You are bland. You are tasteless. If you are anything like me, you can easily go through the day, through any conversation, without ever mentioning Jesus Christ, without ever having to admit that you are a Christian. But maybe that’s unfair. Not every conversation needs to involve you confessing your faith, does it. If you are anything like me, though, you can easily go through the week, through multiple phone conversations with friends, meeting a few new people you’ve never met before, without ever mentioning the love of Jesus Christ, without ever having to mention that you are a Christian. But maybe that too is unfair. We all have bad weeks. There is a time and a place for talking about faith and, perhaps, you weren’t in any of the right places at the right times.
But if you are anything like me, you can easily go through the month, the year—have you gone your entire lifetime without ever mentioning Jesus Christ, without ever having to admit you are a Christian, without ever inviting anyone to hear the forgiveness of sins? You’ve heard that your sins are forgiven. You’ve been promised salvation by your loving creator. But you don’t talk about it much, do you? Does anybody know if you go to church? Your best friends? Your best acquaintances? Do you know if your friends believe in Jesus Christ? Do you know if they are being supported in a Christian community? Are they just dying on the “do it yourself spirituality vine”? Do you care enough to risk mentioning the name? Do you dare to leave the bland life behind and be a little salty?
Jesus told his disciples, “Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness how can you season it?” In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus put it another way, “If salt has lost its taste, it is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.” Have you become a bland Christian? Jesus says that you must be a little salty: in your conversations, in your marriages, in your relationships with your children ,even in your workplace. The taste of salt is distinctive and recognizable. Would others recognize you as a follower of Jesus? Or do you spend your life trying to fit in with others, to NOT be noticed. Do you care enough for your friends, for your family and for others to actually risk mentioning Jesus’ name? To give them the possibility to hope in His words of life? Do you dare to leave the bland life behind and have a little salt in you?
Sit back and listen to the beginning of a great song on this subject, (Play opening of song until end of first chorus)
“So maybe this time, I’ll speak the words of life, with your fire in my eyes. But that old familiar fear, is tearing at my words, what am I so afraid of. Cause here I go again. Talking about the rain. And mulling over things that won’t live past today. And as I dance around the truth, time is not his friend, this may be the last chance to tell him that you LOVE him, but here I go again.’
What are YOU so afraid of? I’m afraid that I’m going to be seen as one of those freaky Christians I see on TV, who don’t seem to be able to talk about anything but when they were saved. I’m afraid that people are going to look at me funny because I’m talking about my faith, especially around this town, and they might think that I’m either offensive or confrontational or intolerant or all of the above. I’m afraid that I’ve already known a person almost my whole life and never said anything before, what are they going to think of me if I ask them if they are enjoying the church they go to. What if they’ve stopped going? What if something in our relationship changes because of what I say? So, here I go again, talking about the rain, and mulling over things that won’t live past today . . . like who won the Husker game. Or, let’s talk about health care. Or how about the weather. And so I dance around ever having to talk about Jesus or what he means to me . . . or what he might mean for them.
Some people may be affected by the possibility of hell and damnation apart from Jesus Christ, but if that’s how you start a conversation about faith it will probably be quite uncomfortable for everyone involved. And, most people will figure that they’ve still got time. They see Jesus as a last ditch life insurance policy. Others MAY want to join the crowd of church-going Christians because their grandma did it, or because they’ve met some nice ones, or because they have a hunger for spiritual things. But a lot of people will also notice that NOT everyone is a Christian and they could do just fine without it. They can sleep in on Sundays. They can live however they choose. Why, really, would they want to join another club? There are better run, more interesting clubs to join and they don’t pass around an offering plate every time you go.
But, love is powerful. When your spouse or your mother or your friend comes up to you and they say, “I love you” It’s hard not to reciprocate, isn’t it. Love destroys the walls we put up against one another. Love is blind, as they say, and you don’t get to decide what makes the most sense—whether you’d rather sleep in on Sundays. That’s why they call it “falling” in love. And, the love of Jesus Christ is even more powerful than our love because His love is unconditional. This isn’t a “Jesus is my boyfriend” love; this is a “Jesus died on a cross to save me from death” love. And every time you speak to your coworkers, your friends, your family, your children, your spouse or someone you have just met, this may be the last chance you have to tell them that they are loved by Jesus. And if they only knew, think about what that might mean for them, for their future, for their life, for their death.
Have salt in yourselves. Be salty! Be recognized as a Christian. Why? Because people need to hear. They need to hear the words of life that come from their Savior’s lips. They need to hear that they are loved unconditionally. And how are they to hear if no one tells them? They need to hear that their sins are forgiven, not simply tolerated by others, not just accepted by society, but forgiven by a God who cares enough to tell them the truth
I recently watched the movie, “The Postman” with Kevin Costner. The movie imagined a time when the country had been ravaged by wars and had fallen apart. He was a drifter who happened to pick up a bag of mail and began delivering the letters he had found. When people received the letters, they were given hope. The main character really was just pretending to be a postman, but that didn’t matter. What mattered what that he was delivering the goods. He was giving the messages to people who needed to hear them.
Do you know someone who might be struggling with their life, or their marriage, with their kids or with their jobs. They might be a family member, or just a not so close acquaintance. They need to hear Jesus’ love and right now we are going to pray for them and for you. That God might use you to “Tell them that He loves them.” (Prayer)
Every single week here at church, we could just get together and talk about the rain and mull over things that won’t last past today. But, I pray each week, that God makes me his postman, so that I can deliver the words of life to you with God’s fire in my eyes, despite my fear that you won’t like what I must say, despite the fear that the message will fall on deaf ears because I believe that, finally, the words you hear must be recognizable enough, salty enough, that you realize your need for forgiveness—forgiveness that only God can give. You are bland. You are tasteless. You have no salt in you. But hear the good news. By God’s authority, I forgive you in the name of Jesus Christ. You’ve just received your love letter, filled and overflowing with salt. And through the power of the Holy Spirit maybe this time, maybe this week, you WILL speak the words of life with fire in your eyes and salt on your tongue. Amen.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Sermon for September 20th
“He has more waffles than I do! She has more djeuce! Every morning it is the same routine. If one of my children gets pop tarts, the other must have them as well. If I tell one child I love them and the other one overhears, if I don’t immediately profess my love to THAT one as well drama ensues. That’s because my children are siblings and, since I’m an only child, I didn’t realize how “fair” everything had to be. My wife still remembers that her sister had her ears pierced a couple days BEFORE her ninth birthday—so unfair!—cause my wife had to wait until her ACTUAL 9th birthday. Our lives are ruled by our understanding of fairness.
This last week, at the MTV awards, the rap star Kanye West interrupted another musician, Taylor Swift, because he believed that Beyonce Knowles should have received the best video of the year award (no offense to Taylor of course, he said). But Beyonce’s video was the best video ever and she deserved it more than anyone else, he pointed out in the middle of Taylor’s acceptance speech! As he said later, he was just “keeping it real.” Just being fair? No. That’s NOT about being fair. To be fair, every single musician should have received the “Best Video Award”. Nah, this was a question of who’s video was the GREATEST!
I’m a Nebraska Cornhuskers football fan. I bleed red (which of course is ironic since everybody bleeds red) but what I mean is that when it comes to football I think that Nebraska is the greatest team . . . even if they re not. And they’re not. They’ve won their share of national championships, three in four years around the turn of the century (Go Big Red!), but, lately, they have been less than great. Yesterday, they played Virginia Tech, a top-15 team which has a much better team than Nebraska team and, surprise, surprise, Nebraska lost. Now, to be fair, they should’ve lost but . . . NO! That’s not fair! It’s not about fairness! Playing football isn’t about everybody getting a participation medal! I don’t really care that Nebraska isn’t as good of a team as Virginia Tech! They should’ve found a way to win anyway so that MY team could have won! I want my team to be the greatest! Our lives are ruled by an understanding of fairness, but we desire, in our hearts, to be the greatest. To be the best. To have the best team. To have the best schools. To have the best church. To have the most beautiful wife. To have the smartest kids. To be right. To be the best. Losers want things to be fair, winners just want to win, right?
In today’s story involving Jesus, the 12 disciples were arguing about “who was the greatest.” Were they saying that they were better than Jesus? No. This text isn’t about that. They know who the coach of their team is, but now that they know who’s in charge, they want to know who’s second in command, right? Of course, they aren’t God, everybody knows that, but who’s the best disciple? We can only speculate about how they would make this decision: who had done the most healings, who had cast out the most demons, who sat next to Jesus the most, who gets called the Devil the least often in conversations, that kind of thing? Because, of course, whoever is the greatest is probably the disciple most assured of going to heaven, right? Whichever disciple is the greatest is going to be the leader if Jesus ever dies, right? Whoever is the greatest is going to get the best seat at the parties involving all those prostitutes and tax collectors, he’s going to get to ride on the donkeys when they enter into towns, he’s going to be able to tell others what to do instead of being told.
You can understand this point of view, can’t you? I mean, it’s only fair, isn’t it, that someone is chosen to be the greatest? The disciples have given up their lives to follow this man, Jesus, and they are looking for a little payback. A little appreciation thank you very much! And who better to tell them who is the greatest, than the greatest of them all, Jesus himself?
Which of you is the greatest here in Saint Peters? How would you make that decision? I mean, I work here a lot. Shouldn’t I be the greatest? Some of you pray more than I do, I bet. Should you be the greatest? What about the people who have been here the longest? Who’ve put in the most time. What about the people who grew up Lutheran? What about the people who give the most money? Are they the greatest? What about the people who come to church every Sunday rain or shine? Or the people who are always willing to help out every single time there is a need?
Which one of you is the greatest here at Saint Peters? Don’t pretend that you don’t care, we all care! Or, at least if we can’t be the greatest, we don’t want to be the worst, right? You might not go to church ALL the time, but at least you go more than SOME people (you know who, right?) You may not be able to tithe, but you give all that you can! Maybe you are too busy to help out, but at least you aren’t as hypocritical as SOME people (you know who, right?)
Which church in Cornwall is the greatest? Don’t pretend that you don’t care, we all care! Who does the most community work? Who has the most kids in their church? Who teaches the right things and who teaches the wrong things? Who’s got money problems and who doesn’t? Where do the IMPORTANT people in town go and where do the losers go? We may not be able to be the best church in town, but at least we aren’t like SOME churches (you know what kind, right?) Who’s the greatest? Which church is the greatest? Which denomination is the greatest? We ALL care a lot more than we wish we did! Our lives are ruled by fairness, but our hearts are ruled by being the greatest . . . or, at least, we just don’t want to be the worst.
Jesus sat down, called the twelve disciples, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” No, it’s not fair, it’s the complete opposite of fair. And what’s the worst part about this? It’s not just a one time deal, it’s not just about giving up your spot in the grocery line, this is about how you live your life in its entirety. Are you after greatness in your own eyes? Are you after greatness in the eyes of others? Jesus says, you have no idea about what greatness really looks like. You’ve got it all wrong. You’re backward. You think you are great, but you are not. You think you can see, but you are blind. You think that you are well, but you are sick. You are chasing after what you think is righteousness, when it is just a pile of junk.
Jesus took a little child and put it among his disciples; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.” In ancient culture, children didn’t have any status in society. They were viewed as little more than property. To welcome a child into the community of faith was to give them status that they did not have in the society at large. Throughout the gospel stories, while the disciples let in lepers and the sick and those infested with demons to see Jesus, but they sent children away. I tried to come up with an example, of something, of someone who was not great, but those who are truly not great are forgotten—lost in the eyes of history. Jesus’ call may mean that we are unknown to the world, but known to God. We may be unloved by the world, but loved by God. .
Was it fair that God should become a human being? No, God didn’t need that. But he gave up his greatness to become the least among us, being born in a cattle trough. Was it fair that God should suffer and die on a heinous tool of torture because he forgave sinners? No, God was worth much more than that. But he gave up his life so that you might have eternal life. And was it fair that Jesus Christ, abandoned by those closest to him, betrayed by those who loved him, would then return, alive, and forgive those who had lost faith in him? Is it fair that even though we run from him, and refuse to listen, and treat each other like trash, that he should forgive our sins and love us unconditionally. No, it is not fair.
Jesus decided that he would not be served, but that he would serve. He cares more about loving than to be loved. While we spend our lives grabbing and clawing our way to greatness. While we argue about what is fair and what is not. Jesus Christ has come to give you faith, so that you might be saved. Not because you are great, but because you are not that great. Not because you are well, but because you are sick. Not because you are righteous, but because you are unrighteous. You should’ve died a sinner. But now, you are God’s chosen one and He has given up everything for you. We think that we are great because we have what everybody else has, or because we have the best awards or because our team wins. Jesus doesn’t love you because you are great. His love makes you great in God’s eyes. Amen.
This last week, at the MTV awards, the rap star Kanye West interrupted another musician, Taylor Swift, because he believed that Beyonce Knowles should have received the best video of the year award (no offense to Taylor of course, he said). But Beyonce’s video was the best video ever and she deserved it more than anyone else, he pointed out in the middle of Taylor’s acceptance speech! As he said later, he was just “keeping it real.” Just being fair? No. That’s NOT about being fair. To be fair, every single musician should have received the “Best Video Award”. Nah, this was a question of who’s video was the GREATEST!
I’m a Nebraska Cornhuskers football fan. I bleed red (which of course is ironic since everybody bleeds red) but what I mean is that when it comes to football I think that Nebraska is the greatest team . . . even if they re not. And they’re not. They’ve won their share of national championships, three in four years around the turn of the century (Go Big Red!), but, lately, they have been less than great. Yesterday, they played Virginia Tech, a top-15 team which has a much better team than Nebraska team and, surprise, surprise, Nebraska lost. Now, to be fair, they should’ve lost but . . . NO! That’s not fair! It’s not about fairness! Playing football isn’t about everybody getting a participation medal! I don’t really care that Nebraska isn’t as good of a team as Virginia Tech! They should’ve found a way to win anyway so that MY team could have won! I want my team to be the greatest! Our lives are ruled by an understanding of fairness, but we desire, in our hearts, to be the greatest. To be the best. To have the best team. To have the best schools. To have the best church. To have the most beautiful wife. To have the smartest kids. To be right. To be the best. Losers want things to be fair, winners just want to win, right?
In today’s story involving Jesus, the 12 disciples were arguing about “who was the greatest.” Were they saying that they were better than Jesus? No. This text isn’t about that. They know who the coach of their team is, but now that they know who’s in charge, they want to know who’s second in command, right? Of course, they aren’t God, everybody knows that, but who’s the best disciple? We can only speculate about how they would make this decision: who had done the most healings, who had cast out the most demons, who sat next to Jesus the most, who gets called the Devil the least often in conversations, that kind of thing? Because, of course, whoever is the greatest is probably the disciple most assured of going to heaven, right? Whichever disciple is the greatest is going to be the leader if Jesus ever dies, right? Whoever is the greatest is going to get the best seat at the parties involving all those prostitutes and tax collectors, he’s going to get to ride on the donkeys when they enter into towns, he’s going to be able to tell others what to do instead of being told.
You can understand this point of view, can’t you? I mean, it’s only fair, isn’t it, that someone is chosen to be the greatest? The disciples have given up their lives to follow this man, Jesus, and they are looking for a little payback. A little appreciation thank you very much! And who better to tell them who is the greatest, than the greatest of them all, Jesus himself?
Which of you is the greatest here in Saint Peters? How would you make that decision? I mean, I work here a lot. Shouldn’t I be the greatest? Some of you pray more than I do, I bet. Should you be the greatest? What about the people who have been here the longest? Who’ve put in the most time. What about the people who grew up Lutheran? What about the people who give the most money? Are they the greatest? What about the people who come to church every Sunday rain or shine? Or the people who are always willing to help out every single time there is a need?
Which one of you is the greatest here at Saint Peters? Don’t pretend that you don’t care, we all care! Or, at least if we can’t be the greatest, we don’t want to be the worst, right? You might not go to church ALL the time, but at least you go more than SOME people (you know who, right?) You may not be able to tithe, but you give all that you can! Maybe you are too busy to help out, but at least you aren’t as hypocritical as SOME people (you know who, right?)
Which church in Cornwall is the greatest? Don’t pretend that you don’t care, we all care! Who does the most community work? Who has the most kids in their church? Who teaches the right things and who teaches the wrong things? Who’s got money problems and who doesn’t? Where do the IMPORTANT people in town go and where do the losers go? We may not be able to be the best church in town, but at least we aren’t like SOME churches (you know what kind, right?) Who’s the greatest? Which church is the greatest? Which denomination is the greatest? We ALL care a lot more than we wish we did! Our lives are ruled by fairness, but our hearts are ruled by being the greatest . . . or, at least, we just don’t want to be the worst.
Jesus sat down, called the twelve disciples, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” No, it’s not fair, it’s the complete opposite of fair. And what’s the worst part about this? It’s not just a one time deal, it’s not just about giving up your spot in the grocery line, this is about how you live your life in its entirety. Are you after greatness in your own eyes? Are you after greatness in the eyes of others? Jesus says, you have no idea about what greatness really looks like. You’ve got it all wrong. You’re backward. You think you are great, but you are not. You think you can see, but you are blind. You think that you are well, but you are sick. You are chasing after what you think is righteousness, when it is just a pile of junk.
Jesus took a little child and put it among his disciples; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.” In ancient culture, children didn’t have any status in society. They were viewed as little more than property. To welcome a child into the community of faith was to give them status that they did not have in the society at large. Throughout the gospel stories, while the disciples let in lepers and the sick and those infested with demons to see Jesus, but they sent children away. I tried to come up with an example, of something, of someone who was not great, but those who are truly not great are forgotten—lost in the eyes of history. Jesus’ call may mean that we are unknown to the world, but known to God. We may be unloved by the world, but loved by God. .
Was it fair that God should become a human being? No, God didn’t need that. But he gave up his greatness to become the least among us, being born in a cattle trough. Was it fair that God should suffer and die on a heinous tool of torture because he forgave sinners? No, God was worth much more than that. But he gave up his life so that you might have eternal life. And was it fair that Jesus Christ, abandoned by those closest to him, betrayed by those who loved him, would then return, alive, and forgive those who had lost faith in him? Is it fair that even though we run from him, and refuse to listen, and treat each other like trash, that he should forgive our sins and love us unconditionally. No, it is not fair.
Jesus decided that he would not be served, but that he would serve. He cares more about loving than to be loved. While we spend our lives grabbing and clawing our way to greatness. While we argue about what is fair and what is not. Jesus Christ has come to give you faith, so that you might be saved. Not because you are great, but because you are not that great. Not because you are well, but because you are sick. Not because you are righteous, but because you are unrighteous. You should’ve died a sinner. But now, you are God’s chosen one and He has given up everything for you. We think that we are great because we have what everybody else has, or because we have the best awards or because our team wins. Jesus doesn’t love you because you are great. His love makes you great in God’s eyes. Amen.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Sermon for September 13th
I’ve noticed that we often have a lot of sign up sheets here at Saint Peters. We have sign up’s for the Bake Sale and for the Food Sale. We volunteer for council positions and for various programs that are offered each year. Today, I’m looking for volunteers who would like to suffer and be killed for their faith? Jesus said, “The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again . . . if any want to become my followers,” he said, “let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Do I have any takers? Should I put up a sign up sheet? Or not.
In the broadway musical, Rent, a musician named Roger falls in love with an erotic dancer named Mimi. Each of these characters is already infected with the AIDS virus when they meet. As the show progresses, Roger eventually breaks up with Mimi when he becomes jealous after finding out who her last boyfriend was. But it is more than jealousy, we find out, that is causing Roger to leave town and leave love behind. Roger’s best friend asks him, “Are you really jealous, or afraid that Mimi’s weak?” Mimi did look pale, Roger says. “Mimi’s gotten thin,” Mark presses, “Mimi’s running out of time. Roger’s running out the door.” When Mimi confronts Roger herself, after overhearing this conversation, she understands what is happening, whether Roger cares to admit it or not. Mimi says to him, “You don’t want baggage without lifetime guarantees. You don’t want to watch me die.” Loving Mimi meant experiencing suffering and death. That’s certainly not what love looks when you are trying to sell Romance novels.
When death is in the air, most people would rather just leave than stand by and watch helplessly, especially when they know they will be next. Jesus said, “The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again . . . if any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” I’m going to die, Jesus says. And not only that, I’m going to suffer. It won’t be pretty. And if you follow me, you will be next. Do I have any takers? Should I put up a sign up sheet? Or not.
We have forgotten what it means to follow Jesus. But you may say, Well, all you need is love. Jesus is love. God is love after all, right? That’s it? But if Jesus was simply “love”, then why did everybody want him killed? I mean, why isn’t everyone a Christian today? Who could be against love? What does it mean to follow Jesus? Have you ever asked yourself that question? Why were the twelve disciples killed for their faith so long ago? Why are Christians around the world still killed today? If Jesus is simply love, and nobody could be against love, then why was he crucified? Why does he say that we have to take up a cross?
Did you know that the Romans, the ones who were in power at the time of Jesus’ crucifixion, were actually very tolerant people? Even loving people? The ones that massacred so many of the earliest Christian followers were very much into love themselves. Why would they have been against the Christians? What was it about Jesus and his merry band of followers that was so awful that they had to be killed? What made it so hard to be a follower of Christ at the beginning while it seems so darn easy nowadays? Why were they all killed while we sit here comfortably in church today? What’s changed? What’s the difference? The laws? The people? The message?
The sociologist Rodney Stark explains that the worst crimes against the young Christian church occurred not because the Romans wanted to convert Christians to some other belief but because they believed that Christians were for all intents and purposes, atheists. You see, when the early church began, there were many, many other gods, shrines, philosophies and beliefs in Rome and the people could tolerate them all. Just because you worshipped Mithra didn’t mean that you couldn’t also worship Zeus. The more gods the better in fact! And don’t think for one instant that there wasn’t already a god of love.
But when the Christians came along, THEY would only worship their ONE God rather than the thousands of Greek and Roman gods. While the rest of the Greco-Roman world was tolerant of pretty much anything you could imagine, Christians were known by how they acted. And it was more than that they were known as Christians by their love. They also followed the commandments of God and this set them apart as well. Along with their fascination for the forgiveness of “so-called” sins, they were so intolerant that they would not worship any other gods, or follow other beliefs, or accept any other philosophies. And so what happened is what the historian Ramsey MacMullen calls “toleration gone mad”. In order to stay as tolerant of religions as possible, the people of Rome had no choice but to kill the atheistic Christians—it was that simple. We have forgotten what it means to follow Jesus.
Have you ever seen that show on MTV called, “Pimp my Ride”? Before there was “Cash for Clunkers” there was “Pimp my Ride” a show dedicated to taking an old car and making it look and act like a hot rod. Immense subwolfer speakers, shiny new rims, video game console for the passenger or a mini bar in the back seat. You may have heard me say this before, but I'm going to say it again: you can pimp my ride, but don’t pimp my Jesus. Don’t tell me that Jesus is love and forget that Jesus came to free us from our sins. Jesus is love, but we so often do not love. Don’t make Jesus into a shiny new doll that everybody should want to hold and forget that your crucified and risen Lord lives with nail holes in his hands and feet because NO ONE wanted him. Don’t believe for a moment that being a Christian means a lifetime of glory—Jesus says, “If any want to be my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Being a Christian involves suffering. And that doesn’t just mean suffering through the woes and perils of everyday life like everyone else. Sometimes to be a follower of Christ means to suffer for what you believe. Sometimes it even means that you will deny your own pleasure, your own best interests, for the sake of pleasing God and serving your neighbor.
We have forgotten what it means to follow Jesus . . . or have we. Perhaps we have not forgotten at all. Perhaps we realize only too well that if we truly follow Jesus there is only one path that is open for us: a path of tears, a path to a cross. A path to eternal life. Yes, but a path that has to go through death as well to get there and that doesn’t sound like so much fun. Perhaps this is why it is so much easier and desirable to just be spiritual rather than faithful.
To be spiritual is to follow whatever god, or philosophy or way of life that you choose in whatever way best suits you just like for the Roman people. To follow whatever path you want up the mountain of faith. To be faithful to Jesus is to follow a path already walked down by many others before you. And while the spiritualist imagines great wonders up there in the clouds, the faithful follower of Christ knows what is coming up around the bend: suffering, death, a cross and, yes, then, eternal life. Who wouldn’t want to skip church and just sleep in. Ignorance is bliss! But Jesus says, “Those who are ashamed of me and my words, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
Are you ashamed of Jesus? Are you ashamed of his words? Are you ashamed of being called a Christian? Why are you ashamed of what you believe? I’m not saying that you are the only one, Jesus’ disciples were all ashamed of their Savior. For goodness sake, even good ol’ Peter didn’t want Jesus telling everyone about the suffering and death involved. But realize this, no matter how ashamed of Jesus you are, he is not ashamed to run after you and give you his words of love again and again no matter how often you refuse him. No matter how much you despise his words, when we ask for forgiveness Jesus will forgive you, even though you and I do not deserve this kind of love. No matter how far away you go looking for glory and a pimped up Jesus, the path to the cross is always near to you. And though that path is full of suffering, embarrassment and even, eventually, an inglorious death, to follow Jesus is to know the way, the truth and life. Jesus said, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves, and take up their cross and follow me.” Do not forget what it means to follow Jesus. Amen.
In the broadway musical, Rent, a musician named Roger falls in love with an erotic dancer named Mimi. Each of these characters is already infected with the AIDS virus when they meet. As the show progresses, Roger eventually breaks up with Mimi when he becomes jealous after finding out who her last boyfriend was. But it is more than jealousy, we find out, that is causing Roger to leave town and leave love behind. Roger’s best friend asks him, “Are you really jealous, or afraid that Mimi’s weak?” Mimi did look pale, Roger says. “Mimi’s gotten thin,” Mark presses, “Mimi’s running out of time. Roger’s running out the door.” When Mimi confronts Roger herself, after overhearing this conversation, she understands what is happening, whether Roger cares to admit it or not. Mimi says to him, “You don’t want baggage without lifetime guarantees. You don’t want to watch me die.” Loving Mimi meant experiencing suffering and death. That’s certainly not what love looks when you are trying to sell Romance novels.
When death is in the air, most people would rather just leave than stand by and watch helplessly, especially when they know they will be next. Jesus said, “The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again . . . if any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” I’m going to die, Jesus says. And not only that, I’m going to suffer. It won’t be pretty. And if you follow me, you will be next. Do I have any takers? Should I put up a sign up sheet? Or not.
We have forgotten what it means to follow Jesus. But you may say, Well, all you need is love. Jesus is love. God is love after all, right? That’s it? But if Jesus was simply “love”, then why did everybody want him killed? I mean, why isn’t everyone a Christian today? Who could be against love? What does it mean to follow Jesus? Have you ever asked yourself that question? Why were the twelve disciples killed for their faith so long ago? Why are Christians around the world still killed today? If Jesus is simply love, and nobody could be against love, then why was he crucified? Why does he say that we have to take up a cross?
Did you know that the Romans, the ones who were in power at the time of Jesus’ crucifixion, were actually very tolerant people? Even loving people? The ones that massacred so many of the earliest Christian followers were very much into love themselves. Why would they have been against the Christians? What was it about Jesus and his merry band of followers that was so awful that they had to be killed? What made it so hard to be a follower of Christ at the beginning while it seems so darn easy nowadays? Why were they all killed while we sit here comfortably in church today? What’s changed? What’s the difference? The laws? The people? The message?
The sociologist Rodney Stark explains that the worst crimes against the young Christian church occurred not because the Romans wanted to convert Christians to some other belief but because they believed that Christians were for all intents and purposes, atheists. You see, when the early church began, there were many, many other gods, shrines, philosophies and beliefs in Rome and the people could tolerate them all. Just because you worshipped Mithra didn’t mean that you couldn’t also worship Zeus. The more gods the better in fact! And don’t think for one instant that there wasn’t already a god of love.
But when the Christians came along, THEY would only worship their ONE God rather than the thousands of Greek and Roman gods. While the rest of the Greco-Roman world was tolerant of pretty much anything you could imagine, Christians were known by how they acted. And it was more than that they were known as Christians by their love. They also followed the commandments of God and this set them apart as well. Along with their fascination for the forgiveness of “so-called” sins, they were so intolerant that they would not worship any other gods, or follow other beliefs, or accept any other philosophies. And so what happened is what the historian Ramsey MacMullen calls “toleration gone mad”. In order to stay as tolerant of religions as possible, the people of Rome had no choice but to kill the atheistic Christians—it was that simple. We have forgotten what it means to follow Jesus.
Have you ever seen that show on MTV called, “Pimp my Ride”? Before there was “Cash for Clunkers” there was “Pimp my Ride” a show dedicated to taking an old car and making it look and act like a hot rod. Immense subwolfer speakers, shiny new rims, video game console for the passenger or a mini bar in the back seat. You may have heard me say this before, but I'm going to say it again: you can pimp my ride, but don’t pimp my Jesus. Don’t tell me that Jesus is love and forget that Jesus came to free us from our sins. Jesus is love, but we so often do not love. Don’t make Jesus into a shiny new doll that everybody should want to hold and forget that your crucified and risen Lord lives with nail holes in his hands and feet because NO ONE wanted him. Don’t believe for a moment that being a Christian means a lifetime of glory—Jesus says, “If any want to be my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Being a Christian involves suffering. And that doesn’t just mean suffering through the woes and perils of everyday life like everyone else. Sometimes to be a follower of Christ means to suffer for what you believe. Sometimes it even means that you will deny your own pleasure, your own best interests, for the sake of pleasing God and serving your neighbor.
We have forgotten what it means to follow Jesus . . . or have we. Perhaps we have not forgotten at all. Perhaps we realize only too well that if we truly follow Jesus there is only one path that is open for us: a path of tears, a path to a cross. A path to eternal life. Yes, but a path that has to go through death as well to get there and that doesn’t sound like so much fun. Perhaps this is why it is so much easier and desirable to just be spiritual rather than faithful.
To be spiritual is to follow whatever god, or philosophy or way of life that you choose in whatever way best suits you just like for the Roman people. To follow whatever path you want up the mountain of faith. To be faithful to Jesus is to follow a path already walked down by many others before you. And while the spiritualist imagines great wonders up there in the clouds, the faithful follower of Christ knows what is coming up around the bend: suffering, death, a cross and, yes, then, eternal life. Who wouldn’t want to skip church and just sleep in. Ignorance is bliss! But Jesus says, “Those who are ashamed of me and my words, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
Are you ashamed of Jesus? Are you ashamed of his words? Are you ashamed of being called a Christian? Why are you ashamed of what you believe? I’m not saying that you are the only one, Jesus’ disciples were all ashamed of their Savior. For goodness sake, even good ol’ Peter didn’t want Jesus telling everyone about the suffering and death involved. But realize this, no matter how ashamed of Jesus you are, he is not ashamed to run after you and give you his words of love again and again no matter how often you refuse him. No matter how much you despise his words, when we ask for forgiveness Jesus will forgive you, even though you and I do not deserve this kind of love. No matter how far away you go looking for glory and a pimped up Jesus, the path to the cross is always near to you. And though that path is full of suffering, embarrassment and even, eventually, an inglorious death, to follow Jesus is to know the way, the truth and life. Jesus said, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves, and take up their cross and follow me.” Do not forget what it means to follow Jesus. Amen.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Sermon for September 6th
I have been running scared lately. Racing against forces beyond my control that seek to grab me and swallow me whole. One day it is the fact that I need to practice more for the contemporary service. Other days, I am fearful about the future of Saint Peters and the struggles we face as a community. Some days I get overwhelmed about how to get all the dishes done now that my wife is unable to step foot into the kitchen due to pregnancy nausea. Other days I worry about someone who is struggling with sickness or loneliness in our community. Sometimes I’m scared that my beliefs as a Christian will cause me a great deal of persecution in the very near future. Sometimes I am scared that my sins are going to overcome me. And then I read this week’s reading from Isaiah, spoken to all those with a fearful heart, “Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you.”
I was watching the Daily Show with John Stewart on the internet, using Hulu, and it was showing a bunch of town halls talking about Health Care. Wow! I guess I haven’t been watching the news lately. No matter which side of the debate you are on, I think that you have to admit that there are a few people out there who are downright scared. When I tried to get a handle on what was happening, I kept hearing newscasters refer to how “angry” people were, but anger wasn’t what I saw and heard. It was fear. Fear of losing something precious, like their liberty, or their money or their loved ones. And whatever was being said by the other side wasn’t speaking to this fear and wasn’t making anything any better.
Of course, those against health care reform aren’t any less afraid than those who are for it. There are how many people with no health insurance right now in America? I’ve known a few. You can bet that a lot of THOSE people are scared and acting like it too. What’s going to happen not if, but WHEN they get sick? And the only thing that probably scares most of them more than the idea of getting sick is how in the world are they going to pay for it? Paying for it, paying for billions of dollars in health care reform, that also worries those against these refroms. And the fear of losing everything, or not having enough to take care of yourself or your spouse or your children, is the kind of fear that keeps you awake at night for days.
I’m not the only one running scared lately. Health care reform. The mind-boggling national debt. Does God care about these things? What about those things that you and I are dealing with today? I know that there are some of you fighting off cancer. That’s scary. Cancer is a very scary word and an even scarier disease. Between job loses or family struggles or sicknesses that won’t go away, there are some of you who are hanging onto a strand of faith by only the weakest of threads. Some of you are nervous about our meeting Wednesday night, about the recent ELCA churchwide convention, probably so nervous you won’t even come or won’t say anything for fear of upsetting people. All fear is bondage, someone once said. And children aren’t immune from it either. Whatever you are going through, so are your children, if not consciously than at least peripherally through the stress they see in you.
The Lord speaks through the prophet Isaiah saying, “Say to those who are of a fearful heart, ‘Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you.’ So I will say it today to you. To you who are struggling, fearful, nervous, frustrated and running scared, “Be strong, do not fear. Here is your God. He will come and save you.”
I won’t pretend to know exactly how God would vote about any particular form of health care legislation, but God does care about you and about what you are afraid of. God does hear. God will save. We will all make our choices and do our best to run, protect ourselves or stand up against our fears, but the final end of your fear will come only from God.
That means that your fear will not be driven away by any bill made by congress about health care. It also means that you fear will not be stopped by defeating any health care bill by congress. If you are trusting your life only into the hands senators, insurance companies and skilled doctors you will only get so far, maybe very far, but your eternal life is in the hands of God. So cry out to him for safety and healing first, and trust that he has sent these other people as his servants to take care of you in this life, but not in the next. Your eternal life is in the hands of a creator, compassionate and mighty to save.
How do you deal with your fear? When I was getting my Bachelors and Masters in double bass performance I had to perform all that time . . . and that made me very scared and nervous. So what did I do when I was afraid I wasn’t playing well enough? I practiced. I called my wife and told her, “I need to practice a couple more hours.” And then two hours later I called her and told her I still needed a couple MORE hours. I had to trust in myself and in my ability to work hard enough to beat away my fear. I was a workaholic.
How do you deal with your fear? Some people go the opposite direction and choose to just not deal with conflicts that arise in their lives or pretend they don’t exist. But trusting in God to save you doesn’t mean digging out a hole and jumping in to avoid the storm. One time, the prophet Elijah had just fought a battle with 450 prophets of another god, Baal. God rained down fire for Elijah and won the battle. But then Elijah realized that he might get in trouble with some people for what had happened so he found a cave and hid in it. He felt like he was alone, the only one left who trusted in God, and that he would soon be found and killed. God told Elijah to trust in the Word of the Lord, not in Elijah’s own fear. If Elijah was going to find freedom from his fear, he was going to have to come out of that cave and stand up in the strength of God’s promises.
“Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you.” But you may ask, “Here is our God? Where is our God? I don’t see him? I don’t know what he is doing? How can I trust in a God like that?” Well, you have to hear from him and, today, you are hearing from him, “Be strong, do not fear!” He says to you! God must come out of hiding for you to trust him. God must be preached for you to hear him. God must reveal himself for you to know that he is here.
If you’ve ever wondered why it is that the Lutheran church has always argued for the authority of scripture above everything else it is because of this and this alone: it is God’s revelation to us. It is the place where God comes out of hiding. God shows himself in three ways through is word. In the living Word, Jesus Christ. In the written word, the Bible. And in the spoken word, through preachers like you and me. The Bible is the historical proclamation inspired by God, so that, today, here, in this place, I might give you that proclamation once again so that you might believe and have faith in the living Word, Jesus Christ. Hear this and trust in this word, “Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come and save you.”
As God’s people, you and I have only one choice, finally, in the face of our fears, whether they are fears about our health, fears about our family or fears about our church—we must run! Run to God as he has chosen to reveal himself: in Jesus Christ, in the Bible, and in the preached word. What are you most afraid of right now in your life? Take a moment and think about it. What keeps you up at night? What takes over the car conversations with your spouse? God is calling you to stand firm and faithful to his Word even while you are afraid of these things. That’s why we have a church service, so that you might remember that, even while you are afraid, God loves you and forgives you. That’s why you are encouraged to read your Bible, so that when you aren’t hearing about God’s love you are reading his love letters and hearing about what he has done for his loved ones in the past. These are the places God reveals himself for you.
You are called to run to God’s Word and stand firm and faithful, trusting in his laws and trusting in his promises above everything else. Because finally, only in God, will you find freedom, hope, strength and final victory over your fear. “Be strong. Do not fear! Here is your God. He will come and save you.”
I was watching the Daily Show with John Stewart on the internet, using Hulu, and it was showing a bunch of town halls talking about Health Care. Wow! I guess I haven’t been watching the news lately. No matter which side of the debate you are on, I think that you have to admit that there are a few people out there who are downright scared. When I tried to get a handle on what was happening, I kept hearing newscasters refer to how “angry” people were, but anger wasn’t what I saw and heard. It was fear. Fear of losing something precious, like their liberty, or their money or their loved ones. And whatever was being said by the other side wasn’t speaking to this fear and wasn’t making anything any better.
Of course, those against health care reform aren’t any less afraid than those who are for it. There are how many people with no health insurance right now in America? I’ve known a few. You can bet that a lot of THOSE people are scared and acting like it too. What’s going to happen not if, but WHEN they get sick? And the only thing that probably scares most of them more than the idea of getting sick is how in the world are they going to pay for it? Paying for it, paying for billions of dollars in health care reform, that also worries those against these refroms. And the fear of losing everything, or not having enough to take care of yourself or your spouse or your children, is the kind of fear that keeps you awake at night for days.
I’m not the only one running scared lately. Health care reform. The mind-boggling national debt. Does God care about these things? What about those things that you and I are dealing with today? I know that there are some of you fighting off cancer. That’s scary. Cancer is a very scary word and an even scarier disease. Between job loses or family struggles or sicknesses that won’t go away, there are some of you who are hanging onto a strand of faith by only the weakest of threads. Some of you are nervous about our meeting Wednesday night, about the recent ELCA churchwide convention, probably so nervous you won’t even come or won’t say anything for fear of upsetting people. All fear is bondage, someone once said. And children aren’t immune from it either. Whatever you are going through, so are your children, if not consciously than at least peripherally through the stress they see in you.
The Lord speaks through the prophet Isaiah saying, “Say to those who are of a fearful heart, ‘Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you.’ So I will say it today to you. To you who are struggling, fearful, nervous, frustrated and running scared, “Be strong, do not fear. Here is your God. He will come and save you.”
I won’t pretend to know exactly how God would vote about any particular form of health care legislation, but God does care about you and about what you are afraid of. God does hear. God will save. We will all make our choices and do our best to run, protect ourselves or stand up against our fears, but the final end of your fear will come only from God.
That means that your fear will not be driven away by any bill made by congress about health care. It also means that you fear will not be stopped by defeating any health care bill by congress. If you are trusting your life only into the hands senators, insurance companies and skilled doctors you will only get so far, maybe very far, but your eternal life is in the hands of God. So cry out to him for safety and healing first, and trust that he has sent these other people as his servants to take care of you in this life, but not in the next. Your eternal life is in the hands of a creator, compassionate and mighty to save.
How do you deal with your fear? When I was getting my Bachelors and Masters in double bass performance I had to perform all that time . . . and that made me very scared and nervous. So what did I do when I was afraid I wasn’t playing well enough? I practiced. I called my wife and told her, “I need to practice a couple more hours.” And then two hours later I called her and told her I still needed a couple MORE hours. I had to trust in myself and in my ability to work hard enough to beat away my fear. I was a workaholic.
How do you deal with your fear? Some people go the opposite direction and choose to just not deal with conflicts that arise in their lives or pretend they don’t exist. But trusting in God to save you doesn’t mean digging out a hole and jumping in to avoid the storm. One time, the prophet Elijah had just fought a battle with 450 prophets of another god, Baal. God rained down fire for Elijah and won the battle. But then Elijah realized that he might get in trouble with some people for what had happened so he found a cave and hid in it. He felt like he was alone, the only one left who trusted in God, and that he would soon be found and killed. God told Elijah to trust in the Word of the Lord, not in Elijah’s own fear. If Elijah was going to find freedom from his fear, he was going to have to come out of that cave and stand up in the strength of God’s promises.
“Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you.” But you may ask, “Here is our God? Where is our God? I don’t see him? I don’t know what he is doing? How can I trust in a God like that?” Well, you have to hear from him and, today, you are hearing from him, “Be strong, do not fear!” He says to you! God must come out of hiding for you to trust him. God must be preached for you to hear him. God must reveal himself for you to know that he is here.
If you’ve ever wondered why it is that the Lutheran church has always argued for the authority of scripture above everything else it is because of this and this alone: it is God’s revelation to us. It is the place where God comes out of hiding. God shows himself in three ways through is word. In the living Word, Jesus Christ. In the written word, the Bible. And in the spoken word, through preachers like you and me. The Bible is the historical proclamation inspired by God, so that, today, here, in this place, I might give you that proclamation once again so that you might believe and have faith in the living Word, Jesus Christ. Hear this and trust in this word, “Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come and save you.”
As God’s people, you and I have only one choice, finally, in the face of our fears, whether they are fears about our health, fears about our family or fears about our church—we must run! Run to God as he has chosen to reveal himself: in Jesus Christ, in the Bible, and in the preached word. What are you most afraid of right now in your life? Take a moment and think about it. What keeps you up at night? What takes over the car conversations with your spouse? God is calling you to stand firm and faithful to his Word even while you are afraid of these things. That’s why we have a church service, so that you might remember that, even while you are afraid, God loves you and forgives you. That’s why you are encouraged to read your Bible, so that when you aren’t hearing about God’s love you are reading his love letters and hearing about what he has done for his loved ones in the past. These are the places God reveals himself for you.
You are called to run to God’s Word and stand firm and faithful, trusting in his laws and trusting in his promises above everything else. Because finally, only in God, will you find freedom, hope, strength and final victory over your fear. “Be strong. Do not fear! Here is your God. He will come and save you.”
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