What Gift Can We Bring: Faith

The First Sunday after Christmas is one of my favorite days of the liturgical year. And this year, it rounds out my exploration of the gift of Jesus that we are called to continue to offer the rest of the world.

This week, using Matthew 2:13-23, we look at the gift of faith -- both God's faithfulness as well as our faith in God. And then we consider what it means for us to continue to offer the gift of Jesus to a world in need of peace, hope, love, joy, and grace.

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Merry Christmas! As we come together on this fifth day of Christmas, it seems appropriate to remember that the Christmas season begins on Christmas day and continues for twelve days (just like the song) to end just before Epiphany. And so we continue to celebrate the gift of Christmas today.

As Advent and Christmas drew closer this year, I was struck by the practice of gift giving we engage in this time of year. For many of us, we celebrate the birth of Jesus by sharing gifts with friends and family. We do this to symbolically commemorate the gift that God has given to the world that we celebrate at Christmas -- the gift of Jesus. 

What Gift Can We Bring: Grace

As we arrive at Christmas we come to the reason for the season and the reason for the series I have been writing the last few weeks. Jesus is the gift that God has given us that inspires us to gift others in return. Here on Christmas, we reflect on the birth of Jesus, God's gift of grace to the world, as found in the gospel of Luke (see Luke 2:1-20).

And so we gather in the stillness of the night to celebrate God coming into the world. We gather at the darkest time of the year to celebrate God's faithfulness to us. We gather to celebrate the light coming into the world, the birth of Emmanuel, God with us.

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“Do not be afraid.”

As is often the case when we are addressed by the divine, God’s messengers greet the shepherds with the admonition to not be fearful. Here in the first two chapters of the gospel of Luke, we get this a lot.

What Gift Can We Bring: Joy

As noted before, I approached Advent and Christmas this year with the hymn "What Gift Can We Bring" in the back of my head. As I thought about the gift that God gives to us in Jesus, I began to think about our calling as the body of Christ to continue to offer that same gift to the world. Using traditional Advent themes as well as the stories of the Christmas season, I continue to reflect on the gifts that we are meant to bring to the world.

On the third Sunday of Advent, we celebrate the gift of joy. Using the Magnificat (Luke 1:47-55), Mary's song in response to the news that she will be the mother of God-with-us, we reflect on a joy that is not for ourselves alone, but a joy that is meant for all peoples in all times and places.

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Mary’s song is one of my favorite gifts here in the first chapter of Luke. Mary has been visited by the angel who has told her that she has been chosen to be the mother of the Son of God. Even in the approach of the angel, we see the first inkling of Mary’s strength and wisdom.

Before she hears anything else, she ponders the angel’s greeting. She is obviously aware of the holy texts. She knows that angels don’t just show up to random people. There is a reason this angel has shown up to her. She has been chosen for something. And she likely has some idea of how difficult that task will be based on the history of her people. And she is perplexed because she can't believe she would be chosen for anything important.

What Gift Can We Bring: Hope

Inspired by the hymn, "What Gift Can We Bring," I continue to reflect on our call as Christians to continue to offer the gift of Jesus to the world. As we travel through Advent and Christmas and consider the gift that God has given us in Jesus, how do we continue to offer those gifts to the world?

For the second Sunday of Advent, we frequently pair John the Baptist with the theme of Hope. This year, we read the story from the Gospel of Matthew (see Matthew 3:1-12) as we weigh the connection between judgement and hope.

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On the second Sunday of Advent, we often hear from the prophets and from John the Baptist. And because of the ones who are speaking we often hear words of judgement. So it may at first seem ironic that the second Sunday of Advent is often the Sunday of Hope.

This is especially true when we look at John the Baptist. He is out in the wilderness preaching the coming of God’s kingdom. He is wearing clothes made of camel’s hair and eating locusts. I imagine he was also rather unkempt and dirty. Chances are he would be run out of any church he happened to wander into today.

What Gift Can We Bring: Peace

I was inspired this summer by a question asking how we can better connect the call to love God and others that has been central to worship here with the needs of our local community. It got me thinking about the Advent and Christmas seasons when we focus our attention on the gift of Jesus.

Inspired by the hymn, What Gift Can We Bring, and this question related to the mission of the church, I asked myself the question, how are we, as the body of Christ, still a gift to the world today? This inspired me to flip my focus in Advent this year. Rather than simply looking forward with expectation to the gift that God has given to us, I began to wonder how we as the church continue to make those gifts visible still today.

Drawing on the traditional themes of Advent (Peace, Hope, Joy, and Love) and the themes of Grace and Faith present in the season of Christmas, we will reflect this season on how we as the body of Christ continue to make these gifts known in our communities. On this first Sunday of Advent, we use the prophet Isaiah (see Isaiah 2:1-5) to help us reflect on the gift of God's peace.

The End of the Beginning: Reign of Christ

As the liturgical year comes full circle, we celebrate the ongoing Reign of Christ. One of the texts for this Sunday in the lectionary cycle is Jeremiah 23:1-6, where God speaks through the prophet to condemn those who harm the flock and promises to raise up a righteous ruler who will gather and care for those that have been scattered.

So we look to our belief that Jesus is the fulfillment of these words and reflect on how his reign is different than our experience of earthly rulers. And we consider what it means to live in God's kingdom even as we live in earthly kingdoms.

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On the final Sunday of the liturgical year, we come full circle and celebrate the end of the beginning. Over the course of the year, we have explored all that God has done and all that God has promised to do. We have traveled through the key events of the life of Jesus, from birth to death, from life to resurrection, from teaching to healing.

As we prepare to enter Advent again, we enter another season of expectation. We look back with reverence to the birth of Jesus, to God entering the world as one of us. And we look ahead to the second coming, to the ultimate fulfillment of all that God has promised. In the last few weeks, we have looked back even farther to remind ourselves of God’s creation and we have glimpsed the future that God is preparing for us.

But on the final Sunday before we start the cycle over, we are reminded that Jesus reigns - today and always. We are reminded of what it means today that Jesus is Lord. We are reminded of what God is doing in the world right now.

The End of the Beginning: What God Will Do

This week, I continue to reflect on what it means to come to the end of the beginning. As one liturgical year draws to a close and another is set to begin, how do we live into the promises of all that God has promised? Looking to Isaiah 65:17-25 and examples from movies and song, we consider what the kingdom that God looks like and how we begin to live into all that God has promised.

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As we continue toward the end of the liturgical year, as we draw closer to the cycle once again starting over at the beginning of the Jesus story, we are reminded not only of all that God has done, but also all that God will do. As we touched on last week, though we are coming to an end, it is only the end of the beginning. While much has been accomplished, there is still more to do.

This is part of what I love about the structure of the church year. The church year is a circle that constantly repeats itself. We start the year leading up to the birth of Jesus. Then Jesus is born and begins to be known to the world. Then we come to another season of preparation as we focus on repentance and renewing our relationship with God before we celebrate the fulfillment of God’s love in the Resurrection. Then we settle into a time of growth as we reflect on all of the teachings that Jesus shared with his disciples and others along the way before coming full circle to start back over at the beginning.

So in November each year, we approach the end. But we also recognize that the life of Jesus and the work of those first disciples was only the beginning.

The End of the Beginning: What God Has Done

The liturgical year flows in a circle that constantly repeats itself. Over the course of each year, we take ourselves from the beginning of the Jesus story -- the one foretold by the prophets who has been here, who is risen, and who is still to come -- to the end of that story. We start this year off waiting for the birth of a baby, and we end up this year recognizing the kingship of that same child now risen to glory. For those of us that claim Christ, the story of Jesus' earthly ministry is only the beginning.

So we head into these last few weeks looking back so that we might see the path ahead. Drawing a bit on the structure of the liturgical year and a bit on Psalm 145 (see Psalm 145:1-5, 17-21), we consider what God has done, what that tells us about who God is, and what that means for what is to come.

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A Reflection on Halloween

Inspired by the opening verses of Philemon, I offer a brief reflection on Halloween and offer us a chance to think of our saints earlier than we otherwise might.

Vision for the Church: Serve All

Over the last couple of weeks, our congregation has been talking about our updated vision statement. We have shared bits and pieces of it through worship in our sermons, our Bible texts, and our music, and some of the core words have been posted on signs around the church campus.

We have focused most of our teaching on the three actions that sit at the center of our renewed vision statement. Two week ago we talked about what it means to authentically welcome all people. Last week we talked about authentically loving all people. This week, using Luke 22:24-27, we look at authentically serving all people as we also release our full vision statement.

Vision for the Church: Love All

Through the month of October, we are rolling out an updated vision statement. This statement is thoroughly grounded in the Holy Spirit and rooted in the example of Jesus. Our statement begins "We desire to be a church empowered and united by the Holy Spirit." This is where we start, empowered and united by the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God that Jesus promised to us.

As a community empowered and united by the Holy Spirit, we seek authenticity in our life together. Last week, we explored the first of the core tenets of this relational community- we welcome God and all people. This week, we explore the second of our core tenants - we love God and all people.

In worship today, we focused ourselves on 1 John 4:7-21. We looked at how we are called to love one another and how this love is an intentional action, not simply a feeling or emotion. And we talked about the ways in which fear is the antithesis to mature love. However, I was also inspired this week by 1 Corinthians 13 when it came up in Bible study

Season of Creation: Cosmos Sunday

Today, we take time to recognize the vastness of God's creation, the cosmos that extends farther than we can see or comprehend. Looking to Psalm 148, we see that all of this vast creation joins together in praising God. And so we look out in awesome wonder on all that God has created and join with the rest of creation in a song of praise to our Creator.

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This week, we come to the end of the series we started last month. Over the last few weeks, we have been exploring God’s creation and our place in it. We have explored the waters of this world, particularly the oceans and the seas. We have looked at the plants and animals that fill the world around us. We talked a bit about our reliance on them and our call to care for them. Two weeks ago, we discussed the nature of storms, and we talked about how the power of storms can remind us of God even as we know that God is greater than any storm. God is a comforter who provides us blessing and strength in the midst of life’s storms.

Today, we expand our focus outward to encounter God in the fullness of the cosmos.

Two weeks ago, I mentioned how much I love storms. I love going out and watching a storm roll in or watching the flashes of lightning over the water. Today, I have a similar confession to make. I enjoy going out on a dark night, laying down in the grass, and staring up at the stars.

I don’t know about you, but when I look out into the stars I wonder what else has God created in this vast cosmos. It also helps to center me and remind me that I am not in fact the center of everything. A whole vast universe exists out there.

I feel a sense of awe as I stare up on a dark, cloudless night. It is not the same sense of awe I feel when standing by the sea or watching the play of lightning during a storm. At those times, I am in awe of the power, a power dwarfed by the power of God, who set it all in motion.

But staring up into the sky, I am in awe of the vastness of creation. God didn’t stop with the land on which we stand. God did not stop with the creation of the plants and animals. God created a vast cosmos that is greater than we can fully observe or comprehend.

And just as the seas and the storms point us beyond themselves to the greatness of God, so does the rest of creation. As we look to our Psalm today, we see this reflected for us. All of creation is called on to praise our creator. The heavens, the heights, the sun, moon, and stars. The waters and the land. The animals, the plants. Even the storms offer praise to God.

And, of course, all of the people. From the greatest king to the lowliest servant -- all are called on to offer praise to God. And all simply because God has provided us with creation.

God had a vision, a vision to create order out of chaos. To take the emptiness and to fill it with good things. God took the nothingness that existed and created life! This is God’s vision for us--that we live. God wishes for all of creation to live.

And so all of creation is guided by God’s vision. God commanded the trees to grow; and they did. God commanded the animals to fill the earth; and they did. God put the waters in their place and created the cycles of weather and climate, of night and day, of growth and rest. And so all of creation is alive due to God’s vision.

God’s vision provides structure and guidance to everything that exists.

God put it all in motion and gave us the command to care for it all. God created us as a part of all that surrounds us and told us to live in relationship to each other and the rest of creation. God gave us everything we need to live and to thrive and for the rest of creation to live and to thrive.

But we know we sometimes fall short. We lose sight of the relationships that God has created around us. We lose sight of our relationship with the rest of creation. Sometimes we think it’s all about us.

This is one reason I think we need the night sky. We need to be reminded that we exist within something far greater than ourselves. We surround ourselves with light to keep the darkness at bay, and in doing so we deprive ourselves of the beauty of God’s cosmos, of the way it inspires us to praise God for the mighty things that God has created.

As we consider the ways in which we are connected to the rest of God’s creation, as we consider our place in this great cosmos that God has created, we must of course consider as well our connections to each other.

For the first thousand or so years after Jesus, all congregations were connected to one another as a single big “C” church. But due largely to a single word inserted into the creed, along with a few other disagreements, the Church centered in Rome and the Church centered in what was at the time Constantinople split apart. The Church continued split in two like this for another 500 years or so before it was fractured again by disagreements over various doctrines within the church. This fracturing has led to hundreds if not thousands of denominations existing today.

When we consider the goodness that God pronounced as the world was created, as order was placed on top of chaos, as the cycles of creation were put into motion, it is hard to see the divisions we create between ourselves as a part of God’s vision for us.

In the last 100 years, efforts have been made to promote greater unity between all of the different churches that exist in the world today. This was born out of a recognition that as Christians, there is far more that unites us with one another than separates us. We all believe in the same ministry of Jesus in the world. We all believe that we are called by Jesus to love one another and to serve others. We all gather at a table to remember and celebrate Jesus’ meals with his disciples and others.

And so, in keeping with God’s vision that all of creation work together in praise, churches around the world celebrate World Communion Sunday on the first Sunday of October each year. In congregations around the globe, believers gather at the table. In doing so, we are all reminded of our unity in Christ and of our common place in God’s creation. We are, all of us, in need of God’s grace. We are, all of us, guilty of sins which separate us from God and each other. And so we come, all of us, to the table that Christ has set before us.

Through this meal, we take part in Christ’s redemption of creation all over again. We share in the bread and the cup, the body and the blood that was offered to us all. We are reminded again of a love that knows no limits, a love that gives up everything so that we can live in harmony with one another. We are reminded again that the grave did not stop those meals, that Jesus continued to eat with his disciples, assuring us that God’s love for us is without end.

Jesus came to reconcile all of creation, to bring us all back into relationship with God and each other. And so as we gather at this table today, we do so knowing that the entire cosmos sings praise to God alongside us as we partake of this meal.

So we shift our focus now from the vast cosmos of creation to vast meaning contained in the bread and the cup.

As we do, we remember the elements of God’s creation that come together on this table.

We remember our need for grace.

We remember that we are connected to each other through this holy meal.

And we remember that Christ invites us all to the table together.

Season of Creation: Storm Sunday

Today we consider the power of storms. God created this world in balance and set in motion the intricate machinery of our climate. Like the seas, we can sense the power held within a storm. It makes sense that we might equate the power and intensity of the storm with the power of God.

Looking to Psalm 29 we see how the Psalmist starts with the idea of God within the storm and then finally moves beyond that idea to the God that comforts us and strengthens us in the face of life's storms.

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I don't know about anyone else, but I love a good thunderstorm.

When I was in high school, my family had a pop-up camper trailer that sat in the yard by the house when we weren’t on a camping trip. I remember that most summers, we had a chance of storms coming through nearly everyday. Many times, the clouds would build with lots of lightning and thunder before it actually rained.

As the storms would build, I would go lay out on top of the camper and just look up at the clouds and watch the lightning jump around in the sky. Many times, it would look like fingers shooting out from one cloud to wrap around another. Or you would just see the flashes of the lightning buried deep inside the cloud, giving them an eerie glow.

Season of Creation: Fauna and Flora Sunday

Continuing the series kicked off last week, the Season of Creation, we turn this week more explicitly to our place in creation alongside the plants and the animals. Continuing to read from Psalm 104 (Psalm 104:14-23, CEB), we look at God's creation of the plants and animals, the balance that God created in this world, and our own place as a part of creation.

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Last week, we kicked off a new series focused on creation and the work of our Creator. We talked about this wonderful world that God has created and placed us in. We talked about the might of God in shaping this world and providing it with structure. We talked about the oceans and the seas, waters that God has given a place, but waters which also can stray from those places. We talked about how water can be both destructive and life-giving. And we talked about our role as stewards of God’s creation.

Today we turn from the seas to the land. Specifically we consider the plants and animals that inhabit the land. In today’s text we pick up Psalm 104 again but starting in verse 14. The beginning of the Psalm relates to to the seas but then the Psalmist turns our attention to the grasses that feed the cattle and the plants that support our own life. Verse 14 here again echoes back to the story of creation in Genesis 1, so we will take a look at Genesis again in a moment. But first I want us to note what the Psalmist does next.

The Psalmist makes it clear that the plants exist for our lives, not merely our sustenance. Life for humans is meant to be about more than mere survival; life is about enjoyment. The Psalmist tells us that God has made “plants for human farming” but not just so that we may have food. We also get wine to cheer us and gladden us, oil to make our faces shine, and bread to sustain ourselves.

Now, I’m not trying to advocate going out after church, downing a bottle of wine, pouring oil all over your face, and then chowing down on a loaf of bread. But what the Psalmist is making clear is that we are meant to enjoy life and enjoy this creation that God has made us a part of. The Psalmist could simply have stopped with reminding us that God made “plants for human farming in order to get food from the ground.” This would have been in keeping with the rest of the passage which talks about the ways in which the plants provide nourishment and shelter for the animals. Instead the Psalmist makes it clear that joy and cheerfulness is also part of God’s intention for us.

From there the Psalmist goes on to point out all the ways in which God has provided for the animals. The trees provide homes for birds, the mountains provide homes for goats and badgers. God created the seasons and night and day to order our lives, to give us cycles of light and dark, cycles of growth and rest. When we read this Psalm’s take on creation, we see the balance that God has built into this world in which we live.

As we noted before, this Psalm is reflecting and retelling the creation story found in Genesis 1. The writer of this Psalm is drawing on what he finds in that first creation story and balancing it with his experience of life. It is important for us to be able to see the parallels and the way the Psalmist highlights certain elements.

We are reminded in this Psalm that God did not create us as separate from the rest of creation. In fact, God didn’t even create humans first. Looking to the first chapter of Genesis, we see that God brought forth the plants on the third day. God brought forth the creatures of the sea and the birds of the sky on the fifth day. It was on the sixth day that God created all the animals of the land. And finally on that same day, “God created humanity in God’s own image, in the divine image God created them, male and female God created them” (Genesis 1:27, CEB).

We humans were the final addition to this creation. We were the final element of balance that God placed in this world. This is evident not only as we consider the balance of plants and animals, night and day, waters and land, growth and rest that God has already created up to this point. God shows that the divine image is in balance and creates us as a reflection of that balance. “God created humanity in God’s own image...male and female God created them.” We are a reflection of God’s divine image, for that is how God has created us.

God has set this world in motion, placed everything in its place and balanced them with one another. But sadly we know that this balance has been disrupted. We have seen the results of overfishing and overhunting. We have seen the results of habitat loss and the introduction of harmful chemicals. We have seen the results of human activity, where we can travel deep into the wilderness and find abandoned soda cans.

We have heard stories of the destruction currently taking place in the Amazon with vast sections of the rain forests being intentionally burned. These forests help to supply not only the Amazon region with food and shelter, but also supply a great deal of the earth’s oxygen, oxygen that we and the animals need to survive.

This is not the world that God envisioned. God created a world of balance and placed us in the center of it as stewards of that creation. To be a steward is to care for something. How have we cared for this world God has created? How have we cared for the plants and animals around us?

The truth is we do care. We try to do right by the world. And the good news is that it is not too late for us to help the world find balance again. It is not yet too late to make changes for the better. We have the ability to turn back the imbalances that humanity has caused. There are steps that we can take to heal the imbalance that has been created. And these steps themselves need not be destructive.

As I thought on this balance in creation this week and the things we can do to help the world find balance again, I was reminded of Thanos in the Marvel movies that we have seen over the last 10 years. Thanos is set up over many years as the greatest threat the universe has ever seen. He is cunning and strong and more or less unstoppable. As he is introduced we slowly learn what he wants. He is seeking the Infinity stones, primordial elements left over from creation that have the ability when united to control every aspect of creation. We learn that Thanos wishes to collect all of these stones because he wants to wipe out half of every living creature in the entire universe.

It is not until later that we learn why. Thanos finally explains that he has seen the results of population growth, of life expanding unchecked and unbalanced. He has seen people in need going hungry because resources cannot keep up with the numbers. And finally he saw his home planet destroyed and his people become extinct because they could not live life in balance.

Not wanting the rest of the universe to suffer the same fate, he decides that the only possible solution is to kill half of all life so that the half that is left will have all the resources they need and will be able to live in balance again.

Hopefully we can all see how horrific this solution is. With the power to control all of creation, Thanos could have simply created more resources so that all have enough. Or Thanos could have created the means for all life to share resources equitably so that life was again in balance. Instead, he chose death.

But when we read our stories of creation, we see that God created life. Not only that but God created life in balance. And while it is human actions that have brought things out of balance, it is also within our power to rebalance the world. God created us in the divine image and placed us here within creation as stewards of that creation. God did not create us separate from creation; God created us as a part of creation.

It is within our power to bring the world back into balance. With God's help we can take action to help the earth to flourish once more. We can change personal habits and push for protections for those parts of creation that cannot speak themselves. We can add to the beauty of God’s world by planting flowers and trees. We can live in companionship with those animals we encounter.

As we move through the world, I want to leave us with the reminder that God made us as part of creation not only for our sustenance but also for our joy. When we experience God’s creation, we can see the beauty of the flowers and trees that God has created. We can experience companionship with the animals that we share this creation with. We can look with awe on the birds as they soar and fly through the air. We can see the ways that all of creation honors God with its beauty and grandeur.

And so, let us take time to remember we are one piece of this world that God has created. We are one part of this world that God created in balance. And because each of us is created in the divine image, we are called to maintain this world of balance.

We share this world with the plants and animals that God also created. They provide us with food but also with joy.

They provide us with beauty.

They provide us with companionship.

They provide us with an example of how we can live in balance with one another.

They provide us with an example of how we can praise the Creator through beauty and the variety that that beauty can take.

May we learn to find the same balance in our own lives. And may we continue to praise our creator for all the beauty that surrounds us, just as all of creation displays the glory of God.

[Image description: Image of a golden stylized tree with blue and red birds in the branches. White letters are superimposed over the image with the quote: "Once upon a time...there was the simple understanding that to sing at dawn and to sing at dusk was to heal the world through joy. The birds still remember what we have forgotten, that the world is meant to be celebrated. - Terry Tempest Williams"]

Season of Creation: Ocean Sunday

Today we enter into the Season of Creation, a season focused on God as creator and the many aspects of God's creation. Through the next few weeks, we will take our cue from the Psalms as we honor God and think about our own place and role as a part of creation. What does it mean to be a part of this created world? What does it mean to be stewards of all God has created?

On this first Sunday, we look to part of Psalm 104 as we remember the oceans and seas that cover large portions of the Earth (see Psalm 104:1-9, 24-26). This Psalm summarizes parts of Genesis in regards to creation and the seas and serves as a good place to start this season together.

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Now some of us may be familiar with the more traditional seasons of the church year. We know something about Advent and Lent, our seasons of preparation for the big celebrations of Christmas and Easter. And of course, Christmas and Easter exist as seasons in the church as well, extending beyond the single day celebrations our culture might suggest. And then we can't forget Ordinary time, a season split in two that covers over half of the calendar year. Technically it is one big broken up season though it is sometimes treated as a season of Epiphany and a season of Pentecost.

Songs for the Journey - Confession

For me, there has always been a fine line between the prayers for the church and the world (prayers of the people, intercessory prayers, etc) and the prayer of confession. At it's best, the prayers of the people lead us from individual concerns for the local congregation out to wider concerns for the rest of the community and world. We pray for healing, for peace, for justice, for wisdom, for guidance. We recognize the places of need in the world and ask for God's intercession in those places.

The prayer of confession is our recognition of those places where we have failed to act. Through this prayer we pray for forgiveness not just for the things we have done but also for the things we have not done. We are reminded as we pray of the needy we have not helped. We are reminded as we pray of the neighbors we have not loved.

In other words, through the prayer of confession, we are reminded of the places we have failed to meet the needs of those we pray for during our prayers for others.

And if you are still reading you are probably wondering, "okay, where is he going with this?"

There is a new-ish song on the radio that I hear as a bit of intercession and a bit of confession. Every time I hear "Walk Me Home" by P!nk, I think of having a conversation with Jesus.

God Beyond Boundaries: Religious Barriers

Today, we wrapped up the series we have been working through for the last two months. Through this series, we have explored the ways in which God goes beyond the boundaries that surround us -- from national boundaries to interpersonal boundaries, and everything in between. Looking at Luke 13:10-17, we find that Jesus takes us beyond religious boundaries as well.

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Borders and boundaries can make us feel safe. They make us feel comfortable. They let us know our limits and help define us. But Jesus frequently pushes beyond those boundaries in ways that made the people of his time uncomfortable and in ways that can still make us uncomfortable today.

God Beyond Boundaries: Peace through Division?

Today we started worship off with a baptism for one of the newest members of our community. We then read Luke 12:49-56, one of the more challenging segments of Jesus' teachings. As Jesus has gone through his ministry, he has repeatedly returned to a message of peace, love, and relationship. But today, he says that he comes bringing not peace but division.

On any Sunday, this would be a difficult passage to wrestle with. But, while the text itself may not feel like a good fit with baptism, our celebration of this sacrament actually helps us interpret these words from Jesus. What happens when we commit ourselves to God before all others? What happens in our world when we love everyone, even those the world tells us to hate?

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What a great, uplifting text for us on a day we celebrate baptism. Jesus comes not to bring peace. Instead his coming heralds division. Just what we need to hear on a day when we celebrate new life and our unity in the body of Christ.

What in the world does this have to do with the message that Jesus brought? Why would God come down, offering us relationship, teaching us to love each other, and then tell us he is bringing division and conflict into the world?

God Beyond Boundaries: Strangers and Immigrants

The Letter to the Hebrews was written at a time of persecution for believers. Written to those who were Hebrew believers who were considering returning to the Jewish faith to avoid continued persecution, it is offered as both encouragement and challenge. Today's text (see Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16) raises up some of those who have gone before us in faith to encourage us along the way. But it also leaves us with a question: What do earthly authorities and earthly borders mean to those who are citizens of God's kingdom?

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Over the last few weeks, we have explored some of the ways that God reaches into our lives and challenges our assumptions. As Jesus was traveling the countryside teaching and healing people, he was also constantly reaching beyond the boundaries and barriers that people had erected between each other.

Every time we assume God is on our side and everyone else is wrong, we find an example to go against it. In the Old Testament, we found a general of a foreign nation that is openly hostile to Israel who is healed by God.

In the gospels, Jesus refuses to put a limit on those we are called to love. He centers a foreigner as the perfect example of a loving neighbor.

When we complain that other people are not acting like us, are not doing faith the way we are, Jesus points out that not all faith looks the same.

When we seek to know how to speak to God, when his disciples ask them how they should pray, Jesus shows us that God is neither a distant despot nor a cosmic butler. Instead, God is as close to us as family.

Today, our text offers us another challenge related to borders. In this letter written to a group of Hebrew believers, we are pointed toward the unseen and unknown. God rarely steps out in front of us and yells “here I am!” But we have faith and trust in those things that have been passed on to us. We have faith and trust in the stories of those that have come before. We have faith and trust in the word of God that came down to live among us. We have faith and trust in the evidence we see of God still working in the world today.

God Beyond Boundaries: Jesus' Prayer

This week, I take on The Lord's Prayer as found in Luke (see Luke 11:1-13). The version in Luke is briefer and leaves out some of the language we are most familiar with. But it still covers the most important parts of this prayer.

Now, it would be possible to do an entire sermon series on the Lord’s Prayer. Whole books have been written on these few lines of scripture. We can find everything from short devotionals like Roberta Bondi’s A Place to Pray to thick academic tomes such as C. Clifton Black’s volume in the Interpretation commentary series. So please bear with me as we do our best to consider this important prayer in such a setting as this.

There are several factors to consider as we look at this text from Luke today. Last week I mentioned my love for Luke’s gospel and talked briefly about some of the ways it stands out for me - from servanthood to the elevation of women to the sometimes contradictory statements that make us really wrestle with what God’s kingdom looks like. But today we are reminded of another key feature of Jesus’ life that Luke highlights for us - Jesus’ commitment to a life of prayer

God Beyond Boundaries: A Woman's Place

We often forget about the assumptions we bring with us when we read the Bible, particularly when we read a story we have read or heard countless times before. Today we have a familiar story of Jesus and his disciples relying on the hospitality of Martha and Mary in the home (see Luke 10:38-42). But, in the words of Luke Skywalker, this is not going to go the way you think.

Now, I have to admit that Luke is my favorite gospel most of the time. There are occasions when I prefer the more mystical take that John gives us. But Luke brings us a focus on the teaching and ministry of Jesus that I really like. Luke highlights the servanthood of Jesus and the call to emulate that ministry that I feel particularly drawn to.

God Beyond Boundaries: The Unexpected Neighbor

Today we return to a familiar parable to see how God pushes beyond the borders and boundaries we surround ourselves with to do something different. Today, we read the parable of the Good Samaritan again to see what this passage in Luke has to tell us about a God that doesn't see people and borders the same ways we do.

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Now those of you in our live studio audience and those that have been following along at home may have noticed that not only is our text today a familiar one, we just used it three weeks ago. But please don’t worry - I promise this is not a rerun.

When we read this text a few weeks ago, we were in the midst of our Vacation Bible School series on Going Beyond. We focused primarily in that service on the ways in which the Samaritan in the parable went beyond what was expected by not just helping a man in need but by continuing to provide for his care. He didn’t just bandage his wounds and send him on his way; he carried him to an inn, made sure the man would be cared for, and promised to pay back the innkeeper any additional expenses upon his return.

Today, we’re going to be looking at the reason and impact of this story for those that Jesus was dialoguing with. You see the text starts with a legal expert wanting to test Jesus. Some translations call him a lawyer. Others suggest that he was an expert in religious law.

Beyond Borders and Expectations

Today we turn to the Hebrew scriptures to hear another healing story involving a foreigner (see 2 Kings 5:1-19). But this time, it is not only a foreigner but a general from a nation that has been actively hostile to Israel. But this does not stop God from healing.

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As we consider our text this morning, you may have noticed a few familiar things going on that are similar to our story last week where Jesus healed the ten men suffering from a skin disease, commonly translated as leprosy. In that story, after realizing they were healed, one of the men, a Samaritan and foreigner, returned to give thanks to Jesus, praising God as he did.

In today’s story from the Hebrew scriptures, we have another foreigner who is central to the storyline. Naaman is described as a great man and a highly regarded general from the kingdom of Aram. We learn that God has just given this man a victory in battle. He is a mighty warrior for his king, but he has a skin disease. This is the same skin condition that the ten men we heard about last week suffered from. And in this time it would normally lead to the same results - being cast out and marked as unclean.

No matter that Naaman was a mighty warrior. No matter that he is a general in the king’s army. No matter that he is highly regarded. This skin condition, once it is widely known, will cause him to become an outcast as surely as any other.

Going Beyond: Going Beyond with Thankfulness

Today we concluded our series based on this year's Vacation Bible School themes with a healing story found in the Gospel of Luke (see Luke 17:11-19). In this story, Jesus heals ten lepers as he enters a village. In doing so, one of the lepers goes beyond expectations to express his thankfulness...and Jesus goes beyond boundaries.

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Going beyond. Over the course of June, we have used the theme and texts from this year’s Vacation Bible School as our focus for worship. Starting at the beginning of June, we have looked at different point each Sunday - going beyond with faith, boldness, and kindness. We have explored the ways that in each of these stories, the characters have gone beyond expectation, and the results have been even more than could have been imagined.

Today we look at going beyond with thankfulness in this healing story found in the Gospel according to St. Luke. And along the way, we will look at the ways that Jesus was also going beyond in today’s story - beyond expectations, beyond social norms, and beyond religious norms.

Going Beyond: Go Beyond with Kindness

Today, we discussed the familiar parable most commonly known as the story of the Good Samaritan (see Luke 10:25-37) as we consider what it means to offer others kindness and compassion no matter their circumstances or our own. This week, our focus is on the actions of the Samaritan in the parable itself. This passage returns as the lectionary reading in a few weeks, and we will dig a bit more deeply into the ways in which Jesus is going beyond the expected boundaries at that time. For now, we turn to the kindness and compassion displayed by the Samaritan in this parable.

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This past week, Newnan First UMC hosted kids from around our community for Vacation Bible School. Over the course of the week, these young people heard about God’s ability to go beyond all that we could hope for or imagine and stories from the Bible of those that went beyond what we would normally expect. In the course of these stories, we see that the results of going beyond expectations often far exceed what could possibly have been hoped for. As Ephesians 3:20 reminds us: “Glory to God, who is able to do far beyond all that we could ask or imagine by his power at work within us” (CEB)

Over the course of the month of June, we have been talking about these same themes in worship. At the beginning of the month, we heard about Daniel and the lion's den and going beyond with faith. Last week, we took a look at Queen Esther and going beyond with boldness. This week, we have the familiar story of the Good Samaritan and will focus on going beyond with kindness.

This is one of those stories that most Christians know by heart and that even many non-Christians have heard of. We even hear stories on the news of people described as a Good Samaritan when they do a good deed for someone else. One of the reasons for this is that we simply don’t expect this behavior. We have gotten to a point where we simply don’t expect people to be kind to others, so when someone does something compassionate or kind for someone else, we make a big deal out of it.

As I thought about this, I was reminded of the BBC miniseries (and book), Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. In this story, Richard Mayhew is a businessman who has been living and working in London for just a couple of years. He is originally  from Scotland, so he doesn’t really know anyone in London. He is fairly successful at work, but his only friends appear to be one work colleague and his fiancée.

As the series opens, Richard is at work when he is reminded that he was supposed to get reservations at a very particular restaurant for his fiancée and her extremely influential boss from the museum. He manages to still get reservations and rushes out to get ready for this important dinner to discuss an upcoming exhibit at the museum.

As they walk down the street toward the restaurant, a young woman stumbles out of the shadows and falls on the sidewalk. She is dressed in clothes we would consider shabby, she is dirty, and she is covered in blood. People walking down the sidewalk step around her without even looking down. Richard’s own fiancée simply steps over the woman. But Richard stops, feeling the need to help.

Now let us pause here for a moment. I wonder which of these sounds more common - those that are walking by without a glance or the one that stops to help? Maybe this will help us think about why those called "Good Samaritans" are celebrated.

Returning to our story, when she realizes Richard is no longer walking with her, his fiancée turns around to ask what is going on. He points to the woman lying on the ground. His fiancée makes some disparaging remarks about the homeless. Richard says she is hurt and needs help. His fiancée is completely focused on the dinner. She tells him just to leave some money and hurry up. If they wait for an ambulance they’ll be late to dinner, and they cannot be late. Someone else will call. Hurry up.

But Richard cannot leave this helpless person lying there on the sidewalk. He reaches down and scoops her up. The woman manages to communicate that the blood is not hers, and that she just needs to rest, so please don’t call a doctor. He carries her back to his flat and lets her sleep. The next morning, the young woman named Door looks much refreshed. She enlists Richard’s help to escape some men that are looking for her. In the process, Richard is introduced to a world he didn’t even know existed, a world inhabited by those on the margins - the ignored, the outcasts, those that choose to live away from society's rules. It also happens to be a world of magic

In the end, Richard travels with Door until she completes her quest to discover who killed her family and why. He protects her from murderers, survives a quest that has killed countless others before him, and slays a mythical beast at the heart of London Below. He went far beyond simply aiding the hurting woman that others had ignored on the street, and his life was changed in the process.

In this story, Richard is constantly an outsider. He is a Scotsman living in London. He is a bit eccentric next to his fiancée's high class style. She frequents society functions while his desktop is covered with troll dolls. And he is an outsider in London Below as he follows along on a quest that is not his. But this does not keep him from stopping to aid a person in need. Where others simply stepped around or over this woman lying in the street with shabby clothes covered in blood, where others ignored the obvious pain of someone in need, where most of those on the street couldn’t even be bothered to look on that need, Richard noticed. He stopped to help. And he went beyond the typical help of dropping a bit of money or simply calling for an ambulance and walking away.

Richard stopped and talked to the woman lying there. He took her somewhere safe where she could recover from her injuries. He made sure she was safe before he allowed her to continue on her journey. And in the process, he entered into relationship with Door and many others he would never even have met if he had not stopped to help her on the street.

Like the Samaritan in the parable that Jesus told, Richard went beyond what was expected. He stepped beyond the norm with kindness and compassion for the young woman he found on the street. Like the traveler in the parable, Door was literally lying on the side of the road in obvious need. Her clothes were torn and covered in blood. And yet, those on the street simply walked around her. Perhaps they didn’t cross to the other side of the road, but they did their best to ignore her need. Or perhaps like Richard’s fiancée, they sought to justify walking away with their own needs.

Surely the priest and the Levite had very good reasons for ignoring the need of the man lying on the side of the road. Maybe they were running late for worship. Maybe they were afraid of touching the man’s blood and needing to ritually cleanse themselves later. Maybe they assumed the man was already dead.

But the Samaritan saw the man and was moved with compassion. He bound up the man’s wounds, placed him on his own donkey and took him to an inn. Then he set the man up with a room, paid the innkeeper to see that the man was cared for, and promised to pay any additional monies when he next came through.

The Samaritan didn’t just call an ambulance. He didn’t just put bandaids on the wounds and walk away. He tended the man’s wounds, took him somewhere safe, and provided for his needs until he was able to get out on his own again.

Now I can’t say that following this encounter the Samaritan entered a magical land, completed a sacred quest, and slayed a mythical creature. But I like to think that when he returned again to the inn, he continued to care for the traveler and developed a relationship of some sort with him. I like to think that some sort of bond was formed between the two. For in the end, this is what Jesus is calling us to - loving relationship with one another.

Loving relationships are built on the kindness and compassion that the Samaritan showed. They are built on a love that does not think of its own gain but seeks instead to serve others. The Samaritan was an outsider in the story. He is from a different nation and not even Jewish. And yet he is the one that stops to help the man in need. He didn’t stop and ask the man’s nationality. He didn’t stop to check his insurance card. He didn’t stop to wonder how his service to others was going to affect his own status in his community. He didn’t stop to ask if the man had done something to put himself in this situation. He simply saw someone in need and helped them.

Not only that, but he didn’t stop and ask what the least amount of help was that he could give and still be considered helping. He helped extravagantly. He gave abundantly. We have to remember that in these parables Jesus is making a case for what the kingdom of God looks like. And the love that God has for us, the love that God expects us to have for one another, is extravagant. It is kind, it is compassionate, and it goes beyond any limits we might want to place on it. We don't get to limit God's love - for ourselves or for others.

As we think about the compassion shown in these two examples today, I want us to think about our own lives. When faced with need, do we cross to the other side of the road, step around the outstretched hand, and refuse to meet the other’s eyes? Or do we look upon others with the same love, kindness, and compassion with which Jesus looks upon us?

In some ways, it is sad to think about the ways in which we celebrate the Good Samaritan. It is sad to think that acting with kindness and compassion towards others is so extraordinary, so outside of the norm, that it is something to be celebrated.

But this is exactly why Jesus told this story. He needed to jar us enough with this act of kindness that was so unexpected that we would recognize it as a sacred thing. The love that we are called to share with one another is a mere reflection of that love that God has shown us.

What I would truly love to see is a story on the news about “Good Samaritans” from a local church doing good in their community and have the response be, “Well, of course they would do that. They are Christians after all.”

That is the world that Jesus was pointing us to. That is the example of kindness, compassion, and love that Jesus talked about in this parable, the same example that Jesus lived in his life with others, and the same task to which Jesus calls us all still today.

When our community looks at the work of our church, are they surprised by the kindness, compassion, and love that we show to the world around us?
I hope that the answer is yes; at least I hope that they see us showing kindness, compassion, and love to others in our community. But I would hope it would not be a surprise that we act that way.

I hope that we will continue to go beyond in faith, that we will continue to act with boldness, and that we will continue to show loving kindness to the world around us.

So let us join together and love our neighbors so extravagantly that everyone will know we follow Jesus.

Going Beyond: Go Beyond with Boldness

During the month of June, our church is hosting a community Vacation Bible School. Our worship themes for the month draw from the theme of this years VBS curriculum, "To Mars and Beyond." The overarching theme for this year's VBS is Ephesians 3:20 ("Glory to God, who is able to do far beyond all that we could ask or imagine by his power at work within us" - CEB). Then each day of VBS, a different biblical character is highlighted.

Each Sunday of June, our worship will focus on one of these characters in the Bible who go beyond what is expected of them. The month started with the story of Daniel in the lions den and the ways in which Daniel (and others) went beyond what was expected in faith. This week we take a look at Queen Esther who acted with boldness to save her people. The remaining two Sundays, we will look at the Good Samaritan and the healing of the ten lepers.

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Going beyond. That is our theme this month. Going beyond.

I admit that as I looked at our Vacation Bible School for this summer, “To Mars and Beyond,” and thought about this theme, the first thought that came to mind was Buzz Lightyear in the Toy Story movies and his rallying cry - “To infinity and beyond.”

For Buzz Lightyear, there is no limit in his mind on what can be accomplished. He leaps without thinking, he doesn’t accept limitations, and he would do anything for those that he loves.

Hmmm, when I put it that way, maybe this does fit with our theme for the month. We are reminded in Ephesians 3:20, that God is able to do far more than we can ask for or even imagine. God does not accept limitations. God will do anything for those that God loves - including coming down to live among us, including reaching out to us no matter how many times we turn away. God’s love for us goes to infinity and beyond.

And when this love inhabits us, it encourages us to go beyond that which is expected. It encourages us to go beyond the norm. It encourages us to act boldly in our love for other people. It encourages us to show the love that God has for us out to other people, people who may not yet know God’s love but who are no more or less deserving of God’s love than any of the rest of us.

As we hear in our brief text today (see Esther 4:14), Esther is a good model for this bold love that we are called to have for others. I chose to read only a single verse out of the book of Esther today because it sums up well the ways in which God does far more than we can know or expect.

Now for those that may not be familiar with the book of Esther, this section of the Bible is a relatively brief book in the Hebrew scriptures - only 10 chapters long. It tells a story of Jews living in Persia under King Ahasuerus. Having gotten annoyed with his wife, Vashti, he sends her away and decides to choose a new queen. Esther is a Jewish orphan that had been raised by her relative, Mordecai. The king becomes enamored of Esther and takes her as his queen, but he does not know that she is Jewish.

Shortly after Esther becomes queen, Mordecai, who works at the city gates, discovers a plot to assassinate the king. He reports it through Esther, and the two men involved are captured. Mordecai’s actions are noted in the royal register.

Then the king promotes Haman to be his viceroy, chief amongst all his officials. All the guards at the gate bow to Haman except Mordecai. Mordecai refuses because as an observant Jew he will bow to no man. This infuriates Haman, who decides to not only punish Haman but also all of the Jews living in the land. He tells the king only that there is a group of people in the land that do not follow the king’s commands and that they should be destroyed. Without knowing who they are or what exact offense they have given, the king gives Haman permission to do as he pleases with them. Haman then writes up an order to be sent out to all of the governors that on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, all Jews are to be killed. He seals the order with the king’s seal to make it official. Then he waits.

When Mordecai learns of the plan, he goes into mourning, as do other Jews around the nation. They don’t know what to do. But then Mordecai goes to Esther and begs her to ask the king to reverse this law.

Esther is afraid to go to the king, because to approach the king uninvited means death. Mordecai reminds her that as a Jew, she also is subject to the law; being a member of the royal household will not save her. Then he says the words that we heard as our scripture text today:

In fact, if you don’t speak up at this very important time, relief and rescue will appear for the Jews from another place, but you and your family will die. But who knows? Maybe it was for a moment like this that you came to be part of the royal family. (Esther 4:14, CEB)

 And so, Esther goes and stands at the door of the throne room. Fortunately, the king permits Esther to approach, and she invites him and Haman to a feast.

After the feast, the king offers Estehr whatever she should ask for. All she requests is for the king and Haman to return the next day for another feast. She will make her request at the time.

After leaving the queens residence, Haman again notices that Mordecai will not bow to him. Becoming even angrier he orders a gallows built on which he intends to kill Mordecai.

That same evening, the king has trouble sleeping and orders a scribe to read to him from the royal records. I imagine this would be like being President and having someone read the Constitution to you when you have trouble sleeping. It also reminds me of the joke about the woman having trouble falling asleep so she asks her husband to tell her about his Dungeons & Dragons character. Once he starts talking, she falls right to sleep.

At any rate, as the royal records are being read, the king is reminded of the time that Mordecai had saved him from the assassination plot. When he asks how Mordecai was rewarded, he is told that Mordecai was never rewarded for his service. At that same moment, Haman enters the courtyard intending to tell the king of his plan to kill Mordecai the next day. Instead, the king asks him what he should do for one he wishes to honor. Thinking the king means to honor him, Haman tells the king all the things he would want for himself. Then the king says, “Good, we’ll do that for Mordecai.”

Obviously, this means he can’t have Mordecai killed. Then the next day, he returns to another feast with the king hosted by Queen Esther. At this meal, she tells the king that she is a Jew and that there is a plan to kill all of the Jews in the land. She begs him to save her people. When he learns what Haman has done in his name, he is overwhelmed. Haman is killed on the gallows he had set up for Mordecai, Esther is given control of all of Haman's wealth and possessions, and Mordecai is made the new viceroy.

Through the actions of Esther, actions that could have led to her death, the Jewish people living in Persia were saved. Because of her faith and the love she had for Mordecai and the rest of her family, she took bold action to make sure they would be safe from the calamity that would otherwise befall them. And the result is more than she could have asked for. Not only are all the Jews in the land saved, but she was given control of Haman’s wealth, and Mordecai was made the new viceroy.

Now in the midst of all of this, it is interesting to note that God is not in fact mentioned anywhere in the story. While Mordecai’s faith and what he will and won’t do because of it is central to the story, God is not actually mentioned. But this is not to say that God is not present. In fact, the lack of direct mention of God makes God’s presence here even more important.

When we look to our focus text for today, there is much we can say about God from these few short lines. First, God loves God’s people and will work miracles for them with or without our help. This is obvious from the first line of our text - “if you don’t speak up at this very important time, relief and rescue will appear for the Jews from another place” (Esther 4:14a, CEB). God is at work and will make sure salvation comes whether we act or not. This is obviously not meant to suggest that we should not act. In fact, this is part of Mordecai’s argument for action. But it does mean that God will do more than we can expect or ask for. Even when we aren’t asking for salvation, God is still there offering it.

But the next part of the text is equally important. “But who knows? Maybe it was for a moment like this that you came to be part of the royal family” (Esther 4:14b, CEB). For Esther, her placement in the royal household was an opportunity for salvation for the Jews. While Mordecai had made clear his belief that salvation would come even if Esther did not act, she is in fact in a prime position to do good for those in trouble.

It is like a more positive version of the story of Joseph and his brothers. While Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery out of their jealousy, it caused him to be in a situation to ultimately save his family during a great famine. In becoming queen, Esther is placed in a key situation to save her family in a similar moment of peril. This is not to say she did not otherwise deserve to be queen, but look how much more good was able to come from that than expected.

Other translations of this text use the phrase “for such a time as this” to indicate the providence at work in the midst of Esther’s circumstances. An orphan girl with little to offer as the world understands it becomes queen at just the right time to have the influence that will save her people. Even without naming God explicitly, we can see God’s hand at work in the story here.

And what of us? In the midst of our fears and hesitations, in the midst of situations that seem out of our control, perhaps we are exactly where we are meant to be for such a time as this. Perhaps we are in exactly the position we need to be in to show God’s faithfulness and love to the world in this very place, in a world desperately in need of love and forgiveness.

I’m not myself a queen. I don’t have any royal blood that I am aware of. And I don’t know that I have any particular influence on those in power. But I firmly believe that I am exactly where God needs me to be, exactly in the place I need to be for such a time as this. I can see God’s Spirit at work in all the subtle coincidences that occurred for me to get here. That doesn’t mean it was easy. There were plenty of occasions in the last two years when I was just as concerned about losing everything as Esther was when she was asked to approach the king. And yet, like Esther, my faith simply taught me to trust. And here I am doing ministry that I love in a community of faithful people.

What about you? As you go through your week I want you to consider your faith and the ways in which you trust God in your life. How does your faith and trust in God lead you to act boldly in the name of love? Esther risked everything she had in the name of those she loved. She chose to trust God rather than play it safe. And the results were beyond all she had hoped.

Imagine all the things God can accomplish through us in this community if we trust in God and act boldly for love.

Maybe that is exactly why you are here today, exactly why you are in this community at this time - that your presence may be exactly what this community needs.

Sometimes God answers prayers through us.

Sometimes we are in exactly the right place at the right time to benefit others.

And every time, God is able to do far more with that little act of faith than we could ever accomplish on our own.

Like Esther, may we act boldly in the name of love.

Like Buzz Lightyear, may we act without hesitation.

And may the God who loves us all use us wherever we may find ourselves.

"To infinity and beyond."

Pentecost: Encountering the Spirit

Throughout the season of Easter, we have heard stories of lives changed and empowered by their encounters with the risen body of Jesus. On Pentecost, the fiftieth day of Easter, we celebrate the continuing encounter we have with God through the presence and work of the Holy Spirit.

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Over the last fifty days, we have celebrated the risen Christ. We have heard about many of the encounters that different disciples had with the risen body of Jesus. During these encounters, Jesus spoke again of many of the things he had taught to the disciples before his death. These encounters filled the disciples with new life, encouraging them and enlivening them to both continue the work he had started with them as well as to enter into new ministries in the world.

Before he ascended to heaven, Jesus promised them that he would send to them the Holy Spirit who would dwell within them and continue to guide them.

So here we are, fifty days after Easter on the day of Pentecost. Now the word Pentecost comes to us from Greek and translates more or less literally as fiftieth. Originally, this Greek word was used to refer to a Jewish festival, the Feast of Weeks, that occurs fifty days after the start of Passover, or (as the Hebrew people understood it) a week of weeks after Passover. So when our text today tells us that they were all together on Pentecost day, this is what it means. It was the fiftieth day since the Passover, and, as observant Jews, they were all together to celebrate the holy day. This holiday is a combined celebration of the wheat harvest as well as the day observed as the day that God gave the law to Israel.

Due to the story we read today, we in the Christian tradition now observe Pentecost in the church. However, instead of celebrating it as the day God gave the Torah to Israel, we celebrate the day that God gave the Holy Spirit to all people.

And so, the disciples were all together in one place when the house was filled with wind and individual tongues of flame alighted on each of them. From that moment as they spoke, the others gathered there in Jerusalem for the festival were able to understand the disciples each in their native languages. The Jews and converts gathered in Jerusalem were from all over the Empire. And yet they could all understand the disciples as they told of the mighty works of God.

This refers us back to another story from the Hebrew scriptures, the story of the tower of Babel. In that story, people tried to build a tower that would reach all the way up to heaven and make them equal to God. Instead, God mixed up their languages so that they could not easily understand each other and scattered them across the globe.

But here in our story today, we see that story reversed. People from all over the globe are gathered, and they can all understand the disciples. And all this not because the disciples were trying to ascend to God, but because God descended to them, alighting on them in tongues of flame.

Can you imagine how terrifying this must have been for the disciples? After all they have been through over the past two months, a fierce, howling wind blows through the house they are in and then they see tongues of fire descending on each other. Try to imagine what that would be like for us today. What if we were gathered here in this place to celebrate and suddenly the space was filled with wind and sound and tongues of fire? I suspect we would all be running for the nearest exit.

And perhaps that is what the disciples did for the very next section of the text tells us that others heard the sound and gathered around the disciples. No longer in the house, the disciples are now out in public. The people that gathered around could hear the disciples in their own languages and were understandably confused. It would be one thing for a few people to understand the disciples in their native languages. But for everyone to understand them? There were probably more languages represented than there were disciples present. So how is it possible?

So there was surprise and confusion even though at least a few of those present just laughed it off as a drunken display. And why not? At least some of those present surely knew who these men were and all that had happened in the last few weeks. They knew these men had followed Jesus, knew Jesus had been executed as an enemy of the state, and had probably heard the wild stories the disciples had been telling about Jesus raised from the dead. No matter what Peter says about it being impossible for the disciples to be drunk because it is only 9:00 in the morning, it is unsurprising that some might think the disciples are constantly drunk as a way of explaining the outrageous stories they are telling.

But then Peter quotes the prophet Joel as a way to explain what is happening. This is not drunkenness, but the work of the Spirit as promised by God through the prophet Joel and by Jesus to his disciples. This is the day on which God’s spirit is poured out on men and women, young and old, free and enslaved. All have a place in God’s kingdom and all have a role to play. Diversity is no longer an excuse for separation; diversity is what brings the people together. They each hear in their own languages, but they all hear the same stories, stories of God’s mighty acts in the world and the good news of God’s relationship with all people as revealed in Jesus.

I keep trying to imagine what that was like. The rushing wind, the tongues of fire, the sudden ability to understand one another no matter what language was being spoken. As they realized what was happening, I am sure the disciples became more and more excited. The energy in that place would have been amazing. They would have recognized the same energy they had felt in the presence of Jesus, particularly in their recent encounters with him after the resurrection.

But I think it is hard for us to imagine what that was like. It is hard because sometimes we think God no longer appears in the same ways, that these stories are all in the past. We sometimes forget that the Holy Spirit is still moving among us today. God didn’t stop showing up 2000 years ago. The story didn’t end on Good Friday or on Easter or on that first Pentecost. The story didn’t end with Peter or Paul or any of their immediate followers or even their followers followers. After that day of Pentecost the disciples spread throughout the known world, gathering other followers throughout the Empire and beyond. Followers of Jesus spread out from Jerusalem throughout northern Africa, southern Asia, and into Europe. And the story still continues today.

We look back today on that first Pentecost as the birth of the church, the day that Christianity as something distinct from its Jewish roots was born. I think we sometimes like to look at this as a natural progression, but when we do we miss how truly radical this shift was for those early followers. Those that had been with Jesus were all Jews. They did their best to keep to the law and observe the holy days and festivals. They weren’t trying to start something new. They were trying to learn how to be better followers of God's ways.

But on Pentecost the Holy Spirit breaks in with something new. And as observant Jews, they would have recognized all the nuances at play here. Peter points to the prophet Joel. We have the reversal of the Babel story. We have the sound and the wind from the appearance of God to Elijah. We have the Spirit descending on the same day they were gathered to observe the gift of the Torah from God.

And we cannot forget the fire. A pillar of fire led the Hebrew people through the wilderness. And fire figures into several call stories in the Hebrew scriptures, especially fire which does not consume. Fire is part of the appearance of God to Elijah. An angel touches a burning coal to Isaiah’s lips. And Moses is called to lead the Hebrew people to freedom by a burning bush.

Though the reversal of the curse of Babel is most often touched on in relation to Pentecost, it is the burning bush that came to mind for me as I prepared these last couple of weeks. Moses who was watching his father-in-law’s sheep. Moses who was content in the life he had found for himself after fleeing the Pharaoh's household. Moses who wanted nothing more than to hide away from any prying eyes and live simply for the rest of his days. Moses sees a bush that burns without being consumed. He approaches and is told to remove his shoes for he is walking on holy ground. And then God speaks to Moses from that bush and places Moses on the path that he will follow for the rest of his life.

It is this same fire that descended on the disciples that day in Jerusalem. It was a fire that did not consume them. It was a fire that called them and set them on the path that each of them would follow for the rest of their lives.

And it is this same fire that empowers and enlivens us today. It is a fire that does not consume us, but one which calls us to follow Jesus for the rest of our days. It is a fire that leads us and shows us the way.

And just as the Holy Spirit led the disciples in new directions, the Holy Spirit can still lead us in new directions today.

So what about you? Where have you felt the Spirit still at work in your life? What has the Holy Spirit empowered you to do to continue the ministry of Jesus Christ here in the world today?

The Holy Spirit is present with us, here, now, today. This Spirit burns with holy fire, a fire that gives energy but does not consume. This Spirit guides us, leads us, sends us forth in service to the word.

Are we ready?

Are we ready to go where the Spirit moves us to go?

Let us go together.

Songs for the Journey - The Ascension

As we approach the celebration of Jesus' post-resurrection ascension this week, I have been thinking about the way this would have affected both Jesus and his disciples. Beyond what we obviously have in our texts, what would they have had to say to each other? The relationship between Jesus and the various disciples was more than simply that of student and teacher. Through their time together, they became friends, even family.

Surely they would have had more to say to one another than a blessing and a command to share what they have learned. Even Yoda had more to say to Luke than "When gone am I, the last of the Jedi will you be. Pass on what you have learned." What other words or wishes would have passed between them?

Recently, a new song from Mumford and Sons has caught my ear. In this song, "Beloved," the songwriter is reflecting on his experience of being in the room when his grandmother had passed away. He is reflecting on that sense of loss, the grief that comes when someone you love dies.

Encountering the Body: The Power of Love

Often when we think about the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus, we think about the appearances to the disciples that had already been following Jesus in life. And over the last few weeks, it is exactly these appearances that we have been exploring together. However, the power of Jesus' love for the world is that his love was not limited only to those who had already been his followers. Nor is his love limited to perfect people. Today,we explore the call of a totally surprising disciple who encounters the body of the risen Jesus in more ways than one (see Acts 9:1-9, 17-20).

Encountering the Body: In the Flesh

As we have traveled through this Easter season, I have focused on the appearances of the resurrected Jesus to his various followers, the disciples' encounters with the risen body of Christ. We've seen the female followers discover the empty tomb and Mary Magdalene's subsequent encounter with Jesus in the garden. We've seen the appearance to the inner circle of male disciples on subsequent weeks as they hid with their fears and their doubts behind locked doors. And we've seen a glimpse of how the crucifixion and resurrection affected a pair of followers that were not in the inner circle.

These encounters mostly follow a similar pattern. Jesus appears to his followers, there is some recognition of his physical presence (holding on to him, touching his wounds, sharing food), often there is a sharing of some sort of message, and then a command or impulse to share that message.

This week, we return to the group of disciples we are more familiar with (see John 21:1-19). These are members of the inner circle, the male disciples that were closest to Jesus, sometimes referred to as the Twelve. Though not all of them are present, we do find Peter, James, John, Thomas, Nathanael, and a couple of unnamed others.

Apparently they are still trying to figure out what the appearances of Jesus are supposed to mean for them. The gospel writer tells us this is the third appearance to these men, so we can guess we are at least a week out from that first Easter morning when the women discovered the empty tomb and Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene. Later that same day, Jesus appeared to the previously unknown followers on their journey back to Emmaus, and then, that evening, Jesus appeared to his inner circle as they hid in Jerusalem; well, all of them except Thomas. A week later, he again appeared to the men and Thomas was present. So we can safely assume that this appearance follows the one that included Thomas.

Encountering the Body: At the Table

As we continue through the Easter season, I am continuing to explore the various encounters that the disciples had with the risen body of Jesus and the ways in which they were empowered and renewed by that experience for the continuing mission that Jesus had set before them. Today I step outside of this year's lectionary readings to look at some less famous disciples who are journeying home to Emmaus that first Easter day (see Luke 24:13-35)

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On Easter morning, we heard the story of Mary Magdalene and the other women discovering the empty tomb that first Easter. Unsure what it could mean at first, Mary then encountered the risen Christ in the garden. The resurrection was a source of joy and the inauguration of a new mission.

Two weeks ago, we heard the story of the doubtful disciples, the male apostles who were hiding in a room in the midst of fear and doubts. But Jesus broke into their lives, and they had a life changing encounter with the risen Christ as well.

Today we get a glimpse of some other disciples, ones that have not been named before in the story, but ones that had obviously been part of the crowds that were following Jesus. This particular story is only fleshed out here in Luke’s gospel. In this gospel, this story takes place between the discovery of the empty tomb and Jesus’ appearance to the hiding apostles later that same day.

We catch a glimpse here of how these events affected those that weren’t in the inner circle. These two disciples are not part of the Twelve, and only one of them is actually given a name. But that does not make their encounter with Jesus any less important. In fact, I think that makes this story even more relatable. While there may be those that identify with Mary Magdalene or Thomas or Peter, there are probably many more that identify with the unnamed masses that humbly followed Jesus without accolade or prestige.

At any rate, these two are walking the seven miles or more back home to the community of Emmaus (though I am pretty sure I didn’t do seven miles on my Walk). They are downcast, saddened by everything that had happened. They had been excited when they heard Jesus speak. They had been excited by the new life he was calling them into, a new way of being in relationship with God and with one another. But now he’s dead. I guess life just returns to the way things were.

And then Jesus shows up. The story suggests he just happened to walk upon them on their journey, for there is no mention of a sudden appearance. The text simply says that he “arrived and joined them on their journey.” While the gospel of John doesn’t tell us why Mary Magdalene did not recognize Jesus until he said her name, Luke does tell us that these two disciples were “prevented from recognizing him.”

But as before there is no mention of how they were prevented from recognizing Jesus. Perhaps, like Doctor Who, he had regenerated into a new body so that his companions could not immediately recognize him. Perhaps, like Superman, he was wearing glasses that kept him from being recognized for who he really is. Or perhaps, as two disciples that were not in the inner circle, they had never actually seen him up close before. Since they obviously aren’t expecting to see him they are unable to recognize him for who he is.

And while it may be fun to play the “what if” game, the specific detail of how is not nearly as important as the rest of the story.

When he questions them about what is going on, they explain to him their grief. They tell him about the love and excitement that had been building in them and then the way their hopes had been dashed by the crucifixion. Then they mention the story the women had told about the empty tomb. We are left assuming they had left not long after since we only hear of the women’s story and Peter’s confirmation that the tomb is empty. And seeing as the actual location of their hometown is anywhere from 7-20 miles from Jerusalem -- depending on which text fragment we are reading from and how the distance was being measured -- for them to arrive home before the evening meal would have meant an early start, particularly with such heavy hearts.

And then Jesus straight up calls them fools.

Perhaps this is unsurprising given the number of times Jesus has to tell his followers they are not understanding all he has been telling them. After their time with him, all his stories, even his references to his death, the disciples were still caught off guard, still not sure what to make of these things.

And then Jesus very patiently explains it all to them again. The new world he was bringing about was always going to challenge the status quo. The things he was teaching, his challenges to the religious and political authorities, were always going to lead to his death. And the resurrection was always going to point to God’s love and a promise of new life.

I can imagine them as this story begins to draw to a close walking slowly along the road in front of their home, wanting to go inside but not quite ready for the conversation to end. I’m sure some of you have had this experience. You have somewhere else to be, but you don’t really want to interrupt what is going on.

As Jesus keeps moving as if to continue along the road, they invite him inside instead. It is almost evening, the day is done. Come in and take a load off.

They go inside and eventually sit down to share some food together. As they do, Jesus takes bread, offers a blessing, breaks the bread, and offers it to them. It doesn’t tell us what words he used or if there was anything said beyond the blessing, but the words and the actions would have recalled for the disciples the Last Supper when Jesus had performed exactly the same actions. And in that moment, they recognize him for who he is. As soon as they do, Jesus disappears.

Can you just imagine the excitement they felt in that moment? The stories are true. They recognize that their hearts had been burning within them as Jesus had been talking with them, though we Methodists might prefer to say their hearts were strangely warmed. They suddenly knew beyond any doubt that God loved them and that all Jesus had taught them was true.

And then these two, who had just walked at least 7 miles in the heat of the day, dejected and feeling lost because of Jesus’ death, jumped up from the table and immediately returned to Jerusalem. If the timeline presented here is to be believed, they returned in time to be present when Jesus appeared to the apostles in hiding. A journey that had likely taken them much of the day, a journey that ended shortly before evening, is now completed in what is likely a matter of only an hour or two, arriving back in Jerusalem that same evening.

Their encounter with the body of the risen Christ gave them the excitement and energy to run miles to share the good news with others. They were bursting with energy, unable to delay even the night to go out and share this news with others.

This is the joy of the encounter with the risen body of Jesus. It empowers and emboldens us. We can’t hold it in, can’t wait to share it. And like these two disciples, we can have this same encounter. Just as they recognize Jesus in the breaking of the bread, we too repeat this experience, sharing bread at the table together.

When we come to the table we not only remember Jesus in the sense of remembering the entirety of his life death and resurrection, of remembering all the times he sat at table with his followers and others. But we re-member the body of Jesus. We are the continuing body of Jesus still at work in the world. When we come together at the table, we are Jesus’ hands and feet, his arms and legs. The body is put back together when we gather. This is also what it means to re-member Christ. It is also one of the ways that Christ’s body becomes visible again in the world.

As we pray in the Great Thanksgiving when we celebrate Holy Communion, "Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here, and on these gifts of bread and [the cup]. Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood" (The United Methodist Hymnal, 10).

So when we gather together at Christ’s table, the body of Jesus is both present in the bread and the cup and in the community gathered to worship.

How are we transformed by that encounter with the body of Jesus?

How is our world transformed by their encounter with the body of Jesus that is this worshiping community?

When we encounter the risen Christ, our lives are transformed for the better. Not in the sense that everything will now be easy in life. In fact, quite often the contrary. Instead, our encounter with [Jesus] forms us for the betterment of all, not our individual selves. For most of us, this encounter with [Jesus] takes place in [worship]. It is when we gather at the table that we become aware of [Jesus], whether we recognize Christ in the bread and the cup or in the other faces sharing the worshiping space with us. [Jesus] is present and alive. (McGlothin-Eller, 27)

The really awesome thing about this is that as we become more and more aware of Jesus present here with us at the table in worship, we start to recognize Jesus present with us when we gather at other tables for other meals. Cleopas and the other disciple were not sitting down to share in worship with Jesus; they were sitting down to share food. The body of Jesus became known to them in the sharing of food.

Our worship life suggests that it is also true for us -- the body of Jesus becomes known to us when we share food. When we share in the Holy Meal, we become aware of the body of Jesus and our place as a part of that body.

Once we recognize the risen [Jesus] in our midst and our place in the body of Christ, we can begin to hope that others will recognize that body. Once we have encountered the risen [body of Jesus], what is our reaction to the call that is placed on us? Part of what it means to be the body of Christ is that we serve others as [Jesus] did during his life on earth. But what does it mean to serve? ...I have wondered before what it would mean to think about serving the church in the same way that we serve [Holy Communion]. When we think of serving [Holy Communion], we think about providing the bread and the cup to someone else. We think of offering them the body and blood of [Jesus]. What if we also offered the church as the body of [Jesus]to the world? What would it mean to serve the body of [Jesus] in that way? (McGlothin-Eller, 28)

What would it mean to offer the church, the body of the risen Jesus, to the rest of the world? How else do we help people have an encounter with the body of Christ if we do not first offer it to them?

Perhaps for some, simply sharing the story of Jesus is enough. But if we want people excited, if we want to see them energized and empowered the way we have seen with the disciples over the past few weeks, we need to offer them more than stories. We need to offer them an encounter with the body of the risen Jesus.

Perhaps just as it was for Cleopas and the other disciple in this story, it is still the same today. If Jesus is recognized in the act of sharing food, perhaps we best help others recognize Christ by offering them food. Sometimes this takes place at the table during worship, and sometimes this may take palce in other ways.

As we continue through this week, I want you to think about your own experiences at Christ’s table. Have you encountered Jesus when the community gathers together for Holy Communion?

Have you recognized Jesus other times we gather with others at a table for a meal?

Or maybe you have had the experience of encountering Jesus as you have served food to a stranger?

Whatever the case, know that Jesus waits to have an encounter with each of us. And just as the disciples were excited by their encounter and sent forth with a new mission, we, too, are emboldened by our encounter with Christ and sent out in mission, that through us, others may encounter the living body of Jesus and know God’s love.

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The two block quotes originally appeared in a paper written for the class “Liturgy and Ethics.” Vince McGlothin-Eller, “Encountering the Body: The Presence of the Risen Christ as Call to Discipleship” (essay, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, 2010), 27-28.

Encountering the Body: The Doubting Disciples

This week, we continue the Easter story, moving now from Mary's encounter in the garden to the other disciples hiding together in a locked room (see John 20:19-31). Even after Mary had come to them with the Good News, they are still in hiding, still uncertain what is coming.

“It was still the first day of the week.”

This is still the same day that the women discovered the empty tomb. The same day that Mary Magdalene encountered the risen Christ in the garden and then came to tell the others that she had seen Jesus.

Even after receiving this message, even after Peter confirmed that the tomb was empty, even after Mary returns excited to share the news of her encounter with Jesus, the disciples are in hiding. They were behind closed doors. They were still afraid of what was going to happen to them.

Jesus was arrested, tortured, and killed. What are they going to do to us?

Encountering the Body: In the Garden

As we enter the season of Easter, I want us to remember where those who knew Jesus found joy on that first Easter. Their joy was not in the cross, not in the sacrifice, not even in the empty tomb. Joy was found in newness of life. Joy was found when Mary Magdalene encountered the body of living Jesus in the Garden. This was the culmination of the salvation story. We are an Easter people, not a Good Friday people. And so, we look to John 20:1-18 as we reflect on what this may mean for us today.

To start with, I want us to try to put ourselves in Mary Magdalene’s sandals, er, shoes today. Over the last few days, your friend and teacher went ballistic in the temple, flipping over tables and driving out the money lenders with whips. Then during the Passover meal, he knelt down like a servant, washing everyone’s feet before saying something about the bread and the cup containing his body and blood. Then Judas, one of the Twelve, Jesus’ closest followers, led an armed mob into the garden while Jesus was praying and took him away. Jesus was put on trial, tortured, and executed. She was there until the end. She saw it all, watched as his body was pierced, watched as the blood poured out, watched the life leave his eyes.

What can all that mean for the new life he was teaching about? How can the world change if he is dead? What will we do without our teacher? He was our friend, and we loved him.