregation and recognizing the futility of striving to be a “successful” church based on other’s expectations. 

Striving to be something we aren’t is sucking the life out of us, preventing us from rejoicing for all that we do have.  God has already given us exactly what we need right here and right now to carry out the work of the Gospel, doing what matters in our church, in our lives, and in our community.

This fall, using the Doing What Matters activities, we will begin the process of discovering our gifts based on the talents and passions God has already given us to do ministry.  We are uniquely qualified to live out God’s love in mission despite our struggles.  Each of us has been gifted with the same Spirit given to the prophet Ezekiel, the gift of God’s grace that is sufficient, and the promise that Jesus has already guaranteed with his life, ensuring rejection, troubles, division, and even death will not have the final word.

We have everything we need right now to serve God as a community of faith.  Trusting in God’s promise of sufficient grace and strength, may we refuse to be judged by the measures of the world, and embark on a faithful journey to do what matters to God, carrying out Jesus’ mission to proclaim the Gospel, heal the sick, and transform lives.    Amen