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

Clear vision…. It’s a wonderful gift! Being visually challenged, I understand the importance of being able to focus clearly on something. You see, when I first wake up, I usually don’t put my glasses on right away. I CAN see well enough to make my way down the stairs….to let the dogs out… and even to put on the coffee.

But one day early, in the morning, I was walking across the living room and saw something brown skitter in front and off to the side of me. I couldn’t see the object clearly, but it looked enough like a spider. I froze in place and screamed.

Afraid I would lose track of that monster on the floor, I couldn’t move. Meanwhile the dogs were whining to go out and were probably wondering about all the noise. When I noticed that the gigantic tarantula didn’t move, I took a wide sweep around it and put the dogs on their leashes. Grabbing my glasses from the counter and one of Bill’s shoes, I gingerly stepped back into the living room.

I wasn’t sure if I was overjoyed or disappointed……it hadn’t moved.

Bravely, with Bill’s shoe in the air, I got close enough to mark my target….and realized…. The huge scary spider was nothing more than a dust bunny that had rolled in front of me like tumbleweed. Not being able to see clearly, my imagination got the best of me.

When the disciples first heard Jesus preach the Good News of God’s kingdom, they saw something in him that made them want to leave everything and to follow him. In a short time, they were convinced that Jesus was the one that God promised to Israel…… convinced that Jesus was the long awaited Messiah who would become king and free them from Roman rule.
Everywhere they went they witnessed Jesus performing miracles - freeing a man possessed by demons, cleansing lepers and healing the sick who flocked to him.

One day when Jesus healed a man’s withered hand on the Sabbath, the religious leaders accused him of being a madman and worse yet, consorting with Satan. Worried about his safety, Jesus’ mother and brothers tried to talk to him….to dissuade him from continuing his public ministry. Nevertheless, through all of this, the disciples maintained the clear vision of Jesus as the Messiah.

Not surprisingly, when Jesus announced that he wanted to go to the other side of the sea, they readied the boats for the journey and set sail. They didn’t see the signs of an oncoming storm.
Because Galilee is a very shallow body of water, the winds often create a monster of the water making even the largest boat vulnerable to destruction. These storms are always unexpected.
The type of boat that Jesus and the disciples used was probably NOT one of the largest boats on Galilee and would have been quite small. A friend who toured Israel boarded such a boat and said that even though the sea was as smooth as glass, as soon as the passengers stepped onto the deck, it began to rock violently.

Knowing this gives us a little perspective about the kind of storm that would have frightened seasoned fishermen. Desperately working to bail out the onslaught of water, the disciples soon realized that they were in imminent danger of sinking. Focused on the storm, the task at hand, and the seriousness of the situation, they suddenly realized that they were missing one set of hands on deck.

Where in the world was Jesus??? Angrily, the disciples awakened him from sleep. Jesus…what are you doing????? We followed you out here… NOW look at what you’ve gotten us into! Can’t you see what’s going on? We are doing everything we can LITERALLY do to keep our heads above water and you’re sleeping!!! Don’t you CARE that we are dying????

They were on the brink of death and they felt alone and they were very afraid.

Awakened by the disciples, Jesus remained calm. With a few words, he took control of the wind and the waves, calming the sea with a show of his power over creation. AND, he revealed the truth about the source of their fear. They had become distracted by the stormy seas and could no longer remember all that Jesus had done and taught. They had lost their focus……..in fact… they had become blind to Jesus who was in their midst and had the power to save them.
Discipleship ISN’T easy! Storms ARE inevitable. While some are products of our imagination, like the giant hairy spider that I saw in the living room - others are real, like the one in our Gospel lesson today.

Christian life is counter cultural. As children of God, we have heard and seen evidence of God’s abundant love for us. We give because God first gave to us and we sow God’s grace because God had mercy on us. Sometimes, the simple act of offering God’s grace and forgiveness CAN become controversial in a community of faith. Controversy often leads to conflict… anxiety…and fear that is formidable enough to threaten a community’s very existence.

A little over a year ago, several of us gathered at the Terkelsen’s for dinner and a meeting of the Church Health Team. Guided by the principals of the Natural Church Development program, we were working on the task of helping to build a healthy congregation by focusing on passionate spirituality. At the time, we had just faced a difficult conflict in the life of our community. The overall picture of health wasn’t very good. The task ahead of us seemed monumental.
As we ate, we talked about the storm that we had faced and the effects that were still rippling through our community. We were afraid to introduce too much change into an already shaky situation. Our BIGGEST fear was that our work would only make things worse. All of us were somewhat pessimistic and anxious that night.

We began to pore over the extensive material that was given to us until one of us found something that helped to calm the waves of fear. It was right there…. in the middle of one of the manuals. A sentence practically popped off the page at us and stopped us in our tracks. It said that to be healthy, a church must expect that Jesus IS present in the midst of the community and that miracles ARE a part of his presence.

Instantly, we knew that if we personally didn’t believe that Jesus WAS present and COULD work miracles, then we might as well give up. We realized that we had spent so much time focusing on the anxiety and the circumstances…. that we had lost our focus on Jesus’ presence in our midst. If we could work to help refocus ourselves and the eyes of our community back to Jesus, we WOULD begin to see miracles. It was a like a weight lifted from our shoulders. Jesus WAS in our midst and we no longer had to bear the burden alone.

The current economic situation in this country is affecting all of us, including the church. Two weeks ago, during our celebration of ministry, the stewardship team began the program with a slide that illustrated our giving in the last year. For me, the ups and downs of the points on that graph seemed to be creating a series of waves symbolizing the appearance of yet another storm. The graph is a snapshot of the reality of our current financial status. But our stewardship team didn’t dwell on it. Instead, it began to focus on Jesus and the work that we continue to accomplish in his name and WILL continue to accomplish when we remain focused on Jesus’ presence in our midst.

Through this storm and many others, I have witnessed God’s love working through you. In the last year, many have been blessed with a sense of new hope and commitment to God’s work in the world. It is evident here through the process of healing and wholeness.
JESUS is in our midst when you meet together in prayer, when you organize tag sales so that a family might obtain affordable and safe shelter, when you invite our children to be full participants in worship, and when you gather to learn about the wonders of God’s grace and love.

To our new members, Sara, Kristin, Laurie, John… and Phillip and Janice and their children Kate, Philip, and Emily…. We welcome you today into this body of believers. You are also a sign of Jesus’ presence in our community.
We are not perfect…..but we have been gathered into this community of faith and united by God’s gracious love for us.
As you declare your faith today, you join with us as we seek to live out OUR faith by offering ourselves to God and being open to following Jesus into the world. The storms ARE inevitable….but Jesus is in our midst with a word of good news that frees us from fear.

A devotion I read recently said it best, and I would like to share those wise words with you today. “God’s Good News is not illusory; it does not deny the fact that we live in perilous times, and it does not attempt to shift our focus to an other-worldly utopia.

It IS the Good News that despite all of the troubles, trials and traumas we face, love endures. The Love of God is steadfast, and it ENDURES forever!

It IS the Good News that all of our suffering is redemptive… which is to say that God uses our pains to produce greater stamina, greater integrity and greater maturity in us.
In God's processes of redemption, bad is exchanged for good.

It IS the Good News that despite all that has transpired to tear us apart, God has gathered us together. And it is our togetherness that gives us strength to face the challenges ahead.” (see note)

This is the promise that God has given to us and that we now share with you - as together, we seek to focus on Jesus who is ALWAYS in our midst. AMEN

note: This quote is taken from one of the UCC's Still Speaking devotional writers. You can sign up for these daily devotions here:

http://i.ucc.org/FeedYourSpirit/Subscribe/tabid/101/Default.aspx

Jesus Calls You Friend

An inspirational writer described friendship like this, "There comes that mysterious meeting in life when someone acknowledges who we are and what we can be, igniting the circuits of our highest potential."

All people crave friendship, but true friendship isn't always easy to find. Friendship is a gift, a relationship where people can share their greatest sorrow and their greatest joy. Beyond that, true friends help us to be successful people!

Believing that my friends would be supportive of the work that I do, and hoping to get a little inspiration for this sermon, I sent out emails to several people and asked them the following question, "What is it like to be considered as Jesus' friend?"

I got responses from a few brave souls who were bold enough to share their thoughts despite the possibility that I might relate them to you today. Some talked about their relationship with Jesus in the context of their ability to talk to him about anything and their faith that Jesus would never cast them aside. Their responses are a beautiful reflection about all the qualities that make Jesus the perfect candidate for a lifelong friendship.

However, that wasn't the question that I originally asked.

Read Jesus' words one more time….. "Instead, I have called YOU friends."

Now read my original question again, "What is it like to be considered as Jesus' friend?"

Did you recognize the difference that time???? Jesus is telling us that WE are HIS friends!!!!

When I shared this thought with a co-worker, she stared at me with a look of horror on her face. "Wait a minute", she said. "Jesus said that we are HIS friends???? Boy is THAT intimidating. How can we EVER live up to that?"

Sociologists describe friendship as a gradual reciprocal process that includes self-disclosure, glued together by intimacy. Friendship begins when one person takes the risk of disclosing personal information that tests whether the other will reciprocate.

In today's text, the word Philos, translated as friend, is the Greek word for loved one. It describes the basis for our relationship with Jesus.

However, being loved by Jesus is not without its consequences. Jesus makes it clear that being his friend, or loved one, carries with it certain expectations. His friends, those he first loved, WILL bear good fruit. These good fruits are a natural expression of the process of reciprocity and self-disclosure that Jesus sets into motion by first calling us his friend…

This relationship…… this friendship…. it is ALL in his hands.

Today's reading from John's Gospel is the finale for last week's Gospel lesson. As a whole, both of these readings are a part of what is known as the Farewell Discourse where Jesus compares himself to a vine that feeds and nourishes its branches.

This discourse is what we might describe today as a "pep talk." Its central message is based on Jesus' relationship with God. Out of that relationship, God's love flows through him and nourishes his disciples to produce good fruit. So too, Jesus, abiding in God's love, nourishes his disciples.

This constant flow of God's abundant love empowers all of Jesus' friends to bear good fruit….fruit that will last.

Jesus has chosen us as his friends, grafted us onto the vine where we receive God's abundant love that produces healthy branches. Just as the branches of a vine naturally bear good fruit of its kind, those who are a part of Jesus' vine naturally bear the good fruit of God's love to the community of faith and beyond.

We do not need to worry about our own inadequacies because Jesus is the driving force of our relationship. HE is the one who initiates the relationship. HE is the one who gave up his life for us as a sign of God's love and HE is the glue of intimacy that binds us together in a relationship that is life-giving and joyful.

God's abundant love is evident in the good fruits that flow through people like Rick Cesar. A parishioner of Cross Lutheran Church and a registered nurse who worked at a nearby local hospital, Rick began noticing that many of the patients coming into the E.R. weren't seeking emergency medicine. They were seeking primary medical care. Many of them were unemployed or underemployed, living below the poverty level with no health insurance or government assistance.

Seeing that these people in his community had nowhere else to turn, Rick had the idea to begin seeing patients in the church's basement where he provided basic primary care. Then, through another parishioner, he met a resident intern who was also passionate about medicine and helping people in need. The two teamed up to officially open a clinic that has since grown into a roster of volunteer physicians including primary care doctors, a psychologist, neurologist, physical therapist, pharmacist, and podiatrist.

This elaborate network of volunteers and resources has made it possible to turn a $1 donation into $10 of medical care -- an invaluable benefit to a community that's often barely scraping by.

A story such as this one is only one example of how God's love is poured out for the world through the good fruit of God's people.

Good fruit begins with an understanding that God cares for all of creation and that all are worthy of being cared for. Good fruit blossoms when we recognize that each of us possess unique talents and passions. Good fruit lasts when we place those gifts in God's hands all the while being open to the possibility for using those gifts for the sake of others.

Like Rick, each of us has gifts that have the capability of carrying God's abundant love into the world. What are the gifts and passions that God has given to you? Have you shared them with your fellow workers in Christ? If not, perhaps now is a good time to do just that. After all, God HAS promised to give us what we ask for when we bear the good fruit that flows out of God's abundant love.

Today, we have come face to face with the one who acknowledges who we are and what we can be. HE is the one who ignites and sustains the circuits of our highest potential.

This is what Jesus does for you and for the world when he calls us his friends.

The Transfiguration - Mark 9:2-9

How many of you have heard of the radio commentator Paul Harvey?

Well, every week when I was young, I listened to his radio broadcast, “The Rest of the Story”. In his characteristic voice with relevant pauses, Paul Harvey would describe the life of an ordinary person. Sometimes it would be about someone who came from the so-called wrong side of the tracks. After a well-planned commercial break, the person’s name was revealed and it was always someone very well known. Inevitably, I would be in awe of the rags to riches stories that I heard. For me, they brought hope that when I grew up, there was a chance that my life could become legendary too.

About half of my hopes did come true. I have grown up, or at least gotten older…as evidenced by the fact that I can even talk about Paul Harvey! But my life is anything but legendary and it is unlikely that it ever will be.

Mark’s Gospel is a bit like a Paul Harvey radio commentary read backwards. Beginning with the first verse, Mark introduced us to the central character this way:

“The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”

Instead of beginning with the obscurities of Jesus’ life, Mark begins with a name and an image of someone really special...Jesus…the Son of God… the Messiah… the anointed one who would free Israel from the domination of its oppressors.

Originally read to the community of believers as a whole, the book of Mark flows rapidly from one event to the next with each event connected to the story before and after it. Up until the transfiguration story, Jesus had performed many miracles including healing the sick, casting out demons, exerting control over the stormy seas, feeding thousands, walking on water and raising a child from the dead. The whole time, Jesus tried to convince people not to tell anyone about the miracles. His requests were by and far unheeded and the news of his deeds spread like wildfire.

In today’s text, we find Peter, James and John…alone on a mountaintop with Jesus. Suddenly they are joined by two of the most revered figures in the history of Israel… it’s like a gathering of God’s A-team! Moses, who first led the people out of Egypt into the Promised Land; Elijah, who rode a chariot into heaven so that he could once again return to announce the coming of Messiah; and Jesus, whose face is glowing, like a neon sign announcing his divinity.

In awe, Peter immediately suggested that they build three tents as a tribute to this wondrous event – a hall of fame, so to speak for God’s prophets. He barely got a chance to get the words out of his mouth when a cloud appeared and none other than the voice of God said, “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”

I bet the inner three couldn’t wait to hear what Jesus was going to say! I suspect that if I were one of them, I would have been caught up in the implications of what I just witnessed…. It seems that finally, Moses, Elijah and God officially announced the coming of the promised Messiah. What an honor it would be to spread the news!

But I would have been wrong! Instead, Jesus told the disciples not to tell ANYONE what they had seen. Why would God’s son Jesus, the Messiah, insist that his disciples not tell anyone? Why would Jesus want to be so obscure? Why would Jesus continue to insist that he was going to die?

What follows the transfiguration story seems to suggest that for Jesus, life on earth isn’t at all about the mountain top experience. Instead, this mountaintop experience is a declaration of God’s love for him that affirmed Jesus’ journey into the valley of his own pain and suffering.

Perhaps the true miracle in the transfiguration is not the revelation of Jesus’ divinity, but the fact that Jesus willingly walked away from the mountaintop… no longer glowing and in sparkling white garments, but instead clothed in the mundane form of humanity.

God, in human form, made a choice to fully experience the valley, joining us as we walk through our own valleys. He did this knowing that our misunderstanding of his purpose would ultimately be responsible for his suffering and death on the cross. At the end of his human life, a crown of thorns and a sign hung over his broken body mocking him as the king of the Jews is all that remains.

Last week in our adult discussion group, we had the opportunity to watch a Nooma video titled Kickball. After the video, we discussed the question, “Do you think that God is ALWAYS good?” In the discussion that followed, Dan made a statement that describes why we often doubt God’s goodness and therefore God’s love. Dan said, “God is always good…………. as long as we are the ones who can determine what good looks like.”

Too often, our lives are filled with disappointment and difficulties and during those times we don’t feel very loved by God.

I wonder… Does our own eagerness to be the judge of God’s goodness and love stem from our misunderstanding of Jesus’ role as the Messiah? Can we trust that God is AWAYS good because God loves us???

Today’s story of Jesus’ transfiguration is a sure sign that we CAN. It is a reminder of a love so strong that Jesus was willing to experience a difficult and painful walk in life’s valleys for the sake of the ones he loved.

This week, we will observe Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of the Lenten season. Together, we will remember that we were fashioned out of dust by the loving hands of God. In the end, our bodies will become dust again. Nevertheless, God cares about what comes between our first and last breath. Because he cares, God’s perfect love for Jesus is revealed to us, offering strength in the deepest valleys of our lives.

May your Lenten journey, inspired by today’s glimpse of God’s love, allow you to be an active part of… in Paul Harvey’s words………………….. The rest of the story!

Christmas is Coming

I knew that the end of the year would not be easy. I had scheduled time to have almost all of my wood floors refinished the week before Thanksgiving with the hope of celebrating Thanksgiving in my home as we have done almost every year since we moved here.

In a time management class, I learned that to estimate the amount of time it takes to complete a project, one should add half of the original estimated time to get a realistic figure. I should have doubled the amount of time for this project!!!!!

My parents were on a cruise in the Bahamas and we stayed in their home while the floors were being done. It rained the entire week which greatly lengthened the amount of time it took for the floors to dry between coats. On Sunday, when my parents returned, we could not yet move in. To top it all off, my mother in law was in the hospital before Halloween and was soon being moved to a Rehab for recovery.

My brother was due to arrive at my Mom's on Wednesday night and would stay until the following week. So, being ever so careful, we moved some of the furniture in on Tuesday but could not set up everything until after Thanksgiving. So much for Thanksgiving dinner at my house unless we all walked barefoot and sat on the floor to eat.... Not to mention the challenge of trying to cook in a kitchen that had my dining set and half of my living room set piled in.

The floors are beautiful!!!! In fact, the transformation was so stunning, it brought tears to my eyes when I first saw it. My husband decided he wanted to take the one large bedroom that was refinished for our own room. This led to a whole new project including stripping wallpaper, putting up crown rail, replacing windows, the porch door and the closet door and of course, painting. This room had been our office and needed a LOT of work to transform it into a bedroom.

Finally, several weeks later, we were able to move all of the bedroom furniture in two weeks before Christmas. Between spending as much time as I could with my brother and his family and trying to re-organize my home, I was unable to even think about Christmas.

Thank God that I managed to schedule vacation time the week before Christmas! The week is almost over already and still so much to do! If anyone finds a few extra minutes, please float them my way!!!! I sure can use them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Christians by Maya Angelou

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not shouting "I'm clean livin'."
I'm whispering "I was lost,
Now I'm found and forgiven."

When I say.. "I am a Christian"
I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble
and need Christ to be my guide.

When I say.. "I am a Christian"
I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak
And need His strength to carry on.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed
And need God to clean my mess.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not claiming to be perfect,
My flaws are far too visible
But, God believes I am worth it.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I still feel the sting of pain.
I have my share of heartaches
So I call upon His name.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not holier than thou,
I'm just a simple sinner
Who received God's good grace, somehow!

About a year or so ago, one of my friends started a chapter of the Red Hat Society. She recruited many of the over 50 women of our church...including my Mom. For many months, they bugged me to join, but I resisted... Being only 49, I really wasn't ready to be a Red Hatter. What I didn't know was that there is a provision for someone like me... Women who are "looking forward" to celebrating their 50th birthday are able to join the group as a Pink Hatter. After attending a meeting last Christmas, I decided to go for it. On the right is one of the three pink hats that I have purchased... I think it is my favorite.

Sadly, I will no longer be able to wear my pink hats after December 11th when I turn 50. While I have never really loved the color pink...for some reason, my year as a "Pinkie" has made me come to love it!

SSSSSSSSOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO..... even though my days as a "Pinkie" are numbered, and others view the Big 5-0 as being some kind of ungodly curse, I am able to celebrate each day without fear. Being in the company of some really wonderful, creative, fun and loving women who have already broken the 50 year barrier has allowed me to celebrate my milestone birthday proudly. I am confident that when I finally turn in my pink hat, I will gladly trade it in for a Red Hat. Life DOESN'T end at 50.......... It has only just begun AGAIN!!!!!!!

Now, where in the heck will I find purple clothes???? :)

Tyrese Turns 7

You just got to love this kid! Wearing a Happy Birthday hat that his cousin made especially for him, Ty Ty is anxiously awaiting the arrival of his cake. He knows that once he blows out those candles, he can start to open his presents!

You should have seen his face when he opened his Lego Star Wars II games...and to top it all off, a box of Star Wars Pez dispensers. What more could any child ever want!


Tyrese!!!!! Pawma loves you!!!!!! 

Food for Thought

1 Kings 19:1-15
Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, "May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them." 3 Elijah was afraid [a] and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day's journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. "I have had enough, LORD," he said. "Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors." 5 Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, "Get up and eat." 6 He looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. 7 The angel of the LORD came back a second time and touched him and said, "Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you." 8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night. The LORD Appears to Elijah
And the word of the LORD came to him: "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 10 He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too." 11 The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 14 He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too." 15 The LORD said to him, "Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram.

I get the chance to preach this week while our pastor is away on vacation. I’m almost sorry I said yes. The Gospel lesson talks about Jesus, the bread of life and how we must eat his flesh to gain everlasting life. My studies have taken me from the Holiest of Holies in the Tabernacle where the showbread sits as a sign of God’s presence, to a study of cannibalism. It has all been just a little too bizarre for me.

To top it all off, there is this Old Testament lesson. At first, I thought verses 1-15 were all included in the reading. It turns out that the verses in black…those that I was hoping to use in my sermon aren’t even included in the reading… DRATS!!!! Anyway, this is a result of my thoughts today:

Here is Elijah… SO zealous to change the hearts and minds of Aram and his evil wife Jezebel that he charges in with a flaming sword and kills every single prophet of Ba’al. Now if that doesn’t get rid of this lousy Ba’al worship crap, I don’t know what will…LOL. Instead of ridding Israel of Ba’al, these killings do nothing but cause Jezebel to dig her heels in, rejecting God and Elijah all the more. And now, Jezebel is sending out her warriors to search out and kill Elijah. Elijah’s zealous actions to rid Israel of false God’s is a failure… Ba’al still reigns in the hearts of Jezebel, the King and the people. In deep depression…not only for the failure to rid Israel of this wicked god, but maybe even in his remorse for allowing his zeal to cause needless human death….Elijah seeks refuge in a cave. It is here that Elijah learned a valuable lesson. God needed Elijah to be strong in body and spirit for what was to come. Angels tended to him, offering cakes of bread and water so that Elijah could make the journey into God’s presence on Mt Horeb. Elijah is in the cave so that he can die but God has other plans….and in that plan God reveals that even though God’s power is like that of the wind and the tumult of an earthquake, God chooses to be revealed in the work of angels and in the silence that follows the tumult.

In any case, Elijah’s zealous acts in trying to rid Israel of idolatrous worship are not the answer. And we still have not learned to listen to God in the silence and to seek God in the ordinary.

May you my friends be blessed with seeing God in the ordinary things of your life. May your spirit be nourished by God’s angels and God’s purpose for your life in Christ be revealed in the silence.

Darned Pictures

Here we go for a hundredth time! Been trying to put my picture in my profile since I started this last year. I have never had a ny success.

I get the pic in and then when I go back...it's GONE!

Let's hope this time it works!

God's Gift Gone Bad

Medical breakthroughs abound in this day and age. I have never understood why some religions have tried to stand in the way of man's creative thinking. Many medical discoveries have enhanced, and enriched our lives in ways our ancestors would never have imagined. New technology has not only allowed us to live longer lives, but allows for a greater quaility of life. My belief is that God has created us with the ability to think and to solve problems for the benefit of humanity and for God's glory.

Unfortunately for us, even our God given gifts can be corrupted. Our culture generates our natural and sinful propensity for personal greatness. Recently there have been two news stories that epitomize this dilemma of trying to get ahead at the expense of humnaity's benefit.

The first example is of the Korean doctor who lied about the number of stem cells he had available for research. Even more troubling to me is the instance of a doctor who faked data in a research project for oral cancer.

People who suffer serious illnesses depend on cutting edge research to improve the quaility of their lives. Faking research such as this can put people's lives on the line. Drug companies who develop and market drugs put so much pressure on its scientists to perform. The cost of developing new drugs skyrockets and one mistake can put a multi million dollar project into a spiral of doom causing the company and its stockholders to lose money.

The thing is, I fully understand the motivations of these doctors. In high school, I had to do a science project. I started out with the best intentions on a project that would chart the growth rate of plants when left alone to grow versus plants that were talked to every day. It really was stupid of me to choose a project such as this. Even my friends will attest to the fact that I don't give much care for the plants that I have and the only kind of plants that survive at my house are the ones that grow on their own. Two weeks after I planted the beans I was using, both sets of plants died. My project was due soon....what would I do? Get an F on the project? Of course not! I lied...I made up the whole project and in the process got a B+ on it.

To this day, I still feel the guilt of this deception. The good news is that I learned from it. Two years later, I failed miserably at another attempted project (this time making donuts). Learning my lesson, I brought my hard as a rock donuts to class to show that I had tried to complete the project, even though I had failed. Guess what...I got an A anyway... just for trying.

Perhaps our society needs to stop placing so much emphasis on the bottom line and instead begin to reward people for their honest efforts to discover things. Maybe then the temptation to take a wonderful gift from God and to use it for evil would one day be overcome.

God, Thank you for the grace you have given to us. It is the grace that forgives us of our wrong doing and at the same time turns us around and encourages us to walk in new directions..no matter how difficult they might be. AMEN

Christmas

Christmas! It's the most wonderful time of the year! And so the song goes. I am truly blessed with grandchildren to grace our home for Christmas. Their little faces are such a joy to behold on Christmas morning as they rip throuugh their presents from Santa. It is truly amazing because has so many toys for them that they just don't all fit under the tree at home..

This morning, both my daughters came to the house with their families. My mother and father were there as was my mother in law who had stayed with us the night before. They coulddn't wait to open their gifts.... It was over in a flash!

Afterwards, we all ate breakfast together. My son in law had to go to work and my youngest daughter went home to go to the childen's (other) grandma's house. My oldest daughter stayed here with her two boys. Around noon, we all fell asleep for a well deserved nap.